Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that, on paper, should not stress modern hardware. Yet, the benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination reveals a title that scales dramatically with both resolution and settings, offering a fascinating look at how a well-optimized engine behaves on high-end components. The measured frame rates are exceptionally high across the board, but the relationship between the CPU, GPU, and the game's rendering load provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows that Inside is highly sensitive to resolution, but the severity of the impact depends heavily on the chosen graphics preset. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 404 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset drops the average to 356 FPS, a 12% reduction. The jump to 4K Low yields 224 FPS, which is a 37% reduction from the 1440p figure and a 45% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU is still doing significant work as pixel count increases.

The pattern shifts when examining higher quality presets. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 248 FPS at 1080p to 178 FPS at 1440p (a 28% decrease), and then to 112 FPS at 4K (a 37% decrease from 1440p). The Ultra preset follows a similar trajectory, with averages of 236, 170, and 107 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. The Medium preset is the only one with complete minimum and maximum data, showing an average of 373 FPS at 1080p with a minimum of 317 FPS, dropping to 285 FPS at 1440p and 179 FPS at 4K.

These numbers indicate that the limiting component shifts depending on the configuration. At 1080p Low, the frame rate is so high that the CPU likely becomes the primary bottleneck, as the GPU has relatively few pixels to render. The 404 FPS at 1080p Low versus the 356 FPS at 1440p Low shows the GPU is still scaling, but the 48 FPS difference is relatively small compared to the 132 FPS difference between 1440p Low and 4K Low. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is firmly in control of performance, while at 1080p, the CPU's ability to feed the GPU becomes more relevant.

The data reveals that 4K Ultra produces 107 FPS average, which is only 5 FPS lower than 4K High's 112 FPS. This small gap indicates that the Ultra preset adds visual features that are not particularly taxing on the GPU at this resolution, or that the game is hitting a performance ceiling elsewhere. Conversely, at 1080p, the difference between High (248 FPS) and Ultra (236 FPS) is just 12 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is limiting the maximum achievable frame rate more than the GPU's rendering capacity.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is a formidable piece of hardware, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 31 chip. Its specifications include 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1387 MHz, a game clock of 2025 MHz, and a boost clock of 2394 MHz. These clocks, combined with 5376 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 192 ROPs, position the card as a high-end solution, though its benchmark percentile of 55 places it in the middle of all GPUs in the database.

The VRAM capacity is substantial for a game like Inside, which is not known for massive texture loads. The 20 GB frame buffer is far more than the game requires at any resolution, meaning VRAM capacity is never a limiting factor in these measurements. Instead, the GPU's raw compute power and memory bandwidth determine performance. The measured results show the card is capable of delivering 4K Ultra at 107 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom for this title.

The GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is interesting. Its average benchmark score of 13745 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon 660M (13812, delta -0.5%) and the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13821, delta -0.5%). It sits slightly behind the AMD Radeon RX 570X (13871, delta -0.9%) but ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (13543, delta 1.5%). This positioning suggests that while the 7900 XT is a capable GPU, its overall benchmark score is not dramatically different from some integrated or mobile solutions, though the in-game performance tells a different story given the high frame rates achieved.

The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility ensure it is fully prepared for modern rendering APIs, though Inside is a title from 2016 and may not leverage all of these features. The pixel rate of 459.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 804.4 GTexel/s are more than sufficient to handle the game's visual output, as evidenced by the high average frame rates across all settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 107 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is well above the standard 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, indicating the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT handles the game's maximum visual fidelity at 4K without issue.

Q: What is the difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The average frame rate at 2560x1440 with High settings is 178 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 170 FPS. This represents an 8 FPS difference, which is approximately a 4.5% performance penalty for the additional visual features included in the Ultra preset. Both settings provide a very smooth experience.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The data suggests the CPU plays a larger role at 1080p Low. The system achieves 404 FPS at this configuration, which is an extremely high frame rate. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has a boost clock of 4.90 GHz and scores 3655 in Cinebench R23 single-core, providing strong single-threaded performance that is likely the limiting factor at such high frame rates.

Q: How does the Medium preset compare to Low at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 224 FPS, while Medium averages 179 FPS. The Medium preset also has a recorded minimum of 152 FPS and maximum of 206 FPS, providing a stable experience. The 45 FPS difference between Low and Medium shows a notable visual quality improvement with a still-very-high frame rate.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system if targeting 240 FPS?

A: At 1080p, both Low (404 FPS) and Medium (373 FPS) exceed 240 FPS, while High (248 FPS) and Ultra (236 FPS) are at or near that threshold. At 1440p, only Low (356 FPS) and Medium (285 FPS) exceed 240 FPS. For a consistent 240 FPS experience, 1080p with Medium or High settings appears to be the sweet spot.

