The Medium

The Medium presents a fascinating case study in hardware scaling, particularly when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080. The benchmark data reveals a configuration that is powerful, yet surprisingly sensitive to both resolution and preset selection, with performance swings that are far more dramatic than typical for a high-end GPU. This analysis will dissect the measured FPS to understand where the bottleneck lies and what the data implies for the gaming experience.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking observation from the measured data is the steep performance penalty as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 137 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 116 FPS, a 21 FPS decline. However, the jump to 4K Low is far more punishing, with the average falling to 91 FPS. This represents a 46 FPS loss from 1080p to 4K at the lowest settings, or a 33% reduction in raw frame rate. This pattern suggests that even at Low settings, the game becomes heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions.

The trend becomes even more pronounced when examining the Medium and High presets. At 1080p Medium, the average is 86 FPS, which falls to 72 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to just 57 FPS at 4K. The High preset tells a similar story: 61 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and a barely playable 41 FPS at 4K. The data clearly indicates that the RTX 4080's rendering workload increases substantially with each resolution tier, and the frame rate scales almost linearly with the pixel count.

This scaling behavior points directly to the GPU as the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU, a 16-core Meteor Lake part with a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, appears to have ample headroom at 4K, as the frame rate is dictated by the graphics card's ability to fill pixels. The difference between 1440p and 4K is particularly telling. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 34 FPS (91 vs 57), while the same gap at 1080p is 51 FPS (137 vs 86). This compression of performance between presets at 4K suggests that the GPU is hitting a hard ceiling, where additional graphical features have a smaller relative impact on the already strained renderer.

The data implies that for this specific title, 1080p is where the CPU and GPU are most balanced, allowing for high frame rates. At 1440p, the experience is still very fluid, but the GPU's dominance grows. At 4K, the RTX 4080 is unequivocally the limiting component, and the frame rates reflect the immense computational cost of rendering The Medium at that resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, is a formidable piece of hardware. Its 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power and 76 RT cores are more than capable of handling modern titles. However, the measured FPS in The Medium suggests that raw compute isn't the only factor at play. The game appears to be particularly demanding on the memory subsystem and the overall rendering pipeline, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drops at 4K.

The GPU's core clocks are listed as a base of 2205 MHz and a boost of 2505 MHz. These are high clocks that contribute to the card's strong performance at lower resolutions. The 137 FPS average at 1080p Low demonstrates the card's raw speed. Yet, the 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS indicates that the card's architectural strengths are being overwhelmed by the game's specific demands. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is not likely the issue here, as the game's textures would not typically exceed that at 4K, but the 716.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth may be strained by the high-resolution framebuffer.

The RTX 4080's percentile ranking of 86 against all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 54247, place it among the top tier of graphics cards. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, is only 0.1% faster in average score, indicating that this is essentially a top-tier part. The fact that it struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K High in The Medium confirms the game's heavy optimization requirements, rather than a weakness in the GPU itself. The data suggests the GPU is working exceptionally hard, but the game's visual fidelity at 4K Ultra is simply too demanding for even this high-end silicon to handle smoothly. The transition from 57 FPS at 4K Medium to 41 FPS at 4K High shows that each incremental quality step has a real and measurable cost.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 appears to be the sweet spot. It offers a significant resolution upgrade over 1080p while maintaining high frame rates. At 1440p High, the combo averages 52 FPS, which is a solid, playable experience. For higher refresh rate monitors, 1440p Low at 116 FPS is an excellent choice.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. The data shows that 4K is only playable at Low (91 FPS) or Medium (57 FPS) settings. At High and Ultra, the average frame rates of 41 FPS and 32 FPS, respectively, fall below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider essential for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest competitor in terms of overall performance?

A: The benchmark data indicates the RTX 4080 is virtually tied with the RTX 4080 SUPER, showing a delta of only 0.1%. This means that in general compute and graphics benchmarks, the two cards perform nearly identically, with the 4080 SUPER having a negligible edge.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU at 1080p?

A: The data does not suggest the CPU is a limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the 137 FPS result is a high frame rate that could be influenced by the CPU, but the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H's strong multi-core and single-core scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core: 15028, single-core: 1743) indicate it has sufficient processing power to feed the GPU effectively.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The difference is substantial. The average FPS drops from 116 at Low to 41 at Ultra, a 75 FPS decrease. This shows that the Ultra preset imposes a massive rendering load, reducing the frame rate by nearly two-thirds compared to the lowest settings.

Q: Does the measured data include minimum frame rate information?

