The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built on Unreal Engine 4, presents a unique challenge to the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile combination. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a system that is heavily influenced by the GPU's raw throughput, yet constrained by the engine's handling of its dual-world rendering mechanic. The data indicates that this combo is capable of high refresh rate play at 1080p, but demands careful settings management to maintain smoothness at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 produces a dramatic and consistent drop in average frame rates across all settings, which is the primary indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. At the High preset, the average FPS falls from 70 at 1080p to 59 at 1440p, a reduction of 11 frames, and then further to 47 at 4K, representing a 33% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is typical for a game that relies heavily on pixel fill rate and shader complexity, placing the onus squarely on the GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile's 31.80 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

The Low preset shows a steeper relative drop, with 154 FPS at 1080p, 132 FPS at 1440p, and 104 FPS at 4K. While the absolute numbers are higher, the percentage loss from 1080p to 4K is 32.5%, which is nearly identical to the High preset's 32.9% loss. This consistency suggests that the scaling factor is resolution-dependent and not significantly altered by the quality of the assets being rendered. The bottleneck is the sheer number of pixels being processed, not the complexity of the individual effects.

The Medium preset offers the only complete data set with minimum and maximum frame times, providing a clearer picture of the performance envelope. At 4K, the Medium preset averages 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. The 20 FPS spread between the minimum and maximum indicates that the frame pacing can be inconsistent, likely due to the game's dynamic loading of the two simultaneous worlds. At 1440p, this spread tightens to 25 FPS (70 to 95), while at 1080p it expands again to 29 FPS (84 to 113), showing that the variance does not scale linearly with resolution.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, pushing the combo to its limits. At 4K, the average drops to 37 FPS, which is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K is a substantial 67 FPS, highlighting the massive performance cost of the highest quality settings. This data suggests that the limiting component at 4K is unequivocally the GPU, as the CPU's role in feeding frames becomes secondary to the rasterization workload.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset represents the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance for this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 98 FPS, which is a 28 FPS improvement over High (70 FPS) and a 42 FPS improvement over Ultra (56 FPS). The minimum frame rate of 84 FPS at this setting ensures that the experience remains fluid, with only occasional dips that are unlikely to be noticeable during typical gameplay.

For users targeting 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the clear choice as well. The average of 83 FPS is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, and the minimum of 70 FPS provides a solid safety margin. The High preset at this resolution averages 59 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience, and the Ultra preset's 47 FPS average is not recommended for playable conditions. The data shows that the Medium preset at 1440p offers a 41% performance increase over High, while presumably retaining most of the visual enhancements that matter in a horror title.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more delicate. The Medium preset averages 65 FPS, making it the only setting that provides a playable experience at this resolution without significant compromises. The Low preset's 104 FPS average is technically smoother, but requires a substantial visual downgrade. The High preset's 47 FPS and Ultra's 37 FPS are both below the 60 FPS target and would likely result in a stuttering or laggy experience. The recommendation is to use Medium at 4K, as it is the only preset that balances the need for responsiveness with the game's atmospheric visuals.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution for this combo. Even at 1080p, it only achieves an average of 56 FPS, which is inferior to the Medium preset's 4K performance. The data clearly indicates that the Ultra preset is designed for future or more powerful hardware, and its implementation here results in diminishing returns that do not justify the frame rate penalty.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5 and a single-core score of 1810.5, place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. In the context of The Medium, this processor provides ample headroom to handle the game's logic, AI, and streaming requirements without becoming a bottleneck.

The game's dual-world mechanic, which renders two separate environments simultaneously, can be demanding on CPU resources. However, the measured frame rates show that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. The consistent frame rate drops between resolutions, regardless of preset, point to a GPU-bound pipeline. At 1080p Low, the 154 FPS average indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU with sufficient draw calls and physics calculations to exceed 150 FPS, which is far beyond what the GPU can sustain at higher resolutions.

The processor's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth are sufficient for the game's asset streaming. The benchmark results show that the Core Ultra 9 185H is only 0.1% slower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 and 0.2% slower than the Intel Core 7 250H in average benchmark scores. This parity suggests that any of these CPUs would perform similarly in this game, reinforcing the notion that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance.

The data suggests that the CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame delivery pipeline. The minimum frame rates at the Medium preset, such as 55 FPS at 4K, are more likely caused by GPU shader compilation or texture loading spikes than CPU stalls. The 22 threads ensure that background tasks from the operating system and game launcher do not interfere with the main game thread, providing a consistent base for the GPU to work from.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile achieves a rank of 742 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 20% of all systems. This ranking reflects the GPU's raw power, but also reflects the demanding nature of the game. The RTX 5090 Mobile, with its 24 GB of GDDR7 memory and 896.0 GB/s bandwidth, is a top-tier mobile GPU, yet it still struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra.

