Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT form a combination that delivers a wide range of performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer. The data shows a pairing where the CPU provides substantial headroom, while the GPU becomes the primary factor in frame rate scaling across resolutions and settings. This analysis walks through the component specifications, measured performance, and ranking to provide a clear picture of what this system offers.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor includes 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core, with L1 cache at 192 KB per core. This configuration places the CPU in the 89th percentile of all CPUs tested, indicating strong general-purpose performance.

In terms of synthetic benchmarks, the Core Ultra 5 235 achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14769 and a single-core score of 2085. Its Passmark multithread score is 37816, and its single-thread score is 4516. These figures place it in close competition with several other processors. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, has an average benchmark score of 46030, which is 0.1% behind the Core Ultra 5 235’s average score of 46062. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, which is 0.1% ahead. The AMD EPYC 4364P and EPYC 7303 are also within 0.2% of this CPU’s average score.

For a game like Inside, which is a 2D side-scrolling puzzle platformer with a dark atmospheric art style, the computational demands on the CPU are generally modest. The measured FPS data supports this interpretation. At 1080p with Low settings, the combination reaches 275 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the dataset. This high frame rate at a low resolution suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this scenario, as the GPU is likely underutilized. Even at Ultra settings, the 1080p average FPS is 131, which remains smooth for gameplay.

The CPU’s high single-thread performance is likely relevant here, as many puzzle platformers rely on a primary game thread for physics and logic. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and Passmark single-thread score of 4516 indicate strong per-core capability. The data shows that the Core Ultra 5 235 never appears to limit the frame rate in any measured configuration, as even the most demanding setting at 4K still produces an average of 59 FPS, which is well above typical playable thresholds.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is based on the RDNA 1.0 architecture, using the Navi 10 chip built on a 7 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1605 MHz, a game clock of 1755 MHz, and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. Its memory operates at an effective speed of 14 Gbps. The card includes 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, with a peak FP32 performance of 9.754 TFLOPS. This places the GPU in the 59th percentile of all GPUs tested.

The RX 5700 XT’s average benchmark score is 16361. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with a score of 16351 (0.1% behind) and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell with a score of 16408 (0.3% ahead). The AMD Radeon PRO W7500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 are also within 0.3% and 0.9% respectively. This suggests that the RX 5700 XT performs at a level consistent with mid-range cards of its generation.

In Inside, the GPU’s role becomes more apparent as resolution increases. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern where higher resolutions and settings reduce frame rates, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component. For instance, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 275, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 59. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for this game, which was released in 2016 and does not feature demanding high-resolution textures. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s also helps maintain consistent performance across settings.

The RX 5700 XT’s DirectX 12 support and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are relevant for modern driver paths, but Inside is not a graphically intensive title. The data shows that the GPU can handle the game at high frame rates even at 1440p, with an average FPS of 99 at High settings. At 4K, the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates at the highest settings, with Ultra averaging 59 FPS and High averaging 62 FPS.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Inside?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 275, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU rank compared to other processors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 46062 is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and 0.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 4364P.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 59, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

*Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for Inside?*

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is sufficient for this game, as it was released in 2016 and does not require large texture pools.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 16361, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and 0.3% lower than the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combination is ranked 2117 out of 2887 total combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the ranking.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is ranked 2117 out of 2887 tested combinations in Inside. This ranking places it in the 73rd percentile of all combos, meaning that roughly a quarter of the tested systems perform worse. The rank is likely influenced by the GPU’s mid-range standing, as the CPU is a high-performer in the 89th percentile. The data indicates that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing for this specific game.

The CPU’s performance relative to its rivals shows it is competitive with top-tier mobile and desktop processors. The Core Ultra 5 235’s average benchmark score of 46062 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-13900HX, which scores 46098. This suggests that the CPU provides ample processing power for any game, including Inside. However, the RX 5700 XT’s 59th percentile ranking among GPUs means that it cannot fully utilize the CPU’s potential at higher resolutions.

At 1080p, the combo performs well, with average FPS ranging from 131 at Ultra to 275 at Low. This indicates that the GPU is sufficient for high refresh rate gaming at this resolution. At 1440p, the average FPS ranges from 94 at Ultra to 198 at Low, which remains playable. At 4K, the combo begins to show its limits, with only Low settings achieving over 120 FPS (124 FPS), while Medium drops to 99 FPS and High/Ultra fall to 62 and 59 FPS respectively. The ranking reflects this overall capability, placing the combo in a position where it can handle the game smoothly at lower resolutions but struggles at 4K with high settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings provide playable frame rates. The Low preset achieves 275 FPS, Medium reaches 220 FPS, High delivers 137 FPS, and Ultra still manages 131 FPS. For a smooth experience at 1080p, the High preset is a balanced choice, offering a high frame rate without sacrificing visual quality. If the display supports a high refresh rate, the Medium preset at 220 FPS may be preferable.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset provides 198 FPS, Medium gives 158 FPS, High offers 99 FPS, and Ultra drops to 94 FPS. For most users, the Medium preset at 158 FPS is recommended, as it provides a significant visual improvement over Low while maintaining a frame rate well above 144 Hz. The High preset at 99 FPS is also viable for 144 Hz displays, though it may not fully saturate such refresh rates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. Low settings achieve 124 FPS, which is smooth for 4K gaming. Medium settings drop to 99 FPS, which remains playable. High and Ultra settings fall to 62 and 59 FPS respectively, which are on the edge of smoothness for many users. For a 4K display, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it offers a good balance of visual quality and performance. The Low preset is an option for users prioritizing high frame rates over visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are 275 for Low, 220 for Medium, 137 for High, and 131 for Ultra. The Medium setting also has recorded minimum and maximum FPS of 187 and 253, respectively, indicating some variance but generally stable performance.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are 198 for Low, 158 for Medium, 99 for High, and 94 for Ultra. The Medium setting shows a minimum of 134 FPS and a maximum of 182 FPS, demonstrating a wider frame time variance compared to 1080p. This suggests that the GPU is working harder at this resolution, but the experience remains smooth.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 124 for Low, 99 for Medium, 62 for High, and 59 for Ultra. The Medium setting has a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. This is the most demanding resolution for the combo, with Ultra settings barely maintaining 60 FPS on average. The data shows a consistent pattern where each step up in resolution or settings reduces the average FPS, with the most significant drops occurring at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial across all settings. At Low settings, the average FPS decreases from 275 at 1080p to 198 at 1440p and 124 at 4K. This represents a 28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 55% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the drop is from 220 FPS at 1080p to 158 FPS at 1440p and 99 FPS at 4K, a 28% and 55% drop respectively. The pattern is similar for High settings, where the average FPS goes from 137 at 1080p to 99 at 1440p and 62 at 4K, a 28% and 55% reduction.

The scaling behavior indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as the frame rate scales inversely with the number of pixels rendered. The CPU’s performance is sufficient to handle the game’s logic at all resolutions, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p. The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and bandwidth are adequate for the game’s requirements, but the raw compute power of the RX 5700 XT limits performance at higher resolutions. The data shows that the combo can deliver a smooth experience at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, only lower settings achieve high frame rates. This suggests that users with 4K displays should opt for the Low or Medium presets to maintain playable performance.