The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title, presents a unique challenge for the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile combination. The benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics processor, yet possesses enough CPU headroom to maintain stable frame pacing. This analysis breaks down the measured performance metrics, comparing them against the nearest rivals in the database to provide a clear picture of this combo's capabilities.

FAQ

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

A: The combo ranks 2285 out of 3724 tested combinations. This places it in the 61st percentile, indicating it outperforms a majority of systems but is not at the top tier for this specific title.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX compare to its nearest CPU rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 67469. It is virtually tied with the Intel Xeon w5-3525, which scores 67673, a delta of -0.3%. It also performs nearly identically to the AMD EPYC 4484PX and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX, with deltas of -0.5% and -0.6% respectively. The Intel Xeon 6515P is the only rival that is slightly ahead, with a delta of 0.7%.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 Mobile compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic tests?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 22729. This puts it in a tight pack with its rivals. It is 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and 1.3% behind the Intel Arc B580. Conversely, it is 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT and 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile. These are all within a small margin of performance.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for a smooth experience?

A: Based on the measured data, the only configuration to hit a 60 FPS average is 1080p with Low settings, achieving 97 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 60 FPS. For a balance of quality and performance, 1440p Low is also viable at 81 FPS, but 1080p Medium offers a more balanced experience at exactly 60 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance drop is seen when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: The data shows a significant drop. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 43 at 1080p to 29 at 4K, a reduction of 32.6%. At Low settings, the drop is from 97 FPS to 64 FPS, a 34% reduction. This consistent scaling points to the GPU being the primary limiting factor.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and how does it relate to performance?

A: The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 2000 MHz, with an effective data rate of 16 Gbps. This configuration appears sufficient for the game's demands at the tested settings, as the performance scaling is primarily tied to resolution and graphics preset.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile is the undisputed performance bottleneck in this system for The Medium. The GPU's specifications—3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs—are the key drivers of the frame rates observed. Its boost clock of 1890 MHz and base clock of 1545 MHz define its processing throughput, which is reflected in the measured FPS. The 8 GB VRAM allocation is a crucial factor; the game's textures and assets at 4K resolution are likely consuming a significant portion of this memory, contributing to the lower averages.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark scores show it is a mid-range performer. With a Passmark G3D score of 17469 and a percentile ranking of 67, it sits comfortably among its peers. In the context of The Medium, the data shows that the GPU's fillrate and shading power directly dictate the performance ceiling. The pixel rate of 90.72 GPixel/s and texture rate of 181.4 GTexel/s are the physical limits that the renderer is hitting, especially at higher resolutions and quality presets like Ultra and High.

The relationship between clocks and results is clear. The 115 W TDP suggests a power-constrained design, which may prevent the GPU from sustaining its maximum boost clock under extended loads. This is a plausible explanation for the incremental FPS gains between Low and Medium settings, as the GPU's compute resources are being fully utilized but are limited by its thermal and power envelope. The data confirms that for this title, the RTX 4060 Mobile's raw shader performance is the determining factor for the experience.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for settings recommendations. For a baseline playable experience, Low settings at 1080p delivers the highest average at 97 FPS, ensuring maximum fluidity. This is the only preset that provides a significant margin above 60 FPS.

For a standard 60 FPS target, Medium settings at 1080p is the sweet spot, hitting exactly 60 FPS on average. The frame time data is also solid here, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, indicating a stable and consistent experience. This is the recommended configuration for most users.

At 1440p, the situation changes. Low settings at this resolution yield an average of 81 FPS, which is quite playable. However, Medium settings drops the average to 51 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. Therefore, for a smooth 1440p experience, Low settings are necessary, while Medium is only suitable if the user is comfortable with a frame rate in the high-40s to 50s range.

