The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that stresses both CPU and GPU heavily, and this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 produces a wide range of frame rates depending on your resolution and quality targets. The data shows a system capable of high refresh rate play at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires careful settings management to stay fluid.

Resolution Scaling

The framerate deltas between 1080p and 4K reveal a system that transitions from CPU-bound at lower resolutions to heavily GPU-bound at higher ones. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 95 at 1920x1080 to 80 at 2560x1440, a 15 FPS reduction, and then further to 63 at 3840x2160. This progression shows that the RTX 4090 is still the limiting factor at 4K, but the performance cost of each resolution step is relatively moderate, suggesting the CPU is keeping pace.

The scaling becomes more dramatic when looking at the Low settings preset. Here, the average FPS is 196 at 1080p, 178 at 1440p, and 140 at 4K. The drop from 196 to 140 FPS between 1080p and 4K is a 28.5% reduction, indicating that even with reduced graphical load, the GPU is still doing significant work at higher pixel counts. However, the fact that the 1080p Low result approaches 200 FPS strongly implies that the Core Ultra 7 265 is not a bottleneck at these lower settings, as the frame rate is high enough to saturate most displays.

At the Medium settings, the only preset with min and max FPS data, the pattern holds. The 1080p average of 132 FPS (min 112, max 152) drops to 111 FPS (min 95, max 128) at 1440p, and then to 87 FPS (min 74, max 101) at 4K. The min FPS values at 4K Medium are notably lower, at 74 FPS, which is still playable but shows that the GPU is working harder to maintain consistency. The absolute worst case is Ultra at 4K, which averages only 50 FPS, a figure that is borderline for a smooth experience.

The key takeaway from the scaling is that this combo is best suited for high refresh rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, where it can push past 100 FPS at most settings. At 4K, the RTX 4090's raw power is still taxed by The Medium's visual effects, and players will need to choose between High (63 FPS) and Medium (87 FPS) to avoid the sub-60 FPS territory of Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Core Ultra 7 265 and RTX 4090 achieves a combo rank of 53 out of 2911 tested combinations in The Medium. That places it in the top 1.8% of all tested systems, which is an exceptional result for a game known for its heavy system requirements. The rank reflects not just the GPU's raw power but also the CPU's ability to feed it, and the data confirms this pairing is near the top of the performance hierarchy.

The ranking suggests that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems tested in this benchmark database. With 2911 total combinations, being at position 53 means only 52 other CPU-GPU pairings delivered higher average FPS in this game. This is a strong endorsement for the balance between the 20-core processor and the flagship graphics card, and it indicates that neither component is severely holding back the other in most scenarios.

Given the RTX 4090's position as an end-of-life product and the Core Ultra 7 265's recent release, this combo represents a high-end pairing that will remain competitive for years. The rank of 53 is particularly impressive because it accounts for all CPUs, including those with more cores and higher clock speeds, and all GPUs, including those with more specialized compute features. The data shows that for The Medium specifically, this combination is near the peak of what is achievable.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 brings 20 cores and 20 threads to the table, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This is a processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture using a 3 nm process from TSMC, with 30 MB of shared L3 cache. In The Medium, which is a game that can utilize multiple threads for its fixed-camera scenes and dynamic lighting calculations, this core count is beneficial.

The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,216 and a single-core score of 5,960. The single-core performance is critical for The Medium's game logic and AI routines, and the 5.30 GHz boost clock ensures that the processor can handle the main thread without becoming a bottleneck. The multi-core score of 42,216 indicates that the CPU can handle background tasks and the game's multi-threaded rendering pipeline simultaneously.

The Core Ultra 7 265 ranks in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64,640. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4464P (deltaPct -0.3), the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (deltaPct 0.3), and the AMD EPYC 7343 (deltaPct 0.7). These are all server or workstation-class processors, which shows that the Core Ultra 7 265 is competing at a very high level. In The Medium, the CPU's role is to maintain consistent frame pacing, and the data indicates it does so effectively, as evidenced by the high FPS at 1080p Low (196 FPS) where CPU overhead is more likely to be exposed.

