Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti combination delivers a remarkably fluid experience in Inside, a game that is clearly far more dependent on the CPU than the GPU at lower resolutions. The data shows this pairing is highly capable of pushing well beyond the refresh rates of most displays, though the scaling pattern reveals where each component’s workload begins to peak.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic CPU-bound scenario that transitions into a more balanced load as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 173 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 124 FPS, a 28% reduction, and then to 78 FPS at 4K High, a further 37% drop. This pattern is indicative of a system where the GPU becomes increasingly stressed at higher pixel counts, while at 1080p, the processor is likely hitting its ceiling for game logic and draw calls.

The most telling evidence of CPU limitation is the 1080p Low result. The average FPS jumps from 173 at High to 346 at Low, a doubling of performance. This massive gain from reducing graphical settings at the same resolution strongly suggests that at 1080p High, the GPU is still not the primary bottleneck, but as settings drop, the CPU’s frame generation limit is exposed. The 1440p Low result of 249 FPS reinforces this, showing that even with a significant pixel count increase, the frame rate remains exceptionally high, only tapering off when the GPU’s fill rate becomes the deciding factor.

At 4K, the situation inverts. The gap between Low (156 FPS) and High (78 FPS) is exactly half, indicating that the GPU is now the limiting component, with its workload scaling almost linearly with the quality settings. The Medium preset at 4K provides a middle ground at 125 FPS, demonstrating that the RTX 3060 Ti still has substantial headroom at this resolution before the most demanding settings are applied. The Ultra preset at 4K brings the frame rate down to 74 FPS, which is still playable but shows the GPU’s limits under maximum load.

The data suggests that for users targeting high refresh rates, the 1080p and 1440p resolutions are where this combo excels, with the CPU providing ample headroom. At 4K, the experience is still smooth, but the scaling shows a system transitioning from being processor-limited to graphics-limited, making the GPU the deciding factor for maximum settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based strictly on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 277 FPS with a minimum of 235 FPS, ensuring no perceptible dips. At 1440p Medium, it delivers 199 FPS with a minimum of 169 FPS, which is still far above the threshold for smooth gameplay on high-refresh displays. Even at 4K Medium, the 125 FPS average with a 106 FPS minimum provides a consistently fluid experience.

The High preset is a viable alternative for those prioritizing visual fidelity over raw frame rate. At 1080p High, the 173 FPS average is still excellent, and the 1440p High result of 124 FPS remains highly playable. However, the drop to 78 FPS at 4K High is significant, falling below the comfort zone for fast-paced action, though Inside’s puzzle-platformer pacing makes this acceptable.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding and shows the steepest performance cost. At 1080p Ultra, the 165 FPS average is only slightly below High, but at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 118 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 74 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is minimal (173 vs 165), suggesting that the visual gains from Ultra may not justify the performance hit at higher resolutions.

The Low preset, while delivering exceptional frame rates (346 FPS at 1080p), is not recommended for this title. The data shows it provides diminishing returns for gameplay, as the extra frames beyond 200 FPS offer no practical benefit on most displays. For the best experience, the Medium preset at 1440p appears to be the sweet spot: it delivers a 199 FPS average, which is well above any refresh rate target, while maintaining the highest minimum frame rate recorded in the dataset (169 FPS) outside of the Low settings.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti ranks at 1273 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the 56th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating that while it is not a top-tier pairing, it outperforms the majority of systems tested for this game.

The ranking is notably lower than what the raw FPS numbers might suggest, which indicates that many other combos in the database achieve even higher frame rates in this title. This is likely due to Inside’s relatively low graphical demands, allowing high-end CPUs and GPUs to achieve frame rates in the hundreds. The Core Ultra 5 235’s performance profile, as indicated by its nearest rivals, shows it is a mid-to-high-tier processor. Its average benchmark score of 46062 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, 0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, 0.1% slower), placing it in a highly competitive performance bracket.

