The Medium

The Medium is a fixed-camera horror game that stresses both processors and graphics cards through its signature dual-reality rendering, where two worlds are often displayed simultaneously. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, using measured frame rate data across three resolutions and four quality presets. The data reveals a combination that is exceptionally capable, yet the scaling patterns indicate a system where the GPU is the primary performance arbiter in most scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, which provides substantial headroom for demanding game logic. The processor includes a 30 MB shared L3 cache and a dual-channel DDR5 memory interface with a peak bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. In the broader context of all tested CPUs, this chip sits in the 93rd percentile, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of desktop processors.

The CPU’s benchmark scores support its high percentile ranking. In Cinebench R23, the chip achieves a multi-core score of 42216 and a single-core score of 5960. The single-core result is particularly relevant for gaming, as many game engines still rely heavily on single-threaded performance for physics, AI, and draw-call submission. The multi-core score of 42216 suggests that even when The Medium renders two simultaneous perspectives, the processor has ample parallel throughput to handle the associated workload without becoming a limiting factor.

When compared to its nearest rivals in the database, the Core Ultra 7 265 shows a balanced position. It trails the AMD EPYC 4464P by a negligible 0.3% in average benchmark score, while leading the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F by 0.3% and the AMD EPYC 7343 by 0.7%. The closest competitor, the AMD EPYC 9124, is ahead by just 0.7%. These sub-1% deltas indicate that the processor's raw compute capability is essentially on par with these server-class parts, though the gaming performance in The Medium will be determined by how well the game utilizes these resources.

In the context of the measured FPS data, the CPU role becomes clear through the scaling behavior. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 196 FPS, which is a high frame rate that still requires significant CPU involvement to feed the GPU. The fact that this frame rate is not higher suggests that even at Low settings, the game engine has CPU-bound elements that cap performance. However, the consistent ability to exceed 60 FPS across all tested configurations, even at 4K Ultra, demonstrates that the Core Ultra 7 265 provides sufficient processing power to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 5090 in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the flagship graphics card in the GeForce 50-series, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and manufactured on a 5 nm process. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU operates with a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The card contains 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, along with 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores. This hardware configuration places the GPU in the 92nd percentile of all tested graphics cards.

The RTX 5090’s raw compute figures are substantial. It delivers 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s. The pixel rate is 423.6 GPixel/s, which is critical for a game like The Medium that renders high-resolution textures and effects. The passmark G3D score of 39650 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355 confirm that this GPU is designed for extreme workloads.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 5090 shows a modest advantage in the database’s average benchmark scores. It leads the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB by 0.3% and the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB by 0.6%, while also outperforming the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT by 1.1%. The only rival ahead of it is the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X, which holds a 1.4% advantage. These deltas are small, but they reflect a benchmark average that includes varied workloads; in gaming-specific tests, the RTX 5090’s architecture is typically far more dominant than these aggregate scores suggest.

In The Medium, the GPU’s role is decisive. The game’s use of simultaneous camera perspectives for the two realities creates a heavy graphics load that scales directly with resolution and settings. The RTX 5090’s 32 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for any texture or geometry demands the game can present, eliminating any memory capacity concerns. The GPU’s clock speeds and memory bandwidth allow it to maintain high frame rates even at 4K, though the data shows that settings still have a significant impact on performance, indicating that the GPU is the primary driver of FPS variation.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how performance scales across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K for each settings preset. For High settings, the average frame rate drops from 97 FPS at 1080p to 82 FPS at 1440p, a 15% reduction, and then to 64 FPS at 4K, a further 22% reduction from 1440p. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution directly impacts the load on the graphics card.

For Low settings, the scaling is more pronounced. At 1080p, the combo achieves 196 FPS. At 1440p, this drops to 182 FPS, a 7% reduction, and at 4K, it falls to 143 FPS, an additional 21% reduction from 1440p. The smaller drop from 1080p to 1440p compared to the drop from 1440p to 4K suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU begins to play a more significant role, limiting the frame rate even as the GPU has spare capacity. The 4K Low result of 143 FPS indicates that even at reduced quality, the GPU’s fill rate and bandwidth are heavily taxed at the highest resolution.

Medium settings show a consistent scaling pattern. The average frame rates are 135 FPS at 1080p, 114 FPS at 1440p (a 16% drop), and 90 FPS at 4K (a 21% drop from 1440p). This relatively uniform reduction suggests a balanced workload where both CPU and GPU contribute to the performance ceiling, but the GPU becomes more dominant as resolution increases. The Ultra preset exhibits the steepest scaling curve, with 77 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p (a 16% drop), and 51 FPS at 4K (a 22% drop from 1440p).

