The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and AMD Radeon 8050S produces a specific performance profile across resolutions and presets. The measured data reveals a system that is firmly balanced around the GPU, with CPU headroom that never becomes the primary constraint. This analysis walks through the frame rate behavior at each resolution, the distinct roles of the processor and graphics chip, and how this pairing stacks up against the broader database of tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern as resolution increases, with the most significant drop occurring between 1080p and 1440p. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 90 FPS at 1920x1080 to 76 FPS at 2560x1440, a decrease of 14 FPS. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings brings the average down to 59 FPS, another 17 FPS reduction. This scaling behavior indicates that the AMD Radeon 8050S is the limiting component even at the lowest preset, as the CPU is not able to mask the growing pixel count demands.

The Medium preset tells a similar story, though the absolute numbers are lower. At 1080p, the average is 56 FPS, which drops to 47 FPS at 1440p and then to 37 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings is 19 FPS, which is proportionally larger than the Low preset's 31 FPS difference. This suggests that as graphical complexity increases, the GPU's workload grows faster than the resolution scaling alone would predict, reinforcing that the Radeon 8050S is the bottleneck throughout.

High settings exhibit the steepest percentage decline from 1080p to 4K. The average FPS at 1920x1080 is 40, falling to 34 at 2560x1440 and finally to 27 at 3840x2160. The 13 FPS drop from 1080p to 4K represents a 32.5% reduction in performance, which is the largest relative loss among the four presets. This is expected behavior for a GPU-bound scenario, where higher fidelity settings amplify the cost of each additional pixel.

Ultra settings are the most punishing, with the average frame rate dropping from 32 FPS at 1080p to 27 FPS at 1440p and then to 21 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 4K is only 11 FPS, but the starting point is already below the playable threshold. The data indicates that this combo cannot maintain 60 FPS at any resolution above 1080p on Low, and even the Low preset at 4K lands at 59 FPS, which is borderline. The limiting component is clearly the GPU, as the CPU's performance characteristics do not change with resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its benchmark results show strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15028 and a single-core score of 1743. The Passmark multithread score of 24873 and single-thread score of 3468 further confirm that this CPU is not the limiting factor in The Medium, given that the game's measured FPS scales almost entirely with resolution and settings rather than CPU-bound scenarios.

The processor's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth provide ample headroom for feeding the GPU. In the context of this game, the CPU's role is to maintain a consistent frame delivery, which the data suggests it does admirably. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 90 is the highest recorded for this combo, and the fact that it drops to 76 at 1440p and 59 at 4K indicates that the CPU is not holding back the GPU at any point. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across resolutions, which is not the case.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 7 155H sits at the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32697. Its closest competitor is the Intel Core i5-14600T, which scores 32707, a delta of 0%. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 is just 0.1% behind, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is 0.2% ahead. This tight grouping suggests that the CPU's performance is broadly comparable to other mid-range mobile and desktop parts, and none of these differences would manifest as a meaningful FPS change in The Medium. The CPU's 28W TDP and mobile market segment indicate it is designed for efficiency, but the game's measured results show no signs of thermal throttling or power limiting.

The single-thread performance, as measured by Cinebench R15 at 255 and R20 at 1235, is adequate for the game's logic and physics, but the fact that FPS drops by roughly 30% from 1080p to 4K at every preset proves that the GPU is the dominant constraint. The CPU has enough headroom to handle the game's fixed-camera rendering, which is less demanding on the processor than open-world titles with dynamic AI and physics.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8050S is the clear bottleneck in this pairing. This integrated GPU, based on the Strix Halo chip with RDNA 3.5 architecture, has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its boost clock of 2800 MHz and base clock of 1295 MHz, combined with a 55W TDP, place it in the upper tier of integrated graphics solutions. The GPU's FP32 performance of 11.47 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 179.2 GPixel/s are respectable, but they are not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions in a game like The Medium.

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses the same DDR5 memory as the CPU, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a critical limitation, as dedicated VRAM would provide higher bandwidth and lower latency. The measured FPS data reflects this, with the GPU struggling to exceed 60 FPS at 1080p on anything above Low settings. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 65818 and Vulkan score of 58398 place the GPU at the 89th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 62108. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, which scores 61896, a delta of 0.3%, while the Radeon Pro Vega 56 is 2.5% behind.

In The Medium, the GPU's performance is directly tied to the settings preset. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 21, which is unplayable. Dropping to High at 4K yields 27 FPS, still below the 30 FPS minimum for a playable experience. The Medium preset at 4K brings the average to 37 FPS, which is acceptable for a slow-paced horror game but not ideal. The only way to achieve a smooth 60 FPS at 4K is to use Low settings, which hits 59 FPS. This pattern suggests that the GPU's 64 ROPs are the limiting factor, as higher resolutions require more pixel fill rate, and the shared memory bandwidth becomes a constraint.