The processor's 20 threads are fully utilized by modern games, and The Medium's requirement for smooth transitions between the two worlds depicted in the game benefits from having multiple cores available. The L3 cache of 30 MB is ample for storing game assets and reducing memory latency, which helps maintain stable FPS in complex scenes. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution tested, as the FPS scales consistently with GPU load.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average FPS of 196 at Low settings, 132 at Medium (with min 112 and max 152), 95 at High, and 75 at Ultra. The 1080p results are consistently above 75 FPS, which means this resolution is ideal for high refresh rate monitors. The jump from Low to Medium is a 64 FPS drop, which is significant, but the Medium settings still provide a smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 75 FPS is perfectly playable and shows that the RTX 4090 has headroom even at the highest quality settings at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS is 178 at Low, 111 at Medium (min 95, max 128), 80 at High, and 63 at Ultra. The 1440p results are still strong, with Low settings pushing past 170 FPS and Medium staying above 100 FPS. The High preset at 80 FPS is a good target for those wanting a balance between visual quality and speed. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold, which is acceptable but may not satisfy players with 144Hz displays who want maximum smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 140 at Low, 87 at Medium (min 74, max 101), 63 at High, and 50 at Ultra. The 4K Low result of 140 FPS is impressive and shows that the RTX 4090 can handle 4K gaming if visual settings are reduced. The Medium preset at 87 FPS is the sweet spot for 4K, providing a high frame rate while maintaining decent visual fidelity. The High preset at 63 FPS is still smooth, but the Ultra preset at 50 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold, which would be noticeable to most players. The min FPS of 74 at 4K Medium indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate rarely drops to uncomfortable levels.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing, with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus providing 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a boost clock of 2520 MHz and 16,384 shading units. In The Medium, the GPU's role is to render the game's fixed-camera scenes with high-quality shadows, reflections, and textures, all of which are memory-intensive.

The RTX 4090's 24 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for The Medium at any resolution, as the game's maximum requirements are unlikely to exceed 12 GB even at 4K Ultra. This means the GPU can load all textures into memory without swapping, which contributes to the smooth performance at 4K Medium and High settings. The memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s is also crucial for the game's streaming of large assets, and the data shows it handles this efficiently.

The GPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 271,631. The RTX 4090 ranks in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60,347. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc Pro A60 (deltaPct 0), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (deltaPct 0.3), and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (deltaPct -2.5). These are professional or workstation GPUs, which highlights that the RTX 4090 is at the top of consumer graphics performance.

The GPU's 450W TDP and triple-slot design indicate that it is a power-hungry card, but the performance it delivers in The Medium justifies this. At 4K Ultra, the 50 FPS average is the only result that dips below 60 FPS, which is an outlier for this GPU and indicates that The Medium's Ultra preset is unusually demanding. The data shows that the RTX 4090 is the primary driver of the combo's ranking, as its raw compute power and memory bandwidth allow for high FPS at all but the most extreme settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 is the sweet spot, with average FPS of 178 at Low, 111 at Medium, 80 at High, and 63 at Ultra. This provides a balance between visual fidelity and high frame rates, with all presets remaining playable.

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 High is 63 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. For a smoother experience, the Medium preset at 87 FPS is recommended, as it offers a significant FPS boost with a moderate visual sacrifice.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 7 265 compare to its closest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64,640, which is 0.3% lower than the AMD EPYC 4464P (64,823) and 0.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64,438). It also outperforms the AMD EPYC 7343 (64,202) by 0.7%.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's 24 GB of VRAM necessary for The Medium?

A: The Medium is a horror game with detailed textures, and the 24 GB of VRAM ensures that no memory bottlenecks occur at any resolution. The GPU's 1.01 TB/s bandwidth also helps with rapid data streaming, contributing to the high FPS at 4K Medium and High.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 50 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The lowest min FPS recorded is 74 at 3840x2160 with Medium settings, which indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above playable levels.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems in The Medium?

A: This combination ranks 53rd out of 2,911 tested CPU-GPU combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 1.8% of all systems. This is an exceptional result, reflecting the high performance of both components.