The GPU's benchmark scores support this ranking. Its Passmark G3D score of 30034 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 5871 put it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. However, its nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, which is only 0.8% slower in average benchmark score, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, which is 0.5% faster. This indicates that while the RTX 5090 Mobile is a high-end part, it is not in a class of its own, and its performance in The Medium is subject to the same engine limitations as other GPUs.

The 742nd rank out of 3724 combos means there are 741 systems that perform better, likely featuring desktop-class GPUs or higher-TGP mobile variants. The 45 W TDP of the CPU and the 95 W TDP of the GPU suggest that this is a thinner, more power-constrained laptop, which may explain why the performance does not exceed the top-tier desktop systems. The data shows that this combo is a strong performer for mobile gaming, but it is not the absolute fastest configuration available.

The ranking also suggests that the combo is well-matched for the game's requirements at 1080p and 1440p, but falls short of being a definitive 4K powerhouse. The 37 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a clear indicator that the system is not designed for maximum settings at the highest resolution. The 742nd rank reflects a system that is capable, but not without its compromises.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is the dominant component in this configuration, and its specifications directly explain the measured performance. With 10496 shading units, 328 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, the GPU has the raw compute resources to handle complex pixel shading. The 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for the high-resolution textures and dual-world rendering that The Medium employs.

The GPU's clock speeds of 990 MHz base and 1515 MHz boost are relatively modest for a high-end part, but the architecture's efficiency compensates. The 31.80 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is the key metric for this game's shader workload, and it explains why the Medium preset at 4K achieves 65 FPS while the Ultra preset drops to 37 FPS. The Ultra preset likely enables more complex lighting and shadow calculations that heavily tax the shader units.

The VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor in this game. The 24 GB pool is more than sufficient for the 4K textures, and the data shows no signs of texture pop-in or stuttering that would indicate memory pressure. The 896.0 GB/s bandwidth is also adequate, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate scaling across resolutions. The GPU's Passmark G2D score of 1057 and G3D score of 30034 show a strong balance between 2D and 3D performance, though the latter is what matters for gaming.

The GPU's performance is constrained by its 95 W TDP. This power limit likely prevents the GPU from sustaining higher boost clocks under sustained load, which would explain why the 4K Ultra performance is lower than what the raw TFLOPS might suggest. The data indicates that the RTX 5090 Mobile is a capable but not unlimited performer, and its role in this combo is to provide a high frame rate experience at lower resolutions while offering playable performance at 4K with Medium settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 154 FPS, making it ideal for high refresh rate displays. The Medium preset averages 98 FPS, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS, providing a smooth experience with room for visual enhancements. The High preset averages 70 FPS, which is still playable but represents a significant step down from Medium. The Ultra preset averages 56 FPS, which is the lowest at this resolution and not recommended for serious play.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. The Low preset averages 132 FPS, a 14% drop from 1080p. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS, maintaining a solid 60+ FPS experience. The High preset averages 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target and may result in occasional judder. The Ultra preset averages 47 FPS, which is borderline for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and timing.

At 3840x2160, the performance is the most constrained. The Low preset averages 104 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K and indicates the game's scalability. The Medium preset averages 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS, making it the only 4K preset that offers a consistently playable experience. The High preset averages 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and will likely be noticeable. The Ultra preset averages 37 FPS, which is not smooth enough for a game that requires precise camera movements and timing.

The data shows a clear hierarchy of presets, with Medium offering the best balance of performance and quality across all resolutions. The Low preset is the only option that consistently exceeds 100 FPS at all resolutions, but it sacrifices too much visual fidelity. The High and Ultra presets are not viable at 4K, and the Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution due to its sub-60 FPS averages.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with the Medium preset provides the best balance, with an average of 83 FPS and a minimum of 70 FPS. This offers a smooth experience while taking advantage of the GPU's capabilities.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, but only with the Medium or Low presets. The Medium preset averages 65 FPS at 4K, which is playable, while the High and Ultra presets drop to 47 FPS and 37 FPS respectively, which are not recommended.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using?

A: No. At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 56 FPS, which is 42 FPS slower than the Medium preset. The visual improvement does not justify the significant frame rate penalty, and it falls below 60 FPS at all resolutions.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is not the bottleneck. The frame rate drops between resolutions are consistent, indicating a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's 22 threads and high boost clock of 5.10 GHz are sufficient to feed the GPU without causing stalls.

Q: What is the frame time variance at the Medium preset?

A: At 1080p, the Medium preset has a 29 FPS spread between minimum (84) and maximum (113). At 1440p, the spread is 25 FPS (70 to 95), and at 4K, it is 20 FPS (55 to 75). This variance indicates some frame pacing inconsistency, but it is most noticeable at lower resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 742nd out of 3724 tested combos, placing it in the top 20% of all systems. This is a strong result, but it indicates that there are many faster desktop-class configurations that can achieve higher frame rates in this game.