Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 pairs with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 to deliver a fascinating snapshot of how a modern mid-range CPU and GPU handle a 2016 puzzle platformer. Inside is not a graphically demanding title by modern standards, yet the measured frame rates reveal clear scaling patterns and component bottlenecks that are worth examining. The data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), giving a complete picture of performance across the board. This analysis focuses strictly on those measured results, the hardware specifications, and the benchmark scores provided.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking pattern in the measured FPS data is how dramatically performance scales with resolution. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 353 average FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 254 average FPS, a reduction of roughly 28%. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 160 FPS, which is about 37% lower than the 1440p figure and 55% lower than the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern changes when looking at higher settings presets. At Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 168 FPS at 1080p to 121 FPS at 1440p, then to 76 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops between each resolution step are roughly 28% and 37%, respectively, which closely mirrors the Low settings scaling. This consistency suggests that the RX 7700 is the primary bottleneck across all settings, with the CPU providing enough headroom to avoid becoming the limiting component.

Medium settings show a similar trend. At 1080p Medium, the average is 282 FPS with a minimum of 240 and maximum of 325. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 203 FPS (min 173, max 234), and at 4K Medium, it falls to 128 FPS (min 108, max 147). The minimum frame rates at each resolution also scale proportionally, indicating stable performance without sudden spikes or drops. The 4K Medium minimum of 108 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting the hardware is never truly stressed by this game.

The High preset tells a similar story. At 1080p High, the average is 177 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 127 FPS, and at 4K High, it reaches 80 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 28% reduction, while 1440p to 4K is a 37% reduction. This consistent scaling across all four presets indicates that the RX 7700's rendering throughput scales linearly with pixel count, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's role appears minimal at higher resolutions, as the frame rates are dictated almost entirely by the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth.

What this scaling data reveals about the limiting component is clear: the GPU is the bottleneck at every resolution and settings combination. The fact that Low settings at 1080p produces 353 FPS while High settings at 4K produces 80 FPS shows a 4.4x difference, which is entirely attributable to GPU workload. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at higher resolutions, but the data shows no such plateau. The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, are more than sufficient for this game's demands, even at 1080p where CPU overhead is highest.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combo in Inside?

A: The highest measured average is 353 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This drops to 282 FPS at Medium, 177 FPS at High, and 168 FPS at Ultra for the same resolution.

Q: Can this hardware maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, but barely. The measured average at 3840x2160 Ultra is 76 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. However, the minimum frame rate for that configuration is not provided, so there is no data on potential dips below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7700 compare to its nearest rival in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852, which places it 1.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (score 16129) and 1% behind the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (score 16014). It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 370X (score 15862) and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (score 15679).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 254 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 121 FPS. This represents a 133 FPS difference, or approximately 52% lower performance at Ultra compared to Low.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU have a larger impact on performance in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The scaling pattern shows that frame rates drop proportionally with resolution increases, which is characteristic of GPU-bound workloads. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and single-core score of 2085, indicate it has ample processing power for this game.

Q: Is the 4K Medium preset playable with this hardware?

A: Yes, the measured average at 3840x2160 Medium is 128 FPS, with a minimum of 108 FPS and maximum of 147 FPS. The minimum frame rate is well above 60 FPS, indicating smooth gameplay throughout.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 32 chip manufactured on a 5 nm process. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 624.1 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1900 MHz, a game clock of 2041 MHz, and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. These specifications directly influence the measured performance in Inside.

The 16 GB VRAM capacity is far more than this game requires, even at 4K Ultra settings. Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer with relatively simple textures and geometry, so the GPU's memory footprint is unlikely to exceed a few gigabytes. The ample VRAM means there is no risk of texture thrashing or memory-related stutters, which is reflected in the consistent minimum frame rates at Medium settings. The 4K Medium minimum of 108 FPS and the 1440p Medium minimum of 173 FPS show stable frame delivery without dips.

The memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s is another factor that helps maintain high frame rates at 4K. The resolution scaling data shows that the RX 7700 can render 4K Low at 160 FPS and 4K Medium at 128 FPS, which requires substantial pixel throughput. The 256-bit memory bus and 16 GB of GDDR6 provide enough bandwidth to feed the GPU's 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s are reflected in the smooth scaling from 1080p to 4K.

The GPU's benchmark scores support the measured gaming performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865 and the PassMark G3D score of 20974 indicate a mid-range GPU that can handle modern titles at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K possible for less demanding games like Inside. The GPU's percentile rank of 58 among all GPUs places it in the middle of the pack, which aligns with its performance in this game. The closest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti, has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 16129, which would translate to marginally better performance in GPU-bound scenarios, but the measured data shows the RX 7700 is more than capable for this specific title.

The clock speeds play a role in the frame rate consistency. The boost clock of 2459 MHz allows the GPU to reach maximum performance when thermal headroom permits, which is reflected in the high average FPS at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 353 FPS average suggests the GPU is running at or near its boost clock, maximizing output. The game clock of 2041 MHz represents the sustained clock during typical gaming loads, which is sufficient for maintaining 76 FPS at 4K Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. For players with 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 168 FPS is the obvious choice, as it provides the highest visual quality while still delivering frame rates far above the refresh rate of most monitors. The High preset at 177 FPS offers a modest 9 FPS improvement over Ultra, which is unlikely to be noticeable on a 144Hz display, so the visual fidelity of Ultra is worth the slight performance cost.

