Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and Intel Arc B570 combination delivers a playable experience in Inside, but its overall standing is surprisingly low given the game's age. The combo ranks 2301st out of 2887 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 20% of systems. This is a case where the hardware's raw synthetic power does not translate to a dominant in-game performance, though the measured frame rates remain perfectly smooth for this puzzle platformer's genre.

Benchmark results indicate that the pairing is capable of delivering high frame rates at lower settings, but struggles to maintain a locked 60 FPS at the maximum preset on 4K. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy tied to resolution and settings, with the system favoring 1080p and 1440p gameplay. For a game that relies on precise timing and atmospheric tension, the ability to hit high refresh rates is a significant advantage, and the combo does that best at 1440p and below.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured data places this specific CPU-GPU pairing at rank 2301 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside. This percentile placement is surprisingly modest, falling behind a vast majority of tested systems. While the game is not graphically demanding by modern standards, the data suggests that the Arc B570's driver overhead or the CPU's specific architecture may be limiting factors in this title. The ranking implies that many older, less powerful components on paper can outperform this duo in this specific game.

Despite the low rank, the absolute frame rates are far from unplayable. The combo's position is more a reflection of the sheer number of high-end and older optimized systems that excel in this title, rather than a condemnation of its raw capability. The data shows that the combination lands in the lower quartile, which is a critical context for any user expecting top-tier performance based on the components' specifications alone. The rank of 2301st indicates that while the system is functional, it is not a top performer for Inside, and users should temper expectations regarding high-refresh-rate 4K gameplay.

When comparing the individual components' synthetic scores, the CPU performs near its expected tier. The Core Ultra 5 235 sits at the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals are extremely close: the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is 0.1% faster, while the Intel Core i9-13900HX is 0.1% slower. This shows the processor is well-matched against its direct competitors. However, the GPU's percentile is lower, at the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 20556. The Arc B570's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% slower) and the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% faster). This suggests the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing, which aligns with the combo's low in-game rank.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and smooth gameplay, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the recommended starting point. The measured data shows an average of 138 FPS, with a minimum of 117 FPS and a maximum of 159 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, ensuring consistent and fluid motion for the game's precise platforming segments. The frame time variance is also acceptable, with the minimum being well above the threshold for noticeable stutter.

For users with 1080p displays, the High preset is an excellent choice, delivering an average of 120 FPS. This maximizes visual quality while maintaining a high refresh rate experience. The Medium preset at 1080p pushes further to 192 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the jump to High is better for image quality without sacrificing the 120 FPS target. At 4K, the Medium preset is the only viable option for a smooth experience, yielding 87 FPS. The High preset at 4K drops to 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and the Ultra preset falls to 52 FPS. Therefore, Medium at 4K is the maximum playable setting.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this title. At 1080p, it produces 114 FPS, which is only slightly lower than High, but the visual difference is likely negligible in a game with this art style. At 1440p, the Ultra preset drops to 82 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 52 FPS. The performance cost for the extra visual fidelity is not justified, especially when the High preset offers a significantly better frame rate at 1440p and 4K. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for visual quality, while Medium is the best for pure performance headroom.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K smoothly?*

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings, which produce an average of 87 FPS. At High settings, the average drops to 54 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 52 FPS, both of which are below the 60 FPS smoothness threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a high refresh rate?

A: At 1920x1080, the system can achieve an average of 240 FPS on Low settings and 192 FPS on Medium. This makes 1080p the ideal resolution for taking advantage of high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: How does the system perform at 1440p on the High preset?

A: The measured data shows an average of 86 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This is a solidly playable frame rate for a smooth experience on a standard 60Hz or 144Hz monitor.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using over High?

A: The data indicates it is not. At 1080p, the difference is only 6 FPS (114 vs 120). At 1440p, the gap widens to 4 FPS (82 vs 86), and at 4K, the Ultra preset is less playable than High, with 52 FPS versus 54 FPS. The performance cost does not yield a significant visual benefit.

