Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT combination delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer. The measured frame rates are extraordinarily high across all tested resolutions and settings, indicating that this pairing is far more powerful than the game's requirements demand. The data shows a system capable of maxing out high-refresh-rate displays even at 4K, with the primary bottleneck shifting between the CPU and GPU depending on the resolution and preset selected.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features a 20 MB shared L3 cache, alongside 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 per core, and supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus providing 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth.

In the context of Inside, a game that relies heavily on physics simulation and entity updates, the CPU's single-thread performance is the dominant factor. The processor's boost clock of 4.90 GHz is the key specification here. The benchmark scores support this: a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4412 place it in the 85th percentile against all CPUs. This high single-core throughput ensures that the game's main thread rarely becomes a limiting factor.

The multi-threaded capability, while not as critical for this title, is still substantial. A Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a Passmark multithread score of 30459 demonstrate that the 10 cores can handle background tasks without interfering with game performance. The processor's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct 0), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (deltaPct -0.2), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (deltaPct -0.4), and Intel Core i9-12900T (deltaPct -0.5). These rivals are all within 0.5% of the Core Ultra 5 225's average score, indicating that the CPU's overall compute performance is competitive with these parts, though the gaming-specific advantage comes from its high single-core boost clock.

The data reveals that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 404 FPS. This extremely high frame rate suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls to exceed 400 frames per second. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 89 FPS, a 78% reduction from the 1080p Low figure. This massive drop is primarily due to the GPU becoming the limiting factor at higher resolutions, but the CPU's role remains foundational in ensuring the frame rate does not collapse entirely. The CPU's integrated graphics, Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU, are not relevant here as the discrete GPU handles all rendering.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is a high-end graphics card based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, featuring the Navi 32 chip built on a 5 nm process. It has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is 2430 MHz, with a game clock of 2124 MHz. It houses 3840 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, along with 60 RT cores.

The 16 GB VRAM is a significant asset for Inside, though the game's visual style is relatively modest. The measured frame rates show that VRAM capacity is not a constraint at any tested setting, as even the highest 4K Ultra preset maintains an average of 89 FPS. The GPU's raw compute power, rated at 37.32 TFLOPS FP32, is more than sufficient to render the game's 2.5D environments and lighting effects at very high speeds.

The GPU's benchmark scores, while not directly tied to gaming, provide context on its overall capability. A Passmark G3D score of 24176 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4157 indicate strong DirectX 12 performance, which is the API used by the game. The GPU's average benchmark score places it in the 51st percentile against all GPUs, with its nearest rivals being the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (deltaPct -0.5), AMD Radeon Pro 5500M (deltaPct 0.9), NVIDIA Tesla K20c (deltaPct 1.3), and AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (deltaPct -1.8). These rivals are all significantly less powerful in modern gaming scenarios, which highlights that the RX 7800 XT's percentile rank is skewed by the inclusion of many older or specialized cards in the benchmark database.

The GPU's role is clearly demonstrated by the frame rate scaling. At 1080p High, the system hits 208 FPS, but at 4K High, it drops to 94 FPS. This 54.8% reduction in performance when moving from 1080p to 4K is the direct result of the GPU's pixel-pushing workload increasing fourfold. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s is a crucial specification for maintaining high frame rates at 4K, as the game's texture streaming and buffer operations benefit from this high throughput. The boost clock of 2430 MHz allows the GPU to reach its maximum performance in short bursts, which is beneficial for maintaining high average frame rates in a game with varied scene complexity.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that points to the GPU as the primary limiter at higher resolutions, while the CPU becomes more relevant at lower ones. Starting at 1080p Low, the system achieves 404 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 299 FPS, a 26% reduction. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 188 FPS, a further 37% reduction from 1440p. This scaling is roughly linear with the pixel count increase, confirming that the GPU is the limiting component when the CPU is not stressed.

However, the scaling pattern changes with higher settings. At 1080p Ultra, the system delivers 198 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 142 FPS (a 28% reduction), and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 89 FPS (a 37% reduction from 1440p). The fact that the percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is similar at both Low and Ultra settings suggests that the GPU is consistently the bottleneck at these resolutions, regardless of the graphics load.

The data indicates that the CPU's limit is reached somewhere above 300 FPS. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 404 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's maximum frame rate capability for this game. When the GPU workload is reduced at 1080p Low, the CPU must process more frames per second, and the 404 FPS figure represents the upper bound of the CPU's ability to issue draw calls and update game logic. At 1440p Low, the GPU takes slightly longer to render each frame, dropping the frame rate to 299 FPS, which is still well above the CPU's limit. At 4K Low, the GPU's render time increases further, resulting in 188 FPS.

