The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title from 2021, presents a unique challenge for the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 mobile combo. The measured data reveals a configuration that is powerful yet requires careful settings management to achieve smooth gameplay, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the performance metrics, component roles, and optimal settings based solely on the provided benchmark results.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to play The Medium at High settings?

A: At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 48 FPS. Moving up to 1440p High drops the average to 40 FPS, while 4K High falls to 32 FPS. For a smoother experience, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 107 FPS, and even at 4K Low, the average is a very playable 71 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H scores 28,221 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. This places it within a narrow band of its nearest rivals; it is 0.1% behind the Intel Core 7 253PE and 0.2% behind the Intel Core 5 223PE, while being 0.2% ahead of both the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H and the Intel Xeon 6507P.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth and how much VRAM does it have?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, which provides a memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. This substantial bandwidth is crucial for the game's high-resolution textures.

Q: Between 1080p and 4K, how much does performance degrade at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 67 FPS at 1920x1080 to 56 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 44 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a significant 34% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Does the RTX 5070 have a significant performance lead over its closest competitor in this list?

A: Based on the average benchmark score of 40,377, the RTX 5070 is 2% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile, which scores 39,568. Its lead over the AMD Radeon Pro 580 is only 0.1%, with a score of 40,318.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock and core count?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H has 16 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 2.00 GHz, which can boost up to 5.00 GHz under load.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the undisputed workhorse for this game's rendering. The data shows a clear pattern where the GPU's capabilities are the primary driver of performance changes across different settings. At 1080p, the GPU appears to have enough headroom to push high frame rates, as evidenced by the 107 FPS average on Low settings. This suggests that at lower graphical loads, the system is capable of exceeding 100 FPS.

However, as resolution and graphical fidelity increase, the strain on the GPU becomes evident. The 12 GB of GDDR7 memory with a 672.0 GB/s bandwidth is a potent combination, but The Medium's detailed environments and effects still demand significant resources. The transition from High to Ultra settings at 1080p, for instance, causes the average FPS to plummet from 48 to 38, a 21% drop. This is a direct consequence of the increased rendering load on the GPU's 6,144 shading units and 80 ROPs.

The GPU's architecture, Blackwell 2.0, is built on a 5 nm process and operates with a boost clock of 2512 MHz. These specifications allow for substantial compute throughput, measured at 30.87 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. Despite this power, the benchmark results indicate that at 4K resolution, even High settings (32 FPS) push the GPU to its limits for a fluid experience. The Ultra preset at 4K is particularly demanding, yielding only 25 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. This indicates that while the RTX 5070 is a strong mobile GPU, The Medium at maximum settings and 4K exceeds its comfortable performance envelope.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested hardware combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 has a combined rank of 1566 out of 2911 tested combos. This places it in the top half of all tested systems, indicating a solid, above-average performance tier for this title.

This ranking is a composite result of the CPU and GPU's individual capabilities. The GPU itself sits in the 82nd percentile among all tested GPUs, showing it is a high-performing part. The CPU is also strong, ranking in the 87th percentile among all CPUs. However, their combined performance in this specific game places them in the 46th percentile of all combos. This suggests that while the components are individually powerful, their synergy in The Medium is good but not exceptional, likely due to the game's demanding GPU load at higher resolutions. The rank implies that many other configurations, potentially with more powerful desktop-class components, achieve higher frame rates. For a mobile setup, this is a respectable position.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings.

• 1920x1080 (1080p): The lowest resolution tested offers the most headroom. At Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 107 FPS. Moving to Medium yields an average of 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS. High settings drop the average to 48 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset brings the average down to 38 FPS.

• 2560x1440 (1440p): This resolution shows a clear step-down in performance. Low settings still deliver a high average of 90 FPS. The Medium preset averages 56 FPS (min 48, max 65). High settings average 40 FPS, and Ultra drops to 32 FPS.

• 3840x2160 (4K): The highest resolution is the most punishing. Low settings are surprisingly playable, with an average of 71 FPS. Medium settings average 44 FPS (min 37, max 51). High settings fall to an average of 32 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding only 25 FPS.

The data shows consistent scaling. For example, at 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 40 FPS, while from High to Ultra it costs 10 FPS. This indicates that the relationship between settings is not linear, and the GPU's performance curve is steeper at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The impact of resolution on performance is significant and reveals the GPU-bound nature of this workload. Comparing the Medium preset across resolutions, we see a clear and consistent decline. From 1080p (67 FPS) to 1440p (56 FPS), there is a 16% drop in performance. The jump from 1440p to 4K (44 FPS) is another 21% reduction. In total, moving from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings results in a 34% decrease in average frame rate.

This scaling pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU is not the bottleneck here; rather, the GPU's rendering pipeline is being tasked with an increasing number of pixels. The fact that the performance drop is substantial but not catastrophic suggests that the RTX 5070's 672.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth helps to mitigate some of the potential penalties of higher resolutions. At Low settings, the scaling is less severe, with a 34% drop from 107 FPS at 1080p to 71 FPS at 4K. This is because at Low settings, the GPU is less saturated, and the resolution scaling has a relatively smaller impact on the overall frame time. The data strongly implies that for a consistently smooth experience, users will need to trade off resolution for higher graphical fidelity, or vice-versa.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H, with its 16 cores and 16 threads, plays a supporting but stable role in The Medium. The CPU's performance, as measured by benchmarks, is robust. It scores 28,221 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,984 in single-core. This processing power is more than sufficient to feed the GPU, ensuring that the GPU is not waiting on the CPU for draw calls or game logic.

The CPU's high boost clock of 5.00 GHz is particularly beneficial for gaming, as it provides strong single-threaded performance, which is often the most critical factor for game engine logic. The benchmark results indicate that this CPU is not a limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less performance scaling between different resolutions. However, the clear and consistent FPS drops at higher resolutions point directly to the GPU as the constraint.

The CPU's position relative to its rivals is very tight. With an average benchmark score of 40,518, it is virtually tied with the Intel Core 7 253PE (40,557), Intel Core 5 223PE (40,585), AMD Ryzen 9 7940H (40,431), and Intel Xeon 6507P (40,426). This indicates that the X7 368H provides a level of performance that is squarely in the middle of a highly competitive pack, and in this game, it ensures a solid foundation for the GPU to operate without any processing overhead concerns.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's priority: frame rate smoothness or visual fidelity.

For a target of 60 FPS or higher, the Low preset is the only reliable choice across all resolutions. It delivers 107 FPS at 1080p, 90 FPS at 1440p, and 71 FPS at 4K. This is the best option for a high-refresh-rate display.

For gamers who want to experience the game's visual detail, the Medium preset offers a compelling balance. At 1080p, it achieves an average of 67 FPS, which is smooth. At 1440p, the 56 FPS average is playable, but may not be ideal for fast-paced segments. The 4K Medium result of 44 FPS is borderline, suitable for slower, narrative-driven moments but not for consistent action.

The High preset is only recommended at 1080p, where the 48 FPS average is acceptable for a horror game that favors atmosphere over twitch reflexes. At higher resolutions, the frame rate drops below 40 FPS, which can lead to a less responsive and less immersive experience. The Ultra preset is not recommended for this configuration. The 38 FPS at 1080p and lower at other resolutions indicates that the visual gains do not justify the significant performance cost.

In summary, the Medium preset at 1080p offers the best overall experience, providing a smooth 67 FPS average with a noticeable improvement in visual quality over the Low preset. For 1440p, Medium is the sweet spot for a balanced experience. At 4K, users should stick to the Low preset to maintain a smooth frame rate, as the Medium preset's 44 FPS average is a significant compromise.