The Medium

# The Medium: Intel Core Ultra 9 185H + AMD Radeon 8050S — Benchmark Analysis

The combination of Intel's Core Ultra 9 185H and AMD's Radeon 8050S produces a playable but demanding experience in The Medium, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck across all tested resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 90 FPS average, but this drops dramatically to 21 FPS at 4K Ultra, revealing a performance curve that is heavily dependent on both resolution and graphical preset. The Radeon 8050S, ranking in the 89th percentile among all GPUs, delivers strong raw compute but struggles with the game's fixed-camera horror rendering at higher settings. Meanwhile, the Core Ultra 9 185H, sitting in the 85th percentile for CPUs, provides ample processing headroom that never becomes the limiting factor in this title. The measured data shows a system that can hit smooth framerates at lower settings, but requires careful tuning to maintain playability at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and consistent across all settings, indicating a GPU-bound workload. At Low settings, the average framerate falls from 90 FPS at 1920x1080 to 76 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 14 FPS or roughly 15.6%. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 59 FPS, which is 31 FPS below the 1080p result — a 34.4% decrease. This scaling pattern is typical for a game where pixel count directly stresses the rasterization pipeline, and the Radeon 8050S's 11.47 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is being pushed to its limits.

At Medium settings, the resolution scaling becomes even more pronounced. The system delivers 56 FPS at 1080p, 47 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K here is 19 FPS, representing a 33.9% drop. Notably, the Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum FPS of 32 and a maximum of 43, indicating some frame-time variance that could cause perceptible stuttering in a horror title where atmosphere matters.

High settings tell a similar story: 40 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K. The percentage decline from 1080p to 4K is 32.5%, slightly less severe than Low but still substantial. Ultra settings produce the lowest absolute numbers — 32 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K — with a 34.4% drop across the resolution range. These results suggest that the game's rendering load scales nearly linearly with pixel count, and the Radeon 8050S cannot compensate at higher resolutions.

The data indicates that resolution is the dominant factor in performance, not CPU capability. The Core Ultra 9 185H, with its 16 cores and 22 threads boosting to 5.10 GHz, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU at all tested settings. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see framerates plateau across resolutions, but instead they decline steadily, confirming that the Radeon 8050S is the limiting component. For players targeting 4K, the only viable path to smooth gameplay is the Low preset at 59 FPS, which is marginally above the 60 FPS threshold but close enough that any scene complexity could push it below.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8050S is the decisive factor in The Medium's performance, and its characteristics explain the measured results. This GPU, built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture with a 4 nm process node from TSMC, features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. Its boost clock of 2800 MHz drives a pixel rate of 179.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 358.4 GTexel/s, which directly translates to how quickly the game can fill the screen with rendered frames. The FP32 throughput of 11.47 TFLOPS is the theoretical ceiling for compute-heavy shaders, and The Medium's use of fixed camera angles and pre-baked lighting still requires substantial per-pixel work.

Memory configuration is a critical caveat: the Radeon 8050S uses System Shared memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the CPU's dual-channel DDR5 memory bus, which for the Core Ultra 9 185H is rated at 89.6 GB/s. This is significantly lower than what a dedicated VRAM solution would provide, and it likely contributes to the performance degradation at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth demand increases. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (21 FPS) versus 1080p Low (90 FPS) illustrates how the shared memory subsystem struggles when pixel throughput demands more data.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Radeon 8050S scores 65818 in Geekbench OpenCL and 58398 in Geekbench Vulkan, placing it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 62108 puts it 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, 2.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56, 2.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600M, and 2.7% behind the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT LP. These rival comparisons show that the 8050S is competitive with mid-range mobile GPUs but not at the top tier, which aligns with its measured performance in The Medium. The RT cores (32 of them) support DirectX 12 Ultimate, but the game's horror aesthetic likely doesn't rely heavily on ray tracing, so the rasterization throughput is what matters most here.

The GPU's 55 W TDP and IGP slot width indicate it's designed for thin-and-light laptops, not high-performance gaming rigs. This power envelope constrains sustained clock speeds, and while the 2800 MHz boost clock is impressive, thermal throttling during extended sessions could reduce performance below the measured averages. The absence of power connectors (listed as "None") confirms this is an integrated solution sharing power with the CPU, further explaining why it cannot maintain high framerates at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H serves as a capable but underutilized partner in this configuration, with its 16 cores and 22 threads providing far more processing power than The Medium requires. This Meteor Lake architecture chip, manufactured on Intel's 7 nm process, has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 45 W TDP. Its cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache, which helps keep frequently accessed game data close to the cores.

In CPU benchmarks, the Core Ultra 9 185H demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance: it scores 17984.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 10356 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 11657. Single-thread performance is equally solid at 1810.5 in Cinebench R23 and 1794 in Geekbench. The Passmark multi-thread score of 29376 and single-thread score of 3697 further confirm its capabilities. Its average benchmark score of 35670 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 (0.1% behind), Intel Core 7 250H (0.2% behind), AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (0.4% behind), and AMD Ryzen 7 7700X (0.7% behind). These margins are negligible, meaning the 185H is essentially on par with these alternatives in general processing tasks.

