The Medium

# The Medium with Intel Core Ultra 7 155H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title released in early 2021, presents an unusual challenge for this mobile platform. The data shows a system built around Intel's Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4060, delivering a wide performance spread across resolutions and quality presets. At 1080p, the combo achieves playable framerates on Medium and High, but the scaling to 4K reveals a GPU that is decisively the limiting factor, with frame rates collapsing below 30 FPS on the highest settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a stark and consistent pattern: performance drops dramatically as resolution increases, and the drop is far more severe than what pixel-count scaling alone would predict. At 1080p with Low settings, the system averages 97 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 81 FPS, a 16.5% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 64 FPS, which is 34% below the 1080p figure. This scaling is roughly in line with the increasing pixel workload, but the story changes when settings are raised.

With Medium settings, the 1080p average is 60 FPS, dropping to 51 FPS at 1440p (a 15% loss) and then to 40 FPS at 4K (a 33% loss from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Medium suggests a well-balanced scaling curve for moderate settings. However, High and Ultra settings tell a different, more punishing story.

At High settings, 1080p yields 43 FPS, 1440p drops to 36 FPS, and 4K collapses to 29 FPS. The 4K High result is 32.6% below the 1080p High figure. Ultra settings are the most demanding: 34 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p, and just 23 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result represents a 32.4% drop from 1080p Ultra. Critically, the gap between Medium and High at 4K is 11 FPS (40 vs 29), while at 1080p the gap is 17 FPS (60 vs 43). This narrowing gap at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU's pixel-pushing capacity is being saturated, making the additional shading work from higher settings less impactful on the final frame rate.

The data implies that the RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is the primary constraint at 4K. The frame rate differences between resolutions are too large to be explained by CPU limitations, especially given the Core Ultra 7 155H's strong showing in synthetic benchmarks. The 4K Medium result of 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS, shows that even moderate settings can dip below comfortable playability at this resolution. The conclusion is clear: this is a 1080p and 1440p platform for The Medium, with 4K only viable at Low settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Medium with this hardware?

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 is the most reliable choice. At Medium settings, the system averages 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS, providing a smooth experience. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 51 FPS, which is still playable but with a lower minimum of 43 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K in The Medium?

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 64 FPS. At Medium settings, the 4K average falls to 40 FPS with a 34 FPS minimum. High and Ultra settings at 4K produce averages of 29 FPS and 23 FPS respectively, which are below smooth playability thresholds.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Ultra averages 34 FPS, which is 9 FPS lower than High's 43 FPS. The minimum frame rate for Ultra is not recorded, but the average suggests that Ultra is only suitable for players who prioritize visual fidelity over smoothness.

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

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting component. The RTX 4060's performance drops significantly with resolution increases, while the Core Ultra 7 155H's 16 cores and 22 threads provide ample computational headroom. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are the likely constraints at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: The difference is substantial. Low settings average 81 FPS, while Ultra averages 29 FPS, a 52 FPS gap. This demonstrates that the Ultra preset's additional graphical effects come at a very high performance cost at this resolution.

Q: Does the game show consistent frame times across settings?

A: The measured data includes minimum and maximum FPS for Medium settings only. At 1080p Medium, the range is 51 to 69 FPS, suggesting reasonable frame pacing. At 1440p Medium, the range is 43 to 59 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 34 to 46 FPS. The spreads are consistent, indicating no sudden stutters, but the lower minimums at higher resolutions reflect the GPU's struggle.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU performs admirably, scoring 15,028 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,743 in single-core. Its Passmark multi-thread score of 24,873 places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32,697.

The nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the Intel Core i5-14600T (average score 32,707, 0% delta), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (32,662, +0.1% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (32,812, -0.4% delta). These comparisons show that the Core Ultra 7 155H is competitively positioned in the mobile CPU landscape, trading blows with desktop and high-end mobile parts.

In The Medium, however, the CPU's role appears secondary. The game's fixed-camera perspective and horror genre typically rely more on GPU rendering than complex CPU-driven simulation. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking: at 1080p Low, the system reaches 97 FPS, which is high enough to suggest the CPU can feed the GPU adequately. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see similar FPS values across resolutions, but the data shows a clear decline from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at every settings level.

