The Medium

The Medium is a fixed-camera horror title with a heavy emphasis on atmosphere, and the data for this configuration—an Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060—shows a system that can handle the game, but with important caveats at higher resolutions and preset levels. Benchmark results indicate a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires significant settings adjustments to maintain smooth frame rates. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, focusing on how the resolution and quality settings interact with the CPU and GPU to produce the final results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop varies significantly depending on the quality preset. At Low settings, the game scales remarkably well. The average frame rate at 1920x1080 is 116 FPS, which drops to 97 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 76 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a roughly 17% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a further 22% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The fact that the game remains well above 60 FPS even at 4K Low suggests that at these settings, the GPU is not the primary bottleneck, and the performance is likely more dependent on the CPU's ability to feed frames.

The scaling story changes at Medium settings. At 1080p, the average FPS is 72. Moving to 1440p reduces this to 61 FPS, a drop of about 15%. However, the jump to 4K is far more punishing, with the average FPS falling to 48. This is a 21% decrease from 1440p and a full 33% drop from 1080p. The increasing gap between resolutions at Medium settings indicates that the GPU is starting to become more of a limiting factor, as the higher pixel count demands more from the rendering pipeline.

High settings show an even steeper curve. The average FPS at 1080p is 52, which is already below the 60 FPS threshold many players target. At 1440p, it falls to 44 FPS, and at 4K, it drops to 34 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly costly, representing a 23% loss in performance. This pattern strongly suggests that at High settings, the RTX 5060 is being pushed hard, and the resolution scaling is becoming more linear and severe as the GPU reaches its limits.

Finally, Ultra settings present the most demanding scenario. The game averages 41 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and just 27 FPS at 4K. The frame rate at 4K Ultra is less than a quarter of the 1080p Low result, highlighting the massive combined impact of resolution and quality. The data shows that the limiting component shifts based on the configuration. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely the primary constraint, as the GPU can render frames quickly but is held back by the game's logic and draw calls. As resolution and settings increase, the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck, with its fill rate and shading power determining the final frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience balances visual quality with a playable frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS target, the Medium preset is the clear choice at 1080p and 1440p. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers an average of 72 FPS, providing enough headroom to avoid frequent dips below the target. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 61 FPS, which is just barely above the 60 FPS mark. The minimum FPS recorded for Medium at 1440p is 52, and at 1080p it is 61, so there will be some fluctuation, but the overall experience should feel responsive.

For players with high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, the Low preset is the only option that gets close to maximizing the display's potential, with an average of 116 FPS. This preset sacrifices visual fidelity for speed, but the data shows it is the only way to achieve frame rates in the triple digits. High settings at 1080p, averaging 52 FPS, may be acceptable for a slower-paced horror game, but it does not hit the 60 FPS target. Ultra at 1080p, at 41 FPS, is a significant compromise and is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 4K, the situation is more challenging. No preset achieves a 60 FPS average. The Low preset, at 76 FPS, is the only one that provides a genuinely smooth experience, and it is the recommended setting for 4K play. Medium at 4K, with an average of 48 FPS and a minimum of 41 FPS, is playable but will feel less fluid, especially in scenes with heavy action or camera movement. High and Ultra at 4K, with averages of 34 and 27 FPS respectively, are effectively slideshows for a game that relies on tension and timing. The data suggests that for 4K, players should prioritize frame rate over graphical detail and choose Low. For 1440p, Medium offers the best balance, while for 1080p, Medium is the optimal choice for a 60 FPS experience. The measured data indicates that the Medium preset provides the most consistent experience across all three resolutions, with the least severe performance penalty relative to the visual quality gained.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the rendering workhorse in this configuration, and its characteristics directly influence the measured frame rates. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor in the game's performance at higher resolutions. The data shows a significant performance drop when moving from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings, which is partially attributable to the memory bandwidth and capacity being stressed by the increase in pixel data. The 8 GB capacity is sufficient for The Medium at these settings, but the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth may become a limiting factor as resolution increases.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed with a base clock of 2280 MHz and a boost clock of 2497 MHz. These clocks, combined with the 3840 shading units, determine the raw compute throughput. The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 19.18 TFLOPS, which provides the raw shader power needed for the game's lighting and effects. The boost clock behavior is not directly measured, but the frame rates suggest that the GPU is able to sustain high clocks under load at lower resolutions, but may throttle or become saturated at 4K on higher presets.

