The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 produces a wide performance envelope that hinges almost entirely on resolution and quality settings. The benchmark data reveals a configuration that can deliver playable frame rates at lower resolutions but struggles to maintain fluidity at 4K, with the GPU acting as the primary constraint in almost every scenario.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a dramatic and consistent drop in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 75 FPS at 1080p to 63 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 12 FPS, before plummeting to 50 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that the GTX 1070 is being pushed to its limits at higher pixel counts, with the 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit memory bus becoming a bottleneck.

At Medium settings, the progression is steeper: 47 FPS at 1080p drops to 40 FPS at 1440p and then to 31 FPS at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 4K here is 16 FPS, a 34% reduction in performance. This suggests that while the CPU has sufficient headroom, the GPU’s 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 107.7 GPixel/s pixel rate are insufficient to maintain frame rates as the pixel workload increases.

High settings reveal an even more pronounced scaling issue, with 34 FPS at 1080p, 28 FPS at 1440p, and just 22 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K narrows in absolute terms (12 FPS) but represents a 35% loss in performance. The Ultra preset is the most punishing, dropping from 27 FPS at 1080p to 22 FPS at 1440p and finally to 18 FPS at 4K. At this quality level, the game becomes nearly unplayable regardless of resolution, indicating that the GTX 1070 lacks the raw shading power and memory bandwidth required for The Medium’s highest visual fidelity.

The data clearly shows that the limiting component is the GPU, not the CPU. The Core Ultra 5 245, with its 14 cores and 14 threads boosting up to 5.10 GHz, does not appear to throttle performance at any resolution. The consistent frame rate drops across all settings as resolution scales upward point directly to the GTX 1070’s 150 W TDP and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth being saturated. At 1080p, the CPU has ample headroom, but at 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, with even Low settings only managing 50 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 2400 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the bottom 17.5% of all configurations tested, a low position that reflects the GPU’s age and limitations rather than the CPU’s capabilities. The Core Ultra 5 245 itself performs admirably, sitting in the 90th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (deltaPct -0.4), AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (deltaPct -0.5), Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (deltaPct 0.6), and Intel Core i5-14600K (deltaPct 0.8), showing that the CPU is competitive with modern desktop processors.

However, the GTX 1070 drags the combo down significantly. The GPU sits in the 47th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 9780. Its nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro W5000 (deltaPct -0.2), NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (deltaPct -0.5), NVIDIA Tesla M10 (deltaPct 0.6), and NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (deltaPct 0.7), all of which are older or workstation-oriented parts. This stark contrast between the CPU’s high percentile and the GPU’s mid-range percentile explains the poor overall rank. In a game like The Medium, which is heavily GPU-bound, the combo’s performance is dictated by the weaker link, and the GTX 1070’s Pascal architecture from 2016 cannot keep pace with modern horror titles.

The rank of 2400 out of 2911 indicates that most other tested combinations deliver better frame rates. This is expected given the GTX 1070’s end-of-life production status and its release date of 2016-06-09. The CPU’s performance is effectively wasted in this pairing at higher resolutions, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. At 1080p and Low settings, the combo can achieve 75 FPS, which is respectable, but at 4K and Ultra, the 18 FPS average is far below playable thresholds, confirming that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the most viable resolution, with average frame rates ranging from 27 FPS at Ultra to 75 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, performance drops to a range of 22 FPS at Ultra to 63 FPS at Low, while 3840x2160 only produces 18-50 FPS depending on settings, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest rivals in GPU benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 9780, sitting in the 47th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro W5000 (deltaPct -0.2), NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (deltaPct -0.5), NVIDIA Tesla M10 (deltaPct 0.6), and NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (deltaPct 0.7), indicating it performs similarly to these older workstation parts.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The Core Ultra 5 245 ranks in the 90th percentile against all CPUs with an average score of 48995, while the GTX 1070 ranks in the 47th percentile with an average score of 9780. The frame rate drops as resolution increases confirm that the GPU’s capabilities are the limiting factor.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 47 at 1920x1080, 40 at 2560x1440, and 31 at 3840x2160. The minimum and maximum FPS at 1080p are 40 and 54, at 1440p are 34 and 45, and at 4K are 26 and 36, showing some fluctuation but generally stable performance.

