The Medium

FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank for the Core Ultra 7 265 with the RX 7800 XT in The Medium?

A: This combination ranks 909th out of 2,911 tested combos for this game, placing it in the 69th percentile of all tested systems.

Q: How much VRAM does the RX 7800 XT have, and is it sufficient for The Medium?

A: The RX 7800 XT comes with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. This is ample for the game's requirements, as the measured FPS data shows playable performance at 4K with high settings.

Q: What are the CPU's core and thread counts?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 features 20 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. It has 30 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: What is the best measured performance at 1080p for this combo?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 135 FPS. At Medium settings, it averages 84 FPS (with a minimum of 72 and maximum of 97).

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RX 7800 XT has an average benchmark score of 11,627, which places it 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (11,680) and 1.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (11,842). It is 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M (11,528).

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile among all CPUs?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265 ranks in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64,640.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this pairing at rank 909 out of 2,911 tested combinations for The Medium. That puts it in the upper third of all systems tested, though not at the absolute top tier. The rank reflects a balance between CPU and GPU capabilities — both components are strong individually, but the game's demands at high settings and resolutions show where the limits lie.

The CPU sits in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, which is exceptionally strong. The GPU, however, ranks in the 51st percentile of all GPUs, a more middling position. This disparity suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios; rather, the GPU's performance envelope defines the framerate ceiling.

When compared to the nearest rival CPUs, the Core Ultra 7 265 is remarkably close in average benchmark score. It trails the AMD EPYC 4464P by just 0.3% (64,823 vs. 64,640) and the AMD EPYC 9124 by 0.7% (65,104). It leads the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F by 0.3% (64,438) and the AMD EPYC 7343 by 0.7% (64,202). These deltas are within the noise margin of synthetic benchmarks, so the CPU's performance profile is essentially equivalent to its closest peers.

The GPU's nearest rivals tell a different story. The RX 7800 XT's average score of 11,627 is nearly identical to the GTX 1660's 11,680 (a 0.5% deficit). It also trails the RX 6500 XT by 1.8% (11,842) but edges past the Radeon Pro 5500M by 0.9% (11,528). These are older or lower-tier cards, which underscores that the RX 7800 XT's raw compute benchmark numbers are not flattering, yet in actual game performance, it delivers far more than those comparisons might suggest.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It packs 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1295 MHz, a game clock of 2124 MHz, and a boost clock of 2430 MHz. Memory runs at 2438 MHz, effective 19.5 Gbps, delivering 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth across the 256-bit bus.

The 16 GB of GDDR6 VRAM is a critical asset for The Medium. The game's measured FPS data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 32 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth play. However, at 4K High, the average is 40 FPS, and at 4K Medium it climbs to 56 FPS. This scaling indicates that VRAM capacity is not the bottleneck at these settings — the GPU's compute throughput is the limiting factor at higher presets.

The GPU's shading units number 3,840, with 240 texture mapping units and 96 render output units. It also includes 60 ray tracing cores, which is relevant for a game like The Medium that uses ray-traced effects. The FP32 performance is rated at 37.32 TFLOPS, which is substantial for rasterization but moderate for ray tracing workloads.

The GPU's 51st percentile ranking among all GPUs is modest, but the measured FPS data tells a more nuanced story. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 135 FPS average; at 1080p High, it still manages 61 FPS. At 1440p, the range goes from 114 FPS at Low down to 40 FPS at Ultra. These numbers show that the RX 7800 XT is capable of high refresh rates at lower presets, but struggles at the highest quality settings, particularly at 4K.

The GPU's benchmark scores include a Passmark G3D score of 24,176 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4,157. These are moderate results, but the real-world game performance demonstrates that the card is well-suited for The Medium at medium to high settings across most resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo's performance is heavily dependent on the settings preset. Low settings yield an average of 89 FPS, which is smooth for a 4K display. Medium settings drop the average to 56 FPS, with a minimum of 47 and a maximum of 64 — playable but with noticeable dips. High settings reduce the average to 40 FPS, which is borderline for a cinematic horror game. Ultra settings bottom out at 32 FPS average, which is not recommended for sustained play.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance improves meaningfully. Low settings deliver an average of 114 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors. Medium settings yield 71 FPS average (min 60, max 82), providing a solid balance of quality and smoothness. High settings average 51 FPS, still acceptable for slower-paced horror exploration. Ultra settings drop to 40 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo shows its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 135 FPS, making the most of high-refresh displays. Medium settings average 84 FPS (min 72, max 97), which is smooth for most players. High settings average 61 FPS, which is adequate for a game like The Medium that prioritizes atmosphere over fast action. Ultra settings average 48 FPS, which is playable but not optimal.

The pattern across all resolutions is clear: the gap between Low and Medium is substantial, while the gap between High and Ultra is also significant. For example, at 1440p, Low (114 FPS) to Medium (71 FPS) is a 43 FPS drop, while High (51 FPS) to Ultra (40 FPS) is an 11 FPS drop. This suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for performance, while Ultra demands more than the GPU can comfortably deliver at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, providing 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU excels. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 42,216, while the single-core score is 5,960. Passmark multi-thread score is 49,682, and single-thread score is 4,689. These numbers place it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it has ample headroom for demanding workloads.

For The Medium, the CPU's role is less critical than the GPU's, as the game is primarily GPU-bound at the settings tested. However, the CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R20 single-core score of 884) ensures that the game's logic and physics threads are well-served. The 20 cores provide plenty of parallel processing capability, though the game likely does not utilize all of them.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4464P (0.3% faster), AMD EPYC 9124 (0.7% faster), Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (0.3% slower), and AMD EPYC 7343 (0.7% slower). These are all server-class or workstation processors, which highlights the Core Ultra 7 265's competitive positioning in the desktop segment.

The CPU's TDP of 65 W is notably low for a 20-core processor, which speaks to the efficiency of the Arrow Lake architecture. This efficiency means the CPU is unlikely to throttle during extended gaming sessions, allowing the GPU to sustain its boost clocks without thermal interference from the CPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and frame rate preference.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance. At 84 FPS average (min 72, max 97), it provides smooth gameplay that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by a comfortable margin. The High preset at 61 FPS is also acceptable if visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate, but Medium delivers a more consistent experience with only a modest visual compromise. Low settings at 135 FPS are overkill for most displays, unless the player has a very high refresh rate monitor and values maximum smoothness over graphics quality.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is again the recommended choice, averaging 71 FPS (min 60, max 82). This keeps the frame rate above 60 FPS most of the time, with only rare dips to the minimum. The High preset at 51 FPS is playable but may feel less responsive during moments with heavy effects. Low settings at 114 FPS are excellent for competitive or fast-paced play, but The Medium is a slow-burn horror game where visual atmosphere matters more. Ultra at 40 FPS is not recommended, as the frame pacing may suffer.

At 3840x2160, the options narrow. Medium settings at 56 FPS (min 47, max 64) are the only preset that approaches smooth play, though the minimum of 47 FPS may cause noticeable stutter in intense scenes. Low settings at 89 FPS are surprisingly playable and may be the better choice for 4K displays, as the visual difference between Low and Medium is less pronounced at this resolution due to pixel density. High at 40 FPS and Ultra at 32 FPS are below the threshold for comfortable play and should be avoided unless the player prioritizes screenshots over gameplay.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the default recommendation for most resolutions, striking the best balance between visual quality and performance. For players with high-refresh monitors at 1080p or 1440p, Low settings can unlock higher frame rates, but Medium provides a more immersive experience for a horror game that relies on lighting and shadow detail. At 4K, Low settings may be the pragmatic choice to maintain smoothness, given that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at Medium.