The Medium

The Medium, a horror title from 2021, presents an interesting case study when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a configuration that is heavily GPU-bound at lower settings but begins to show its CPU limitations as graphical fidelity increases. This analysis walks through the measured data to understand the balance between processor and graphics card in this specific game, and where the bottleneck shifts depending on the chosen preset.

Resolution Scaling

The data for The Medium shows a clear and predictable pattern of frame rate decline as resolution increases, but the rate of that decline is heavily influenced by the selected graphics preset. At the Low preset, the average frame rate moves from 192 FPS at 1920x1080, to 181 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 143 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a drop of only 5.7% from 1080p to 1440p, and a more substantial 21% drop from 1440p to 4K. The relatively small penalty for moving to 1440p at Low settings suggests that the frame rate is not strictly bound by the GPU's pixel throughput; the CPU is likely keeping pace well, and the RTX 5090 has enough headroom to handle the additional pixels without a major performance hit.

At the Medium preset, the scaling pattern tightens. The average frame rate is 135 FPS at 1080p, 114 FPS at 1440p, and 90 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are more consistent here: a 15.6% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 21.1% reduction from 1440p to 4K. This indicates that the Medium preset is beginning to engage the GPU more heavily, making the resolution scaling more linear and typical of a graphics-bound scenario. The RTX 5090's memory bandwidth and compute power are being utilized more fully, so each increase in pixel count has a more direct and proportional impact on the final frame rate.

Moving to the High preset, the scaling becomes even more pronounced. Frame rates average 97 FPS at 1080p, 82 FPS at 1440p, and 64 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 15.5%, and from 1440p to 4K is 22%, which is a similar pattern to the Medium preset. However, the absolute frame rates are lower, showing that the High preset adds a significant amount of graphical work over Medium. The game is clearly becoming more reliant on the GPU to render more complex lighting and effects, which pushes the RTX 5090 harder and results in lower overall performance.

The Ultra preset shows the steepest scaling of all. The average frame rate falls from 77 FPS at 1080p to 65 FPS at 1440p, a 15.6% decrease, and then to 51 FPS at 4K, a 21.5% decrease from 1440p. The pattern of percentage decreases is remarkably consistent across Medium, High, and Ultra, which suggests a uniform increase in GPU workload per setting tier. The limiting component at Ultra is almost certainly the GPU. Even at 1080p, the RTX 5090 is being pushed hard enough that the frame rate is only 77 FPS, indicating that the visual effects at this preset are extremely demanding and scale heavily with resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination ranks 37th out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places the system in the top 1.3% of all configurations tested, indicating that it provides an exceptionally high level of performance for this title. The percentile ranking of 37 out of 2911 suggests that the vast majority of other CPU and GPU pairings will deliver lower frame rates. This is to be expected, given the high-end nature of both components, but the specific rank reflects how well this pairing works for this particular game's engine.

The ranking is particularly impressive when considering the CPU's benchmark position. The Core Ultra 5 245 sits in the 90th percentile for all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and the Intel Core i5-14600K, have average scores of 49228 and 48618, respectively, showing a delta of -0.5% and +0.8% compared to the Ultra 5 245. The GPU, on the other hand, is in the 92nd percentile, with an average benchmark score of 79842. Its performance is remarkably similar to the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which scores 79605, a delta of just +0.3%. The high ranking of the combo is therefore a result of both components performing at the top of their respective classes, and the game being able to leverage the strengths of both.

The fact that this combo ranks 37th, rather than higher, suggests that there may be other pairings that edge it out. For instance, a CPU with a higher single-thread performance might yield a slightly better result in this game if it is sensitive to CPU speed at lower resolutions. However, the delta between the Ultra 5 245 and its closest rivals is very small, within 0.8%, so the performance difference is likely minor in real-world gaming. The data shows that this combination is a top-tier performer, with only 36 other combos in the entire database proving to be faster.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a formidable graphics card, and its role in The Medium is to provide the massive compute and memory resources required for high-fidelity rendering. The card features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This vast memory pool and bandwidth are critical for handling high-resolution textures and complex scenes without stuttering, especially at 4K resolution where memory demands are highest. The card's 21760 shading units and 680 texture mapping units provide the raw processing power needed to execute the game's pixel and texture shaders.

The GPU's clock speeds are also a key factor in its performance. The base clock is 2017 MHz, which boosts to 2407 MHz. These high clocks, combined with the massive core count, allow the RTX 5090 to achieve a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s. In The Medium, the data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at the High and Ultra presets. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 51 FPS, which is a clear indication that the GPU is working at its limit to render the most demanding settings.

