The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built on Unreal Engine 4, presents a unique stress profile that combines heavy GPU load with demanding CPU-driven scene transitions. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, a combination that ranks in the 68th percentile of all tested system configurations for this game, sitting at rank 1180 out of 3724 total combos. The data reveals a system capable of delivering playable frame rates at most settings, but one that requires careful adjustment to avoid the sub-60 FPS territory that undermines the game’s atmospheric tension.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS on High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 61 FPS. This is the only resolution where High settings maintain a 60 FPS average, as 2560x1440 High drops to 52 FPS and 3840x2160 High falls to 41 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 Mobile perform relative to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 38135, placing it 1.3% ahead of both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (score 37648) and the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (score 37628). It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile by 0.6% (score 38349) and the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 by 0.4% (score 38299).

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

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 116 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 41 FPS. This represents a 75 FPS difference, or a 64% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Q: Does the CPU’s benchmark score suggest it is a bottleneck for this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H has an average benchmark score of 34083, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H (score 33989) and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (score 34222). Its 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates strong multi-threaded capability.

Q: What is the minimum FPS observed in the measured data?

A: The lowest recorded minimum FPS is 48, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 61 FPS, and at 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum is 73 FPS.

Q: How does the combo’s in-game rank compare to its component part rankings?

A: The combo ranks 1180 out of 3724 tested configurations, placing it in the upper third of all systems. The CPU ranks in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, suggesting the pairing is well-balanced for this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is the primary driver of The Medium’s visual output, and its specifications directly explain the measured performance deltas across settings. The GPU features 7424 shading units, 232 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output pipelines, operating at a base clock of 1290 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz. This configuration yields a pixel rate of 133.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 386.3 GTexel/s, which are substantial figures for a mobile part. The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for the game’s high-resolution texture streaming and the dual-world rendering mechanic that The Medium employs. The 58 RT cores and 232 tensor cores are present but the game’s fixed-camera design relies more on traditional rasterization than ray tracing, meaning the FP32 compute of 24.72 TFLOPS is the more relevant metric for frame generation.

The GPU’s benchmark data reinforces its position as a high-end mobile solution. Its PassMark G3D score of 24926 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 159575 place it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4080 Mobile shows a narrow performance band: it is 1.3% faster than the RTX 4070 and Tesla P4, but 0.6% slower than the RTX 5080 Mobile. This tight grouping suggests that the measured FPS in The Medium is not an outlier but rather a consistent reflection of the GPU’s compute capacity. The VRAM capacity of 12 GB is likely not a limiting factor at any of the tested resolutions, as the game’s texture budgets at 4K Ultra would need to exceed this amount to cause swapping, and the data shows a smooth scaling pattern from Low to Ultra at each resolution rather than a sudden cliff.

The relationship between GPU clock speed and memory bandwidth is evident in the frame pacing. The memory clock of 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) combined with the 192-bit bus delivers the 432.0 GB/s figure, which is sufficient to feed the 7424 shading units at the boost clock. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Medium (57 FPS) versus 2560x1440 Medium (72 FPS) shows a 26% reduction in performance when increasing pixel count by 125%, which aligns with the GPU’s fillrate capabilities. The GPU’s power envelope of 110 W TDP is modest for its performance class, but the data indicates it sustains its boost clock effectively across the benchmark runs, as no anomalous frame drops are present in the minimum FPS values for Medium settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear resolution scaling pattern that highlights the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts, while the CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS across all settings drops by approximately 15-20%, and from 1440p to 4K, the drop accelerates to 25-30%. This non-linear scaling is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where fillrate and memory bandwidth become increasingly strained.

At Low settings, which minimize GPU load, the scaling is most instructive. The 1080p Low average of 137 FPS drops to 116 FPS at 1440p (a 15% reduction) and then to 91 FPS at 4K (a 22% reduction from 1440p). This pattern indicates that even at the lowest graphical preset, the GPU is still the limiting factor, as a CPU-bound scenario would show flatter FPS across resolutions. The CPU’s 16 cores and 22 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, are sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p Low, but the GPU’s rendering capacity still caps the output at 137 FPS.

At Ultra settings, the scaling becomes more severe. The 1080p Ultra average of 49 FPS drops to 41 FPS at 1440p (a 16% reduction) and then to 32 FPS at 4K (a 22% reduction from 1440p). This suggests that the GPU’s fixed overhead for Ultra effects, likely including higher shadow resolution and post-processing, scales directly with pixel count. The gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution is consistent: 88 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 59 FPS at 4K. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU’s compute resources are being consumed by pixel shader work, leaving less headroom for the additional effects of Ultra settings.

The Medium settings, which represent the middle ground, show the most balanced scaling. The 1080p Medium average of 86 FPS drops to 72 FPS at 1440p (16% reduction) and then to 57 FPS at 4K (21% reduction from 1440p). The minimum FPS values for Medium settings also scale consistently: 73 at 1080p, 61 at 1440p, and 48 at 4K. This consistent 12-13 FPS drop per resolution step suggests a stable frame pacing pipeline, with the GPU’s memory subsystem handling the increased bandwidth demands without stuttering.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for this combo provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the full range of playability is on display. Low settings deliver an average of 137 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most displays and indicates that the GPU is barely stressed. Medium settings drop to 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and maximum of 99 FPS, providing a smooth experience with headroom. High settings produce 61 FPS average, which is just at the threshold of 60 FPS gaming. Ultra settings fall to 49 FPS, which would be noticeable in a horror title where frame dips can break immersion.

