The Medium

The Medium is a horror title that leans heavily on fixed camera angles, pre-rendered environments, and a split-world mechanic that renders two scenes simultaneously. This makes it an unusual stress test, as the load profile differs from a typical third-person action game. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti combination produces a dataset that clearly separates CPU-bound scenarios from GPU-bound ones, and the measured results show that the RTX 5070 Ti is the dominant force in this pairing.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The CPU’s 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s of dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth provide ample headroom for feeding the GPU, but the benchmark results suggest that the game’s engine does not scale heavily with this processor’s thread count. The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70879, places it in the upper tier of desktop processors, but its nearest rivals tell a more nuanced story.

The data shows that the 265K sits within 1.3% of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 1% of the Intel Core i7-14700KF in average benchmark score. This is a critical detail for understanding The Medium’s results. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 180 FPS, which is the highest average frame rate in the entire measured dataset. This suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower settings, as the frame rate is high enough to indicate that the GPU is still keeping pace. However, the jump from 1080p Low to 1080p Ultra drops the average from 180 FPS to 64 FPS, a 64% reduction that is far too large to be attributed to CPU limitations. The CPU’s single-thread performance, indicated by a Geekbench single-core score of 2713, is strong, but The Medium appears to be a title where the GPU’s rendering load, particularly the dual-world scenes, dictates the final frame rate.

The 265K’s 20 threads are largely idle in this game, as the measured FPS deltas between resolutions and settings show a consistent pattern of GPU saturation. The CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6511P, has a nearly identical average score (71051 vs. 70879, a -0.2% delta), yet the 6511P is a server-class chip. This comparison reinforces that the 265K is more than sufficient for this workload, but the game’s engine does not reward extra cores or higher clocks beyond a certain point. The boost clock of 5.50 GHz is useful for the game’s single-threaded rendering tasks, but the data indicates that the RTX 5070 Ti’s raw throughput is the limiting factor in most configurations.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks 308th out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 8.3% of all combinations in the database, which is a strong showing for a high-end desktop setup. The rank is a composite of all measured FPS rows, and the data reveals why this combo sits where it does. The RTX 5070 Ti’s average benchmark score of 49957, which puts it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, is the primary driver of this ranking. The GPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, has a score of 50951, which is 2% higher, yet the RTX 5070 Ti still manages to deliver competitive frame rates in this game.

The combo’s rank is not higher because the game’s Ultra settings are particularly punishing. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 42, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider playable. This drags the overall rank down, as the database weighs all measured configurations equally. However, the combo’s performance at Medium settings is where it shines. At 1080p Medium, the average is 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS, which is a smooth experience. The rank of 308 out of 3724 is a reflection of the fact that this combo can handle the game at high frame rates, but only if the user is willing to adjust settings away from the maximum preset.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing is clearly in the upper echelon. The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 86th percentile ranking combine to produce a system that is well above average, but the game’s extreme GPU load at Ultra settings prevents it from breaking into the top 100. The data suggests that combos with faster GPUs, such as those with higher 3DMark Steel Nomad scores, would rank higher, but the RTX 5070 Ti’s 6604 score in that test is already respectable. The 308th rank is a fair assessment: this is a high-end combo that requires careful settings selection to hit the sweet spot.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data shows a clear pattern of GPU limitation. Starting at 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 113. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 95 FPS, a 15.9% reduction. Moving further to 4K Medium, the average falls to 74 FPS, a 34.5% reduction from the 1440p figure and a 22.1% reduction from 1080p. These percentage drops are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution directly impacts the pixel throughput.

The Low settings tell a similar story but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 180 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 152 FPS (a 15.6% reduction), and at 4K Low, it hits 119 FPS (a 21.7% reduction from 1440p). The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical between Medium and Low settings is a strong indicator that the CPU is not the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate at 1080p Low would be capped, and the drop to 1440p would be much smaller. Instead, the consistent proportional drops across all settings point directly at the GPU.