The card's FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS is a key indicator of its raw compute capability. The benchmark results for the RTX 5090 are also telling. Its Passmark G3D score is 39650, and its Geekbench OpenCL score is 334370. These scores confirm its position in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The data shows that when the settings are lowered to Low, the GPU is no longer the primary constraint, and the frame rate rises dramatically. For instance, at 1080p Low, the average frame rate is 192 FPS, suggesting that the GPU has significant headroom to spare when the graphical load is reduced. The RTX 5090's role is to provide that headroom, ensuring that even at higher resolutions, the game remains playable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Medium provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 192 FPS. The Medium preset averages 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS. High averages 97 FPS, and Ultra averages 77 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the system is capable of very high frame rates, but the jump from Low to Ultra nearly halves the performance, from 192 to 77 FPS, highlighting the significant cost of the Ultra preset's visual enhancements.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 181 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. The Medium preset averages 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. High averages 82 FPS, and Ultra averages 65 FPS. The pattern here is consistent with what was seen at 1080p, but the frame rates are lower across the board. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is from 181 to 65 FPS, a decrease of 64%. This further emphasizes the GPU's workload at higher settings.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset brings the system to its knees, averaging just 51 FPS. The High preset averages 64 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 90 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that remains highly fluid, averaging 143 FPS. The data for the Medium preset at 4K is particularly interesting, as it is the only setting that provides both a minimum and maximum FPS in the data, showing a range from 76 to 103. This suggests that the frame rate is somewhat variable but remains stable enough for a playable experience. The 4K results clearly show that the Ultra preset is not suitable for smooth gameplay, while the Low preset provides a very high level of performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware configuration depend on the user's resolution and performance preferences. For users with a 1080p monitor, the Ultra preset is viable, averaging 77 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold and should provide a smooth experience for most players. The High preset offers a more comfortable buffer at 97 FPS, but the visual difference between High and Ultra may justify the lower frame rate for those who prioritize graphical fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the High preset, with an average of 82 FPS, is a strong choice, offering a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. The Ultra preset, at 65 FPS, is also playable, but it is closer to the edge of what many would consider a fluid experience. The Medium preset, at 114 FPS, is the best option for players who prefer higher frame rates and are willing to sacrifice some visual quality. The data suggests that the High preset at 1440p provides the best overall experience, as it maintains a frame rate well above 60 FPS while still delivering a high level of detail.

For 4K resolution, the situation is more constrained. The Ultra preset averages 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering during intense scenes. The High preset, at 64 FPS, is the recommended choice for 4K, as it provides a playable frame rate that should be stable enough for the game's horror atmosphere. The Medium preset, at 90 FPS, is a viable alternative for those who prioritize frame rate above all else, offering a much smoother experience. The Low preset is not recommended for 4K, as the visual quality reduction is likely too severe, but it does offer a very fluid 143 FPS. The data shows that the High preset is the sweet spot for 4K, providing a playable frame rate without requiring a significant drop in visual fidelity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a supporting role in The Medium, providing the foundational processing power for game logic, physics, and draw calls. The CPU has 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache is beneficial for keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores. The processor also has a 65 W TDP, indicating it is a power-efficient part. In terms of raw compute, its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 32924, and its single-core score is 4648, which places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

The data from The Medium suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is primarily dictated by the GPU workload, as shown by the consistent percentage decreases in FPS when moving up in resolution. At the Low preset, the frame rate is very high, reaching 192 FPS at 1080p. This indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to achieve these high frame rates. The CPU's performance is adequate to handle the game's processing demands without becoming a bottleneck.

However, the CPU's role becomes more apparent when looking at the frame rate differences between the Low and Ultra presets at the same resolution. For example, at 1080p, the Ultra preset is 60% slower than the Low preset. This is a GPU-driven difference, as the Ultra preset requires exponentially more graphical computation. The CPU's job is to maintain a consistent stream of instructions, and it does so effectively. The benchmark data shows that the Core Ultra 5 245 is a capable processor, with a Passmark multithread score of 38706 and a single-thread score of 4394. These scores ensure that the CPU can keep up with the RTX 5090, even in less GPU-intensive scenarios. The game is clearly GPU-bound at most settings, and the CPU provides a stable platform for the GPU to operate at its full potential.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 2560x1440 with the Medium preset?

A: The average frame rate at 2560x1440 with the Medium preset is 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 4K resolution with this hardware?

A: The data shows an average of 51 FPS at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset. This is below the 60 FPS threshold and may not provide a consistently smooth experience.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in The Medium?

A: This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 37th out of 2911 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.3%.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1920x1080?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 192 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 77 FPS. This represents a significant performance cost for the Ultra preset's enhanced visuals.

Q: Which preset provides the best experience at 2560x1440?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 averages 82 FPS, which offers a good balance of visual quality and smooth performance. The Medium preset is an alternative for higher frame rates at 114 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s, provided by its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus.