Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer. The measured data shows that this pairing is far more powerful than the game requires, with average frame rates exceeding 90 FPS at every tested resolution and preset combination.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combination produces its lowest—but still highly playable—results. The Ultra preset averages 95 FPS, while the High preset reaches 99 FPS. Dropping to Medium yields 159 FPS average, with a minimum of 135 FPS and a maximum of 183 FPS. The Low preset pushes performance to 199 FPS average, though no minimum or maximum values were recorded for that setting.

Stepping down to 2560x1440 (1440p) shows a substantial performance increase. The Ultra preset averages 151 FPS, and High settings reach 158 FPS. The Medium preset delivers 253 FPS average, with a minimum of 215 FPS and a maximum of 291 FPS. At Low settings, the average climbs to 317 FPS.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the results are extraordinary. Even the most demanding Ultra preset averages 210 FPS, while High settings hit 220 FPS. The Medium preset produces 352 FPS average, with a minimum of 299 FPS and a maximum of 405 FPS. The Low preset reaches 430 FPS average—the highest recorded figure in the dataset.

The pattern across resolutions is consistent: frame rates scale downward as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop is relatively modest. Comparing the Ultra preset across resolutions, 1080p delivers 210 FPS, 1440p delivers 151 FPS, and 4K delivers 95 FPS. This represents a roughly 28% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and another 37% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar trend: 352 FPS at 1080p, 253 FPS at 1440p, and 159 FPS at 4K.

Minimum frame rates were only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution. The 1080p minimum of 299 FPS remains far above the playable threshold, while the 1440p minimum of 215 FPS and the 4K minimum of 135 FPS also indicate consistent performance without severe drops. Maximum frame rates follow the same pattern, with the 1080p Medium preset peaking at 405 FPS, 1440p at 291 FPS, and 4K at 183 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the GPU is the primary performance limiter in Inside, but only at higher resolutions and presets. The scaling between resolutions provides insight into this relationship. At the Ultra preset, dropping from 4K to 1440p increases average FPS by 56 FPS (from 95 to 151). Dropping from 1440p to 1080p adds another 59 FPS (from 151 to 210). These substantial gains at lower resolutions suggest the RTX 3080's rendering load is the dominant factor at higher pixel counts.

However, at the Low preset, resolution scaling behaves differently. The jump from 4K to 1440p adds 118 FPS (from 199 to 317), and the jump from 1440p to 1080p adds 113 FPS (from 317 to 430). The larger absolute gains at low settings indicate that when the GPU is less burdened by visual effects, the system's frame delivery becomes more dependent on other factors. The Core Ultra 7 265, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, provides ample processing headroom—its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 places it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs.

The CPU's role becomes clearer when examining the gap between presets at a fixed resolution. At 4K, the difference between Low (199 FPS) and Ultra (95 FPS) is 104 FPS. At 1080p, the same preset gap is 220 FPS (from 430 to 210). The widening gap at lower resolutions shows that the CPU can push frame rates much higher when the GPU is not saturated. The Core Ultra 7 265's single-core performance, as indicated by its Cinebench R23 score of 5960, is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking this game's rendering pipeline.

Benchmark results suggest the RTX 3080 is the limiting component in most scenarios. Its PassMark G3D score of 25086 places it in the 68th percentile among all GPUs, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4407 reflects a capable mid-to-high-range card. The GPU's 10 GB of GDDR6X memory with 760.3 GB/s bandwidth is more than adequate for a game of Inside's visual complexity.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Inside at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 95 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict data confirms all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at 4K.

Q: What is the highest frame rate this combo can achieve?

A: The highest recorded average is 430 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The highest single frame value is 405 FPS as a maximum, recorded at 1080p with the Medium preset.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3080's average benchmark score of 23172 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249 (-0.3% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250 (-0.3%), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273 (-0.4%), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276 (-0.4%). All five GPUs perform within a fraction of a percent of each other.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 7 265 a strong performer relative to other CPUs?

A: Yes. Its 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, combined with an average benchmark score of 64640, indicates top-tier processing capability. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P, scores 64823 (-0.3% delta), while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F scores 64438 (+0.3% delta).

