Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a highly specific performance profile in Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. The recorded data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings, but with a sharp ceiling at higher graphical loads. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the division of labor between the CPU and GPU, and the optimal ways to configure the game for a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data for this combination covers three resolutions and four settings presets, with a clear pattern emerging across the board. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest results. On Low settings, the average FPS reaches 141, providing a massive headroom above the 60 FPS playability threshold. Moving up to Medium, the average drops to 113 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS. High settings produce an average of 70 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 67 FPS. All four presets at 1080p clear the 60 FPS line, making this resolution fully playable across the entire settings range.

At 2560x1440, the performance becomes more constrained. Low settings deliver a strong 101 FPS average, and Medium settings follow with 81 FPS, a minimum of 69 FPS, and a maximum of 93 FPS. High settings, however, drop to 51 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings are even more demanding, producing an average of just 48 FPS. This marks a clear dividing line at 1440p: Low and Medium are playable, while High and Ultra are not.

The 3840x2160 results show the most significant strain. Low settings manage an average of 64 FPS, barely clearing the playability threshold. Medium settings drop to 51 FPS, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS, indicating noticeable frame pacing issues. High settings average 32 FPS, and Ultra settings average just 30 FPS. At 4K, only the Low preset remains viable for consistent gameplay.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings costs roughly 20 to 30 percent of the frame rate, and each resolution increase imposes a similar penalty. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial at every resolution, ranging from 74 FPS at 1080p to 34 FPS at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals how this game distributes its workload. At 1080p, the system produces frame rates as high as 141 FPS on Low settings, which indicates that the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and a single-core score of 2085. These figures place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, suggesting that processing power is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

As the resolution increases to 1440p and then 4K, the frame rates drop proportionally, which points to the GPU becoming the limiting factor. The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution with 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is a low-end part, and the data reflects that: at 4K Ultra, the system only manages 30 FPS, a clear sign that the GPU is saturated.

The settings presets further clarify the division. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 74 FPS, a substantial gap that suggests both CPU and GPU are contributing to the workload. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 34 FPS, a smaller absolute gap but a much larger percentage drop. The GPU's pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are modest figures, and they align with the observed performance collapse at higher resolutions.

In practical terms, the CPU is more than capable of handling Inside at any resolution. The bottleneck is entirely on the GPU side, particularly when the resolution exceeds 1440p or when High and Ultra presets are enabled. The game's puzzle platformer nature means it does not rely on heavy physics or complex AI, so the CPU's single-thread performance of 2085 in Cinebench R23 is more than sufficient. The recorded data shows that the system's frame rate is dictated by the GPU's fill rate and shader throughput, not by processor limitations.

Best Settings per Resolution

The playable threshold for this analysis is 60 FPS, and the best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average at or above that mark.

At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the threshold, so the best settings are Ultra, which delivers an average of 67 FPS. This provides the highest visual quality while maintaining a comfortable margin above the playability line. The minimum FPS is not recorded for this preset, but the average suggests stable performance.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are Medium, with an average of 81 FPS. This preset includes a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS, indicating that the frame rate stays consistently above 60 FPS throughout the session. High settings drop to 51 FPS, so Medium is the optimal choice for a smooth experience at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Low, with an average of 64 FPS. This is the only preset at 4K that reaches the playability threshold. The margin is slim, just 4 FPS above the 60 FPS line, so players should expect occasional dips below the threshold during demanding scenes. Medium settings average 51 FPS, which is not sufficient for consistent gameplay.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU each have nearby rivals in the database, and these alternatives would produce similar overall performance in Inside.

For the Intel Core Ultra 5 235, the nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, with a delta of 0.1 percent and an average benchmark score of 46030 versus 46062 for the Intel part. The Intel Core i9-13900HX is also close, with a delta of -0.1 percent and a score of 46098. The AMD EPYC 4364P and AMD EPYC 7303 are further afield but still within 0.2 percent. These CPUs all deliver comparable processing power, so swapping between them would yield nearly identical frame rates in Inside, which is not a CPU-intensive title.

For the Intel Arc B370, the nearest rival is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, with a delta of -0.2 percent and a score of 1186 versus 1184 for the Intel GPU. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 is also close, with a delta of -0.5 percent and a score of 1190. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M and AMD FirePro M2000 round out the group, with deltas of -0.7 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively. These GPUs all sit in the same performance tier, so they would produce similar FPS numbers at each resolution and settings preset. The 3DMark Steel Nomad scores are nearly identical, suggesting that the GPU bottleneck would manifest at the same points.

The composite picture is a system where the CPU is far above the GPU in relative performance, and the overall experience in Inside will be dictated by the graphics solution. Any of the listed rival GPUs would behave similarly, meaning the same settings recommendations would apply.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows that this PC can run Inside, but the playability depends heavily on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS on every preset, with Ultra settings averaging 67 FPS. This is the recommended resolution for the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 2560x1440, Medium settings average 81 FPS, and the frame rate stays above 60 FPS throughout, making this a viable option for players with 1440p displays. At 3840x2160, only Low settings reach 60 FPS, averaging 64 FPS, which leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p is fully playable at all settings, 1440p is playable at Low and Medium, and 4K is playable only at Low. The system is not suited for High or Ultra settings at 1440p or above, as the frame rates fall to 51 FPS and below. For a puzzle platformer like Inside, which does not require fast reflexes, even 30 FPS at 4K Ultra might be tolerable, but the data shows that the 60 FPS threshold is the benchmark for a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this system ranks 3422 out of 3716 for Inside. This places it in the bottom 8 percent of all tested combos, a low position that reflects the GPU's limited capabilities. The CPU is a strong performer, ranking in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU's 5th percentile ranking drags the overall combination down. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is a clear indicator of the GPU's position in the hierarchy, and the measured frame rates align with that assessment.

The ranking suggests that most other tested systems would outperform this combo in Inside, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The system's strength lies in its 1080p performance, where it can max out the game, but it falls behind at 1440p and 4K. For players who prioritize resolution over graphical fidelity, the Low preset at 4K is the only option, and it delivers a marginal 64 FPS average. The combination of a high-end CPU and a low-end GPU creates an unbalanced system that is best suited for 1080p gaming.