The Medium

The Medium presents a significant challenge for the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 mobile combination, with benchmark results showing that the system is firmly GPU-limited across all tested resolutions. The data reveals that while the CPU is more than capable of feeding the graphics card, the RTX 4070's performance ceiling is reached early, making resolution and settings selection the primary levers for playability. This analysis interprets the measured FPS data to provide a clear picture of what gamers can expect from this specific hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings presets, confirming that the GPU is the limiting component in this system. At Medium settings, the average frame rate falls from 68 FPS at 1920x1080 to 57 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 11 FPS, and then further down to 45 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a total 34% loss from 1080p to 4K. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where the increased pixel count directly translates into lower frame rates without any CPU bottleneck emerging.

The Low settings preset shows the most dramatic resolution scaling, with average FPS dropping from 108 at 1080p to 91 at 1440p and finally to 72 at 4K. The 36 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings highlights how even the most lightweight rendering workload overwhelms the GPU at higher resolutions. At Ultra settings, the frame rate collapses from 39 FPS at 1080p to 32 FPS at 1440p and then to 25 FPS at 4K, with the latter being essentially unplayable for a horror game that benefits from smooth motion.

The High settings preset follows the same trajectory, with 49 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K. The consistent 8-9 FPS drop between each resolution step across all settings indicates a linear relationship between pixel count and performance, which is the hallmark of a GPU-limited system. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller frame rate differences at higher resolutions where the GPU work increases, but the data shows the opposite trend.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 1525th out of 2911 tested combinations in The Medium, placing it in the 48th percentile of all systems tested. This mid-pack ranking suggests that while the hardware is competent, it does not excel in this particular title, which is known for its demanding fixed-camera perspective and complex lighting effects.

The CPU's individual performance is strong, with the Core Ultra X7 368H achieving an average benchmark score of 40518, placing it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 7 253PE, scores 40557, a delta of -0.1%, indicating performance parity within measurement error. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940H scores 40431, a 0.2% difference, showing that the Core Ultra X7 368H is competitive with top-tier mobile processors from the previous generation.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070 achieves an average benchmark score of 37648, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, scores 37628, a delta of 0.1%, which is statistically identical. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, 0.4% lower, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, 1.3% higher, indicating that the RTX 4070 is positioned just below the mobile flagship in raw compute performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for The Medium's requirements, but the game's demanding nature at 4K resolution pushes the GPU to its limits, as evidenced by the sub-60 FPS results at all settings except Low.

The GPU's clock speeds are notably high, with a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, which helps sustain performance under sustained gaming loads. The memory runs at 1313 MHz with 21 Gbps effective speed, contributing to the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth. These specifications are typical for the RTX 4070 class, but the benchmark results in The Medium show that raw clocks alone cannot overcome the game's heavy shader and lighting demands.

The RTX 4070's architecture, Ada Lovelace, includes 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operations pipelines, along with 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores. The FP32 performance of 29.15 TFLOPS is substantial, but The Medium's rendering pipeline appears to be particularly GPU-intensive, as the 4K Medium result of 45 FPS demonstrates. The GPU's 200 W TDP and dual-slot cooler design suggest it is a full-power mobile implementation, yet it still struggles to maintain high frame rates at 1440p and above.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers playable performance across most settings. The Low preset achieves 108 FPS average, providing a smooth experience for players who prioritize frame rate. Medium settings yield 68 FPS average with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS, offering a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings drop to 49 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal for a game that benefits from fluid motion. Ultra settings produce 39 FPS average, which is borderline for a horror title where frame pacing can affect the atmosphere.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance impact is noticeable. Low settings deliver 91 FPS average, still playable but 17 FPS lower than at 1080p. Medium settings produce 57 FPS average with a range of 49-66 FPS, which is barely above the 60 FPS target and shows occasional dips below it. High settings drop to 41 FPS average, which may cause noticeable stuttering during intense scenes. Ultra settings produce 32 FPS average, which is below the comfort threshold for most players.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles significantly. Low settings deliver 72 FPS average, which is playable but shows the GPU's limitations at 4K. Medium settings produce 45 FPS average with a range of 38-52 FPS, indicating that even the mid-range preset cannot maintain smooth frame rates. High settings drop to 32 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 25 FPS average, both of which are essentially unplayable for a game that relies on tension and timing.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system consistently achieves playable frame rates. At Medium settings, the average FPS is 68, and even High settings maintain 49 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium settings drop to 57 FPS average, and at 3840x2160, the same preset produces only 45 FPS, indicating that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H achieves an average benchmark score of 40518, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core 7 253PE (40557) and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core 5 223PE (40585). It outperforms the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H by 0.2% (40431) and the Intel Xeon 6507P by 0.2% (40426), showing that it is competitive with top-tier mobile processors.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck in this system for The Medium?

A: Yes, the data strongly indicates GPU limitation. The frame rate drops consistently across all settings as resolution increases, from 108 FPS at 1080p Low to 72 FPS at 4K Low. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would show less variation across resolutions, but the measured results show a linear scaling pattern typical of GPU-bound workloads.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum FPS is 58 and the maximum is 78, with an average of 68. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 49 and the maximum is 66, averaging 57. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 38 and the maximum is 52, averaging 45. These ranges indicate that the game experiences frame pacing variations, particularly at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to the RTX 4080 Mobile in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4070 achieves an average benchmark score of 37648, which is 1.3% lower than the RTX 4080 Mobile's 38135. This small delta suggests that while the RTX 4080 Mobile is faster, the performance gap in real-world gaming may be less pronounced than the raw scores suggest.

Q: What settings preset provides the most balanced experience at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 91 FPS average, which is smooth but visually basic. The Medium preset produces 57 FPS average, which is close to the 60 FPS target but shows dips to 49 FPS. For a balanced experience, Medium settings are the highest playable option at this resolution, while High settings at 41 FPS and Ultra at 32 FPS are below the comfort threshold.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it delivers 68 FPS average with a minimum of 58 FPS, providing a smooth experience while maintaining visual quality. Players who prioritize frame rate can opt for Low settings at 108 FPS average, while those who want higher visual fidelity can try High settings at 49 FPS, though this may cause occasional frame drops in demanding scenes. Ultra settings at 39 FPS are not recommended for a horror game where smooth motion is essential.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 57 FPS average is the only viable option for a reasonably smooth experience, though the minimum of 49 FPS indicates that frame rate can dip below 60 during intense moments. The Low preset at 91 FPS provides a much smoother experience but sacrifices visual quality. High and Ultra settings at 41 FPS and 32 FPS respectively are not recommended, as they fall below the playable threshold for most players.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset at 72 FPS average is the only playable option, and even this shows the GPU's limitations at 4K. The Medium preset at 45 FPS average is borderline, with minimum frame rates of 38 FPS that will cause noticeable stuttering. High and Ultra settings at 32 FPS and 25 FPS respectively are essentially unplayable, and players should avoid these settings at 4K resolution.

For the best overall experience, the data suggests that players should target 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which provides a 68 FPS average with a reasonable visual quality. If higher resolutions are preferred, dropping to Low settings at 2560x1440 (91 FPS) or 3840x2160 (72 FPS) will maintain smooth frame rates, but the visual downgrade may not justify the resolution increase. The system's 16-core CPU is clearly not the limiting factor, as the performance is consistently GPU-bound across all tested configurations.