*Q: Which component matters more for performance in Inside?*

A: The GPU is the primary limiter, particularly at 4K resolution where the Ultra preset averages 95 FPS compared to 430 FPS at 1080p Low. The CPU's influence grows at lower resolutions and less demanding presets, where frame rates exceed the game's rendering demands.

Q: Does the game run smoothly even at its most demanding settings?

A: Yes. The minimum recorded frame rate across all tested configurations is 135 FPS, which occurred at 4K with the Medium preset. This minimum is more than double the 60 FPS playable threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can run Inside at every tested resolution and preset combination with frame rates far exceeding the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict data confirms that all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at every resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 95 FPS, making it the best playable setting. The High preset at 99 FPS and Medium at 159 FPS also provide excellent performance, with the Low preset reaching 199 FPS. The 4K results are particularly notable because even the most demanding setting clears the playable threshold by a wide margin.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 151 FPS, more than double the playable threshold. All presets deliver exceptional performance, with the Medium preset achieving 253 FPS average and a minimum of 215 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 210 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 430 FPS. This resolution offers the highest frame rates, with the Medium preset producing a minimum of 299 FPS and a maximum of 405 FPS.

The combination of the Core Ultra 7 265 and RTX 3080 is unequivocally capable of running Inside smoothly at any settings the player chooses. The weakest configuration—4K Ultra—still delivers 95 FPS, comfortably above the playability standard.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Core Ultra 7 265's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD EPYC 4464P (64823 average score, -0.3% delta), the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64438, +0.3% delta), the AMD EPYC 7343 (64202, +0.7% delta), and the AMD EPYC 9124 (65104, -0.7% delta). Any of these CPUs would deliver essentially identical processing performance in Inside, since the game's demands are well within the capabilities of all five processors.

For the GPU, the RTX 3080's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249 average score, -0.3% delta), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (23250, -0.3%), AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23273, -0.4%), and AMD Radeon R9 M290X (23276, -0.4%). These GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Inside, given their benchmark scores are within a fraction of a percent of the RTX 3080. However, the RTX 3080's 10 GB GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth provide additional headroom that these alternatives may lack in other titles.

A system using any of these comparable CPUs paired with any of these comparable GPUs would deliver the same playable experience at all resolutions and presets. The delta percentages are so small that they would translate to frame rate differences of less than one FPS in most scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 703rd out of 3716 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the top 19% of all systems tested for this game. The ranking reflects the high average frame rates across all resolutions and presets, driven largely by the RTX 3080's strong performance at 4K resolution.

The 703 rank is notable because it places this mid-range GPU pairing ahead of the majority of tested systems. Given that Inside is a lightweight title by modern standards, many high-end combinations would not be meaningfully faster—the game's frame rates are often limited by the engine's rendering logic rather than hardware capability. The Core Ultra 7 265's 93rd percentile CPU ranking contributes to this strong standing, as does the RTX 3080's 68th percentile GPU ranking.

Systems ranked above this combo likely feature higher-tier GPUs that can push even higher maximum frame rates at 1080p, but the practical difference is minimal. At 4K Ultra, this combo's 95 FPS average is already more than 50% above the playable threshold, so any additional performance would be imperceptible in actual gameplay.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 95 FPS. This is the highest preset available and provides the best visual quality while still delivering frame rates far above the playable threshold. The High preset offers 99 FPS and the Medium preset reaches 159 FPS, but the Ultra preset is the recommended choice since it achieves the playable target.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again provides the best balance, averaging 151 FPS. This represents the highest visual quality available while delivering frame rates more than double the 60 FPS threshold. Players seeking higher refresh rates could drop to the Medium preset for 253 FPS, but this is unnecessary for standard 60 Hz displays.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 210 FPS, making it the optimal choice. Even the most demanding settings produce frame rates that would fully utilize a 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitor. The Low preset reaches 430 FPS, which is only relevant for competitive play or extremely high refresh rate displays.

In all cases, the Ultra preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS. The system's performance headroom is so substantial that players can select the highest visual quality at any resolution without concern for playability. The minimum frame rate across all configurations is 135 FPS, which occurred at 4K with the Medium preset—more than double the playable threshold.