Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination delivers a decisive performance victory in Inside, clearing the 60 FPS threshold at every tested resolution and preset. The data shows this system is not merely playable but overwhelmingly capable, with average frame rates ranging from 106 FPS at 4K Ultra to 442 FPS at 1080p Low. This pairing operates in a performance tier where the primary constraint is display refresh rate, not hardware capability, making it a benchmark reference for this puzzle platformer.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combination both sit near the top of their respective performance curves, but their nearest rivals reveal interesting dynamics. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus achieves an average benchmark score of 84,003, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest competitor, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, scores 83,807, a delta of just 0.2 percent. This places the two Intel flagship parts essentially at parity, meaning users upgrading from the 285K to the 290K Plus would see negligible CPU-bound performance differences in Inside. The AMD EPYC 4584PX and AMD EPYC 9135 trail by 1.1 and 1.2 percent respectively, while the AMD EPYC 7F72 leads by 1.3 percent, though these server-class parts are not typical gaming alternatives.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 posts an average benchmark score of 40,377, ranking in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are a set of professional workstation cards: the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40,318, +0.1 percent), AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40,063, +0.8 percent), and AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40,870, -1.2 percent). The NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile trails by 2 percent. These deltas are all within a narrow band, indicating that in synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5070 performs similarly to these professional cards. However, for Inside specifically, the measured FPS data reflects the RTX 5070's gaming-oriented architecture, which excels in this title's rendering demands.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data across resolutions and presets clarifies which component dominates in Inside. At 1080p Low, the combination produces 442 FPS, while at 4K Low it drops to 222 FPS. This 50 percent reduction moving from 1080p to 4K at the same preset indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly stressed at higher resolutions, but the CPU maintains its ability to feed frames. The scaling between presets at a fixed resolution further isolates the GPU's role. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra drops performance from 442 to 234 FPS, a 47 percent reduction. At 4K, the same preset change drops performance from 222 to 106 FPS, a 52 percent reduction. This consistency suggests the GPU is the primary scaling factor across presets.

The resolution scaling reveals that Inside is heavily GPU-bound at higher settings. At 1440p Ultra, the system produces 168 FPS; at 4K Ultra, it drops to 106 FPS, a 37 percent reduction. The CPU's 24 cores and 24 threads with a 5.80 GHz boost clock provide ample headroom, as evidenced by the 1080p Low result of 442 FPS, which approaches the limits of typical display refresh rates. The data indicates that even at the most demanding 4K Ultra preset, the GPU is not bottlenecked by the CPU, as the frame rate remains well above playability thresholds. For users targeting 60 FPS, the CPU's role is effectively negligible; the GPU alone determines whether higher resolutions and presets remain fluid.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, the data shows all four presets at 3840x2160 are playable. The lowest average FPS at this resolution is 106 FPS at Ultra settings, which is 76 percent higher than the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 168 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that comfortably clears the threshold. Even the minimum FPS at Medium settings (240 FPS) is four times the playability threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5070 scores 40,377 on average, which is 0.1 percent ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and 0.8 percent ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100. It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 by 1.2 percent and leads the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile by 2 percent.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for performance in this game?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor. At 1080p Low, the system produces 442 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it drops to 106 FPS, a 76 percent reduction. This indicates the GPU's workload scales significantly with resolution and preset, while the CPU remains capable throughout.

Q: What frame rates can users expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 245 FPS. For context, this is more than four times the 60 FPS threshold, and it is 11 FPS higher than the 4K Ultra result, showing the performance headroom available at lower resolutions.

*Q: How does this combination rank among all tested systems for Inside?*

A: It ranks 356th out of 3,716 tested combinations, placing it in the top 10 percent of all systems evaluated for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 356th out of 3,716 tested combos for Inside, a position that places it in the top 9.6 percent of all systems. This ranking reflects the GPU's 82nd percentile standing among all GPUs and the CPU's 96th percentile among all CPUs. The substantial gap between the CPU's high percentile and the overall combo rank suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing, but the measured FPS data shows that even this "limitation" results in 106 FPS at 4K Ultra. The ranking also benefits from the game's release date in 2016, as Inside is a puzzle platformer with modest rendering demands that this modern hardware handles with ease. The data indicates that while this combo does not top the leaderboard, it sits comfortably in the upper echelon of performance, with headroom for future titles.

The Verdict

This PC can run Inside with exceptional authority. The verdict by resolution shows all settings are playable at every tested resolution. At 3840x2160, the playable settings include High, Low, Medium, and Ultra, with the best settings being Ultra at an average of 106 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four settings are also playable, with Ultra achieving 168 FPS. At 1920x1080, the system reaches 234 FPS at Ultra, and 442 FPS at Low. The 60 FPS playability threshold is cleared by a wide margin in every configuration, with the lowest recorded average being 106 FPS at 4K Ultra. Even the minimum FPS values at Medium settings — 151 FPS at 4K, 240 FPS at 1440p, and 334 FPS at 1080p — are all more than double the threshold. The data shows no configuration falls below 60 FPS, making this system a definitive overachiever for Inside.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 106 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available, and it still delivers nearly double the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings produce an average of 168 FPS, making it the best choice for maximum visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate that is 2.8 times the 60 FPS baseline.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings achieve 234 FPS on average. This represents the pinnacle of performance for this resolution, offering a frame rate that is nearly four times the playability threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate displays.