For The Medium specifically, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and scene management while the GPU renders frames. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking: at 1080p Low, the system hits 90 FPS, which is well above what a CPU-limited scenario would produce if the processor were struggling. Even at Ultra settings across all resolutions, the framerate scales consistently with GPU load rather than showing a flat line that would indicate CPU saturation. The 24 MB of L3 cache is ample for the game's asset streaming, and the 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, while shared with the GPU, is sufficient for CPU tasks.

The Core Ultra 9 185H's integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 128EU is present but irrelevant here since the system uses the discrete-class Radeon 8050S. The CPU's PCIe Gen 5 support with 8 lanes provides ample bandwidth for GPU communication, though the Radeon 8050S's bus interface is PCIe 5.0 x16, which is more than the CPU can supply directly — a minor limitation that doesn't manifest in the measured results. Overall, the CPU is a non-factor in this game's performance, and any framerate issues are solely attributable to the GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for playing The Medium with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all presets remain above 30 FPS, with Low achieving 90 FPS, Medium at 56 FPS, High at 40 FPS, and Ultra at 32 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low (76 FPS) and Medium (47 FPS) stay above 30 FPS, while High (34 FPS) is borderline and Ultra (27 FPS) falls below. At 3840x2160, only Low (59 FPS) is playable, with Medium (37 FPS) as a marginal option.

Q: How does the Radeon 8050S compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Radeon 8050S has an average benchmark score of 62108, placing it 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (61896), 2.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (63693), 2.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600M (63775), and 2.7% behind the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT LP (63830). It ranks in the 89th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 9 185H powerful enough for this game?

A: Yes, the CPU is not a bottleneck. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5 and single-core score of 1810.5, combined with a Geekbench multi-core score of 11657, provide ample processing headroom. The framerate scaling across resolutions confirms the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

Q: What causes the large FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, Low settings yield 59 FPS while Ultra yields 21 FPS, a 38 FPS gap. This is due to the Radeon 8050S's shared memory architecture and 11.47 TFLOPS compute being overwhelmed by the increased shading, texture, and pixel work at Ultra. The system shared memory bandwidth (System Dependent) further compounds the issue.

Q: Does the Medium preset offer a good balance at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium averages 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS and maximum of 54 FPS. This is above the 30 FPS playability threshold and provides a smoother experience than High (34 FPS) or Ultra (27 FPS), while Low (76 FPS) sacrifices too much visual quality for the extra framerate.

Q: How does this system rank overall for The Medium?

A: The combination ranks 2135 out of 2911 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower-middle tier. This reflects the GPU's limitations at higher settings, despite the CPU's strong performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the lowest tested resolution, the system delivers its best results. Low settings average 90 FPS, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS target. Medium settings average 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and maximum of 64 FPS, providing a playable experience with minor dips. High settings average 40 FPS, which is acceptable for a horror game where slower pacing is common. Ultra settings average 32 FPS, barely above the 30 FPS threshold and likely to feel sluggish during intense scenes.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 76 FPS, still smooth but 14 FPS lower than 1080p. Medium settings average 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and maximum of 54 FPS, which is playable but with occasional frame dips. High settings average 34 FPS, which is borderline and may cause noticeable stuttering. Ultra settings average 27 FPS, falling below the 30 FPS playability threshold and not recommended.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 59 FPS, which is just under 60 FPS and mostly playable. Medium settings average 37 FPS, with a minimum of 32 FPS and maximum of 43 FPS, offering a playable but inconsistent experience. High settings average 27 FPS, which is below playability. Ultra settings average 21 FPS, which is too low for any meaningful gameplay. The data shows a clear progression: each resolution step costs roughly 15-35% performance depending on the preset.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience at 1920x1080, Medium settings are the optimal choice. The 56 FPS average, with a minimum of 48 FPS, provides a smooth framerate while retaining some visual fidelity over Low. High settings at 40 FPS are acceptable for players who prioritize visuals, but the drop below 60 FPS may be noticeable. Low settings at 90 FPS are ideal for competitive or fast-paced play, though The Medium's horror pacing doesn't demand such high framerates. Ultra settings at 32 FPS are not recommended due to the risk of dropping below 30 FPS during intense scenes.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are the clear recommendation. The 47 FPS average with a 40 FPS minimum is the best balance of performance and quality. Low settings at 76 FPS are a viable alternative for smoother motion, but the visual downgrade is significant. High settings at 34 FPS are borderline, and Ultra settings at 27 FPS should be avoided.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings are viable, averaging 59 FPS. Medium settings at 37 FPS are playable but with noticeable frame dips, and the 32 FPS minimum could be jarring. High and Ultra settings are not recommended due to averages of 27 FPS and 21 FPS respectively. The system's shared memory architecture and 55 W GPU TDP simply cannot handle 4K at higher presets in this title.

The overall best experience for this hardware is 1080p Medium, which delivers a reliable 56 FPS average and 48 FPS minimum, ensuring the horror atmosphere is maintained without performance interruptions. Players willing to accept lower visual quality can achieve 90 FPS at 1080p Low, but the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all measured metrics.