The Medium

The Medium is a demanding title that heavily taxes both the GPU and CPU, and the data for this Intel Core Ultra 7 155H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile combination reveals a system that is powerful but ultimately constrained by its components at higher settings. The benchmark results show a clear hierarchy where resolution and preset choices dictate playability, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck at 4K and the CPU becoming more relevant at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, ranks the combo against others, and provides clear guidance on how to get the best experience from this hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is the most telling indicator of this system's balance. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 143 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 132 FPS, a modest decline of about 8%. However, the jump to 4K Low sees a much steeper fall to 104 FPS, a 27% reduction from the 1440p figure. This pattern is consistent across all settings, but the severity increases with graphical load.

At Medium settings, the scaling is more pronounced. The system runs at 98 FPS at 1080p, falls to 83 FPS at 1440p (a 15% drop), and then plummets to 65 FPS at 4K, which is a 34% reduction from the 1440p result. The High preset tells an even clearer story: 70 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, starting at 56 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 47 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 37 FPS at 4K.

This scaling behavior indicates a system that is heavily GPU-limited at 4K. The RTX 5090 Mobile, despite its high performance, cannot maintain the frame rates seen at lower resolutions. The percentage drops between 1080p and 1440p are relatively small, suggesting the GPU still has headroom. However, the massive leap in pixel count at 4K overwhelms the renderer, causing the frame rate to fall off a cliff. The data shows that this is not a case of the CPU holding back performance at high resolutions; the GPU is the clear limiting factor. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, the user must drop to Medium settings, which yields exactly 65 FPS. The 47 FPS at 4K High is playable but not ideal, and the 37 FPS at 4K Ultra is a slideshow.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile lands at rank 764 out of 3724 tested combos. This places it in the top 20% of all systems, a solid result that underscores the raw power of the RTX 5090 Mobile. The top 20% ranking is impressive, but the data shows it is not a top-tier combination. The rank suggests that while this setup is fast, there are many other CPU-GPU pairings that deliver higher average frame rates in this specific game.

The combo's ranking is a direct result of the balance between its components. The RTX 5090 Mobile is a high-end GPU, but the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a mid-range mobile processor. In a game like The Medium, which is known for its fixed-camera angles and heavy use of volumetric effects, the CPU still plays a significant role. The data indicates that the system is not at the very top of the leaderboard, as there are 763 other combinations that perform better. This likely includes pairings of the RTX 5090 Mobile with more powerful desktop-class CPUs, or even other high-end mobile chips. The 764th rank out of 3724 is a strong showing, but it is not a top-100 result. It means that users with this exact combo will have a good experience, but they are not getting the maximum possible performance that the GPU could offer if paired with a stronger CPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is the undisputed star of this combo, and its specifications directly explain the measured frame rates. With 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, the memory bandwidth is a staggering 896.0 GB/s. This is crucial for The Medium, which uses high-resolution textures and streaming to create its eerie environments. At 4K Ultra, the game is likely consuming a significant portion of the VRAM, and the high bandwidth helps prevent stuttering. The GPU's 10496 shading units and 328 TMUs provide immense raw compute power, reflected in its FP32 performance of 31.80 TFLOPS.

The clock speeds are also a key factor. The base clock is 990 MHz, with a boost clock of 1515 MHz. These are relatively low clocks for a high-end GPU, especially compared to desktop variants. This is a mobile chip, and the thermal and power constraints are evident in these figures. The TDP is listed as 95 W, which is a standard for a high-performance laptop GPU. The boost clock of 1515 MHz is what allows the card to reach its peak performance, but it will not sustain that for long periods under heavy load. This helps explain why the performance at 4K Ultra is so low (37 FPS). The GPU is hitting its power limit, and the clocks are likely dropping, which throttles the performance.

