Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER produces a highly capable setup for Inside, a Puzzle Platformer from 2016. The benchmark data shows a system that delivers smooth, playable frame rates across the board, though the scaling patterns reveal a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU depending on resolution and settings. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, component roles, and overall ranking within the tested database.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 follows a predictable pattern, but the magnitude of the drops varies significantly with the graphics preset, revealing where the bottleneck shifts.

At Low settings, the scaling is dramatic. The average FPS at 1920x1080 is 216, which drops to 156 at 2560x1440, and then to 98 at 3840x2160. This represents a 45% reduction in average frame rate from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 37% reduction from 1440p to 4K. At these low settings, the GPU is still the primary limiter, but the CPU has plenty of headroom to push out high frame counts at lower resolutions. The sheer jump from 216 to 98 FPS from 1080p to 4K indicates a heavy reliance on pixel throughput; the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed more heavily as the pixel count increases.

At Medium settings, the scaling is smoother but still pronounced. The average FPS goes from 173 at 1080p, to 125 at 1440p, and finally to 78 at 4K. This is a 28% drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 38% drop from 1440p to 4K. The Medium preset also has recorded min and max FPS values, showing a range of 147 to 199 at 1080p, 106 to 143 at 1440p, and 66 to 90 at 4K. The consistent frame time ranges suggest that the system remains stable even as the load increases, but the 4K result of 78 FPS is clearly pushing the GPU harder.

The High and Ultra presets show the most severe scaling at high resolutions. At High, the average FPS is 108 at 1080p, 78 at 1440p, and 49 at 4K. At Ultra, the numbers are 103, 74, and 47 for the same resolutions. The drop from 1440p to 4K is a 37% reduction for High and a 36% reduction for Ultra. These two presets are nearly identical in performance, suggesting that the additional graphical features in Ultra over High do not impose a significant extra load on this particular GPU. The 4K results of 49 and 47 FPS, respectively, are close to the 60 FPS threshold but fall short, indicating that 4K gaming at high presets is not fully fluid with this combo.

The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU is doing the heavy lifting to maintain high frame rates, especially at Low and Medium settings. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor, as the frame rates compress to a narrow band (47-98 FPS) regardless of settings, indicating that the GPU's raw rendering power is maxed out.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, it can. At 4K with Medium settings, the average FPS is 78, which is smooth. At High settings, the average drops to 49 FPS, and at Ultra, it is 47 FPS. The Low preset achieves an average of 98 FPS at 4K.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 60 FPS experience with high visual quality?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with High settings delivers an average of 78 FPS. For a higher refresh rate, 1920x1080 with High settings reaches 108 FPS. The 4K resolution at High or Ultra settings falls below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has 14 cores running at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This processing power is sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the high frame rates (216 FPS at 1080p Low). Its benchmark scores, such as 14769 in Cinebench R23 multicore, place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Is the GTX 1660 SUPER a limiting factor at any resolution?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160. The frame rates at 4K are dramatically lower than at 1440p, and the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings shrinks, indicating the GPU's processing capabilities are saturated. The GPU's 6 GB of VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are likely contributing to this limitation.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the High and Ultra presets?

A: The performance difference is minimal. At 1080p, High averages 108 FPS and Ultra averages 103 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is 78 FPS to 74 FPS. At 4K, it is 49 FPS to 47 FPS. The Ultra preset offers a marginal visual improvement for a nearly identical frame rate cost.

*Q: Does this combo rank high in the test database for Inside?*

A: The combo ranks 2464 out of 2887 tested combinations. This places it in the lower half of the database, despite delivering over 60 FPS at 1080p and 1440p. This ranking reflects the age of the GPU compared to more modern hardware.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process. It features 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. Its memory configuration is 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz.

In Inside, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution increases. The measured FPS data shows that at 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is over 100 FPS (216 vs 103). This wide gap indicates that the GPU is capable of handling the lower-end settings with ease, and the CPU is able to feed it enough data to reach high frame rates. However, as the resolution climbs to 3840x2160, the difference between Low and Ultra narrows to roughly 50 FPS (98 vs 47). This compression suggests that the GPU's pixel processing capabilities are being maxed out, and the additional work required by higher presets has a diminishing impact on the final frame rate.