Q: Does the game utilize the full 20 GB of VRAM on the RX 7900 XT?

A: The measured data does not report VRAM usage, but given the game's release date of 2016 and its puzzle platformer genre, it is unlikely to require more than a few gigabytes of memory. The 20 GB capacity ensures there is no risk of running out of memory, but the game's performance is more dependent on the GPU's compute capabilities and memory bandwidth.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p users with high refresh rate monitors, the Medium preset provides an exceptional experience with an average of 373 FPS and a minimum of 317 FPS, ensuring no drops below 300 FPS. The High preset at 248 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset offers a slightly higher frame rate with likely minimal visual differences given the game's art style.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. It delivers an average of 285 FPS with a minimum of 242 FPS, which is comfortably above 240 Hz refresh rate displays. The High preset at 178 FPS is also excellent for 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors, but Medium provides more headroom. The Ultra preset at 170 FPS is nearly identical to High in performance, so users should choose based on visual preference rather than frame rate.

At 4K, the High preset offers the best balance of performance and quality with an average of 112 FPS, which is suitable for 120 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 107 FPS is only 5 FPS slower, making it a viable choice for those prioritizing maximum visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 179 FPS is overkill for most 4K displays, which typically max out at 120 Hz or 144 Hz, but it provides a massive performance buffer.

The Low preset is not recommended for any resolution outside of competitive scenarios, as the frame rates (404 FPS at 1080p, 356 FPS at 1440p, 224 FPS at 4K) are so high that they provide diminishing returns. The visual quality reduction from Low to Medium is significant, and the system has enough performance to run higher presets comfortably.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 404 FPS, while Medium averages 373 FPS with a minimum of 317 and maximum of 429. High settings produce 248 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 236 FPS. The data shows a clear progression where each step up in quality reduces performance, but all presets remain far above playable thresholds.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. Low settings average 356 FPS, Medium averages 285 FPS with a minimum of 242 and maximum of 328. High settings produce 178 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 170 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent performance drop across all presets, with Low experiencing the smallest absolute decrease of 48 FPS and High experiencing a 70 FPS decrease.

At 3840x2160, the system still delivers smooth performance. The Low preset averages 224 FPS, Medium averages 179 FPS with a minimum of 152 and maximum of 206. High settings produce 112 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 107 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 4K results in a 44.5% decrease for Low (from 404 to 224), a 54.8% decrease for High (from 248 to 112), and a 54.7% decrease for Ultra (from 236 to 107). The Medium preset sees a 52.0% decrease (from 373 to 179).

The only preset with complete minimum and maximum data across all resolutions is Medium. At 1080p, the 317-429 FPS range indicates a 112 FPS spread. At 1440p, the 242-328 FPS range shows an 86 FPS spread. At 4K, the 152-206 FPS range narrows to a 54 FPS spread. This tightening of frame time variance at higher resolutions suggests the GPU workload becomes more consistent, reducing the impact of CPU-bound frame pacing issues.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's Cinebench R23 scores are 25891 for multi-core and 3655 for single-core, indicating strong performance in both threaded and single-threaded workloads.

In Inside, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings where frame rates are extremely high. At 1080p Low, the system produces 404 FPS, which places significant demand on the CPU to process game logic and issue draw calls. The processor's single-core performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 score of 3655, is crucial for maintaining such high frame rates. The boost clock of 4.90 GHz provides the necessary frequency to handle the game's physics and update loops.

The CPU's market positioning is reflected in its benchmark percentile of 85, meaning it outperforms 85% of all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 36938 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, delta 0%), and it sits slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, delta -0.2%) and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, delta -0.4%). It also edges out the Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, delta -0.5%). This grouping suggests the Ultra 5 225 is competitive with mid-range and older high-end processors.

The CPU's 10 threads are sufficient for a game like Inside, which is not heavily multithreaded. The multi-core benchmark score of 25891 in Cinebench R23 indicates the processor can handle demanding workloads, but the game's performance is more dependent on single-core speed. The 3 nm process node and 65 W TDP allow for high boost clocks without excessive power draw, which is beneficial in maintaining consistent performance.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 4K, the frame rates are primarily determined by the GPU's rendering capabilities, as the CPU has ample time between frames to prepare the next one. However, at 1080p with Low settings, the CPU's single-threaded performance becomes more critical, as the system approaches the limits of what a 10-core processor can deliver in this game. The 404 FPS result at 1080p Low confirms the CPU's strong single-core performance, though it falls short of the absolute highest frame rates possible with more aggressive single-threaded processors.