Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016 that is remarkably light on modern hardware, and the measured frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 reflect that. This combination produces exceptionally high performance across the board, making it clear that the game is never a strain on the system. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but transitions to a more balanced state at 1080p, where the CPU’s capabilities become more relevant to the final frame rate.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is the primary indicator of where the bottleneck lies in this configuration. Looking at the High preset, the average FPS at 1920x1080 is 241, which drops to 174 at 2560x1440, and then further down to 109 at 3840x2160. This represents a 55% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, a significant scaling factor that points directly at the GPU as the limiting component. The RTX 5090 is being pushed harder as pixel count increases, which is standard behavior.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. With the Low preset, the system achieves 319 FPS at 1080p, 286 FPS at 1440p, and 218 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is about 32%, which is less severe than on High. This suggests that at Low settings, the CPU is starting to play a more significant role in limiting performance at lower resolutions, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is small, but the jump to 4K still shows a clear GPU workload increase.

For the Medium preset, the measured averages are 294 FPS at 1080p, 264 FPS at 1440p, and 175 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 34%, indicating that the GPU is still the main constraint at that resolution. However, the difference between 1080p and 1440p is only 10%, showing that the CPU is likely capping performance at the lower resolution. The Ultra preset follows a similar trend with 230 FPS at 1080p, 165 FPS at 1440p, and 104 FPS at 4K, a 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

What this data indicates is that at 1080p, the Core Ultra 5 135H is often the limiting factor, as the GPU is powerful enough to render frames faster than the CPU can feed it. The frame rates at 1080p are all in the 230-319 FPS range, which is far beyond what most displays can show. At 1440p, the system is more balanced, and at 4K, the RTX 5090 is clearly the bottleneck, with the frame rate scaling almost linearly with pixel count. For a game like Inside, which is not graphically demanding, this means players with high refresh rate 1440p monitors will see the best balance of load between the CPU and GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this CPU and GPU combo in Inside?

A: The highest average frame rate is 319 FPS, which was measured at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 perform at 4K resolution with the High preset?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 109 FPS, which is still very smooth for this type of game.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 5 135H a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 in this game?

A: At 1080p, the data suggests it can be, as frame rates do not scale as much between Low and High presets compared to 4K. The 319 FPS at Low is only 25% higher than the 241 FPS at High, indicating a CPU limit is being approached.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: For the Medium preset at 2560x1440, the minimum FPS is 224 and the maximum FPS is 303, with an average of 264 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 218 FPS, which is 114 FPS higher than the Ultra preset's average of 104 FPS. This makes Low more than twice as fast as Ultra in terms of average frame rate.

Q: Which resolution and preset combination offers the most stable frame rate based on the available data?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 shows a minimum of 250 FPS and a maximum of 338 FPS, with an average of 294 FPS. The 88 FPS range between min and max is the smallest among the listed Medium presets, suggesting good stability at that resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a mobile processor with 14 cores and 18 threads, a configuration that is more than sufficient for a game like Inside. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz provide solid single-thread performance, which is often the most critical factor for game logic and frame pacing. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and a single-core score of 1700, place it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance.

In the context of Inside, the CPU’s role becomes most apparent at 1080p resolution. The game’s simple graphics mean that the GPU can render frames very quickly, and the CPU must keep up with the game’s physics and logic. The measured frame rates at 1080p show a pattern where the difference between Low and High settings is relatively small. For instance, the average FPS at Low is 319, while at High it is 241, a difference of 24%. This suggests that the CPU is starting to limit the maximum frame rate, as the GPU would likely be able to produce even higher numbers if the CPU could handle the workload.

The CPU’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth are also relevant. For a game with minimal asset streaming, this memory configuration is more than adequate. The data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor at 1440p or 4K, where the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. At 1440p, the High preset runs at 174 FPS, and at 4K it runs at 109 FPS, showing a clear GPU-driven scaling. The Core Ultra 5 135H is a capable mobile CPU that holds its own, but in this specific pairing, it is the weaker link only at the lowest resolution.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 135H has an average benchmark score of 29093, which is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (29123, deltaPct -0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (28940, deltaPct 0.5%). It is slightly behind the Intel Core i5-13500HX (29270, deltaPct -0.6%). This indicates that the CPU’s performance is in a similar class to these desktop and mobile parts, meaning its gaming performance is predictable and consistent. For a puzzle platformer, the CPU is never going to be a source of stutter or poor performance, as the game’s requirements are far below what this processor can deliver.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For players with a 1080p display, the High preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 241 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. The jump to Ultra only increases the average to 230 FPS, which is actually a 5% decrease, making High the better option for maximum frame rate and visual fidelity. The Low preset at 319 FPS is only necessary for competitive play on a 360Hz monitor, but the visual downgrade is not worth the small gain over High.

At 1440p, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience. It achieves an average of 264 FPS, with a minimum of 224 FPS and a maximum of 303 FPS. The High preset runs at 174 FPS, which is still excellent, but the Medium preset provides a 52% increase in average frame rate over High. Since Inside is a side-scrolling puzzle game with a dark, atmospheric art style, the visual differences between Medium and High are likely minimal, making Medium the sweet spot for high refresh rate gaming at this resolution.

For 4K, the High preset is the clear winner. It averages 109 FPS, which is smooth for a game like this. The Ultra preset runs at 104 FPS, which is nearly identical to High, suggesting that the Ultra preset is not worth the potential extra load on the GPU. The Medium preset at 4K runs at 175 FPS, which is far beyond what most 4K displays can show, but if a player has a 144Hz 4K monitor, the Medium preset ensures that frame rate is never a concern. The Low preset at 4K is unnecessary, as the High preset already provides a playable frame rate.

The data indicates that the High preset is the most efficient choice overall. It provides a consistent experience across all three resolutions, with frame rates that are always above 100 FPS. The Ultra preset offers only a marginal difference in visual quality at a significant performance cost at 1080p, and no benefit at 1440p or 4K. The Medium and Low presets are only recommended for players with extremely high refresh rate displays who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 806th out of 3716 tested combos in Inside. This puts it in the top 22% of all tested hardware combinations, which is a strong showing. The rank is influenced by the fact that the RTX 5090 is a high-end GPU, but the mobile CPU may prevent the combo from ranking higher. The data shows that the combo is not the absolute top performer, but it is certainly in the upper echelon.

The high rank is primarily due to the RTX 5090’s power. The GPU has an average benchmark score of 79842 and is in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its performance is closely matched by the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (deltaPct 0.3%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (deltaPct 1.1%). In contrast, the CPU is in the 81st percentile, which is still good, but it is not at the same level as the GPU. This imbalance means that in a game like Inside, which is not CPU-intensive, the combo still performs admirably.

The rank of 806 out of 3716 suggests that there are 805 other combinations that can achieve higher frame rates in Inside. This is likely due to the use of a mobile CPU, which may have thermal and power constraints that limit its sustained performance. However, for the purposes of this game, the rank is more than acceptable. The average frame rates are all above 100 FPS at 4K, which is a better result than most systems can achieve. The combo’s rank reflects the GPU’s strength, even when paired with a less powerful mobile processor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance for this combo. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 319 FPS. The Medium preset averages 294 FPS, with a minimum of 250 FPS and a maximum of 338 FPS. The High preset averages 241 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 230 FPS. This shows a clear trend where the average FPS decreases as the settings increase, with a 28% drop from Low to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 286 FPS. The Medium preset averages 264 FPS, with a minimum of 224 FPS and a maximum of 303 FPS. The High preset averages 174 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 165 FPS. The drop from Low to High is 39%, which is more significant than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a factor. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded min and max values, showing a range of 79 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 218 FPS. The Medium preset averages 175 FPS, with a minimum of 148 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS. The High preset averages 109 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 104 FPS. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets is 114 FPS, making Low more than twice as fast as Ultra. This is the largest relative difference between presets across all resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K.

The data reveals several key insights. First, the Medium preset consistently provides a significant boost over High and Ultra, with a 45% increase in average FPS at 1080p, 52% at 1440p, and 61% at 4K. Second, the High and Ultra presets are very close in performance, with less than 5% difference in average FPS at all resolutions. This suggests that the Ultra preset is not well optimized or offers minimal visual improvements. Third, the Low preset is the only one that breaks the 300 FPS barrier, achieving 319 FPS at 1080p. Overall, the combo is capable of running Inside at extremely high frame rates, with the only potential limitation being a display’s refresh rate.