For 1440p displays, the Ultra preset at 121 FPS is also recommended. This is above the 120Hz refresh rate threshold, making it ideal for high-refresh monitors. The High preset at 127 FPS offers only a 6 FPS improvement, which is negligible, so Ultra provides the better visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. If a player has a 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitor, the Medium preset at 203 FPS would be the better choice, as it ensures frame rates consistently exceed the display's refresh rate, providing a smoother experience.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset at 128 FPS is the sweet spot. This provides excellent visual quality while maintaining frame rates that are well above 60 FPS, with a minimum of 108 FPS. The High preset at 80 FPS is also playable, but the drop from 128 FPS to 80 FPS is significant, and the visual difference between Medium and High is minimal for a game like Inside. The Ultra preset at 76 FPS is borderline, as it is above 60 FPS but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 160 FPS is unnecessary, as the visual quality reduction is not worth the performance gain when Medium already provides 128 FPS.

The data suggests that players should prioritize the Medium preset for 4K, Ultra for 1440p and 1080p, with the caveat that 1440p Medium offers a massive 203 FPS average for those with high-refresh displays. The minimum frame rates at Medium settings (108 FPS at 4K, 173 FPS at 1440p, 240 FPS at 1080p) show that Medium provides the most consistent frame delivery, with no dips below 60 FPS even at 4K. For players who value consistent frame pacing over absolute visual quality, Medium is the safest choice across all resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rate data shows a clear hierarchy across settings. Low settings produce an average of 353 FPS, the highest measured in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 282 FPS average, with a minimum of 240 FPS and maximum of 325 FPS. High settings drop to 177 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 168 FPS average. The gap between Low and Medium is 71 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 105 FPS, and the gap between High and Ultra is only 9 FPS. This indicates diminishing returns from High to Ultra, while the jump from Medium to High is the most significant performance cost.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings average 254 FPS, Medium settings average 203 FPS (min 173, max 234), High settings average 127 FPS, and Ultra settings average 121 FPS. The gaps between settings are 51 FPS (Low to Medium), 76 FPS (Medium to High), and 6 FPS (High to Ultra). The very small gap between High and Ultra at 1440p mirrors the 1080p data, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds minimal visual benefit over High for this game.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are significantly lower but still highly playable. Low settings average 160 FPS, Medium settings average 128 FPS (min 108, max 147), High settings average 80 FPS, and Ultra settings average 76 FPS. The gaps are 32 FPS (Low to Medium), 48 FPS (Medium to High), and only 4 FPS (High to Ultra). The High to Ultra gap is the smallest of any resolution, indicating that the Ultra preset is nearly identical in performance to High at 4K.

Comparing the same settings across resolutions, the scaling is consistent. Low settings drop from 353 FPS at 1080p to 254 FPS at 1440p (28% reduction) to 160 FPS at 4K (37% reduction from 1440p). Medium settings drop from 282 FPS to 203 FPS (28% reduction) to 128 FPS (37% reduction). High settings drop from 177 FPS to 127 FPS (28% reduction) to 80 FPS (37% reduction). Ultra settings drop from 168 FPS to 121 FPS (28% reduction) to 76 FPS (37% reduction). This uniform scaling across all settings confirms that the GPU is the sole bottleneck, as the percentage drops are identical regardless of the preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its benchmark scores include a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and single-core score of 2085, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

In Inside, the CPU's role is minimal due to the game's low computational demands. The measured frame rates show no signs of CPU bottlenecking, even at 1080p Low where the GPU is producing 353 FPS. At such high frame rates, CPU overhead typically becomes a factor, but the Core Ultra 5 235's single-thread performance, as indicated by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085, is sufficient to keep up. The PassMark single-thread score of 4516 further supports this, showing strong per-core performance.

The CPU's 14 cores are largely unused by this game, as Inside is not designed to leverage multi-threading heavily. However, the high boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensures that the few threads the game does use are processed quickly. The 24 MB L3 cache provides fast access to game data, reducing memory latency and contributing to the consistent frame times observed in the Medium settings data.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% slower), which places the Core Ultra 5 235 in a tightly competitive group. For a game like Inside, any of these CPUs would perform identically, as the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's average benchmark score of 46062 and its 89th percentile rank indicate that it is a high-performing processor, but this headroom is not utilized by this particular game.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 at 102.4 GB/s bandwidth is another factor that prevents bottlenecks. Inside does not require high memory bandwidth, so the dual-channel configuration is more than adequate. The PCIe Gen 5 support with 20 lanes (CPU only) ensures that the RX 7700, which uses PCIe 4.0 x16, has plenty of bandwidth for data transfer. The integrated graphics of the Core Ultra 5 235 (Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU) are not used in this configuration, but their presence does not affect discrete GPU performance.

In summary, the CPU in this combo provides far more processing power than Inside requires. The measured frame rates are entirely determined by the RX 7700's rendering capabilities, with the CPU providing stable, high-frequency single-thread performance that ensures no frame drops due to processor limitations. For this game, the Core Ultra 5 235 is effectively invisible, which is the highest compliment for a CPU in a GPU-bound scenario.