The Medium

The Medium is a horror title that stresses both processor and graphics hardware, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the AMD Radeon 8060S produces a specific performance profile across resolutions and settings. This analysis breaks down the measured data for this combo, showing where it excels, where it struggles, and what settings provide the most playable experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread mobile processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on TSMC's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is dual-channel DDR5 with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, this chip scores 40,642 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5,737 in single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all tested CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 63,173 puts it in a tight race with rivals like the Intel Core i7-13790F (0.1% faster), AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G (0.2% slower), and AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185 (0.5% faster).

For The Medium, this processor's multi-threaded muscle is more than sufficient for the game's demands. The game relies heavily on simultaneous rendering of two worlds, a feature that can leverage multiple cores. The measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck, even at lower resolutions. The game's engine, while demanding on the GPU due to its fixed-camera angles and complex lighting, does not appear to be particularly CPU-intensive in a way that would cap performance below the GPU's output. The high single-core score of 5,737 in Cinebench R23 indicates strong per-thread performance, which is crucial for game logic, physics, and draw call submission. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 101 FPS, a figure that demonstrates the CPU's ability to feed the GPU adequately without creating a significant frame rate ceiling. At 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 24, but this is far more likely a GPU limitation than a CPU one, as the frame rate scales with resolution and settings in a way that points squarely at the graphics card.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8060S is an integrated GPU based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz, with 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU also includes 40 ray tracing cores and operates with system-shared memory, meaning its VRAM size and bandwidth are system-dependent. Its compute performance is rated at 14.85 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. In standard benchmarks, the GPU scores 2,162 in 3DMark Steel Nomad (DX12), 84,626 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 80,483 in Geekbench Vulkan. It sits in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 55,757. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (0.1% faster), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (0.6% slower), and AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (1.7% faster).

In The Medium, the GPU is the primary determinant of performance, as evidenced by the measured FPS scaling. The game's use of dual-world rendering requires significant fill rate and pixel processing power. The Radeon 8060S, with its 64 ROPs and 185.6 GPixel/s pixel rate, handles the 1080p and 1440p resolutions reasonably well at lower settings, but it struggles at 4K with high or ultra presets. The lack of dedicated VRAM means the GPU is dependent on the system's memory bandwidth, which can become a limiting factor at higher resolutions and texture loads. The data shows a clear pattern: the GPU's performance is the wall that prevents higher frame rates at higher settings. The 24 FPS at 4K Ultra and 30 FPS at 4K High are indicative of a GPU that is overwhelmed by the pixel count and the game's visual effects. The benchmark comparison against the RTX 5080, while close in synthetic scores, does not translate to identical gaming performance, as the measured data for this game shows a specific ceiling for this combo.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 101 at 1920x1080 to 85 at 2560x1440, and then to 67 at 3840x2160. This represents a 16% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 34% drop from 1080p to 4K. This scaling is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where the load on the graphics card increases with each pixel rendered, and the CPU's role remains relatively constant.

At Medium settings, the frame rates are 63, 53, and 42 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively. The percentage drops are 16% from 1080p to 1440p and 33% from 1080p to 4K, mirroring the Low setting pattern. At High settings, the averages are 45, 38, and 30 FPS for the three resolutions, with a 16% drop and a 33% drop, respectively. At Ultra settings, the averages are 36, 30, and 24 FPS, showing a 17% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 33% drop from 1080p to 4K.

The consistency of these percentages is striking. The frame rate drops by roughly one-sixth when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and by one-third when moving from 1080p to 4K, regardless of the quality preset. This uniformity indicates that the limiting component is the GPU across all settings. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance delta at higher resolutions, as the GPU would be waiting for the CPU less often. Instead, the linear scaling with resolution confirms that the AMD Radeon 8060S is the constraining factor. The CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by the high FPS at 1080p Low, but the GPU's rendering capacity is what sets the final performance ceiling.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and playable frame rates for this combo is found at Medium settings. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 63 FPS, which is a solid, fluid experience for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and tension. The minimum FPS of 53 at this setting ensures that there are no significant stutters or drops that would break immersion. While Low settings at 1080p offer a higher average of 101 FPS, the visual downgrade is substantial, and the game's horror aesthetic benefits from higher quality textures and lighting effects.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 53 FPS with a minimum of 45. This is still playable, though it may require some adjustment for those sensitive to frame rate fluctuations. The High preset at 1440p drops to 38 FPS, which is noticeable and less smooth. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 42 FPS with a minimum of 35, which is borderline for a game that may feature sudden jumps and fast camera cuts. The Low preset at 4K averages 67 FPS, which is smooth, but the visual quality is significantly reduced.

For the best experience per the measured rows, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. It provides a substantial visual upgrade over Low while maintaining frame rates that are above the 30 FPS console-like standard. At 1080p, it offers a near-60 FPS average, which is ideal. At 1440p, it remains above 48 FPS average, which is acceptable. At 4K, it dips to 42 FPS, which is a trade-off for the higher resolution. The High and Ultra presets should be avoided, as they push the GPU too hard, resulting in averages below 45 FPS at any resolution, which can detract from the game's tense moments.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and AMD Radeon 8060S ranks 1,648 out of 2,911 total combos. This places it in the 43rd percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 57% of other combinations perform better. The data indicates that while the CPU is a high-end mobile part with a 93rd percentile ranking, the GPU, despite its 87th percentile ranking, is the limiting factor in this game. The combo's rank is a reflection of the GPU's performance ceiling in this specific title, which is more demanding on the graphics card than on the processor.

The rank suggests that this combo is a mid-tier performer for The Medium. It is not in the top tier, where high-end discrete GPUs would dominate, but it is also not in the bottom tier, as it can achieve playable frame rates at lower settings and resolutions. The CPU's strength is somewhat wasted in this title, as the GPU holds the system back from reaching the frame rates that the processor could support. If the GPU were more powerful, this combo would rank significantly higher, as the CPU's 20 cores and high boost clock would not be a hindrance. The measured data shows a system that is balanced in terms of hardware class but is ultimately constrained by the integrated GPU's capabilities in a graphically intensive game like The Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the exact measured average FPS data for every resolution and settings combination tested:

• 1920x1080:
• Low: 101 FPS
• Medium: 63 FPS (min 53, max 72)
• High: 45 FPS
• Ultra: 36 FPS

• 2560x1440:
• Low: 85 FPS
• Medium: 53 FPS (min 45, max 61)
• High: 38 FPS
• Ultra: 30 FPS

• 3840x2160:
• Low: 67 FPS
• Medium: 42 FPS (min 35, max 48)
• High: 30 FPS
• Ultra: 24 FPS

The data shows that the only configuration that consistently hits or exceeds 60 FPS is at 1080p with Low settings. The Medium preset at 1080p is the highest quality setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS. At 1440p, the Low preset is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, while Medium stays above 50 FPS. At 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS, with Low being the only option that stays above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset is not playable at any resolution, with averages below 36 FPS. The minimum FPS readings for the Medium preset at each resolution show that the frame rate can dip below the average by about 10 FPS, which is a consideration for maintaining smooth gameplay. Overall, the measured breakdown clearly indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, with performance scaling almost linearly with resolution.