The benchmark scores for this GPU are telling. Its Passmark G3D score is 30034, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. This is a high score, but its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. The RTX 4070 Ti is a previous-generation desktop card, and it is only 0.8% behind the RTX 5090 Mobile in this metric. This shows that while the 5090 Mobile is a powerful mobile part, its performance is roughly on par with a high-end desktop card from the previous generation. The data proves that the GPU is the primary driver of performance in this system, and its capabilities are the reason the combo ranks in the top 20%.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear path to the best experience for this hardware. The primary goal is to achieve a stable frame rate above 60 FPS, and the data shows that this is only possible at lower resolutions and settings. For a 4K display, the Medium preset is the only viable option that achieves a playable frame rate. The 65 FPS average at 4K Medium is right at the threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 4K drops to 47 FPS, which is a noticeable step down in fluidity. The Ultra preset at 4K is unplayable at 37 FPS. Therefore, for 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it balances visual fidelity with a playable frame rate.

At 1440p, the options are more flexible. The High preset delivers 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset provides a much more comfortable 83 FPS, giving users headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset hits 132 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or for users who prioritize frame rate above all else. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 47 FPS, which is too slow for a smooth experience. The recommended setting for 1440p is Medium, as it provides a 20% performance buffer over High while still looking significantly better than Low.

At 1080p, the system is at its best. The High preset achieves 70 FPS, which is playable. The Medium preset hits 98 FPS, providing an excellent balance of quality and performance. The Low preset reaches 143 FPS, which is perfect for high-refresh-rate displays. The Ultra preset is the only one that struggles, with 56 FPS, but it is still playable. For 1080p, the High preset is a solid choice, but the Medium preset is the sweet spot, offering a 40% improvement over High with only a minor visual compromise. The data consistently points to the Medium preset as the best balance across all resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full dataset provides a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the results are strong across the board. The Low preset averages 143 FPS, the Medium preset averages 98 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS, the High preset averages 70 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 56 FPS. The 1080p results show that the system is capable of high refresh rates, but the gap between Low and Medium (45 FPS) is significant, indicating that the game's visual effects are costly.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. The Low preset averages 132 FPS, which is still very high. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS. The High preset drops to 59 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 47 FPS. The 1440p results highlight the increasing demand on the GPU. The difference between Medium and High is 24 FPS, which is substantial. The minimum FPS of 70 at Medium shows that the system can maintain a playable frame rate even in demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly, and the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Low preset averages 104 FPS, which is surprisingly good for 4K. The Medium preset averages 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. The High preset averages 47 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 37 FPS. The 4K results show a stark difference between Low and Medium (39 FPS), which is the largest gap of any resolution. This suggests that the Medium preset adds a significant amount of rendering complexity, likely through higher-quality shadows and lighting, which the GPU struggles to handle at 4K. The minimum FPS of 55 at 4K Medium is concerning, as it means the game can dip below 60 FPS in intense moments.

CPU Role

While the GPU dominates the narrative, the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H plays a crucial supporting role. This is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz, and it can boost up to 4.80 GHz. The CPU has a 24 MB shared L3 cache, which is used by all cores. In a game like The Medium, which is a horror title with a fixed camera, the CPU is responsible for game logic, physics, and AI. The 16 cores and 22 threads provide ample processing power for these tasks.

The CPU's benchmark scores are respectable. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 15028, and its single-core score is 1743. Its Passmark single-thread score is 3468, and its multithread score is 24873. These scores place it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14600T, which is essentially identical in average score, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, which is only 0.1% faster. This shows that the Core Ultra 7 155H is a solid mid-range performer, but it is not a flagship chip.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU is not as stressed, and the CPU must work harder to feed it frames. The data shows that the system achieves 143 FPS at 1080p Low, which is a high frame rate. This suggests that the CPU is capable of handling the game's logic at a high rate. However, the CPU's relative weakness compared to the GPU is highlighted by the combo's ranking. The RTX 5090 Mobile is a top-tier GPU, but the Core Ultra 7 155H is a mid-range CPU. In a game that is well-optimized for multi-threading, the CPU can be a limiting factor. The 22 threads are useful for background tasks, but the game's main thread may not be able to keep up with the GPU's potential at very high frame rates. The data indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 4K, but it is likely a secondary constraint at 1080p, preventing the system from reaching even higher frame rates.