The GPU's 6 GB of VRAM is sufficient for Inside, as the game is not graphically demanding by modern standards. The memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s is also adequate, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at 1440p High. The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning; it holds a 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12986. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and the AMD Radeon RX 580, both of which have similar average scores. This indicates that the GTX 1660 SUPER is a solid performer for its class, but it is not a high-end part. In the context of Inside, it performs admirably, but the 4K Ultra result of 47 FPS shows its limits.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are consistently high. The Low preset achieves an average of 216 FPS, making it the fastest setting. The Medium preset averages 173 FPS, with a min of 147 FPS and a max of 199 FPS. The High preset averages 108 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 103 FPS. All settings at this resolution are far above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring a smooth experience on any monitor.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 156 FPS, which is still high. The Medium preset averages 125 FPS, with a min of 106 FPS and a max of 143 FPS. The High preset averages 78 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 74 FPS. The High and Ultra results are comfortably above 60 FPS, making 1440p a viable resolution for high-quality gaming.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more variable. The Low preset averages 98 FPS, which is playable. The Medium preset averages 78 FPS, with a min of 66 FPS and a max of 90 FPS. The High preset averages 49 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 47 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 4K dip below the 60 FPS line, indicating a less fluid experience. The Medium preset is the only high-quality option that maintains a solid average above 60 FPS at this resolution.

The data shows a clear trend: at 1080p and 1440p, the combo delivers excellent performance across all settings. At 4K, users must compromise on settings to maintain high frame rates, with Medium being the optimal choice for a balance of quality and speed.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The CPU has a 24 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus. Its TDP is 65 W.

In Inside, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations, which is a significant task for a puzzle platformer with complex interactive elements. The data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 216 FPS, which is a high frame rate that requires a capable processor to maintain. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085, is crucial for this. Its multi-core performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14769, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's benchmark scores are closely matched with its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and the Intel Core i9-13900HX, with a deltaPct of 0.1 and -0.1, respectively. This indicates that the 235 is a well-rounded performer in its class. In the context of Inside, the CPU's capabilities are more than sufficient. The fact that frame rates drop significantly more from 1440p to 4K than from 1080p to 1440p indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU's high core count and boost clock ensure that it can keep up with the GPU's demands, even at 1080p where the frame rates are highest.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and refresh rate priorities.

For 1920x1080 users, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation. It delivers an average of 103 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and close to the High preset's 108 FPS. The visual fidelity improvement from Ultra over High is worth the negligible performance cost (5 FPS on average). For users with high refresh rate monitors (144Hz or above), the Medium preset at 173 FPS is a better choice, as it offers a significant frame rate boost while still looking good.

For 2560x1440 users, the High preset is the best balance. It averages 78 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. The Ultra preset is also viable, averaging 74 FPS, but the 4 FPS difference is not worth the potential visual upgrade. The Medium preset at 125 FPS is ideal for those seeking higher refresh rates, but High is the sweet spot for a quality experience.

For 3840x2160 users, the Medium preset is the only viable choice for a stable, high-quality experience. It averages 78 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High and Ultra presets dip to 49 and 47 FPS, respectively, which may lead to noticeable stuttering on some displays. The Low preset at 98 FPS is also an option, but it sacrifices visual quality. Given that the Medium preset provides a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a high frame rate, it is the recommended setting for 4K.

In summary, for a standard 60 Hz display, the High preset at 1440p or the Medium preset at 4K offers the best experience. For a 1080p display, the Ultra preset is the best choice.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Inside, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 2464 out of 2887 total combinations.

This ranking places it in the lower 15% of all tested systems. The ranking is likely influenced by the age and tier of the GPU. The GTX 1660 SUPER, while a competent performer, holds a 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, indicating that it is an average mid-range part. In contrast, the CPU is a high-end component, ranking in the 89th percentile. The combination of a high-end CPU with a mid-range GPU means that the system's overall gaming performance is constrained by the GPU.

However, the ranking does not tell the whole story. The measured FPS data shows that this combo is perfectly capable of running Inside smoothly at 1080p and 1440p, and even at 4K with adjusted settings. The low ranking is a reflection of the absolute performance ceiling compared to systems with much more powerful GPUs, not a sign of an unplayable experience. In fact, the data indicates that this combo offers a well-balanced performance for the game's requirements, delivering high frame rates at mainstream resolutions. The rank of 2464 out of 2887 should be interpreted as a statement about its relative position in a broad field of hardware, rather than a judgment of its suitability for Inside specifically.