The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title from 2021, presents an unusual benchmark scenario for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The data reveals a configuration that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet surprisingly CPU-influenced at lower settings, making it a fascinating case study in bottleneck dynamics.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and dramatic scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions. At 1080p, the combo achieves 146 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 127 FPS at 1440p and further to 99 FPS at 4K. This represents a 32% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. The scaling is even more pronounced at Ultra settings, where the 1080p score of 53 FPS falls to 45 FPS at 1440p and then to 35 FPS at 4K, a 34% total drop.

These numbers suggest that the limiting component shifts depending on the resolution and settings combination. At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 146 FPS is likely constrained by the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU, as the RTX 4090 is capable of far higher output in less demanding scenarios. The Core Ultra 7 165H, with its 16 cores and 22 threads, shows its limits here. However, as resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The 4K Ultra result of 35 FPS, versus the 1080p Ultra result of 53 FPS, indicates that the pixel-pushing demands of 4K are overwhelming the graphics card, even one as powerful as the RTX 4090.

The data implies that this game, with its fixed-camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds, places an unusual load on the system. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is 64 FPS (99 vs 35), which is substantial. This wide spread suggests that the game’s visual effects, likely including volumetric lighting and ray-traced reflections, are extremely taxing on the GPU at higher presets. The Medium does not appear to be a title where resolution scaling is linear; instead, the transition from 1080p to 4K at any given setting incurs a significant performance penalty, pointing to a GPU that is being pushed to its absolute limits at the highest resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a mobile processor with 16 cores and 22 threads, a configuration that sounds robust on paper. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz are respectable for a mobile part. However, the benchmark data reveals that this CPU is not the primary driver of performance in The Medium. The CPU’s percentile rank against all processors is 84, and its average benchmark score is 34083. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H, scores 33989, a delta of just 0.3%, showing that this chip is positioned in a highly competitive mid-range tier.

Looking at the measured FPS, the CPU’s influence is most apparent at 1080p Low, where the frame rate of 146 FPS is likely hitting a ceiling imposed by the processor’s single-thread performance. The Cinebench R23 single-core score is 1759, which is solid but not exceptional. In a game like The Medium, which relies on draw calls and game logic, the CPU must process the scene before the GPU can render it. At 1080p, the GPU can render frames so quickly that the CPU becomes the limiting factor.

However, the CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14551, do not translate into higher frame rates at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 35 FPS, indicating that the GPU is completely saturated and the CPU is waiting idle. The data suggests that the Core Ultra 7 165H is more than sufficient for this game at 1440p and 4K, but it acts as a slight governor at 1080p on lower settings. The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory (with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth) are adequate for feeding the GPU, but they do not overcome the fundamental resolution-based bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of how each settings preset impacts performance. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 94 FPS, which is a smooth and playable experience. The Low preset at 146 FPS is exceptionally fast, but the visual quality likely suffers. The High preset at 67 FPS is still playable, but the Ultra preset at 53 FPS is pushing the lower bounds of smoothness for a horror title where frame pacing matters.

At 1440p, the Medium preset drops to 79 FPS, which remains a strong choice for a balance of visuals and performance. The High preset at 57 FPS is acceptable, but the Ultra preset at 45 FPS is starting to feel sluggish. At 4K, the situation becomes more challenging. The Medium preset yields 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that provides a consistently playable experience. The Low preset at 99 FPS is technically fast, but it likely sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a game that relies on atmosphere and lighting.

The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally the Medium preset. At 1080p, it provides 94 FPS; at 1440p, it provides 79 FPS; and at 4K, it provides 62 FPS. This preset appears to be the sweet spot where the game’s visual effects are sufficiently active without overwhelming the GPU. The High preset is a viable alternative for users with 1080p displays, but the step up to Ultra is not justified by the performance cost. The data suggests that players should prioritize the Medium preset to maintain a consistent frame rate across all resolutions, especially given that the minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 53, which is still above the 30 FPS threshold for playability but not ideal for a tense horror game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 614 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 21% of all configurations tested for this game. This is a surprisingly low rank for a system featuring an RTX 4090, which is one of the most powerful consumer GPUs available. The rank suggests that the CPU is holding back the GPU in this specific title.

The RTX 4090’s percentile rank against all GPUs is 88, and its average benchmark score is 60347. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, scores 60326, a delta of 0%. This indicates that the RTX 4090 is a top-tier card, yet the combo rank of 614 implies that many other systems with slightly slower GPUs but faster CPUs achieve better results in The Medium. This is a classic case of a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions, which drags down the overall ranking.

The combo’s rank is more reflective of the CPU’s performance tier than the GPU’s. The Core Ultra 7 165H’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X with a score of 34260, are desktop-class processors from previous generations. The fact that the 165H is competitive with these chips is impressive, but it also highlights that it is not a top-tier gaming CPU. In a game where the GPU is underutilized at 1080p, the CPU’s limitations become the deciding factor in the overall rank.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a behemoth of a graphics card, featuring 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. Its boost clock is 2520 MHz, and it is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process node. The card’s transistor count is 76,300 million, and its die size is 609 mm². These specifications are exceptional, and the benchmark scores reflect this, with a Passmark G3D score of 38194.

Despite this immense power, the measured FPS in The Medium shows that the GPU is not always the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the 146 FPS is likely a CPU limitation, as the RTX 4090 could theoretically push much higher frame rates in a less CPU-intensive title. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as the 35 FPS result indicates that the card is struggling to render the game’s complex scenes at that resolution and settings level.

The GPU’s 24 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for The Medium, which is not a VRAM-heavy title. The card’s 16384 shading units and 512 texture mapping units are also overkill for this game’s requirements. The data implies that the RTX 4090 is being underutilized in this configuration, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. The card’s performance is being capped by the CPU’s inability to deliver draw calls quickly enough. At 4K, the GPU’s raw compute power is finally taxed, but the frame rates are still not stellar, suggesting that the game’s engine is not optimized for such high-end hardware. The GPU’s role in this combo is to provide headroom, but it is not fully realized due to the CPU pairing.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in The Medium?

A: The highest average FPS is 146, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 4K Ultra, the GPU is the limiting factor, as the average FPS drops to 35, indicating the RTX 4090 is saturated.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 67, with an average of 79 FPS.

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

A: This combo ranks 614 out of 2911 combos tested for The Medium, placing it in the top 21% of systems.

Q: Does the CPU's multi-core performance help in this game?

A: The CPU's multi-core score of 14551 in Cinebench R23 does not significantly help, as the game appears to be single-thread bound at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The average FPS difference is 93 FPS, going from 146 FPS on Low to 53 FPS on Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

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

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 3840x2160 | High | 45 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 99 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 62 | 53 | 71 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 35 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | High | 57 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 127 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 79 | 67 | 91 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 45 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | High | 67 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 146 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 94 | 80 | 108 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 53 | — | — |

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience, while the Ultra preset incurs a substantial performance penalty. The Low preset provides the highest frame rates but likely sacrifices the visual quality that defines The Medium’s horror atmosphere. The minimum FPS values, only recorded for Medium settings, show that frame pacing is stable, with a 53 FPS floor at 4K and an 80 FPS floor at 1080p. This suggests that the Medium preset is the only reliable option for a consistent experience across all resolutions. The lack of maximum FPS data for other presets limits further analysis, but the averages are sufficient to draw clear conclusions about this combo’s behavior.