The Medium

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 produces a clear picture of how The Medium behaves across different resolutions. The data indicates a system that is heavily constrained by the GPU at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s substantial headroom becomes more apparent at 1080p. The measured frame rates show a predictable pattern of decline as pixel count increases, but the magnitude of that decline varies significantly depending on the chosen graphics preset.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling curve, particularly at the higher quality settings. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 39 FPS at 1920x1080 to 32 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 25 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a cumulative drop of approximately 36% from 1080p to 4K. The progression is nearly linear, suggesting that the rendering load is scaling directly with the pixel count, a hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario.

The High preset shows a slightly different dynamic. It starts at 49 FPS at 1080p, drops to 41 FPS at 1440p, and reaches 32 FPS at 4K. The absolute difference between 1440p and 4K is 9 FPS, which is the same as the difference between 1080p and 1440p. This consistent step-down indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all tested resolutions with this preset.

When the settings are lowered to Medium, the scaling pattern shifts. The average frame rates are 68 FPS at 1080p, 57 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 16%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is about 21%. The larger relative decline at higher resolutions suggests that while the GPU is still the main limiting factor, the reduced graphical load at Medium settings allows the system to maintain higher absolute frame rates, which then face a steeper proportional drop when pixel count increases.

The Low preset demonstrates the most dramatic scaling behavior. It achieves 108 FPS at 1080p, 91 FPS at 1440p, and 72 FPS at 4K. This is the only preset where the 4K result remains above 60 FPS, indicating that the game is fully playable at the highest resolution under the lowest graphical load. The fact that the system can deliver 72 FPS at 4K on Low settings, while only managing 25 FPS at 4K on Ultra, underscores the enormous performance cost of the Ultra preset’s visual features. The data suggests that the limiting component at Low settings is still the GPU, as even the lowest settings show a performance penalty when moving from 1440p to 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable at 4K resolution?

A: The highest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 72 FPS, which is achieved with the Low settings preset.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K on the Ultra preset?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 39 FPS at 1920x1080 to 25 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 14 FPS.

Q: Does the system maintain a 60 FPS average at 1440p?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers an average of 91 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. The Medium preset also exceeds 60 FPS with an average of 57 FPS, though this is slightly below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like for the Medium preset?

A: The Medium preset is the only one that includes minimum and maximum frame rate data. At 1080p, the average is 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. At 1440p, the average is 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS. At 4K, the average is 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested configurations?

A: For The Medium, this specific combination of CPU and GPU ranks 1525 out of 2911 tested combos, placing it in the middle of the database’s results.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 49 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 39 FPS. The Ultra preset is 10 FPS slower than High.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the primary driver of frame rate fluctuations in The Medium. The GPU’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This bandwidth is sufficient to handle the game’s assets across all tested settings, as the data does not show any catastrophic drops that would indicate memory swapping. The GPU’s boost clock of 2475 MHz, paired with a base clock of 1920 MHz, allows for substantial performance scaling when the thermal and power headroom permits.

The GPU’s architecture, Ada Lovelace, includes 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores, though the measured FPS data does not differentiate between rasterized and ray-traced workloads. The shading units count of 5888 and the texture mapping units of 184 are the likely bottlenecks at higher resolutions. The FP32 performance of 29.15 TFLOPS is a theoretical maximum, but the real-world results show that at 4K Ultra, the GPU’s compute resources are saturated, resulting in a 25 FPS average. The RTX 4070’s 64 ROPs are responsible for the pixel fill rate of 158.4 GPixel/s, which becomes a limiting factor when the resolution is increased to 3840x2160.

The GPU’s benchmark scores provide context for its positioning. It scores 3854 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 26927 in PassMark G3D. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 154858 and Vulkan score of 174152 indicate strong compute and API performance. However, the measured in-game data is more telling: the transition from High to Ultra settings represents a significant increase in graphical complexity, and the RTX 4070 struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with the Ultra preset. The GPU’s percentile ranking of 81 versus all GPUs suggests it is a high-end part, but The Medium’s demanding nature at 4K Ultra pushes it to its limits.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a rank of 1525 out of 2911 tested combinations for The Medium. This places the combo in the 52nd percentile of all tested systems, meaning it performs better than roughly half of the configurations in the database. This ranking is a holistic measure that reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU in this specific game.

