The Medium

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread mobile processor based on the Panther Lake architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 25 W TDP. For a horror title like The Medium, which relies on sustained CPU performance for streaming assets and managing the game's dual-reality rendering mechanics, the processor's threading configuration is notable. The benchmark data shows the CPU achieving a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18,911 and a single-core score of 2,200.5, placing it in the 88th percentile among all CPUs tested. This indicates strong headroom for the game's logic threads, though the game's measured FPS results suggest the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher settings. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 4,280 reinforces its capability to handle the per-frame calculations required by the game's fixed-camera angles and complex narrative scripting without introducing noticeable stutter.

The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, holds an average benchmark score of 44,573, a negligible 0.2% difference from the X9 388H's average of 44,466. Similarly, the Intel Core i9-13950HX trails by just 0.3% with a score of 44,342. The X9 388H also edges out the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 by 0.4% and the Intel Core i5-13600 by 0.5%. These deltaPct values are all within a fraction of a percent, indicating that while the X9 388H is positioned at the top of its immediate competitive bracket, the performance margins are razor-thin. In the context of The Medium, this parity means the CPU is unlikely to be the differentiating factor between systems; instead, the choice of graphics card and resolution will dictate the experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1920 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz. Its transistor count of 35,800 million on a 294 mm² die highlights the density of the AD104 chip. For The Medium, the 12 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor, as the game's design frequently renders two simultaneous perspectives of the world, which can inflate memory usage. The measured FPS data shows a clear sensitivity to the 12 GB frame buffer: at 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 25, whereas at 4K Low it jumps to 72. This 47 FPS swing is more pronounced than what would be expected from pure shader load alone, suggesting that memory capacity and bandwidth are heavily taxed at the highest presets.

The RTX 4070's benchmark scores place it in the 81st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37,648. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, scores 37,628, a 0.1% difference. More interestingly, the RTX 4070 underperforms the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile by 1.3% (the latter scoring 38,135) but outperforms the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 by 0.4% and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 by 1.3%. The comparison to the RTX 4080 Mobile is particularly relevant for a laptop context, as the 4070's desktop-oriented cooling and power delivery (200 W TDP) allow it to sustain higher clocks than its mobile counterpart, yet the data shows the mobile 4080 still holds a lead. In The Medium, the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,854 and Passmark G3D score of 26,927 correlate with the observed 1080p Medium average of 68 FPS, indicating a solid mid-range performance tier.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The X9 388H averages a benchmark score of 44,466, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D's score of 44,573. It is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i9-13950HX (44,342) and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (44,309).

Q: What is the best resolution for smooth gameplay with this combo?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 108 FPS. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average drops to 91 FPS, and at 3840x2160 with Low settings, it falls to 72 FPS. For a 60 FPS target, 1440p Low is the highest resolution that maintains a comfortable margin.

Q: Is the RTX 4070's 12 GB VRAM sufficient for Ultra settings in this game?

A: The measured results indicate that Ultra settings are demanding, with 4K Ultra yielding only 25 FPS average. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 39 FPS. The 12 GB frame buffer appears to be a limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the drop from Medium to Ultra is substantial at every resolution.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1,525 out of 2,911 tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the pack. This percentile position (roughly the 48th percentile) suggests that while the hardware is capable, many other combos achieve higher frame rates in The Medium.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Medium settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings produce an average of 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS. High settings produce an average of 41 FPS. This represents a 16 FPS improvement when switching from High to Medium.

Q: Does the CPU's boost clock significantly impact gaming performance here?

A: The CPU's 5.10 GHz boost clock contributes to its 88th percentile standing, but the FPS data shows that GPU settings drive the frame rate. For instance, at 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 47 FPS, whereas CPU-bound variations are not directly measurable from the provided data.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a rank of 1,525 out of 2,911 tested combos in The Medium. This places the setup in the lower half of the database, which is a surprising result given the individual component percentiles. The CPU ranks in the 88th percentile and the GPU in the 81st percentile, yet the combined rank sits near the median. This discrepancy points to the game's specific optimization patterns: The Medium appears to favor higher-end GPUs with larger memory pools, and the 4070's 12 GB frame buffer may be a bottleneck at the resolutions where the game is most taxing. The data shows that the combo's best performance is at 1080p Low (108 FPS), which is a playable range, but the rank suggests that many other combos—likely those with RTX 4080-class GPUs or higher—pull ahead significantly in the 1440p and 4K categories.

Looking at the percentile gap, the combo's rank of 1,525 means that 1,386 other combinations outperform it. This is a substantial number, indicating that the 4070's mid-tier status is the limiting factor. The GPU's nearest rival, the RTX 4080 Mobile, scores 1.3% higher in synthetic benchmarks, which translates to a tangible FPS advantage in practice. The combo's performance is further constrained by the fact that the CPU's nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of its score, meaning the processor is not providing any competitive edge to offset the GPU's limitations. For a user seeking a high-refresh-rate experience at 1440p, this rank suggests that while the combo is functional, it is not a top-tier performer for this specific title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance between visual fidelity and playability is the Medium preset at 1920x1080, which delivers an average of 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. This configuration ensures that the frame rate stays above 60 FPS even in demanding scenes, providing a smooth experience for a horror game where stutter can break immersion. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset drops to an average of 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS, which is playable but may exhibit occasional dips below 60 FPS. For users who prioritize a locked 60 FPS, the Low preset at 1440p is the safer choice, yielding an average of 91 FPS with no recorded minimum dips.

The High preset is not recommended for this combo, as it produces averages of 49 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K, all of which fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset is the worst performer, with averages of 39 FPS at 1080p and 25 FPS at 4K, making it unsuitable for anything other than static scenes. The data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this hardware, as it offers a 19 FPS improvement over High at 1080p while retaining a higher visual quality than Low. For 4K users, the Low preset at 72 FPS is the only viable option, as Medium at 45 FPS and High at 32 FPS are too close to the playability boundary.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combo delivers a wide spread of results depending on the graphics preset. The Low setting produces an average of 72 FPS, which is the only 4K configuration that exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium setting yields an average of 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS, indicating noticeable frame pacing issues. The High setting drops to an average of 32 FPS, and the Ultra setting bottoms out at 25 FPS. The 47 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution underscores the GPU's memory bandwidth limitations.

At 2560x1440, the pattern is similar but with higher absolute numbers. The Low setting achieves an average of 91 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium setting records an average of 57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS, meaning the experience is borderline for a 60 Hz display. The High setting falls to 41 FPS average, and the Ultra setting reaches only 32 FPS. The transition from Low to Medium costs 34 FPS, while the step from Medium to High costs another 16 FPS, showing a steep curve in resource demands.

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its best performance. The Low setting achieves an average of 108 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium setting yields an average of 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS, making it the most balanced option. The High setting drops to 49 FPS average, and the Ultra setting records 39 FPS. The 40 FPS gap between Low and Medium at this resolution is notable, but the 29 FPS gap between Medium and High indicates that the High preset introduces significant overhead without proportional visual gains. Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently offers a compromise between the low-end and high-end presets, with the 1080p Medium row being the only configuration that pairs a 60+ FPS average with a minimum above 57 FPS.