Q: What is the lowest frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 74 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. All other settings and resolutions have higher minimum frame rates or no recorded minimum, indicating consistent performance.

Q: Does the game favor the CPU or the GPU in this pairing?

A: The GPU appears to be the primary bottleneck. The Arc B570 sits at the 65th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is at the 89th percentile. This is reflected in the game's relatively low combo rank, suggesting the GPU limits performance more than the processor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The performance data reveals a predictable pattern across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system excels, starting with a massive 240 FPS average on Low settings. Medium settings reduce this to 192 FPS, with a minimum of 163 FPS and a maximum of 221 FPS. High settings still deliver a very smooth 120 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 114 FPS. This resolution is clearly where the combo is most comfortable, providing ample headroom for high-refresh-rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain highly playable. Low settings produce a 172 FPS average. Medium settings yield 138 FPS, with a minimum of 117 FPS and a maximum of 159 FPS, ensuring a stable experience. High settings drop to an 86 FPS average, which is still well within smooth territory. Ultra settings are the most taxing, producing an 82 FPS average. The step from High to Ultra is small, suggesting a performance ceiling is being approached.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to show its limits. Low settings are the standout, delivering a 108 FPS average. Medium settings produce a respectable 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. However, the higher presets struggle to maintain 60 FPS. High settings average 54 FPS, and Ultra settings average 52 FPS. This makes 4K gaming viable only with lower settings, with Medium being the highest playable option.

The data shows that the Arc B570's performance scales well with resolution changes. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is even more pronounced, particularly at higher settings. This indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are being fully utilized at 4K, leading to the frame rate reductions seen in the High and Ultra presets.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570, based on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage), is the primary driver of the frame rate differences seen in the measurements. Its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for Inside at all tested settings, as the game's art style does not demand massive texture loads. The GPU's base and boost clocks are both locked at 2500 MHz, which is a relatively high clock speed for a desktop card, helping to sustain performance in lighter titles.

The GPU's synthetic performance shows it is a mid-range part, sitting at the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its Passmark G3D score is 14195, and its average benchmark score is 20556. These numbers place it in direct competition with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and the Intel Arc A750, both of which are within 0.1% of its average score. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649 is a measure of its modern API performance, which is relevant for a game like Inside that uses DirectX.

In Inside, the GPU's limitations become apparent at 4K with high settings. The data shows that while the card can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease, the pixel fill rate and shader throughput are not sufficient to maintain 60 FPS at 4K on the highest presets. The GPU's 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate and 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are clearly being pushed to their limits at that resolution. The performance difference between Medium and High at 4K (87 vs 54 FPS) suggests that the card's bandwidth is a bottleneck when texture filtering and shading complexity increase.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 provides a solid foundation for the Arc B570. With 14 cores and 14 threads, it offers ample multi-threading capability, though the game likely does not utilize all of them. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz are high enough to prevent any CPU bottleneck in a title like Inside, which is not known for heavy processor demands. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps with data access speeds, ensuring the GPU is fed with instructions without stalling.

The CPU's synthetic benchmarks reinforce its strength. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 14769, and its single-core score is 2085. These are strong numbers, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 46062 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with a delta of just 0.1% compared to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and the Intel Core i9-13900HX. This shows that the CPU is a top-tier performer for its class, capable of handling any modern game without issue.

However, the measured in-game performance suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The combination's low rank in Inside (2301st) cannot be attributed to the processor. Instead, the data points to the GPU as the key determinant of frame rates. The CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its Passmark single-thread score of 4516, ensures that the game's logic and physics calculations are processed quickly. The CPU's architecture, Arrow Lake, and its 3 nm process node also contribute to its efficiency, allowing it to sustain high clocks without overheating. In this specific title, the CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the GPU's output, meaning the frame rates are purely a measure of the Arc B570's rendering capabilities.