The High settings show a more dramatic scaling curve. At 1080p High, the average is 81 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 68 FPS (a 16% reduction), and at 4K High, it falls to 53 FPS (a 22% reduction from 1440p). The Ultra settings are the most punishing, with 1080p Ultra at 64 FPS, 1440p Ultra at 54 FPS (a 15.6% reduction), and 4K Ultra at 42 FPS (a 22.2% reduction). The consistency of these percentage drops across all four settings presets confirms that the RTX 5070 Ti’s rendering pipeline is the sole bottleneck. The CPU’s performance is effectively flat across these resolutions, as its workload does not increase with pixel count, and the data shows no signs of a CPU-imposed ceiling.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 180 FPS. Medium settings reduce this to 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS. High settings average 81 FPS. Ultra settings average 64 FPS. The 1080p Medium row is notable for having a min FPS of 96, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating a stable experience without major stutters.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low settings average 152 FPS. Medium settings average 95 FPS, with a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 109 FPS. High settings average 68 FPS. Ultra settings average 54 FPS. The 1440p Medium row shows a minimum of 81 FPS, which is still playable, but the Ultra setting dips below 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is under maximum load. Low settings average 119 FPS. Medium settings average 74 FPS, with a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS. High settings average 53 FPS. Ultra settings average 42 FPS. The 4K Medium row’s minimum of 63 FPS is just above the 60 FPS mark, but the High and Ultra presets are clearly not suitable for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

The data shows that the Medium preset is the sweet spot across all resolutions. At 1080p, it hits 113 FPS; at 1440p, it hits 95 FPS; and at 4K, it hits 74 FPS. The min FPS values at Medium settings are also the highest among all presets, with 96 FPS at 1080p, 81 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and frame rate stability.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Medium with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1440p Medium is the highest resolution and settings combination that maintains a minimum FPS above 80. At 1440p Medium, the average is 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS, which is still playable but with less headroom.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings in The Medium?

A: No. The measured data shows that 4K Ultra produces an average of 42 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4K High preset is also below 60 FPS at 53 FPS average. 4K Medium is the highest playable setting at 74 FPS average.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to its nearest rival in terms of raw GPU score?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 49957. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, has a score of 50951, which is 2% higher. The next closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, has a score of 48477, which is 3.1% lower.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K a bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: The data suggests no. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 180 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is providing enough performance to keep the GPU fed. The CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, has a 1% higher average score, but the 265K’s 5.50 GHz boost clock is sufficient for this game’s single-threaded tasks.

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

A: At 1440p Low, the average FPS is 152. At 1440p Ultra, the average FPS is 54. This represents a 64.5% reduction in frame rate when switching from the lowest to the highest preset. The Medium preset at 95 FPS is a middle ground.

Q: Does the CPU’s thread count matter for this game?

A: The data indicates that it does not. The 265K has 20 threads, but the measured FPS deltas across resolutions are consistent with GPU limitations. The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average score of 70879, is more than adequate for The Medium.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy of settings for this combo. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it produces an average of 64 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 42 FPS at 4K. These numbers are below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, and the lack of min FPS data for Ultra settings suggests that frame pacing may be inconsistent.

The High preset is a viable option only at 1080p, where it averages 81 FPS. At 1440p High, the average drops to 68 FPS, which is playable but tight. At 4K High, the average of 53 FPS is not recommended.

The Medium preset is the best overall recommendation. At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it delivers 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 FPS. At 4K Medium, it delivers 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS. The Medium preset has the added benefit of having the only min FPS data in the dataset, which indicates that the game’s frame pacing is stable enough to avoid severe drops.

The Low preset is only useful for players seeking maximum frame rates, particularly at 1080p (180 FPS) or 1440p (152 FPS). At 4K Low, the 119 FPS average is still high, but the visual quality trade-off is significant.

For the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate stability, the data points to 1440p Medium as the optimal configuration. It provides a 95 FPS average with an 81 FPS minimum, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. For players with 4K displays, 4K Medium is the only preset that maintains a minimum above 60 FPS, at 63 FPS. The 4K High and Ultra presets should be avoided, as they fall below the playable threshold.