Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination delivers exceptional performance in Inside, achieving frame rates that far exceed display refresh rates at every tested setting. The data shows this pairing is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at 4K, while at 1080p the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures the GPU can operate near its full potential, resulting in an average of 404 FPS on Low settings. This combo ranks in the top 15% of all tested configurations, demonstrating that a balanced mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU is more than sufficient for this puzzle platformer.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz, which can boost up to 4.90 GHz, and it carries 20 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its average benchmark score of 36938 puts it in a virtual tie with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta), while slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2%) and Intel Core i9-12900T (-0.5%).

For a game like Inside, which is a 2D puzzle platformer, the CPU’s role is comparatively modest. The game’s physics and logic are not heavily threaded, so the 10-core configuration is rarely fully utilized. Instead, the single-core boost clock of 4.90 GHz is the more relevant specification, as it directly impacts the game’s main thread. The benchmark results confirm this: the single-core Cinebench R23 score of 3655 is strong, and it translates into high frame rates even at lower resolutions where the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor.

At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 404 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls to sustain very high frame rates. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 185 FPS (404 to 219), indicating that while the CPU handles the base workload easily, the GPU’s rendering load still plays a significant role. Compared to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, the Core Ultra 5 225 has essentially identical average compute performance (delta 0%), so the measured FPS differences in this game would primarily come from the GPU rather than the CPU. The 20 MB L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth are ample for this title, as Inside does not have large streaming data requirements.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is a high-end graphics card based on the RDNA 4.0 architecture, featuring the Navi 48 chip built on a 4 nm process. It has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s boost clock is 2970 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz, and it offers 4096 shading units and 128 ROPs. Its peak FP32 throughput is 48.66 TFLOPS. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 26795 in Passmark G3D, but its average benchmark score of 13543 is dragged down by lower scores in other tests like Passmark DirectX 10 (154) and DirectX 9 (353). This places it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (0.1% delta) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (0.2% delta).

In Inside, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 99, which is less than half of the 219 FPS seen at 1080p Ultra. This scaling indicates that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints at higher resolutions. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, as even at 4K Ultra the game’s textures and effects do not come close to exhausting it. The boost clock of 2970 MHz is high, and it allows the GPU to process the game’s relatively simple geometry very quickly.

The performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is substantial: 207 FPS on Low versus 99 FPS on Ultra, a difference of 108 FPS. This shows that the GPU is highly sensitive to the graphical settings, with Ultra enabling additional post-processing effects and lighting that significantly increase the rendering load. Despite the GPU’s modest percentile ranking among all GPUs (55th), its actual in-game performance is exceptional because Inside is not a demanding title by modern standards. The data suggests the RX 9070 XT is overkill for this game, as even at 4K High it maintains 104 FPS, well above the 60 FPS target.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that identifies the bottleneck at each setting. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 230 to 165, a reduction of 65 FPS (or about 28%). From 1440p to 4K at High settings, the average FPS drops further from 165 to 104, another reduction of 61 FPS (or about 37%). This progressive decline indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting component as resolution increases, while the CPU has enough headroom to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions.

The most telling comparison is at Low settings: 1080p yields 404 FPS, 1440p yields 330 FPS, and 4K yields 207 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 74 FPS (18%), while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 123 FPS (37%). The larger percentage drop at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as increasing resolution proportionally increases the pixel count and thus the GPU’s workload. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is similar: 219 FPS at 1080p, 157 FPS at 1440p, and 99 FPS at 4K. The ratio of 1080p to 4K is approximately 2.2x, which is close to the 16:9 pixel ratio difference (3840x2160 vs 1920x1080 is exactly 4x the pixels). The fact that the FPS does not drop by a full 4x indicates that the GPU is not fully saturated at 4K, or that there are other bottlenecks such as driver overhead or CPU limitations at very high frame rates. However, the data strongly suggests that for a smoother experience at 4K, lowering settings from Ultra to High yields a modest 5 FPS gain (99 to 104), while dropping to Medium provides a substantial 67 FPS gain (99 to 166).

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this CPU and GPU combo in Inside?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 404, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the peak performance point for this combination.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in terms of synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938, which is exactly equal to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (delta 0%). It is slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D by 0.2% and the Intel Core i9-12900T by 0.5%.

Q: Is the GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The average FPS drops from 404 at 1080p Low to 207 at 4K Low, and from 219 at 1080p Ultra to 99 at 4K Ultra, showing that increased resolution significantly impacts GPU performance.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 resolution, the Low setting produces 330 FPS, while the Ultra setting produces 157 FPS. This is a difference of 173 FPS, indicating that Ultra settings nearly halve the frame rate compared to Low.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Inside?*

A: This combo ranks 436th out of 2887 tested combos, placing it in the top 15.1% of all configurations. This is a strong ranking, suggesting the hardware is well-suited for this game.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for this game?

A: Yes, the 16 GB of GDDR6 memory is more than sufficient. Even at 4K Ultra settings, the game does not appear to exceed this capacity, as the average FPS of 99 indicates the GPU is processing frames without memory-related stutters.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination holds a rank of 436 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the top 15% of all configurations, which is a strong performance for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The ranking suggests that this combo is well-balanced for this title, likely because the CPU’s high single-core performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655) prevents it from bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions.

The fact that this combo ranks higher than many configurations with more powerful CPUs indicates that the GPU is the more critical component for Inside. Since the game is not CPU-intensive, the Core Ultra 5 225’s 10 cores and 4.90 GHz boost clock are more than adequate. The GPU’s raw compute power (48.66 TFLOPS) and high boost clock (2970 MHz) allow it to excel at the game’s simple 2D rendering tasks.

Relative to the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 225 performs nearly identically in synthetic benchmarks (0% delta vs Ryzen 5 5600F), so the ranking is unlikely to change if the CPU were swapped for a similar performer. However, the GPU’s nearest rivals (AMD Radeon HD 7770M, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570) are vastly older and less powerful, reinforcing that the RX 9070 XT is a significant step up in performance. The combo’s rank of 436 indicates that while there are 435 faster configurations, they likely use even more powerful GPUs, which are unnecessary for this game’s modest requirements.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across three resolutions and four graphical settings. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its highest frame rates: 404 FPS on Low, 367 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 312 and maximum of 422), 230 FPS on High, and 219 FPS on Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 185 FPS, showing that even at this resolution, graphical settings have a significant impact on GPU load.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high: 330 FPS on Low, 264 FPS on Medium (minimum 224, maximum 304), 165 FPS on High, and 157 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most pronounced at Low settings (404 to 330, a 74 FPS decrease), while the drop at Ultra settings is less severe (219 to 157, a 62 FPS decrease). This suggests that the GPU is more efficient at higher settings when scaling resolution, likely due to the fixed overhead of certain effects.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates begin to approach more typical gaming thresholds: 207 FPS on Low, 166 FPS on Medium (minimum 141, maximum 191), 104 FPS on High, and 99 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra setting is the only configuration that drops below 100 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. The medium setting at 4K offers a good balance, providing 166 FPS with a minimum of 141 FPS, ensuring no noticeable stuttering.

Overall, the data shows that this combo can handle Inside at maximum settings with ease at 1080p and 1440p, and even at 4K Ultra, it maintains an average of 99 FPS. The only scenario where the frame rate might feel less fluid is 4K Ultra, but the drop to High settings yields 104 FPS, which is still excellent. The minimum FPS data is only available for Medium settings at each resolution, showing 312 FPS at 1080p, 224 FPS at 1440p, and 141 FPS at 4K, all of which are well above any threshold for perceptible stuttering.