Q: Does the CPU’s core count affect gaming performance here?

A: The Core Ultra 5 245 has 14 cores and 14 threads, but the benchmark data does not show any CPU-related bottlenecks. The game’s performance scales with resolution and settings in a way that is consistent with GPU limitations, so the CPU’s 14 cores are not a contributing factor to the low frame rates at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 2400 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the bottom 17.5% of all configurations, reflecting the GTX 1070’s limitations despite the Core Ultra 5 245’s strong individual performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves an average of 75 FPS at Low settings, which is the highest frame rate recorded in any configuration. Medium settings produce 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 and maximum of 54, while High settings yield 34 FPS and Ultra settings only 27 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for the GTX 1070, with even Ultra settings remaining playable, albeit at lower frame rates.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 63 FPS, Medium settings average 40 FPS with a minimum of 34 and maximum of 45, High settings average 28 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 22 FPS. The step from 1080p to 1440p represents a significant increase in pixel count, and the GTX 1070’s 256-bit memory bus and 6.463 TFLOPS of compute are stretched thin, particularly at High and Ultra presets.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 50 FPS, which is acceptable, but Medium settings drop to 31 FPS with a minimum of 26 and maximum of 36. High settings yield only 22 FPS, and Ultra settings plummet to 18 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the 50 FPS average is borderline, with any demanding scene likely causing noticeable stutter.

The min and max FPS data for Medium settings across all resolutions provides insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p, the range is 40-54 FPS, a 14 FPS variance. At 1440p, the range is 34-45 FPS, an 11 FPS variance. At 4K, the range is 26-36 FPS, a 10 FPS variance. This tightening of the variance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is running at near full utilization, reducing the potential for frame rate spikes but also limiting the average.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which delivers an average of 75 FPS. This preset provides the smoothest gameplay, with ample headroom above the 60 FPS threshold, and is the only configuration in the dataset that achieves such performance. For players who prioritize visual quality over raw frame rate, Medium settings at 1080p are the best compromise, offering 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS, which remains playable during intense scenes.

At 2560x1440, Low settings are recommended, with an average of 63 FPS. Medium settings at this resolution drop to 40 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players but risks dipping below 34 FPS in demanding moments. High and Ultra settings at 1440p are not recommended, as they produce 28 FPS and 22 FPS respectively, which are too low for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and pacing.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings are viable, with an average of 50 FPS. Medium settings at 4K produce 31 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay, and High and Ultra settings at 22 FPS and 18 FPS respectively are effectively unplayable. The data clearly indicates that this combo should be configured for 1080p or 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for Low settings and non-demanding scenes.

For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, Medium settings at 1920x1080 is the recommended preset. It provides a 47 FPS average with a minimum of 40 FPS, which is smooth enough for a narrative-driven horror game, and it leverages the GTX 1070’s capabilities without overstressing the GPU. Low settings at 1080p are the best choice for competitive or fast-paced play, but The Medium is a slower-paced title, so the visual improvements at Medium are worth the frame rate trade-off.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process node by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, placing it in the 90th percentile against all CPUs. This level of performance is more than sufficient for The Medium, which is a GPU-bound title.

The CPU’s role in this combo is to ensure that the GTX 1070 is not starved of data. With 14 cores and high boost clocks, the Core Ultra 5 245 can handle the game’s physics, AI, and streaming workloads without becoming a bottleneck. The measured FPS data supports this, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings, with no sudden drops that would indicate CPU limitations. Even at 1080p Low settings, where the GPU is least stressed, the combo achieves 75 FPS, suggesting that the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently.

The Core Ultra 5 245’s memory support for DDR5 and dual-channel configuration, with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, also contributes to overall system performance. The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth are separate, but the CPU’s fast memory access helps reduce load times and improve frame pacing. The processor’s 65 W TDP and 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes provide a modern platform, but these features do not directly impact gaming performance in The Medium.

Despite the CPU’s strong individual performance, it is paired with a GPU that ranks in the 47th percentile, and the combo’s overall rank of 2400 out of 2911 reflects this imbalance. The CPU is capable of supporting a much more powerful GPU, but in this configuration, its potential is largely unrealized. The data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield significant performance gains, while the CPU would not need to be replaced for several more generations.