Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer with a minimalist art style and a deliberately oppressive atmosphere. For this analysis, the hardware pairing is an Intel Core Ultra 5 225 CPU with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU. The data shows this combination ranks 2837th out of 2887 tested combos for this game, placing it in the bottom 2% of systems. This immediately signals that the experience will be constrained, but the specific bottlenecks vary significantly across resolutions and settings, which this report breaks down in detail.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor from the Arrow Lake-S architecture, running on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a TDP of 65W. The CPU’s cache structure includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 20 MB L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the processor achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655, indicating strong modern performance.

Given that Inside is a puzzle platformer, its logic and physics calculations are generally not demanding on the CPU. The game’s world is largely static with scripted events, so the processor’s role is to maintain frame pacing and handle the game’s deterministic simulation. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225’s single-core performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score, is more than sufficient for this title. The multi-core score of 25891 is also excessive for a game that rarely uses more than a few threads.

The CPU’s benchmark percentile of 85 vs all CPUs places it well above the GTX 1050 Ti’s GPU percentile of 25. This massive disparity suggests the CPU is not the primary limiting factor in most scenarios. The data confirms this: at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 109 FPS average, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 23 FPS. Since the CPU workload does not scale with resolution, the FPS drop is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU is capable of feeding frames far faster than the GPU can render them, especially at higher resolutions.

The nearest CPU rivals, based on average benchmark score, include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2% delta). These scores are nearly identical, suggesting that for a game like Inside, swapping between these CPUs would yield negligible differences in frame rate, as the GPU will saturate first. The processor’s memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s over dual-channel DDR5 is also a non-factor here; the game’s asset streaming is light, and the GPU’s VRAM is the more pressing memory concern.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is a Pascal-architecture GPU built on a 14 nm process. It features 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. Its memory configuration is 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 1291 MHz with a boost clock of 1392 MHz, and its memory runs at 1752 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The card has a TDP of 75W and supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The GTX 1050 Ti’s benchmark profile shows a Passmark G3D score of 6340, placing it in the 25th percentile of all GPUs. This is a legacy card, now end-of-life, and its nearest rivals in performance include the AMD Radeon R5 M330 and the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M. For Inside, the GPU’s role is critical because the game’s visual style, while not polygon-heavy, uses specific post-processing effects and a consistent, moody lighting system that taxes the render pipeline.

The data shows the GPU’s limitations clearly. At 4K High, the combo averages 25 FPS, which is below playable thresholds. The 4K Medium setting yields 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS, showing that the GPU is struggling to maintain a stable frame rate even with reduced fidelity. The 4 GB VRAM is a likely constraint at 4K, as the game’s textures and framebuffer requirements can exceed this capacity, leading to memory swapping and stutter. The GPU’s bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s is also a bottleneck at high resolutions; the card simply cannot move pixel data fast enough to fill a 3840x2160 buffer smoothly.

The disparity between the GPU’s performance and the CPU’s capability is stark. While the CPU sits in the 85th percentile, the GPU is in the 25th. This pairing is a classic case of a modern, capable processor being held back by an entry-level graphics card from several generations ago. The GPU’s Passmark DirectX 11 score of 45 and DirectX 12 score of 26 indicate that it is not optimized for modern API overheads, though Inside’s requirements are moderate enough to still function.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 109 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 78 FPS, a 28% reduction. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 49 FPS, which is a 55% reduction from 1080p. This scaling is consistent with a GPU that is running out of fillrate and memory bandwidth as the pixel count increases.

The trend is even more pronounced at High settings. The 1080p High average is 54 FPS, dropping to 39 FPS at 1440p High, and finally to 25 FPS at 4K High. The drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is a 54% decrease in frame rate. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting component; the CPU is not causing these drops because its workload is resolution-independent.

Examining Medium settings provides the most complete picture due to the availability of min and max FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the average is 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS. The minimum FPS values show that the frame pacing is acceptable at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the minimum of 33 FPS suggests noticeable hitches.

This scaling data proves that the system is heavily GPU-bound. The CPU’s performance headroom is irrelevant in this game because the GTX 1050 Ti cannot render the frames fast enough. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data suggests that 1080p is the target resolution, and even then, only Low or Medium settings will consistently achieve that goal. The 1440p resolution is playable on Low and Medium settings, but 4K is only viable on Low settings, and even then, the 49 FPS average is not ideal for a game that benefits from smooth motion.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the GTX 1050 Ti ranks 2837th out of 2887 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the bottom 1.7% of all systems. This rank is a direct consequence of the GPU’s age and performance tier, not the CPU’s capability. The CPU alone sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU’s 25th percentile ranking drags the overall system performance down significantly.

