The Medium

The Medium, released in late January 2021, presents a unique technical challenge with its dual-reality rendering, and the data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 shows a system that is decisively limited by its graphics processor at higher resolutions. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the board reveal a component pairing where the CPU’s capabilities are largely held in reserve, waiting for the GPU to catch up as graphical load increases.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a Meteor Lake architecture mobile processor with 16 cores and 22 threads, operating at a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This configuration provides a substantial amount of parallel processing power, which is reflected in its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14551 and a single-core score of 1759. The data shows the CPU performs strongly in general compute, with a Passmark multithread score of 25933, suggesting it has ample headroom for the game’s logical threads. The processor’s percentile ranking against all CPUs is 84, placing it in the top tier of processors tested.

In the context of The Medium, which is known for rendering two simultaneous game worlds, the CPU’s role is critical for managing the game’s simulation and streaming. However, the measured FPS data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 108 FPS, which is the highest average in the dataset. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see this score remain relatively static as resolution increases, but it does not. The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H and AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, with average scores that are nearly identical, indicating that this processor is well within the performance band of its peers. The 165H’s 22 threads likely help maintain stable frame pacing in a game that can spawn many entities, but the benchmark results indicate that its substantial compute resources are not the ceiling for this particular configuration.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications dictate the performance envelope. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus and a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, the GPU has a significant amount of memory bandwidth to feed its 5888 shading units. The GPU’s boost clock of 2475 MHz and its FP32 performance of 29.15 TFLOPS indicate a powerful graphics processor. Its percentile ranking is 81 against all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 37648 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, which scores 37628, a difference of only 0.1%.

The game’s performance is highly sensitive to the GPU’s workload. The transition from Low to Ultra settings at any resolution shows a dramatic drop in FPS, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound rendering. For instance, at 1440p, the average FPS drops from 91 on Low to 32 on Ultra, a reduction of 59 FPS. This scaling is directly attributable to the increased pixel shading and memory pressure from the game’s graphical effects. The RTX 4070’s 12 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for the textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests that at 4K with Ultra settings, the GPU’s compute capacity is stretched thin, resulting in an average of just 25 FPS. The GPU’s performance relative to its rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 which is 0.4% faster, shows that it is a competent but not class-leading part in this specific test.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The scaling of FPS across resolutions is the clearest indicator of where the bottleneck lies. At High settings, the average FPS moves from 49 at 1080p to 41 at 1440p and finally to 32 at 4K. This is a steady decline, but the percentage drop is not uniform. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 16%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is approximately 22%. This pattern is consistent with a GPU that is becoming increasingly saturated with pixel work, as the number of pixels quadruples from 1080p to 4K, but the FPS does not drop by a corresponding factor.

The Low settings preset tells a similar story, with FPS going from 108 at 1080p to 91 at 1440p and 72 at 4K. While the absolute numbers are higher, the relative drops are similar. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the 1080p score to be much lower and the 4K score to be closer to it, as the CPU would be the constant denominator. The fact that the FPS scales inversely with resolution indicates that the RTX 4070 is the component that is being pushed to its limits. The data implies that at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, but as the resolution increases, the GPU’s rendering time per frame grows, and the CPU’s work becomes less relevant to the final frame rate. The system is firmly GPU-limited in this title across all tested settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is ranked 1525 out of 2911 tested combos for this game. This places the pairing in the 48th percentile of all systems, meaning that slightly more than half of the tested configurations deliver better performance in The Medium. This ranking is notably lower than the individual component percentiles for the CPU and GPU, which are 84 and 81, respectively. This discrepancy suggests that while the individual parts are strong, this specific pairing does not unlock their full potential in this particular title.

The ranking implies that there are many other combinations of hardware that achieve higher average FPS. The data suggests that the pairing is not inherently flawed, but rather that the GPU is likely the limiting factor, as previously discussed. The CPU’s performance is more than adequate, but the RTX 4070’s performance, while good, is not enough to push the combo into the upper echelons of the rankings. The relative ranking of 1525 out of 2911 indicates a mid-pack result. This is a crucial insight for understanding the system’s behavior: it is a balanced pairing in terms of class, but the game’s demands are such that the GPU holds the combo back from achieving a higher rank.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this hardware?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 108, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the system capable of running The Medium at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 4K, the system achieves 45 FPS on Medium settings and 32 FPS on High settings, which are below the standard 60 FPS target. Only the Low preset at 4K reaches a playable average of 72 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 49 at 1080p to 32 at 4K, a reduction of 17 FPS.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The benchmark data indicates the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the limiting component, as FPS scales directly with resolution, which is a classic symptom of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What are the FPS ranges for the Medium settings preset?

A: The Medium preset shows an average FPS of 68 at 1080p, 57 at 1440p, and 45 at 4K, with minimum and maximum readings of 58 and 78 at 1080p, 49 and 66 at 1440p, and 38 and 52 at 4K.

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

A: This CPU and GPU combination is ranked 1525 out of 2911 tested combos, placing it in the middle of the field.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each configuration, with minimum and maximum values provided where available in the data.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Minimum FPS | Maximum FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | :---------- | :---------- | :---------- |

| 3840x2160 | High | 32 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 72 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 45 | 38 | 52 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 25 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 41 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 91 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 57 | 49 | 66 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 32 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 49 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 108 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 68 | 58 | 78 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 39 | - | - |

The data shows a clear and consistent pattern. The Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it still only manages an average of 39 FPS. The High preset is usable at 1080p with an average of 49 FPS, but dips below 40 FPS at 4K. The Low preset is the only one that provides consistently high frame rates, reaching above 70 FPS even at 4K.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution and the user’s preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate smoothness.

For users targeting 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance, delivering an average of 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS. This ensures a smooth and responsive experience that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. While the High preset achieves 49 FPS, it falls below that smoothness target. The Low preset is the only one that yields very high frame rates at 1080p, hitting 108 FPS, but sacrifices visual quality.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is again the most sensible choice, with an average of 57 FPS and a minimum of 49 FPS. This is a playable experience, though it may occasionally dip below 60 FPS. The Low preset provides a much smoother experience at 91 FPS, which is recommended for competitive or high-refresh-rate play. The High preset at 41 FPS and Ultra at 32 FPS are less desirable due to inconsistent frame pacing.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that only the Low preset is viable, as it is the only one to achieve an average above 60 FPS at 72 FPS. The Medium preset at 45 FPS is playable but will have noticeable judder, while High and Ultra at 32 and 25 FPS respectively are not recommended for a smooth experience. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 4070 does not have the raw power to handle high-fidelity settings at 4K in this title, and users should prioritize the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p for the best combination of visual quality and performance.