Inside

Intel Core i7-13700K paired with Intel Arc B580 delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Inside, a 2D puzzle platformer that proves far more demanding at 4K than its minimalist visuals suggest. The measured data shows a system that crushes 1080p and 1440p with headroom to spare, but 4K Ultra pushes the GPU to its limit, dropping just below the 60 FPS threshold. This combination ranks in the 75th percentile of all tested combos for this game, indicating solid but not elite performance relative to the broader database.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 127 FPS. This is far above the playable threshold, leaving substantial headroom for any background tasks or future driver overhead.

At 2560x1440, the answer is also Ultra, with an average of 93.6 FPS. The gap between Ultra and High here is notable — 93.6 FPS versus 99.5 FPS — but both comfortably clear the 60 FPS bar, so the highest fidelity option remains fully viable.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS is Medium, averaging 99.9 FPS. High settings drop to 58.4 FPS, which falls just below the playable threshold, and Ultra dips further to 57.2 FPS. This makes Medium the clear ceiling for 4K playability, though the margin between Medium and High suggests a single settings tweak could push the system over the edge.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a fascinating split in workload balance. At 1080p, the CPU is the dominant factor, with the i7-13700K’s 16 cores and 24 threads providing ample compute headroom. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p costs 141 FPS (268 to 127), yet even at Ultra the system maintains 127 FPS — indicating the GPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution.

At 1440p, the scaling shifts toward the GPU. The difference between Low (192.4 FPS) and Ultra (93.6 FPS) is 98.8 FPS, a larger absolute drop than at 1080p, but the system still never approaches the 60 FPS floor. The Arc B580’s 12 GB GDDR6 memory and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth appear sufficient for the moderate geometry and texture loads of Inside at this resolution.

The 4K results reveal the true GPU ceiling. The drop from Medium (99.9 FPS) to High (58.4 FPS) is a massive 41.5 FPS loss, representing a 41.5% performance hit from a single settings tier. This steep cliff suggests the GPU’s 2560 shading units and 80 ROPs struggle with the increased pixel fill rate required at 3840x2160, particularly under the higher shading complexity of High and Ultra presets. The CPU’s role diminishes significantly here, as the frame rate becomes entirely bound by the Arc B580’s rendering throughput.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: 268 FPS average
• Medium: 215.4 FPS average
• High: 135 FPS average
• Ultra: 127 FPS average

The 1080p results show a clear stepwise progression. Low to Medium costs 52.6 FPS, Medium to High costs 80.4 FPS, and High to Ultra costs only 8 FPS. The relatively small gap between High and Ultra suggests diminishing returns at the top end, while the massive Medium-to-High drop indicates a substantial increase in shading or post-processing workload.

2560x1440:

• Low: 192.4 FPS average
• Medium: 153.3 FPS average
• High: 99.5 FPS average
• Ultra: 93.6 FPS average

At 1440p, the pattern repeats but with compressed absolute numbers. Low to Medium loses 39.1 FPS, Medium to High loses 53.8 FPS, and High to Ultra loses only 5.9 FPS. The High-to-Ultra gap remains narrow, reinforcing that the Ultra preset adds minimal overhead beyond High.

3840x2160:

• Low: 124 FPS average
• Medium: 99.9 FPS average
• High: 58.4 FPS average
• Ultra: 57.2 FPS average

The 4K data tells a different story. Low to Medium loses 24.1 FPS, but Medium to High collapses by 41.5 FPS. High and Ultra are nearly identical (58.4 vs 57.2), suggesting both presets hit the same architectural bottleneck — likely the GPU’s pixel throughput limits rather than any specific settings feature.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 is the closest rival, with an average benchmark score of 46971 versus the i7-13700K’s 46881 — a negligible 0.2% difference. This means any system with a Ryzen 9 5900 would produce nearly identical frame rates in Inside, assuming the same GPU. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (score 47022, -0.3% delta) and AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (score 46654, 0.5% delta) also fall within a fractional performance envelope, making them interchangeable for this game.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP offers the nearest match, with a score of 23061 versus the Arc B580’s 23021 — a 0.2% gap. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (score 22895, 0.6% delta) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (score 23172, -0.7% delta) are also statistically tied in average benchmarks, though their architectural differences could manifest in driver-specific behavior. The NVIDIA P106-100 (score 23249, -1% delta) rounds out the group, indicating that any of these cards would deliver comparable Inside performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K + Intel Arc B580 combination ranks 2804 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the 75th percentile of all systems in the database. This is a solid mid-to-upper tier result, but not a top performer. The ranking reflects the Arc B580’s 68th percentile standing among all GPUs, which drags the combo down despite the i7-13700K’s stronger 89th percentile CPU ranking. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a higher-tier GPU would yield a much better rank, while the current combo’s bottleneck is clearly the graphics card at higher resolutions.

The Verdict

This PC can run Inside at all tested resolutions, but with important caveats. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears 60 FPS, with Ultra delivering 127 FPS — a flawless experience. At 2560x1440, Ultra also remains playable at 93.6 FPS, making this the sweet spot for maximum visual fidelity. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium presets maintain 60 FPS, with Medium providing the best balance at 99.9 FPS. High and Ultra both fall below the threshold at 58.4 FPS and 57.2 FPS respectively, so 4K users must compromise on settings or accept slightly sub-60 frame rates. The verdict is clear: this system is excellent for 1080p and 1440p gaming, and capable at 4K only with reduced settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K Ultra settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 57.2, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings are required for 4K playability, delivering 99.9 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 deliver 93.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at this resolution exceed 60 FPS, with Low reaching 192.4 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from Medium to High at 4K?

A: The drop is substantial — from 99.9 FPS at Medium to 58.4 FPS at High, a loss of 41.5 FPS. This represents a 41.5% reduction in frame rate for one settings tier.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The CPU is the dominant factor at 1920x1080, given the i7-13700K’s strong multi-threaded performance. The GPU only becomes the primary bottleneck at 3840x2160, where the Arc B580’s pixel throughput limits frame rates.

Q: What other GPUs perform similarly to the Intel Arc B580 in this game?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 all have average benchmark scores within 1% of the Arc B580, making them likely to produce similar frame rates in Inside.

Q: Does the combo rank highly among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2804 out of 3716 total combos, placing it in the 75th percentile. This is a solid result, but the GPU’s 68th percentile ranking prevents the system from reaching higher tiers.