When looking at the GPU’s nearest rivals, the GTX 1050 Ti’s average benchmark score of 4193 is comparable to the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (4170) and the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (4151). These are all low-end or mobile-oriented GPUs, confirming that the GTX 1050 Ti is at the bottom of the desktop discrete GPU hierarchy. The combo’s rank reflects this: it is competing with systems that are typically entry-level or several generations old.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, have nearly identical average scores. However, this does not matter for the overall rank because the GPU is the bottleneck. If the CPU were replaced with a much weaker model, the frame rates at 1080p Low might drop slightly, but at higher resolutions, the performance would remain identical because the GPU is saturated. The data indicates that this combo’s rank is almost entirely determined by the GPU’s inability to handle the game’s rendering demands at higher settings.

The fact that the data is marked as "measured" means these are actual test results, not estimates. The rank of 2837 out of 2887 is a harsh verdict: this is a system at the very edge of playability for Inside, and only with aggressive settings reductions can it achieve a satisfactory experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS numbers measured for this combo across all resolutions and settings.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 109 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 87 | 74 | 100 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 54 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 52 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 78 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 62 | 53 | 72 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 39 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 37 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 49 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 39 | 33 | 45 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 25 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 23 | - | - |

At 1080p, the system can comfortably exceed 60 FPS on Low and Medium settings. The Medium preset’s minimum of 74 FPS suggests that it is a stable choice for a smooth experience. High and Ultra settings are playable but hover around the 52-54 FPS mark, which may introduce slight judder on a 60 Hz display.

At 1440p, the performance drops to a level where 60 FPS is no longer consistently achievable. The Low preset averages 78 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium drops to 62 FPS average with a 53 FPS minimum. High and Ultra settings are below 40 FPS, which is not ideal for a game that relies on precise timing for its puzzle elements.

At 4K, the system is clearly out of its depth. Only the Low preset achieves a playable frame rate, with a 49 FPS average. Medium produces 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS, which is borderline. High and Ultra settings are effectively unplayable, with averages of 25 FPS and 23 FPS respectively. The 4K data confirms that the GTX 1050 Ti’s 4 GB VRAM and bandwidth are insufficient for this resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Inside at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1080p with Low or Medium settings. The data shows 109 FPS average at 1080p Low and 87 FPS average at 1080p Medium. At 1440p, the Low preset averages 78 FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p is the optimal resolution. It provides the headroom needed to increase settings while maintaining a high frame rate. At 1440p, the system can play on Low settings, but higher settings result in sub-40 FPS averages.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this setup?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The CPU has a benchmark percentile of 85, while the GPU is at 25. The frame rate drops by 55% from 1080p Low to 4K Low, which is a resolution-dependent scaling that only affects the GPU’s workload.

Q: How does this combo compare to other systems for Inside?

A: This combo ranks 2837th out of 2887 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 2%. This is due to the GTX 1050 Ti’s low performance tier, which is in the 25th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Should I use High or Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The performance difference is minimal. High averages 54 FPS, while Ultra averages 52 FPS. Both are technically playable, but they fall short of a consistent 60 FPS. The Medium preset, with its 87 FPS average and 74 FPS minimum, is a preferable choice for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: Only on Low settings, which yields a 49 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 39 FPS with a 33 FPS minimum, which is likely to feel stuttery. High and Ultra settings are not viable, with averages of 25 FPS and 23 FPS respectively.

Settings Recommendations

The data clearly indicates that the optimal experience for this combo is at 1080p resolution. Among the settings presets at 1080p, Low and Medium offer the best frame rates, with averages of 109 FPS and 87 FPS respectively. The Medium preset is the recommended choice because it provides a significant visual upgrade over Low while still maintaining a high average frame rate and a minimum FPS of 74, which ensures smooth gameplay without dips below the refresh rate of a standard 60 Hz monitor.

High and Ultra settings at 1080p are not recommended. They produce average frame rates of 54 FPS and 52 FPS, respectively, which are close to the 60 FPS target but risk noticeable drops during scenes with more complex lighting or particle effects. The lack of min FPS data for these presets suggests they may be less stable than Medium. Since the visual difference between Medium and High in a game like Inside is often subtle due to its flat-shaded aesthetic, the performance gain from Medium is more valuable.

For users who insist on higher resolutions, 1440p Low is the only acceptable choice, delivering 78 FPS. However, this sacrifices visual fidelity to a level where the game’s atmospheric shadows and gradients may look washed out. The 4K resolution is a poor match for this hardware; even the Low preset’s 49 FPS is below the ideal smoothness threshold, and the Medium preset’s 39 FPS is prone to stutter.

The best overall experience, balancing visual quality and frame rate, is the 1080p Medium preset. It is the only configuration that guarantees a minimum FPS above 60, which is critical for a puzzle platformer that requires precise control and quick reactions. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and GTX 1050 Ti is capable of delivering a perfectly playable experience at this setting, but only if the user is willing to accept the limitations of the GPU.