Inside

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus sits in a tightly contested performance tier. Its average benchmark score of 93,785 places it within 2.1 percent of three EPYC server processors and one Xeon part. The nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6520P, scores 93,786, a delta of 0 percent, meaning the two chips are effectively identical in aggregate compute performance. The AMD EPYC 4564P scores 95,183, which is 1.5 percent higher, while the EPYC 9175F reaches 95,615, or 1.9 percent above. The largest gap in this group belongs to the AMD EPYC 4565P at 95,764, a 2.1 percent advantage. For workloads that rely on multi-threaded throughput, a system built around any of these three EPYC parts would produce nearly indistinguishable frame pacing from the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, given similar memory configurations.

On the graphics side, the Intel Arc B390 occupies a much lower performance stratum. Its only recorded DirectX 12 benchmark, 3DMark Steel Nomad, yields a score of 1,482. The closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1,463, a 1.3 percent deficit. The GeForce 800M trails by 1.5 percent with 1,460, the GT 625 OEM by 2.5 percent with 1,446, and the GT 710 by 2.7 percent with 1,443. This cluster of legacy mobile and entry-level desktop GPUs means that, in raw 3D throughput, the Arc B390 behaves like a very old low-end part. Any of these four rivals would produce similar average frame rates in Inside, though the Arc B390 does offer modern API support that these older parts lack. The data indicates the CPU is a top-tier component while the GPU is a severe bottleneck in this pairing.

CPU and GPU Roles

Inside is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer, and the recorded measurements show that the graphics processor dominates performance scaling. The game is not compute-heavy, so the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, with its 96th percentile standing among all CPUs, is never the limiting factor. The Arc B390, however, sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, and its limited shading units and memory bandwidth define the frame rate ceiling.

The resolution scaling confirms this. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Medium settings drops the average frame rate from 125 to 90, a 28 percent reduction. Moving further to 3840x2160 at Medium brings the average down to 56, a 38 percent drop from 1440p. The GPU load scales directly with pixel count, while the CPU has ample headroom at every step. At High settings, the pattern repeats: 78 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows 74 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. The consistent halving of frame rates as resolution quadruples points entirely at the GPU.

The preset scaling within a single resolution further isolates the GPU as the primary actor. At 1080p, Low runs at 156 FPS, Medium at 125, High at 78, and Ultra at 74. The CPU can feed all of these settings without strain, as even the most demanding preset only requires moderate draw calls for a 2D side-scroller. At 4K, Low produces 70 FPS, Medium drops to 56, High to 35, and Ultra to 34. The steep cliff between Low and Medium at 4K suggests the Arc B390 runs out of fill rate or shading capacity once texture filtering and lighting effects increase beyond the minimum. For this game and this combo, the GPU is the decisive component at every resolution, and the CPU choice is essentially irrelevant to the outcome.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the lowest preset delivers an average of 156 FPS, well beyond any display refresh rate likely paired with this system. Medium reduces the average to 125 FPS, with a minimum of 106 and a maximum of 144. High drops to 78 FPS on average. Ultra, the most demanding setting, still holds 74 FPS average. All four presets clear the 60 FPS playable threshold, and the minimum recorded value across any 1080p preset is 106 FPS at Medium, so frame dips stay comfortably above the threshold.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 112 FPS. Medium averages 90 FPS with a recorded minimum of 76 and maximum of 103. High falls to 56 FPS, just under the 60 FPS line, and Ultra averages 53 FPS. The playable presets at this resolution are Low and Medium only. The Medium preset has a minimum of 76 FPS, which provides a safety margin, but High drops below the threshold on average. There are no recorded minimum or maximum values for High, Low, or Ultra at 1440p, so frame consistency for those presets cannot be assessed from the database.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 70 FPS, which is playable. Medium averages 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 65, meaning even the peak frame rate barely crosses the threshold while the minimum falls well below it. High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 34 FPS, both far from playable. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 14 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 21 FPS, indicating that the High preset adds a disproportionately heavy workload for the Arc B390. The 4K Medium minimum of 48 FPS and maximum of 65 FPS also shows high variance, a sign that the GPU is struggling to maintain consistent frame pacing under load.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this CPU and GPU combination at 3,296 out of 3,716 tested combos for Inside. That places it in the bottom 11.3 percent of all recorded systems. This is a low ranking, but the game itself is light enough that the ranking does not tell the full story. The bottom quarter of this list likely contains many systems that still play the game at 60 FPS on lower settings, because Inside is not a demanding title. The ranking reflects the Arc B390's weak absolute performance rather than any deficiency in the game's optimization.

The CPU's 96th percentile standing does little to lift the combo rank, because the GPU drags the overall result down. In a game where the CPU has negligible influence, a top-tier processor paired with a bottom-tier GPU produces a mid-pack or lower outcome. The 3,296 rank is consistent with the GPU's 9th percentile: most tested combos in the database include a stronger graphics card. Systems ranked above this one likely pair mid-range CPUs with entry-level discrete GPUs that still outperform the Arc B390, while systems ranked below it probably use integrated graphics from older generations. For the specific purpose of running Inside at 1080p, this combo performs better than its rank suggests, but at 4K it falls into the lower quartile of playable configurations.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Inside at 1920x1080 with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 74 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets at 1080p, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, average above 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset is the best choice at 1440p, averaging 90 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS. High and Ultra at this resolution average 56 FPS and 53 FPS respectively, both below the playable threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: Only at the Low preset, which averages 70 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 56 FPS, below the threshold, and High and Ultra average 35 FPS and 34 FPS, which are not playable.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1,463, 1.3 percent lower, the GeForce 800M scores 1,460, 1.5 percent lower, the GT 625 OEM scores 1,446, 2.5 percent lower, and the GT 710 scores 1,443, 2.7 percent lower.

Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus bottleneck the Arc B390 in Inside?

A: No. The CPU sits at the 96th percentile among all tested processors, and the recorded frame rates scale almost entirely with resolution and preset changes, which are GPU-driven. The GPU is the limiting component at every resolution.

Q: What are the minimum recorded frame rates for this combo?

A: The database only records minimum and maximum values for the Medium preset. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 106 FPS and the maximum is 144 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 76 FPS and the maximum is 103 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 48 FPS and the maximum is 65 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 74 FPS, so it is the recommended setting. It is the most demanding option and it still clears the 60 FPS threshold with room to spare. Users who prefer higher frame rates can drop to High for 78 FPS or Medium for 125 FPS, but Ultra is the best visual quality that remains playable.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 90 FPS and is the recommended setting. Low averages 112 FPS, but Medium offers better visual fidelity while keeping the average well above 60 FPS and the minimum at 76 FPS. High and Ultra do not reach the threshold, so they are not recommended at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 70 FPS and is the only playable option. Medium averages 56 FPS, which misses the threshold, and High and Ultra are far below at 35 FPS and 34 FPS. Users targeting 4K must accept the lowest preset to maintain smooth gameplay.

The Verdict

This system can run Inside, but the playable range is heavily constrained by the Intel Arc B390. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 74 FPS. This is the only resolution where the full visual experience is available. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium are playable, with Medium averaging 90 FPS and providing the best balance of quality and performance. At 3840x2160, only Low is playable, averaging 70 FPS. The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p Ultra works, 1440p Medium works, and 4K Low works. Anything more demanding at 1440p or 4K will drop below 60 FPS. The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has no trouble with this game, but the Arc B390 limits the system to low or medium settings at higher resolutions. For a puzzle platformer, the 1080p experience is smooth and fully playable, while 4K users must make significant visual sacrifices.