The scaling data points to the GPU as the limiting component at 4K across all settings. The consistent 20-22% frame rate drops from 1440p to 4K indicate that the RTX 5090’s rendering capabilities are the binding constraint at that resolution. Conversely, the smaller drops from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings suggest that the CPU’s processing power is the limiting factor at lower resolutions, preventing the frame rate from scaling linearly with the reduced GPU load.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo’s performance in The Medium. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 196 FPS, Medium settings produce 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS, High settings produce 97 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 77 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 119 FPS, which translates to a 61% performance penalty for the highest quality preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease predictably. Low settings yield 182 FPS, Medium settings yield 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS, High settings yield 82 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 65 FPS. The performance gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 117 FPS, a 64% reduction. The Medium preset’s minimum frame rate of 97 FPS is noteworthy, as it indicates that even in demanding scenes, the combo maintains a smooth experience above 90 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution, the performance is still respectable but shows clear limits. Low settings produce 143 FPS, Medium settings produce 90 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS, High settings produce 64 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 51 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 92 FPS, a 64% reduction. The Ultra preset’s 51 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider ideal, while the Medium preset’s 90 FPS average with a 76 FPS minimum provides a solid experience.

The Medium preset is the only configuration with recorded minimum and maximum frame rates. At 4K, the minimum of 76 FPS and maximum of 103 FPS show a variance of 27 FPS, which is acceptable for a horror game where pacing can fluctuate. At 1440p, the minimum of 97 FPS and maximum of 131 FPS show a variance of 34 FPS. At 1080p, the minimum of 115 FPS and maximum of 156 FPS show a variance of 41 FPS. These ranges indicate that the game’s performance is stable, with no severe frame time spikes that would cause noticeable stuttering.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database’s rankings for The Medium, this specific CPU-GPU combination achieves a rank of 33 out of 2911 tested combos. This places the combo in the top 1.1% of all tested configurations, reflecting the high-end nature of both components. The rank is a direct result of the measured frame rates, which are consistently high across all resolutions and settings.

The ranking is influenced by the GPU’s performance more than the CPU, given that the RTX 5090 is one of the most powerful graphics cards available. The Core Ultra 7 265’s 93rd percentile CPU ranking and the RTX 5090’s 92nd percentile GPU ranking combine to place this system well above the median combo. The fact that this combo ranks 33rd out of nearly three thousand suggests that only a handful of other pairings achieve better frame rates in this specific game.

The rank also reflects the balance of the components. A weaker CPU would likely have bottlenecked the GPU at 1080p Low settings, where the combo achieves 196 FPS. A weaker GPU would have significantly reduced the 4K performance. The combination of the Core Ultra 7 265’s strong single-threaded performance and the RTX 5090’s massive rendering power ensures that neither component becomes a severe bottleneck, allowing the system to perform near the top of the database’s rankings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance for this combo. At 4K, the Medium preset delivers an average of 90 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS, which provides a smooth and responsive experience while still offering better visuals than the Low preset. The High preset at 4K drops to 64 FPS, which is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 4K, with its 51 FPS average, is below the 60 FPS target and is not recommended for a consistently smooth experience.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is also the recommended choice. The 114 FPS average with a 97 FPS minimum ensures that the game remains fluid even during intense moments. The High preset at 1440p achieves 82 FPS, which is acceptable, but the jump to Ultra at 65 FPS is a significant drop that does not necessarily provide a comparable visual improvement. The Low preset at 1440p, while achieving 182 FPS, sacrifices too much visual fidelity for the extra frame rate.

At 1080p, the Medium preset’s 135 FPS average is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset at 97 FPS is also a viable option for players who prefer better visuals, as it maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS. The Low preset at 196 FPS is only recommended for competitive play or for users with 240 Hz monitors who prioritize maximum frame rate over graphics. The Ultra preset at 1080p, with its 77 FPS, is the least efficient choice, as it offers marginal visual improvements over High while incurring a 20 FPS penalty.

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 1440p or 4K is the optimal choice. It provides a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while the minimum frame rates show that the system can handle the game’s most demanding scenes without dropping below acceptable levels. Players with 4K displays should prioritize the Medium preset, while those with 1440p displays can also consider High if they prefer higher visual fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 4K with High settings?

A: The average frame rate at 3840x2160 with High settings is 64 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, though it is below the 90 FPS achieved with Medium settings at the same resolution.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p Low settings, where the combo achieves 196 FPS. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is only a 7% drop, indicating that the GPU has spare capacity at lower resolutions and the CPU’s processing power caps the frame rate.

Q: What is the best preset for a 4K display?

A: The Medium preset is recommended for 4K displays. It produces an average of 90 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS, providing a smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for ideal smoothness.

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

A: This combo ranks 33rd out of 2911 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.1% of all configurations. This high rank is due to the strong performance of both the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 182 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 65 FPS. This represents a 64% performance reduction for the highest quality settings, showing that Ultra has a significant cost in frame rate.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The only preset with recorded minimum frame rates is Medium. At 1080p, the minimum is 115 FPS; at 1440p, it is 97 FPS; and at 4K, it is 76 FPS. These values indicate that the combo maintains a high frame rate even during the game’s most demanding scenes.