The CPU’s individual performance is strong, with an average benchmark score of 67469 and a percentile ranking of 94 against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon w5-3525, which scores 67673 (a 0.3% difference), and the AMD EPYC 4484PX, which scores 67822 (a 0.5% difference). The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX scores 67868, which is 0.6% higher, and the Intel Xeon 6515P scores 67006, which is 0.7% lower. These close margins show that the Core Ultra 9 275HX is competitive with high-end workstation and server processors in synthetic benchmarks.

The GPU’s individual performance is also respectable, with an average benchmark score of 37648 and a percentile ranking of 81 against all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P4, which scores 37628 (a 0.1% difference), and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, which scores 37507 (a 0.4% difference). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, which is 1.3% higher, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157, which is 1.3% lower. The RTX 4070 desktop version performs on par with a mobile RTX 4080, which is interesting for a laptop-focused game benchmark.

The combo’s mid-pack ranking of 1525 suggests that while both components are individually capable, the pairing does not create a synergistic advantage that pushes it to the top of the charts. The data implies that the RTX 4070’s performance ceiling is the limiting factor, preventing the system from achieving higher frame rates that the CPU could theoretically support.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the game shows a wide performance range based on settings. The Low preset delivers the highest average at 108 FPS. The Medium preset averages 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. The High preset averages 49 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 39 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 69 FPS, indicating that the preset selection has a massive impact on performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance hierarchy remains the same but the absolute numbers decrease. The Low preset averages 91 FPS. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS. The High preset averages 41 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 59 FPS, slightly narrower than at 1080p. The Medium preset’s minimum of 49 FPS is close to the High preset’s average of 41 FPS, suggesting that Medium provides a more consistent experience than the higher settings.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 72 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. The High preset averages 32 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 25 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K is most severe on the Ultra preset, where the frame rate falls from 39 FPS to 25 FPS, a 36% reduction. The Low preset sees a smaller relative drop, from 108 FPS to 72 FPS, a 33% reduction. This suggests that the GPU’s workload scales similarly across presets, but the starting point determines whether the final result is acceptable.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and the user’s preference for visual fidelity versus smoothness. At 1920x1080, the High preset provides an average of 49 FPS, which is suitable for a slower-paced horror game. The Medium preset, with an average of 68 FPS, offers a smoother experience with a minimum of 58 FPS that avoids most stutters. The Ultra preset at 39 FPS is borderline, but the visual upgrade may be worth the performance cost for some users.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. It delivers an average of 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS, which is close to the threshold for a consistent experience. The High preset at 41 FPS may be acceptable for users who prioritize visuals, but the data shows that the Medium preset provides a more stable frame rate without a drastic reduction in quality. The Ultra preset at 32 FPS is not recommended due to the low average and potential for noticeable dips.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only viable option for a playable experience, with an average of 72 FPS. The Medium preset at 45 FPS is playable but may feel less responsive, and the minimum of 38 FPS could cause noticeable hitches. The High and Ultra presets at 32 FPS and 25 FPS, respectively, are not suitable for gameplay. For users with a 4K display, the Low preset is the only choice that maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS, while the Medium preset is a compromise for those who can tolerate a lower frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX provides a substantial amount of processing power that is largely underutilized in The Medium. The CPU features 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This high core count and boost capability are reflected in its benchmark scores, such as 35589 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2204 in Cinebench R23 single-core. The Geekbench multi-core score of 20795 and single-core score of 2458 further demonstrate its capability.

The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 36 MB of shared L3 cache, which is beneficial for game data that needs to be accessed frequently. The L2 cache is 3 MB per core, and the L1 cache is 192 KB per core. This large cache structure helps reduce memory latency, which is important for maintaining consistent frame times. The CPU’s memory support for DDR5 with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s ensures that data can be fed to the GPU without creating a bottleneck.

In The Medium, the CPU’s performance ranking of 94th percentile versus all CPUs suggests it is more than adequate for this game’s demands. The measured FPS data shows that the frame rate scales almost entirely with the GPU’s load, indicating that the CPU is not the limiting factor. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU does not appear to hold back performance, as the 108 FPS average is likely near the game’s engine limit or the GPU’s rendering capacity. The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, such as the Intel Xeon w5-3525 and AMD EPYC 4484PX, are workstation-class processors, which underscores the multi-threaded capability of the Core Ultra 9 275HX. However, the game’s frame rate data indicates that the CPU’s power is not the primary determinant of performance; instead, the RTX 4070’s rendering throughput dictates the final results.