Inside

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers a performance profile in Inside that is heavily dictated by resolution and settings, with the data showing a clear transition from CPU-bound behavior at lower resolutions to GPU-bound behavior at 4K. At 1080p with Low settings, the combination produces 268 FPS, which is more than double the 124 FPS achieved at 4K Low, indicating that the graphics card becomes a significant limiter as pixel count rises. The scaling pattern reveals that while the CPU has ample headroom to push high frame rates, the Arc B580’s capabilities cap the upper bounds of performance, particularly when visual fidelity is increased.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data illustrates a predictable yet steep decline as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop varies dramatically based on the selected settings. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 268 FPS at 1920x1080 to 192.4 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 28%, and then further down to 124 FPS at 3840x2160, which is a 54% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This indicates that even at the lowest graphical preset, the Intel Arc B580 struggles to maintain the same level of throughput when the pixel count quadruples, though the numbers remain highly playable.

For Medium settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is from 215.4 FPS to 153.3 FPS, a 29% decline, and then to 99.9 FPS at 4K, representing a 54% reduction from 1080p. The pattern is nearly identical in relative terms to Low, suggesting that the scaling penalty is consistent regardless of the preset. High settings show a more pronounced absolute drop: 135 FPS at 1080p, 99.5 FPS at 1440p (a 26% decline), and 58.4 FPS at 4K (a 57% drop from 1080p). This sharper fall at 4K High suggests that the combination of increased resolution and higher-quality shading pushes the GPU closer to its limits.

Ultra settings exhibit the most constrained performance, with 127 FPS at 1080p, 93.6 FPS at 1440p (a 26% decline), and 57.2 FPS at 4K (a 55% drop). The fact that 4K Ultra and 4K High produce nearly identical results (57.2 vs 58.4 FPS) indicates that the Arc B580 is saturated at this resolution, with the additional Ultra effects providing minimal visual benefit relative to the performance cost. The data suggests that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p, where the i7-13700K can fully stretch its legs, to the GPU at 4K, where the B580’s 13.67 TFLOPS compute capability becomes the primary bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo in Inside?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 268, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the peak performance of the Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B580 combination in this game.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to its nearest rival in raw benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon 760M (22999) and 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA P106-100 (22950). It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 by 0.7%, which scores 23181.

Q: Is the i7-13700K significantly ahead of its closest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, placing it 0.1% behind the Intel Core i7-13700KF (47334) and 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4364P (47131). The differences are minimal, with the largest gap being 0.5% vs the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Inside?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, the average FPS is 58.4, and at 4K Ultra it is 57.2, both of which are playable. However, dropping to 4K Low yields 124 FPS, showing that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 268 FPS while Ultra settings produce 127 FPS, representing a 53% reduction in frame rate. This indicates that the Ultra preset roughly halves performance compared to Low.

Q: How does the combo rank among tested systems for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1287th out of 1671 tested combinations in Inside, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU’s moderate performance relative to other systems.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its 30 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory position it as a high-end desktop part, and its benchmark results confirm substantial compute headroom. In Cinebench R23, the processor scores 39000 in multi-core and 5505 in single-core, while Geekbench shows 17731 multi-core and 2850 single-core. These figures demonstrate that the CPU is far from being a bottleneck in Inside, a puzzle platformer that does not require extreme thread utilization.

The game’s frame rates at 1080p Low (268 FPS) and 1080p Medium (215.4 FPS) suggest that the i7-13700K can feed frames far beyond what the Arc B580 can render at higher resolutions. The 3DMark scores reinforce this: 12412 with max threads and 1136 single-thread indicate strong per-core performance, which is critical for games that rely on a single main thread. The PassMark single-thread score of 4333 further supports the notion that the CPU is well-suited for this title. However, at 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes, as the frame rate drops to 57-58 FPS regardless of whether High or Ultra settings are used, pointing to the GPU as the constraining factor. The data shows that the processor’s capabilities are only fully utilized when the GPU is not overwhelmed, which occurs at 1080p or when settings are lowered to reduce pixel shader load.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and frame rate depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 215.4 FPS, which is well above the threshold for high refresh-rate displays, while High settings still provide 135 FPS. Ultra at 1080p drops to 127 FPS, a modest 6% reduction from High, making it a viable choice for users who prioritize image fidelity, though the difference between High and Ultra is relatively small in performance terms. For most users, High at 1080p offers the best compromise, with 135 FPS and improved visuals over Medium.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset achieves 153.3 FPS, which is ideal for smooth gameplay, while High produces 99.5 FPS and Ultra drops to 93.6 FPS. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for 1440p, as it retains high frame rates while avoiding the steep 35% performance penalty from Medium to High. For 4K, the situation is more constrained: High and Ultra yield nearly identical results (58.4 and 57.2 FPS, respectively), while Medium provides a substantial boost to 99.9 FPS. Given that the visual difference between Medium and High on a 4K display may be less perceptible due to pixel density, the Medium preset at 4K is the recommended choice for achieving a comfortable 60+ FPS experience. Low settings at 4K reach 124 FPS, but the reduction in graphical fidelity is likely too severe for a title like Inside, which relies on atmospheric presentation.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B580 ranks 1287th out of 1671 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the 23rd percentile of all systems. This ranking is notably lower than what the CPU’s individual performance might suggest, as the i7-13700K sits in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs. The disparity is explained by the GPU’s more modest standing: the Arc B580 ranks in the 66th percentile among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 23021 is only 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon 760M and 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA P106-100. The combo’s rank reflects that while the processor is a top-tier component, the graphics card holds back the overall system in this specific game.

Compared to the nearest GPU rivals, the Arc B580’s performance is closely matched with the RTX 4060, which scores 23181 (0.7% higher), and the RTX 4060 Mobile, which scores 22729 (1.3% lower). This indicates that the B580 is a mid-range graphics solution, and the measured FPS in Inside aligns with that positioning. The combo’s rank of 1287 out of 1671 means that a majority of tested systems deliver higher frame rates in this game, likely due to more powerful GPUs. However, the absolute frame rates remain playable across most settings, and the ranking should be interpreted in the context of the entire database, which includes high-end configurations with significantly more expensive graphics cards.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system achieves 268 FPS on Low settings, 215.4 FPS on Medium, 135 FPS on High, and 127 FPS on Ultra. The delta between Low and Medium is 52.6 FPS, while the drop from Medium to High is 80.4 FPS, indicating that High settings impose a substantial load increase. From High to Ultra, the reduction is only 8 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at the highest preset. At 2560x1440, the results are 192.4 FPS (Low), 153.3 FPS (Medium), 99.5 FPS (High), and 93.6 FPS (Ultra). The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with Low dropping by 75.6 FPS, Medium by 62.1 FPS, High by 35.5 FPS, and Ultra by 33.4 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the 4K results show 124 FPS (Low), 99.9 FPS (Medium), 58.4 FPS (High), and 57.2 FPS (Ultra). The 4K Low figure is still respectable, but the drop from Medium to High is 41.5 FPS, which is the steepest single-settings jump across all resolutions. Notably, 4K High and 4K Ultra are nearly identical, with a difference of just 1.2 FPS, reinforcing that the GPU is fully saturated at this resolution. The data reveals a clear hierarchy: lower resolutions and settings favor the CPU, while 4K and higher presets expose the GPU’s limits. For users seeking a consistent 60 FPS experience, 4K Medium is the highest quality setting that reliably exceeds this threshold, while 1440p allows for High settings without compromising smoothness.