The RTX 5060's position relative to other GPUs is indicated by its percentile and nearest rivals. It sits in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score is 26331. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M with an average score of 26401 and a deltaPct of -0.3%, and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 with a score of 26421 and a deltaPct of -0.3%. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary has a score of 26553 with a deltaPct of -0.8%, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT has a score of 26011 and a deltaPct of 1.2%. This data shows the RTX 5060 performing in a similar class to these cards, with the deltaPct values indicating that its overall compute capability is within a narrow range of these rivals. In the context of this game, the GPU's role is clear: it is the component that determines the upper limit of frame rates at higher resolutions and quality settings. The measured 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS compared to the 1080p Low result of 116 FPS underscores this, showing that the GPU is the primary bottleneck when the workload is maximized.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates provides a detailed look at the performance envelope of this system. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 116 FPS. The Medium preset averages 72 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS. High settings reduce the average to 52 FPS, and Ultra drops it further to 41 FPS. This shows a clear hierarchy, with Low being the fastest and Ultra being the slowest. The gap between Low and Ultra is a substantial 75 FPS, indicating the heavy cost of the highest quality presets at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases across the board. Low settings average 97 FPS, a 19 FPS drop from 1080p. Medium settings average 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. High settings average 44 FPS, and Ultra settings average 35 FPS. The pattern is consistent, with each preset being slower than its 1080p counterpart. The Medium preset at 1440p is the only one that remains near the 60 FPS target, while High and Ultra fall below it.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. Low settings are the only option that remains above 60 FPS, with an average of 76 FPS. Medium settings average 48 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS. High settings average 34 FPS, and Ultra settings average 27 FPS. The data shows that the RTX 5060 struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K on anything above the Low preset. The minimum FPS values for Medium settings at 4K (41 FPS) and 1440p (52 FPS) highlight the potential for stutter in demanding scenes, while the 1080p Medium minimum of 61 FPS is more reassuring. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 27 FPS, is the lowest average recorded in the entire dataset, making it the least playable configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 60 FPS experience at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset is the best choice for 1080p, delivering an average of 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS. This provides a smooth experience with a reasonable balance of visual quality.

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average frame rate is 34 FPS, which is not smooth enough for comfortable gameplay. The Low preset at 4K is the only one that provides a playable experience, with an average of 76 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rivals in overall performance?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 860M, has a score of 26401 with a deltaPct of -0.3%, meaning the RTX 5060 is essentially tied with it. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 is similarly close, with a score of 26421 and a deltaPct of -0.3%.

Q: What is the impact of raising the preset from Low to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, raising the preset from Low to Ultra reduces the average frame rate from 97 FPS to 35 FPS. This is a 62 FPS drop, showing that the Ultra preset is extremely demanding at this resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The high frame rate of 116 FPS at 1080p Low suggests that the GPU is not being fully utilized, as it can render frames quickly. This indicates that the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265, is likely the primary limiting factor at this low resolution and quality setting.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for the Medium preset across all resolutions?

A: The Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 61 at 1920x1080, 52 at 2560x1440, and 41 at 3840x2160. These values show an increasing risk of frame drops as resolution increases.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks is strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 and a single-core score of 5960. In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls, which are essential for maintaining a consistent frame rate. The data suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is sufficient to keep up with the GPU, but its influence wanes as the GPU becomes the bottleneck.

The CPU's average benchmark score is 64640, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4464P with an average score of 64823 and a deltaPct of -0.3%, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F with a score of 64438 and a deltaPct of 0.3%. The AMD EPYC 7343 has a score of 64202 with a deltaPct of 0.7%, while the AMD EPYC 9124 has a score of 65104 and a deltaPct of -0.7%. These deltaPct values show that the Core Ultra 7 265 is essentially on par with these server-grade processors in overall compute performance, which confirms its multi-threaded capabilities.

In this specific game, the CPU's 20 cores and 20 threads are more than adequate for the workload. The game is unlikely to utilize all 20 threads effectively, but the high single-core performance, evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960, is more critical. The measured FPS data supports the theory that the CPU is not a bottleneck at higher resolutions. For example, the performance drop from 1080p Medium to 4K Medium is a 24 FPS reduction (from 72 to 48 FPS), which is a GPU-bound scaling pattern. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would be more similar across resolutions. The fact that the frame rates scale down as resolution increases indicates that the GPU is the limiting component in most scenarios. The CPU's role is to ensure that the GPU is fed with enough data to work on, and the data shows that it does this effectively, allowing the GPU to reach its performance limits. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient to support the game's data streaming needs. The processor's boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures that single-threaded tasks are handled quickly, which is important for a game that relies on a single main thread for many operations. Overall, the Core Ultra 7 265 provides a solid foundation for this GPU, enabling the RTX 5060 to perform to its full potential without being starved of data. The benchmark results indicate that system is well-balanced, with the CPU not becoming a constraint until the GPU is pushed to its absolute limits at 4K Ultra, where the 27 FPS average is clearly a GPU limitation.