The GPU's 4nm process node and 308 mm² die size indicate a modern design, but the integrated nature of the chip means it cannot match the performance of discrete solutions. The data shows that the Radeon 8050S is capable of delivering playable frame rates at 1080p Medium (56 FPS) and 1440p Medium (47 FPS), but anything above that requires significant settings reductions. The GPU's performance is consistent with its percentile ranking, and it does not exhibit any unexpected behavior in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and AMD Radeon 8050S ranks 2135 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the bottom 27% of all configurations. This ranking is primarily driven by the GPU's performance, as the CPU is well above average in its own benchmarks. The combo's rank indicates that there are many other pairings that deliver higher frame rates, but it also suggests that this is a viable option for users who prioritize portability and efficiency over raw gaming performance.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 89 is notably higher than the combo's overall rank, which underscores the fact that the CPU is not the limiting factor. When compared to other combos in the database, the Radeon 8050S's performance is similar to that of the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, which is a discrete workstation GPU. This suggests that the integrated solution is competitive with lower-end discrete options, but it cannot match the performance of mid-range or high-end discrete GPUs that would push this combo higher in the rankings.

The combo's rank of 2135 means that it outperforms roughly 776 other combinations, but it is still in the lower half of the distribution. The data indicates that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming at Medium settings or 1440p at Low settings, where it can achieve 56 and 76 FPS respectively. At 4K, the combo is only playable on Low settings, which is a significant limitation for a game that benefits from higher fidelity. The ranking is a reflection of the GPU's shared memory architecture, which cannot compete with the dedicated VRAM found on discrete cards.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For users with a 1080p display, the Medium preset offers the best balance, delivering an average of 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS. This is a smooth experience for a horror game, where frame pacing is more important than raw FPS. The Low preset at 1080p achieves 90 FPS, which is overkill for this genre, and the High preset at 40 FPS is playable but may feel less responsive.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is again the recommended choice, with an average of 47 FPS and a minimum of 40 FPS. This is slightly below the 60 FPS target but acceptable for a game with a slower pace. The Low preset at 76 FPS is the only way to achieve a consistent 60+ FPS experience at this resolution, but it sacrifices visual quality. The High preset at 34 FPS is borderline playable, and the Ultra preset at 27 FPS should be avoided.

For 4K users, the options are more limited. The Low preset achieves 59 FPS on average, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold and is the only playable option. The Medium preset at 37 FPS is playable for a game like The Medium, but it requires accepting a lower frame rate. The High preset at 27 FPS and Ultra at 21 FPS are not recommended, as they fall below the minimum playable threshold. The data suggests that this combo is not well-suited for 4K gaming, and users should either stick to 1080p or 1440p or be willing to use Low settings at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 60 FPS on a 1080p monitor?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, where the average FPS is 90. On Medium settings, the average drops to 56 FPS, which is below 60.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H or the AMD Radeon 8050S the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases, which is a sign of GPU limitation. The CPU's benchmark scores are in the 83rd percentile, while the GPU's performance is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS. The Low preset achieves 76 FPS but sacrifices visual quality.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: Only on Low settings, which achieves an average of 59 FPS. The Medium preset at 37 FPS is playable but not ideal, and High and Ultra presets are below 30 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2135 out of 2911 combos, placing it in the bottom 27% of all tested systems. The GPU's performance is comparable to a discrete Radeon Pro W6600M.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for the Medium preset?

A: At 1080p, the minimum FPS is 48. At 1440p, it is 40. At 4K, it is 32. These are the only presets with recorded minimum FPS values.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across all four resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 90 FPS, which is the highest recorded value for this combo. The Medium preset averages 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS. The High preset averages 40 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS. This resolution is the only one where the combo can consistently exceed 60 FPS, and it does so only on Low settings.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 76 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS but represents a 14 FPS drop from 1080p. The Medium preset averages 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. The High preset averages 34 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 27 FPS. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 15-20% of performance across all presets, which is expected for a GPU-bound scenario.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 37 FPS, with a minimum of 32 FPS and a maximum of 43 FPS. The High preset averages 27 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 21 FPS. The 4K resolution is the most demanding, and the data shows that the combo can only handle it on the lowest preset. The jump from 1440p to 4K costs another 17 FPS on Low, 10 FPS on Medium, 7 FPS on High, and 6 FPS on Ultra, indicating diminishing returns as settings increase.

Overall, the measured FPS breakdown confirms that this combo is best used at 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings, where it provides a playable experience without compromising too much on visual quality. At 4K, users must accept Low settings or consider a different configuration. The data is measured and complete, with no missing values except for the minimum and maximum FPS on presets other than Medium, which were not recorded.