The limiting component analysis is most evident when comparing the Medium preset across resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system achieves 332 FPS (with a minimum of 282 FPS). At 1440p Medium, it drops to 239 FPS (minimum 203 FPS), and at 4K Medium, it falls to 150 FPS (minimum 128 FPS). The consistent reduction in both average and minimum frame rates as resolution increases confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor in all Medium preset scenarios. The CPU's high single-thread performance ensures that frame pacing remains stable, as evidenced by the relatively narrow gap between average and minimum FPS at each resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ranks 696th out of 2887 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the top 24.1% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing for a game that is not particularly demanding on modern hardware. The rank is based on the average FPS across all measured settings and resolutions, and the high frame rates achieved by this combo contribute to its solid standing.

The combo's rank is likely held back by the fact that many other tested systems use higher-end GPUs such as the RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX, which can push frame rates even higher in a game that is not GPU-bound at lower resolutions. However, the data shows that this combo is capable of exceeding 400 FPS at 1080p Low, which is more than sufficient for any current display technology. The rank of 696 out of 2887 indicates that there are 695 combos that perform better, but the vast majority of those likely use significantly more expensive components.

When considering the CPU's percentile rank of 85 against all CPUs and the GPU's percentile rank of 51 against all GPUs, the combo's overall rank of 696 makes sense. The CPU is in the top 15% of all processors, while the GPU is in the top 49% of all graphics cards. However, the GPU's percentile is skewed by the inclusion of many workstation and entry-level cards. In gaming-specific terms, the RX 7800 XT is a high-end part, and its performance in Inside reflects that. The combo's rank confirms the balance between the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's ample rasterization power for a game of this era.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded at 1920x1080 is 404, achieved with the Low settings preset. The Medium preset delivers 332 FPS, High delivers 208 FPS, and Ultra delivers 198 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 89 FPS. The data indicates the GPU is the limiting component at this resolution, as the frame rate scales down proportionally with the increased pixel count.

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

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 208. At 4K High, the average FPS drops to 94. This represents a 54.8% reduction in frame rate when quadrupling the resolution.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 shows a minimum FPS of 203, with an average of 239 and a maximum of 275. This indicates stable frame pacing with no significant drops.

Q: How does this combo's rank compare to other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 696th out of 2887 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the top 24.1% of all tested systems, indicating above-average performance for this game.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM on the GPU ever become a limiting factor?

A: No. The measured data shows that the highest settings (Ultra at 4K) still achieve 89 FPS, and there are no indications of VRAM-related stuttering or frame drops across any resolution or preset tested.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for different display refresh rates. For a 60 Hz display, the Ultra preset at 4K is fully viable, delivering an average of 89 FPS with no minimum FPS recorded. This provides a significant visual quality boost over High settings, which only achieve 94 FPS at the same resolution.

For 144 Hz displays at 1440p, the High preset is the best choice, delivering 149 FPS average. While the Medium preset achieves 239 FPS, the visual quality difference between Medium and High is substantial, and the High preset still comfortably exceeds the 144 Hz refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 1440p delivers 142 FPS, which is just below the 144 Hz threshold and may result in occasional screen tearing if V-Sync is enabled.

For 240 Hz displays at 1080p, the High preset is the recommended option, achieving 208 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 332 FPS, which would allow for a 300 Hz display to be fully utilized, but the visual fidelity loss from High to Medium is noticeable in a game with detailed art direction like Inside. The Ultra preset at 1080p delivers 198 FPS, which is slightly below the 240 Hz refresh rate but still provides a smooth experience.

The Low preset is not recommended for any scenario, as it delivers frame rates that far exceed any display's refresh rate capability (404 FPS at 1080p) while significantly degrading visual quality. The data shows that the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance headroom for users with high-refresh-rate displays, while the High preset is optimal for standard 144 Hz monitors. For 4K users, the Ultra preset is recommended as it maintains playable frame rates while maximizing the game's visual presentation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the complete set of measured frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT in Inside.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 404, with no minimum or maximum values recorded. The Medium preset delivers an average of 332 FPS, with a minimum of 282 and a maximum of 382. The High preset achieves an average of 208 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 198 FPS. These figures demonstrate that the system is capable of exceeding 400 FPS at the lowest settings, while the Ultra preset still maintains nearly 200 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 299. The Medium preset delivers an average of 239 FPS, with a minimum of 203 and a maximum of 275. The High preset achieves an average of 149 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 142 FPS. The frame rates at 1440p show a 26% reduction from 1080p at Low settings, and a 28% reduction at Ultra settings, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 188. The Medium preset delivers an average of 150 FPS, with a minimum of 128 and a maximum of 173. The High preset achieves an average of 94 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 89 FPS. The 4K results show that even at the highest settings, the combo maintains a playable frame rate above 60 FPS, with the Medium preset providing a particularly smooth experience with a minimum of 128 FPS.

The data highlights the scaling efficiency of the system. Moving from 1080p Low to 4K Low results in a 53.5% frame rate reduction, while moving from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra results in a 55.1% reduction. This consistency suggests that the GPU's workload scales predictably with resolution, and there are no unexpected performance cliffs or driver-level bottlenecks. The Medium preset across all resolutions shows the most complete data set, with minimum and maximum FPS values, indicating stable performance with no significant frame time spikes.