The CPU's 22 threads and high boost clock provide a robust foundation, but The Medium does not appear to be a title that stresses multi-core performance heavily. The game's release in 2021 predates the CPU's 2023 launch, and its engine likely benefits more from single-thread performance. The Core Ultra 7 155H's single-core Cinebench R23 score of 1,743 is respectable, indicating it can handle the game's logical threads without issue. The data suggests that players should not worry about CPU limitations in this title; the RTX 4060 GPU is the component that dictates the experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 97 FPS, making the game exceptionally smooth. Medium settings average 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, providing a solid 60 FPS experience for most players. High settings drop to 43 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a horror game where smooth camera movement is important. Ultra settings average 34 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and likely to be noticeable during gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance declines across the board. Low settings still deliver 81 FPS, which is excellent for a higher resolution. Medium settings average 51 FPS, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS, straddling the 60 FPS line. High settings produce 36 FPS, and Ultra drops to 29 FPS. The 1440p results show that this resolution is viable for Medium and Low settings, but High and Ultra require compromises.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened. Low settings average 64 FPS, which is surprisingly playable given the resolution. Medium settings fall to 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS, making for a slightly stuttery experience in demanding scenes. High settings average 29 FPS, and Ultra drops to 23 FPS, both of which are too low for a smooth horror experience. The 4K Medium result of 40 FPS is the highest playable setting at this resolution, but even that has a minimum FPS that approaches 30.

The data reveals a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the sweet spot, 1440p is a compromise, and 4K is only for Low settings. The Medium's fixed-camera angles may hide some framerate drops, but the average FPS figures are honest indicators of overall performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1,751 out of 2,911 tested combos in The Medium. This puts it in the bottom 40% of all systems tested, which is surprising given the hardware's specifications. The RTX 4060's percentileVsAllGpus score of 61 indicates that it is mid-pack among all GPUs, and the CPU's 83rd percentile ranking does not compensate for the GPU's limitations in this specific title.

The ranking suggests that The Medium is a demanding game for this class of mobile hardware. The RTX 4060's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (average score 17,666, -0.2% delta), the AMD Radeon 780M (17,588, +0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17,551, +0.5% delta). These comparisons are based on synthetic benchmarks, not in-game performance, but they indicate that the RTX 4060 is not a high-end part relative to the full GPU landscape.

The combo's rank of 1,751 out of 2,911 means that many systems, including those with older or less powerful CPUs, outperform this setup in The Medium. This is likely due to the game's optimization and the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM capacity, which may be insufficient for the game's high-resolution textures. The data implies that players with this combo should not expect top-tier performance in The Medium, but rather a mid-range experience that requires settings adjustments.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This configuration averages 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS, ensuring that the game remains fluid during tense moments. The 60 FPS average is a solid target for a horror game, where smooth motion is critical for immersion.

For players with 1440p monitors, Medium settings at 2560x1440 provide an average of 51 FPS, with a minimum of 43 FPS. This is a viable option, though the lower minimum may be noticeable during scenes with heavy graphical effects. Alternatively, High settings at 1080p (43 FPS average) may appeal to those who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, but the drop below 60 FPS is significant.

At 4K, Low settings are the only reasonable choice, yielding 64 FPS average. Medium settings at 4K (40 FPS) are playable for less demanding players, but the 34 FPS minimum is risky for a game that relies on atmosphere and pacing. Ultra settings at any resolution are not recommended, as they produce averages below 35 FPS, which detracts from the experience.

The data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. It is 17 FPS faster than High at 1080p (60 vs 43) and 37 FPS faster than Ultra at 1080p (60 vs 34). The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 51 at 1080p is also within 9 FPS of the Low preset's average, indicating that it does not introduce severe frame time spikes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, with 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die. It has 3,072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, along with 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, with a memory clock of 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, and it delivers 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In The Medium, the GPU's role is paramount. The measured FPS data shows a clear correlation between resolution and performance, with the GPU being the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 97 FPS, which is close to the GPU's maximum output. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 23 FPS, indicating that the GPU's pixel throughput is insufficient for such demanding workloads.

The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM is a potential concern for The Medium, which may use high-resolution textures. The 128-bit memory bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are modest for a modern GPU, and the data suggests that memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions. The GPU's passmark G3D score of 19,545 places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17,639. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17,666, -0.2% delta), the AMD Radeon 780M (17,588, +0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17,551, +0.5% delta), showing that it is competitive with older and integrated parts in synthetic tests.

The RTX 4060's performance in The Medium is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it struggles at 4K. The GPU's 61st percentile ranking reflects its mid-range positioning, and the game's demands at higher resolutions exceed its capabilities. Players should treat this as a 1080p-focused GPU for this title, with 1440p possible at reduced settings.