Inside

Inside is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer from 2016, and the measured frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 show a configuration that is heavily overqualified for the task. At 1080p, the combo produces frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most monitors, while at 4K, the data shows a performance curve that still remains comfortably playable. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, placing the results in the context of the broader hardware database.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo reveals a classic scaling pattern, but the absolute numbers are so high that the drop-off is less about playability and more about headroom. At 1080p with High settings, the average FPS is 148. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset drops the average to 107 FPS, which is a 27.7% reduction. Pushing further to 4K at High settings yields an average of 67 FPS, which is another 37.4% drop from the 1440p figure. In total, scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings reduces performance by approximately 54.7%. This is a steep decline, but it is important to note that the starting point is very high, so even the 4K result remains well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

The scaling pattern suggests a shift in the limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the primary constraint, as the GPU can render frames faster than the processor can feed it. This is evidenced by the 1080p Low setting hitting 297 FPS, which is an extreme frame rate that indicates the CPU is working hard to keep up. At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck, as the pixel count more than quadruples from 1080p, placing a much heavier load on the RTX 4060's rendering pipeline. The frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is significant: 134 FPS at Low versus 64 FPS at Ultra, showing that the GPU is highly sensitive to the graphics workload at this resolution.

Looking at the Medium preset data, we see the only rows with min and max FPS values, which provides insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the average is 237 FPS with a min of 202 and max of 273. The spread of 71 FPS suggests some occasional frame dips, but the minimum is still extraordinarily high. At 1440p Medium, the average is 171 FPS with a min of 145 and max of 196, showing a tighter spread of 51 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 107 FPS with a min of 91 and max of 123, resulting in a 32 FPS spread. The narrowing spread as resolution increases is notable; it indicates that at higher resolutions, the frame rate becomes more consistent relative to the average, likely because the GPU workload stabilizes the rendering pipeline. The 4K Medium min of 91 FPS is a strong result, proving that even with significant pixel pushing, this combo rarely stutters.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank within the database is 2237 out of 3716 tested combinations. This places it in the 40th percentile of all combos, meaning roughly 60% of tested configurations perform better in this specific game. On the surface, this might seem underwhelming for a combo featuring a discrete RTX 4060, but the context of the game's age and the database's content is crucial. Inside is a lightweight title, so a vast array of high-end desktop GPUs and CPUs will easily outpace this mobile-oriented combo. The rank reflects the absolute performance ceiling, not the value or efficiency of the setup.

However, the rank should be interpreted carefully. The RTX 4060 in this combo is a mobile part, with a TDP of 115 W, which is significantly constrained compared to desktop variants. The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is also a mobile processor, with a 28 W TDP. The combination of these two power-limited components yields a system that is designed for laptops, not desktops. Within the mobile segment, this rank is likely much more competitive. The data shows that the combo is capable of delivering 4K Ultra at 64 FPS, which is a feat that many mobile configurations would struggle to achieve in more demanding titles, but for Inside, it is more than sufficient.

The percentile ranking for the CPU alone is 81, which means the Core Ultra 5 135H outperforms 81% of all CPUs in the database based on its average benchmark score. The GPU's percentile is 61, indicating it outperforms 61% of all GPUs. The combo's rank of 2237 out of 3716 is lower than what those individual percentiles might suggest, which highlights how game-specific performance can differ from synthetic benchmarks. In a game like Inside, which is not graphically demanding, the CPU's relatively strong showing is partially mitigated, and the GPU's moderate percentile becomes the more limiting factor at higher resolutions. The rank is a holistic measure that accounts for the game's engine and its specific demands on the hardware.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the primary driver of frame rates at higher resolutions, and its specifications provide a clear picture of its capabilities. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. For a 2016 puzzle platformer, this memory configuration is more than adequate. Inside's textures and geometry are not particularly demanding, so the 8 GB frame buffer will not be a limiting factor at any of the tested settings. The memory clock runs at 2125 MHz, which translates to 17 Gbps effective, and this speed is sufficient to feed the GPU's processing units without creating a bottleneck.