At 2560x1440, the performance profile shifts downward. Low settings still deliver a very playable 116 FPS average. Medium settings produce 72 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS and maximum of 83 FPS, which is the sweet spot for this resolution. High settings drop to 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target but still playable for a slower-paced horror game. Ultra settings produce 41 FPS, which is borderline for the genre, as the fixed camera angles can make lower frame rates feel choppier than in first-person titles.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overextended at higher presets. Low settings achieve 91 FPS, which is surprising given the pixel count, but Medium settings drop to 57 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS and maximum of 65 FPS. High settings produce 41 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 32 FPS. The 4K Medium experience is the only 4K preset that maintains a playable minimum above 50 FPS, but the 48 FPS minimum indicates occasional dips below the target. The 4K Low setting at 91 FPS is the outlier, suggesting that the game’s Low preset removes enough GPU work to allow the RTX 4080 Mobile to handle 4K comfortably.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile ranks 1180 out of 3724 tested configurations for The Medium, placing it in the 68th percentile of all systems. This rank is slightly lower than what the individual component percentiles might suggest, as the CPU sits in the 84th percentile and the GPU in the 81st percentile. The discrepancy indicates that The Medium’s specific engine workload does not scale perfectly with the strengths of this hardware pairing, likely due to the game’s reliance on GPU memory bandwidth and the CPU’s single-thread performance for scene loading.

The CPU’s nearest rivals provide context for its contribution to this rank. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H has an average benchmark score of 34083, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H (score 33989) and 0.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (score 34260). This tight grouping suggests that the CPU is not a differentiator in this game’s performance, as the measured FPS at 1080p Low (137 FPS) is not bottlenecked by the CPU’s 22 threads. The GPU’s nearest rivals show a similar clustering, with the RTX 4080 Mobile being 1.3% faster than the RTX 4070 but 0.6% slower than the RTX 5080 Mobile. This narrow performance band among rivals explains why the combo’s rank is solidly in the upper third but not higher.

The rank of 1180 out of 3724 means that approximately 2544 other combinations performed worse in this game, while 1179 performed better. Given that the data is measured, not extrapolated, this rank reflects actual gameplay conditions. The combination’s strength lies in its consistency across resolutions, as no single setting or resolution produces an anomalous result that would drag the rank lower. The 4K Low result of 91 FPS is notably strong, suggesting that this combo can handle high pixel counts when graphical effects are reduced, which may be a factor in its positioning above many other high-end mobile systems.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and the user’s frame rate priorities. At 1920x1080, High settings at 61 FPS average is the recommended choice for a balanced experience, as it provides the visual fidelity of the High preset while maintaining a playable frame rate. Medium settings at 86 FPS offer a safer margin for action sequences, but the 61 FPS minimum at Medium (73 FPS) is not a concern, so High is the better visual trade-off. Ultra settings at 49 FPS should be avoided, as the visual improvement is marginal but the frame rate drops below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings at 72 FPS average with a 61 FPS minimum is the clear recommendation. This preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, as the 61 FPS minimum ensures that the game rarely dips below 60 FPS. High settings at 52 FPS are acceptable for players who prioritize visuals over smoothness, but the 52 FPS average leaves little headroom for complex scenes. Ultra settings at 41 FPS are not recommended, as the horror genre’s atmospheric effects require stable frame pacing. Low settings at 116 FPS are unnecessary unless the user has a high-refresh display and wants maximum responsiveness.

At 3840x2160, Medium settings at 57 FPS average with a 48 FPS minimum is the only viable option for a playable experience. The 48 FPS minimum is below the 60 FPS target, but for a slow-paced horror game, it is acceptable. Low settings at 91 FPS are the better choice for smoothness, but the visual downgrade is significant. High and Ultra settings at 41 FPS and 32 FPS respectively are not recommended, as they fall below the playable threshold. For users with a 4K display, Medium settings are the default choice, with Low settings as a fallback if frame pacing becomes an issue.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H plays a supporting but essential role in The Medium’s performance, particularly in maintaining consistent frame pacing during scene transitions. The CPU features 16 cores and 22 threads based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB L2 cache per core provide sufficient data locality for the game’s streaming assets. The CPU’s benchmark scores indicate strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14551 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 25933, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU’s single-thread performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1759 and a PassMark single-thread score of 3509, is adequate for the game’s main thread. The Medium’s fixed camera angles and pre-rendered transitions mean that the CPU is responsible for loading new scenes and managing the dual-world mechanic, which can be demanding on single-thread performance. The boost clock of 5.00 GHz helps mitigate this, but the measured FPS at 1080p Low (137 FPS) suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. The CPU’s TDP of 28 W is modest, allowing sustained boost clocks without thermal throttling.

The CPU’s nearest rivals show its competitive positioning. The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H has an average score of 33989, which is 0.3% lower than the Ultra 7 165H’s 34083. The AMD EPYC 4244P (score 34220) and AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (score 34222) are 0.4% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (score 34260) is 0.5% higher. This tight grouping indicates that the CPU is not a differentiator in this game, as the GPU is the primary bottleneck at all resolutions above 1080p Low. The CPU’s 22 threads provide headroom for background tasks and the game’s physics, but the measured data shows that the GPU’s 12 GB of VRAM and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are the more critical factors for The Medium’s performance.