The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for this GPU in The Medium. At 1080p, High produces 43 FPS and Ultra produces 34 FPS. These are playable but not optimal for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and smooth camera movement. At 1440p and 4K, these settings produce frame rates in the 20s and 30s, making them unsuitable for a responsive experience. The data indicates that the graphical uplift from Medium to High is not worth the significant performance cost.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and the RTX 4060 Mobile achieves a rank of 2285 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places the system in the lower-middle portion of the field. The percentile calculation shows it performs better than roughly 61% of all tested combinations, but it is clearly outclassed by a significant number of high-end systems.

This ranking is almost entirely dictated by the GPU's performance. The CPU, which ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, has far more performance headroom than the GPU can utilize in this specific title. The GPU's 67th percentile ranking is a much better predictor of the combo's overall performance. The delta between the CPU's high standing and the GPU's mid-pack position creates an imbalance where the graphics card is the sole limiting factor.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks—the RTX 2080, RX 7700 XT, Arc B580, and RTX 5060 Mobile—are all within a 1.3% performance delta. This suggests that systems using any of these GPUs would likely produce very similar results in The Medium, placing them in the same ranking tier. The system's overall rank is therefore representative of a mid-range gaming laptop, not a high-end desktop replacement.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear and consistent pattern of GPU-bound scaling. Moving from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS at Medium settings drops from 60 to 51, a 15% decrease. The drop from 1440p to 4K is even more severe, with the Medium preset falling from 51 FPS to 40 FPS, a 21.5% decrease. This non-linear scaling is classic evidence of a GPU that is running out of processing power and memory bandwidth.

The trend is similar for the High preset. The average FPS falls from 43 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p (a 16.3% drop) and then to 29 at 4K (a 19.4% drop from 1440p). While the percentages are slightly different, the pattern is the same: the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU is not a factor here, as its 24 cores and 36 MB of L3 cache are more than sufficient to feed the GPU at all resolutions.

This scaling behavior indicates that the game's rendering load is directly proportional to the pixel count. The RTX 4060 Mobile's 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is likely being saturated at higher resolutions, leading to the observed FPS drops. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is also a potential constraint at 4K, where texture data exceeds the memory limit, causing the system to rely on slower data transfers. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, with CPU performance having no measurable impact on the FPS scaling.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database provides exact average FPS figures for every resolution and settings combination tested. At 1920x1080, the performance is as follows: Low settings achieve 97 FPS, Medium settings achieve 60 FPS (with a min/max of 51/69), High settings achieve 43 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 34 FPS. This shows a clear linear progression of performance cost as visual quality increases.

At 2560x1440, the scores are predictably lower. The Low preset delivers an average of 81 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 51 FPS (min/max of 43/59), which is a playable but not ideal frame rate. High settings average 36 FPS, while Ultra settings average 29 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for a smooth gaming experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened. The Low preset is the only playable option, achieving an average of 64 FPS. The Medium preset produces 40 FPS (min/max of 34/46), which is on the edge of playability. High settings drop to 29 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 23 FPS, making these configurations effectively unplayable for this title. The data shows a consistent degradation of performance that tracks directly with the increase in pixel count.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a high-end mobile processor that is vastly overqualified for the demands of The Medium. With 24 cores and 24 threads, it possesses immense parallel processing capability. Its boost clock of 5.40 GHz and base clock of 2.70 GHz provide strong single-threaded performance, which is often more critical for game logic and physics.

The CPU's synthetic benchmarks confirm its strength. A Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589 and a single-core score of 2204 place it in the top tier of processors. Its Passmark multithread score of 55759 is exceptionally high. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking versus all CPUs underscores its capabilities. However, this power is largely untapped in this specific benchmark, as the FPS data is consistently limited by the GPU.

The CPU's large 36 MB shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache help reduce latency and provide fast data access for game assets. Its 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient to feed the GPU without causing a bottleneck. In this game, the CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame pipeline, and the data shows it does so effectively. The frame time data for the Medium presets (e.g., 51-69 FPS at 1080p) is consistent, indicating the CPU is delivering frames to the GPU without stutter or dips. The CPU is not a limiting factor; it is a silent partner ensuring the GPU is the sole determinant of performance.