The GPU's core clocks are listed as a base of 1830 MHz and a boost of 2460 MHz. These are high clock speeds that reflect the Ada Lovelace architecture's efficiency on a 5 nm process. The shading units number 3072, paired with 96 texture mapping units and 48 raster output units. This configuration delivers a texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s. In practical terms, these numbers mean the GPU has ample raw throughput to handle the side-scrolling visuals of Inside, even at 4K. The measured data supports this: at 4K High settings, the RTX 4060 averages 67 FPS, which is a solid result for a 4K resolution on a mobile GPU.

The GPU's ray tracing cores (24) and tensor cores (96) are present but largely irrelevant for Inside, as the game does not utilize such features. The DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is a forward-looking feature, but the game's engine will likely run on a more basic API path. The GPU's passmark G3D score is 19545, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 and the AMD Radeon 780M, with score deltas of -0.2% and +0.3% respectively. This indicates that the RTX 4060's performance is closely matched by a much older desktop card (HD 7790) and a modern integrated GPU (780M) in synthetic tests, but the measured FPS in Inside shows that the RTX 4060's driver optimizations and feature set deliver a smoother experience in practice.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 148. This is a very high frame rate, suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

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

A: Yes. At 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 64, which is just above the 60 FPS standard. Dropping to High settings raises the average to 67 FPS, and Medium settings yield 107 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 148 at 1080p to 67 at 4K, a reduction of approximately 54.7%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU becomes more of a limiting factor at 1080p, as the frame rates are extremely high (297 FPS at Low settings), indicating the GPU is waiting on the processor.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for a balance of quality and speed?

A: 1440p with Medium settings offers a strong balance, with an average FPS of 171, a minimum of 145, and a maximum of 196. This provides high visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, has a score of 17666, a delta of -0.2%, making them nearly identical in synthetic performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as it delivers an average of 141 FPS. This is high enough for most gaming monitors, and the visual fidelity of Ultra settings will be fully appreciated. The High preset at 1080p offers 148 FPS, which is a marginal increase of only 7 FPS over Ultra, so the visual upgrade from High to Ultra is essentially free in performance terms. The Medium preset at 237 FPS is overkill for any standard monitor, unless the user has a 240 Hz display, in which case it would be the only way to push the frame rate high enough to take advantage of it.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. It provides an average of 171 FPS with a minimum of 145 FPS, ensuring no noticeable frame drops. The High preset averages 107 FPS, which is still very smooth, but the jump to Medium yields a 59.8% increase in frame rate while the visual difference between High and Medium in a game like Inside is likely subtle. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 102 FPS, which is acceptable, but given that Medium is 69 FPS faster, the performance gain does not justify the minor visual compromise. For a 1440p 144 Hz monitor, Medium is the recommended setting to ensure the frame rate stays above the refresh rate cap.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the best recommendation for a balanced experience, delivering an average of 107 FPS. This is a high frame rate for 4K and will be fluid on most displays. The High preset drops to 67 FPS, which is still playable but not as smooth, and the Ultra preset at 64 FPS is barely above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 4K averages 134 FPS, but the visual quality loss is substantial, making it a poor trade-off. The data suggests that Medium at 4K offers the best combination of visual fidelity and performance, with a minimum FPS of 91, ensuring that the experience remains fluid even in demanding scenes.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on a 7 nm process. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. For Inside, a game that is not particularly CPU-intensive, this processor is more than capable. The measured frame rates at 1080p Low settings reaching 297 FPS indicate that the CPU is not a bottleneck in most scenarios. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample fast storage for the game's code and data, reducing latency and ensuring smooth frame delivery.

The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and a single-core score of 1700. Its Passmark multithread score is 22422, and its single-thread score is 3521. These numbers place the CPU in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, which is a high ranking. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, with a delta of -0.1%, meaning the Core Ultra 5 135H is essentially performance-equivalent to that desktop part in synthetic benchmarks. In the context of Inside, this means the CPU is unlikely to cause any frame rate issues.

However, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions where frame rates are extremely high. At 1080p, the CPU's ability to process game logic and issue draw calls becomes the limiting factor. The jump from 297 FPS at Low to 237 FPS at Medium and 148 FPS at High is not solely due to GPU load; the CPU's single-thread performance is being tested. The boost clock of 4.60 GHz helps in this regard, providing the necessary speed for single-threaded tasks. The 14 cores and 18 threads are overkill for Inside, but they ensure that background tasks and the operating system do not interfere with the game's performance. Overall, the CPU is a strong partner for the RTX 4060, providing more than enough headroom for this title.