The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built on Unreal Engine 4, presents a unique challenge to hardware. The data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 reveals a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics processor, especially at higher resolutions. The benchmark results show a playable experience only when settings are dialed back, making this a configuration for those prioritizing visual fidelity over raw frame rate, or vice versa.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the system produces an average of 50 FPS, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050's performance compare to its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, while the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT has a score of 20713. This puts the RTX 5050 1.6% ahead of the RX 5600 XT in the aggregated benchmark data.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H a high-performing processor relative to others?

A: Yes, the CPU holds an 83rd percentile ranking among all tested CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 32697 is essentially on par with its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600T, which scores 32707, a negligible 0% difference.

Q: What is the best-case performance scenario for this combo at 4K?

A: The highest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is achieved with Low settings, yielding 53 FPS. In contrast, Ultra settings at the same resolution drop the frame rate to a nearly unplayable 19 FPS.

Q: How many combos does this specific CPU-GPU pairing outperform in The Medium?

A: This combo ranks 2309 out of 2911 tested combinations. This means it performs better than 602 other combos in this specific game.

Q: What is the frame time variance like at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 42, but the frame rate fluctuates between a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS, indicating a noticeable variance in frame times.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration for The Medium. The data shows a clear and dramatic collapse in performance as resolution increases. The GPU, featuring 2560 shading units and 80 texture mapping units, is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s, which is a substantial figure, yet it is not enough to maintain high frame rates at demanding resolutions.

The GPU's raw compute capabilities are outlined by its 13.17 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The benchmark scores for the RTX 5050, such as its 2502 score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals, it is a tight race. The data shows it is 1.6% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, but 0.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL and 1% slower than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M. This indicates that while the card is modern, its performance class is not at the top tier, and The Medium's requirements push it to its limits.

The clock speeds, with a base of 2317 MHz and a boost of 2572 MHz, are relatively high. However, the frame rate data suggests that the GPU is often running out of compute or memory throughput headroom. For instance, at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate plummets to 19 FPS. This is a clear indication that the GPU's 8 GB frame buffer and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the high-resolution textures and effects at that preset. The card's performance is simply not adequate for a smooth 4K experience in this title, regardless of its clock speed advantages.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a formidable mobile processor that is not the limiting factor in this gaming scenario. With 16 cores and 22 threads, it offers substantial multi-threaded capability. Its architecture, Meteor Lake, is built on a 7 nm process. The CPU's benchmark scores confirm its strength; for instance, it scores 15028 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1743 in single-core. Its average benchmark score of 32697 places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance.

This processor is clearly capable of feeding the RTX 5050 in The Medium. The game's fixed-camera angles and relatively moderate CPU overhead are easily handled by the 155H. The CPU's boost clock of 4.80 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is often critical for game logic and draw calls. The L3 cache of 24 MB shared is also ample for this workload. The data implies that the CPU is rarely, if ever, the cause of frame rate dips.

In comparison to its rivals, the 155H is essentially tied with the Intel Core i5-14600T, showing a 0% delta in average score. It is only 0.1% faster than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 and 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F. This shows that while it is a top-tier mobile chip, its performance is similar to other high-end options. The bottleneck in this system is unequivocally the GPU, as the CPU has ample headroom to process the game's data at all settings and resolutions tested.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates show a wide performance envelope across different settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the game is most playable. With Low settings, the average FPS is 80, which is very smooth. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 50 FPS, with a range of 42 to 57 FPS. High settings yield an average of 36 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 28 FPS. This shows a steady decline as graphical fidelity increases, but even the Ultra setting is technically playable at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the strain on the GPU becomes more apparent. Low settings still provide a good experience with an average of 67 FPS. Medium settings are borderline, with an average of 42 FPS (min 36, max 48). High settings drop to an average of 30 FPS, which is on the edge of playability. Ultra settings at 1440p are not recommended, as the average falls to 24 FPS.

The 3840x2160 resolution is where the system struggles significantly. Low settings are the only playable option, with an average of 53 FPS. Medium settings drop to 33 FPS (min 28, max 38), which is choppy. High settings are nearly unplayable at 24 FPS, and Ultra settings are a slideshow at 19 FPS. The data clearly shows that the RTX 5050 is not designed for 4K gaming in a demanding title like The Medium.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 80 at 1080p to 67 at 1440p, a 16.25% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the FPS drops to 53, a further 20.9% decrease. This consistent decline with increasing pixel count is a direct indicator that the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints.

The scaling becomes even more aggressive at higher settings. At Medium settings, the frame rate goes from 50 FPS at 1080p to 42 FPS at 1440p (a 16% drop) and then to 33 FPS at 4K (a 21.4% drop from 1440p). This pattern suggests that as the resolution increases, the GPU's compute units and memory bus are saturated, leading to diminishing returns. The gap between 1080p and 4K performance is substantial, with the 4K frame rate often being less than half of the 1080p frame rate.

This data implies that the CPU is not a limiting factor in resolution scaling. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions. Instead, the pronounced FPS drops as resolution increases point directly to the RTX 5050's fill rate and memory bandwidth as the limiting components. The 320.0 GB/s bandwidth, while respectable, is simply not enough to feed the GPU at higher resolutions with demanding settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combo is a balancing act between visual quality and smoothness. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience, Low settings at 1080p are the only choice, yielding an average of 80 FPS. This provides a very fluid experience, but sacrifices visual fidelity.

For a playable experience with better visuals, Medium settings at 1080p are the best compromise. The 50 FPS average is acceptable for a slow-paced horror game like The Medium, and the frame time variance (42-57 FPS) is manageable. The data suggests this is the "sweet spot" for this hardware.

At 1440p, the recommended setting is Low, which provides an average of 67 FPS. Medium settings at this resolution are a risk, as the 42 FPS average may dip into the low 30s during intense scenes. For 4K, the only viable option is Low settings, which yields 53 FPS. Any setting above Low at 4K results in an average frame rate below 35 FPS, which is not a comfortable experience. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it consistently produces the lowest frame rates, including a 19 FPS average at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination ranks 2309 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the bottom 21st percentile of all systems tested, which is a surprisingly low ranking given the hardware's individual benchmark scores. This low ranking underscores that The Medium is a demanding title that particularly stresses the GPU.

This ranking indicates that while the CPU is a high performer (83rd percentile), the GPU's performance class (66th percentile) drags the overall gaming experience down. The combo is outperformed by a significant majority of other systems. The data suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings are more balanced for this specific game. The ranking implies that users with this hardware will have to make more compromises on settings and resolution than users with better-ranked combos.

The delta percentages to the GPU's nearest rivals further contextualize this. Being only 1.6% faster than the older AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT shows that the RTX 5050, while new, does not offer a generational leap in raw performance that would significantly improve its standing in a game like The Medium. The combination of a strong CPU and a mid-range GPU results in a system that is capable, but not exceptional, for this particular title.