The Medium

The Medium, a horror title released on 2021-01-27, presents a demanding workload that stresses both GPU and CPU. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 produces a specific set of measured results that vary significantly across resolutions and quality presets. This analysis walks through the data to explain where this combo stands, how each component contributes, and what settings deliver the most playable experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination for The Medium?

A: The combo ranks 1403 out of 1689 tested combinations in this game. This places it in the lower percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while it can run the game, it is far from the top-tier performers.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265K has an average benchmark score of 79102. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF, scores slightly higher at 79240, representing a delta of -0.2% for the 265K. The Intel Core i9-14900KF is also close, with a score of 79245, again a -0.2% delta.

Q: What is the performance delta between the GTX 1070 and the GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER?

A: In GPU benchmarks, the GTX 1070 has an average score of 12331. The GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER scores 12504, which is 1.4% higher. This makes the GTX 1070 slightly slower than the 1650 SUPER according to the benchmark data.

Q: What is the best measured FPS at 1920x1080 for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is achieved with Low settings, yielding 75.2 FPS. The Medium preset provides 47.8 FPS, while High and Ultra settings produce 36.2 FPS and 29.7 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: The CPU shows strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 50009. Its single-core score in the same test is 7060. This indicates a significant scaling advantage in multi-threaded tasks.

Q: Is the GPU or the CPU a larger bottleneck at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the combo averages 17.9 FPS. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 256-bit memory bus are likely the primary constraint at this high resolution, as the CPU's performance is generally sufficient for gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured data places this specific system at rank 1403 out of 1689 possible combinations for The Medium. This means that roughly 83% of all tested hardware pairings perform better in this specific title. The rank is a holistic measure that accounts for both the CPU and GPU's contribution to the final frame rate across all tested settings. Given the GPU's age and performance percentile, this low ranking is expected. The GTX 1070 sits at the 51st percentile of all GPUs, which is a middling position. The CPU, however, is a high-end part, sitting at the 97th percentile of all CPUs. The combination of a top-tier processor with a mid-range graphics card creates a system where the GPU is the clear limiting factor in this game, dragging the overall combo rank down significantly.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the primary determinant of frame rates in this pairing. Its specifications include 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1506 MHz with a boost clock of 1683 MHz. These figures are modest by modern standards but were once considered high-end.

In The Medium, the data shows a clear pattern: the GPU's performance is heavily influenced by resolution and settings. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 17.9 on Ultra and only reaches 22.6 on High. Even at the Low preset, it only manages 51 FPS at this resolution. This indicates that the 8 GB VRAM buffer is likely being saturated at 4K, and the GPU's compute power is insufficient for the game's demands at that resolution. The GPU's pixel rate is 107.7 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 202.0 GTexel/s, which are the raw throughput figures that limit how much visual data can be processed.

The GTX 1070's performance relative to its peers is tight. Its average benchmark score is 12331, which is only 0.7% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 and 1.3% lower than the GeForce GTX 880M. This close grouping suggests that the GTX 1070 is operating in a specific performance envelope, and its results in The Medium are consistent with that mid-range positioning.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's capabilities across all major resolutions and presets.

At 1920x1080, the system shows its best performance. The Low preset delivers an average of 75.2 FPS, which is smooth and playable. Moving up to Medium drops the average to 47.8 FPS, still a playable range for a horror game. High settings yield 36.2 FPS, and Ultra brings the average down to 29.7 FPS. This demonstrates that 1080p is the most viable resolution for this combo, but only at lower settings for a consistently smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. The Low preset produces an average of 65.1 FPS, which is still respectable. However, Medium drops to 37.1 FPS, and High falls to 27.9 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 23.1 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. The step from 1080p to 1440p represents a significant increase in pixel count, and the GTX 1070 struggles to maintain high frame rates at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable. The Low preset is the only one that approaches a playable state, with an average of 51 FPS. Medium drops to 33.5 FPS, High to 22.6 FPS, and Ultra to 17.9 FPS. The data shows a clear trend: this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in The Medium, as even the lowest settings cannot guarantee a stable high frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a high-performance processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It features 20 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The processor has a 30 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 50009 and a single-core score of 7060. Its PassMark multithread score is 58838, and its single-thread score is 4904. These figures place the CPU at the 97th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is not a bottleneck in this system.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data and handle game logic. At lower resolutions like 1080p, a powerful CPU can help push frame rates higher, but the data shows that the GTX 1070 is still the limiting factor. For example, the CPU's high single-core score of 7060 ensures that it can handle the game's main thread without issue. However, the measured FPS at 1080p Low (75.2 FPS) and 1440p Low (65.1 FPS) are not limited by the CPU, as the GPU is already near its maximum output. The CPU's impressive multi-core performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 50009) also ensures that any background processes or game engine threads that rely on multiple cores are handled with ease, but this does not translate into higher FPS when the GPU is the constraint.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the only viable option is 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which averages 75.2 FPS. This provides ample headroom and ensures a stable frame rate. At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 65.1 FPS, which is also close to 60 FPS, but with less headroom.

For a balance between visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the best choice, averaging 47.8 FPS. This is a playable frame rate for a narrative-driven horror game, where reaction times are less critical. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset drops to 37.1 FPS, which is still playable but may feel less smooth.

For a visual showcase, the High preset at 1920x1080 (36.2 FPS) is the highest quality setting that remains playable. At 2560x1440, High settings produce 27.9 FPS, which is borderline. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it produces 29.7 FPS at 1080p and 23.1 FPS at 1440p, both of which are too low for a comfortable experience. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset (51 FPS) is playable, but the visual quality drop is significant. The data clearly indicates that 1080p Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a playable frame rate with acceptable visual fidelity.