The RTX 3060 Ti, with a percentile ranking of 59 among all GPUs, is a solid mid-range performer. Its average benchmark score of 16129 sits close to the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16014, 0.7% slower) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (16361, 1.4% faster). This GPU’s performance is sufficient to drive Inside at high frame rates, but the combo’s overall rank of 1273 suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in achieving a higher spot. The data implies that many higher-ranked combos likely feature more powerful GPUs that can push even higher FPS at 4K Ultra, where this pairing’s 74 FPS result is a relative weakness.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve in Inside?*

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 346, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 277 FPS at 1080p Medium.

*Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Inside?*

A: Yes, the data shows playable frame rates at 4K. The High preset yields 78 FPS, Medium yields 125 FPS, and Ultra yields 74 FPS. All are above the standard 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the performance at 1440p High compare to 1080p High?

A: At 1440p High, the average FPS is 124, which is a 28% decrease from the 173 FPS recorded at 1080p High. This indicates a significant GPU load increase with the resolution change.

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

A: The lowest minimum FPS is 106, recorded at 4K with Medium settings. The next lowest is 169 FPS at 1440p Medium, showing that the system maintains a high floor in most scenarios.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more at 1080p?

A: The evidence points to the CPU being the primary limiter at 1080p. The jump from 173 FPS at High to 346 FPS at Low is a 100% increase, which is a much larger scaling than what would be expected from GPU-only improvements, indicating the CPU’s frame generation limit is reached.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 1273 out of 2887 tested combos, placing it in the top 56% of all systems tested for Inside.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the primary driver of the resolution scaling seen in the data. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the textures and assets in Inside even at 4K, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at that resolution. The GPU’s boost clock of 1665 MHz and base clock of 1410 MHz, combined with its 4864 shading units, deliver the raw compute power needed for the game’s rendering.

The data shows that the RTX 3060 Ti’s performance is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high that the GPU is unlikely to be fully utilized, with the CPU providing the frame generation limit. The GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. The 4K results show a clear performance gradient from Low (156 FPS) to Ultra (74 FPS), with the GPU’s workload scaling directly with the quality settings. The 4K Medium result of 125 FPS, with a minimum of 106 FPS, demonstrates that the GPU can handle this resolution without significant frame drops, provided the settings are moderated.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 3060 Ti’s average benchmark score of 16129 is competitive. It is 0.7% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 9060 and 1.4% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT. This places it in a solid mid-range tier, capable of delivering high frame rates in less demanding titles like Inside while also being a viable option for more graphically intensive games at 1080p and 1440p. The GPU’s 200 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for its class, and its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 ensures compatibility with modern rendering APIs.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 serves as the foundation for this combo’s exceptional low-resolution performance. With 14 cores and 14 threads, and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, the processor provides substantial single-thread and multi-thread capability. The data strongly suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p, as the frame rate ceiling appears to be reached regardless of the graphical settings.

The evidence for CPU limitation is most apparent when comparing the 1080p Low and High presets. The 346 FPS at Low versus 173 FPS at High shows that the GPU can render frames much faster when the load is light, but the CPU is tasked with preparing those frames. The fact that the 1440p Low result (249 FPS) is still far higher than the 1080p High result (173 FPS) indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck at 1440p Low, but rather the GPU’s fill rate is the new limit. This suggests that even at 4K Low (156 FPS), the CPU still has headroom, and the GPU is the primary constraint.

The Core Ultra 5 235’s benchmark results place it in a strong position. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and single-core score of 2085 indicate a balanced processor capable of handling both gaming and productivity tasks. Its Passmark single-thread score of 4516 is particularly relevant for gaming, as many titles rely heavily on single-core performance. The CPU’s performance is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with a 0.1% delta from the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, meaning users can expect consistent performance across these platforms.

In the context of Inside, the CPU’s role is to maintain a high frame rate floor. The data shows that the processor can feed the GPU with frames at over 300 FPS at 1080p Low, which is well beyond the capabilities of most displays. This ensures that the GPU is never starved for work at mainstream resolutions, allowing the RTX 3060 Ti to deliver its full performance. The CPU’s 65 W TDP and 3 nm process node also contribute to efficient operation, though this has no bearing on the measured FPS data.