The Medium

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 483rd out of 2,911 tested combos for The Medium. This places the pairing in the top 16.6% of all configurations in the database, indicating a strong overall performance tier for this horror title. The rank reflects a balance between the CPU and GPU, though the measured FPS data shows that the graphics card is the primary driver of frame rates across most settings and resolutions.

The RTX 5070’s average benchmark score of 40,377 places it at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, with its nearest rivals being the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (0.1% faster), AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (0.8% faster), and AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (1.2% slower). The Core Ultra 5 245, with an average score of 48,995, sits at the 90th percentile among CPUs, nearly matching the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (0.4% slower) and AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (0.5% slower). In the context of the game, this combo’s high percentile ranking suggests it can handle the title’s demands, but the specific FPS results reveal where its limits lie.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 provides the highest average frame rates, reaching 160 FPS at Low settings. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 135 FPS on Low, while 3840x2160 yields 106 FPS on Low. The 1080p resolution is the only one where the combo consistently exceeds 100 FPS across multiple settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at Ultra settings across resolutions?

A: Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates of any preset. At 1920x1080, the average is 57 FPS; at 2560x1440, it drops to 48 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it falls to 38 FPS. These figures indicate that Ultra is only playable at 1080p, and even then, it approaches the threshold where smoothness may be compromised.

Q: Which setting provides the highest minimum FPS at 1440p?

A: The Medium settings at 2560x1440 show a minimum FPS of 71, with an average of 84 FPS and a maximum of 97 FPS. This is the only 1440p preset with reported min/max values, and it offers a more stable frame rate than High (60 FPS average) or Ultra (48 FPS average).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K indicates the GPU is the limiting component. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 100 at 1080p to 84 at 1440p and 66 at 4K. The CPU’s performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32,924, is sufficient to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the significant FPS gains when lowering resolution.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the RTX 5070?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 has a launch MSRP of 549 USD. This information is provided for reference, though the analysis focuses on its measured performance in this game.

*Q: How does this combo compare to others in the database for The Medium?*

A: With a rank of 483 out of 2,911 combos, this configuration is in the top 17% of tested systems. This suggests it outperforms a majority of setups, but it is not at the absolute top tier, as 482 other combos achieve higher frame rates in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, average frame rates decline, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the combo delivers 160 FPS at 1920x1080, 135 FPS at 2560x1440, and 106 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 15.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 21.5% drop from 1440p to 4K. The relatively modest percentage decreases indicate that even at 4K, the RTX 5070 maintains a playable frame rate on Low settings.

For High settings, the progression is 72 FPS at 1080p, 60 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K, showing a more substantial 33.3% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the averages are 100 FPS, 84 FPS, and 66 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively, with a 16.7% drop between the first two resolutions and a 21.4% drop between the latter two. The Ultra preset shows the steepest decline: 57 FPS at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p, and 38 FPS at 4K, a cumulative 33.3% loss from 1080p to 4K.

The pattern suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The Core Ultra 5 245’s boost clock of 5.10 GHz and 14 cores provide ample headroom, as the FPS scaling aligns with the GPU’s rendering load. The RTX 5070’s 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 4K textures, but the raw compute power limits performance at Ultra settings. The data shows that lowering resolution yields immediate FPS gains, confirming the GPU is the limiting component in this pairing.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, Medium settings deliver an average of 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS, providing a smooth experience that balances visual quality and performance. High settings at 1080p produce 72 FPS average, which is still playable but offers diminishing returns over Medium. Ultra at 1080p drops to 57 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced horror gameplay but risks stutter in action sequences.

For 2560x1440, Medium settings are the recommended choice, with an average of 84 FPS and a minimum of 71 FPS. This preset maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, ensuring consistent gameplay. High at 1440p averages 60 FPS, which is borderline, while Ultra at 48 FPS is too low for smooth play. Low at 1440p achieves 135 FPS but sacrifices visual fidelity, making it suitable only for competitive play or testing.

At 3840x2160, the options are more constrained. Low settings provide 106 FPS average, which is the only 4K preset that exceeds 100 FPS. Medium at 4K averages 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS, making it viable for players who prioritize visuals over absolute smoothness. High at 4K drops to 47 FPS, and Ultra falls to 38 FPS, both of which are below the ideal threshold for fluid motion. The data suggests Medium at 1440p is the best overall balance for this combo, offering high frame rates and acceptable visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 160 FPS on Low, 100 FPS on Medium, 72 FPS on High, and 57 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS, providing a stable range. Low and High settings lack reported min/max values, but their averages indicate significant performance headroom at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, Low settings yield 135 FPS, Medium yields 84 FPS, High yields 60 FPS, and Ultra yields 48 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum is 71 FPS and maximum is 97 FPS, showing a tighter distribution than at 1080p. The drop from Low to Medium is 37.8%, while the drop from Medium to High is 28.6%, highlighting a steep performance cost for higher visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, Low settings produce 106 FPS, Medium produces 66 FPS, High produces 47 FPS, and Ultra produces 38 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 56 FPS and maximum of 76 FPS, indicating a wider variance than at lower resolutions. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 37.7%, similar to the 1440p difference, suggesting consistent scaling. The Ultra preset at 4K is the lowest measured result, at 38 FPS, which is below the playable threshold for most users.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its Cinebench R23 scores are 32,924 for multi-core and 4,648 for single-core, placing it at the 90th percentile among all CPUs. In gaming, the single-core performance is often more critical, and the 5.10 GHz boost clock provides strong per-thread throughput for The Medium’s engine.

The CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, has an average benchmark score that is 0.5% higher, while the Intel Core i5-14600K is 0.8% slower. This indicates the Core Ultra 5 245 is competitive with high-end desktop processors. In the measured FPS data, the CPU does not appear to be a bottleneck, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings changes. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 160 FPS, which is likely near the game’s engine limit or the GPU’s maximum output, rather than a CPU constraint.

The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provide adequate data throughput for the game’s assets. The CPU’s 65 W TDP and 3 nm process node from TSMC contribute to efficient operation, though these factors do not directly appear in the FPS measurements. The benchmark results indicate the CPU can support high frame rates without limiting the GPU, as evidenced by the 135 FPS at 1440p Low and 106 FPS at 4K Low.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB205 chip, featuring 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. Its boost clock is 2,512 MHz, with a base clock of 2,325 MHz. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The FP32 performance is 30.87 TFLOPS, and the pixel rate is 201.0 GPixel/s.

The RTX 5070’s average benchmark score of 40,377 places it at the 82nd percentile, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon Pro 580 at 0.1% faster. In The Medium, the GPU’s role is dominant, as shown by the FPS scaling across resolutions. At 1080p, the combo achieves 100 FPS on Medium, but at 4K, the same settings drop to 66 FPS, a 34% reduction. This is consistent with the GPU handling the increased pixel count and texture loads.

The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s requirements, as no memory-related stuttering is indicated in the min FPS data. The 48 ray tracing cores support the game’s lighting effects, though the measured settings do not specify RTX usage. The 250 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest a high-power component, but the FPS results show it delivers substantial performance at lower resolutions. The GPU’s 82nd percentile ranking indicates it is a capable mid-to-high-end card, but not the absolute fastest, which explains the 483rd combo rank in the database.