A: Yes, for the Medium preset. At 4K Medium, the minimum FPS is 48 and the maximum is 65. At 1440p Medium, the min/max are 61 and 83, respectively. At 1080p Medium, the min/max are 73 and 99. This data shows that the frame pacing is relatively consistent, with the minimums staying within about 15% of the average.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a rank of 872 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the 70th percentile of all systems tested, which is a strong showing, but not in the top tier. This ranking is interesting, as it suggests that while the individual components are powerful, their pairing in this specific game does not yield top-10 performance.

The rank is likely dragged down by the CPU. While the RTX 4080 is a top-15% GPU, the Core Ultra 7 155H, with a percentile of 83 against all CPUs, is a high-end mobile part but not a flagship desktop processor. In a game like The Medium, which appears to be heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, the CPU's influence on the overall ranking may be minimized. However, at 1080p, where CPU overhead can be more significant, the 155H's performance is adequate but not exceptional. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-14600T and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, have nearly identical average benchmark scores (32707 and 32662, respectively, with deltas of 0% and 0.1%). This indicates the 155H is in a performance class with these mid-range parts. This combo's rank of 872 suggests that many other pairings, likely with even more powerful CPUs, achieve higher frame rates in this title, particularly at lower resolutions. The data implies that this is a very capable system, but not the absolute best for The Medium.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its performance, as measured by benchmarks, is solid for a mobile chip. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028 and single-core score of 1743 show that it can handle both heavily threaded workloads and single-threaded tasks well. The PassMark single-thread score of 3468 and multithread score of 24873 corroborate this assessment.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU, especially at higher resolutions. The data shows that the frame rate scales almost entirely with graphical settings and resolution, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. For instance, at 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 59 FPS, a change that is entirely attributable to the GPU's workload. The CPU does not need to work harder to render more pixels or more complex lighting effects.

However, the CPU is not irrelevant. At 1080p Low, the 137 FPS average is a high frame rate that could begin to tax the CPU's per-core performance. The 155H's boost clock of 4.80 GHz and single-core benchmark scores are sufficient to keep up, but the data suggests that a desktop CPU with a higher single-core score could potentially push frame rates even higher at 1080p. The 155H's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth are also important for feeding the GPU with data, but they are not a bottleneck here. The CPU provides a stable foundation, but the game's performance is clearly dictated by the graphics card. This is a classic example of a balanced system where the GPU is the primary driver of the gaming experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance across all settings and resolutions. Here is the exact breakdown:

• 3840x2160 (4K)
• Ultra: Average FPS of 32. This is the most demanding configuration, resulting in a stuttering, unplayable experience.
• High: Average FPS of 41. Still below the 60 FPS target, indicating a poor experience for fast-paced action.
• Medium: Average FPS of 57, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65. This is playable but not smooth, with noticeable frame dips.
• Low: Average FPS of 91. This is a very playable experience, offering a good balance of visual quality and performance at 4K.

• 2560x1440 (1440p)
• Ultra: Average FPS of 41. This is a demanding preset that results in a sub-60 FPS experience.
• High: Average FPS of 52. This is a playable experience, but it may not be smooth enough for all players.
• Medium: Average FPS of 72, with a minimum of 61 and a maximum of 83. This is a very good experience, offering smooth gameplay with high visual fidelity.
• Low: Average FPS of 116. This is an excellent experience for high-refresh-rate monitors, providing a very fluid and responsive feel.

• 1920x1080 (1080p)
• Ultra: Average FPS of 49. This is a playable experience, but the frame rate is not high enough to fully utilize a 144Hz monitor.
• High: Average FPS of 61. This is a solid, standard experience that hits the 60 FPS target.
• Medium: Average FPS of 86, with a minimum of 73 and a maximum of 99. This is an excellent experience, providing high frame rates with good graphical quality.
• Low: Average FPS of 137. This is the top-performing configuration, ideal for competitive play or maximizing frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

The data provides clear guidance on which presets are optimal. For players prioritizing a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience at 1080p, the Medium preset is the clear winner. At 86 FPS average with a minimum of 73 FPS, it offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 61 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset provides a better safety margin against frame drops.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It achieves a 72 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS, which is a very good experience that balances visual fidelity with performance. The Low preset at 116 FPS is the option for those with 120Hz+ monitors, but Medium offers a much richer visual experience for a reasonable performance cost.

For 4K gaming, the recommendations are more nuanced. The Low preset, at 91 FPS, is the only option that provides a truly smooth and responsive experience. The Medium preset, at 57 FPS, is playable but will be subject to noticeable frame drops. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for a satisfactory experience, as their average frame rates are too low. The data suggests that 4K gaming in The Medium is only truly viable at the lowest settings with this hardware, or by accepting a lower frame rate at Medium. The analysis points to 1440p as the definitive resolution for this combo, where the Medium and High presets both offer a compelling balance of image quality and performance.