Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far more demanding than its minimalist art style suggests. The data shows this pairing is overkill for the game's requirements, producing frame rates that exceed the refresh rates of even the fastest high-end monitors. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the CPU and GPU roles, and answers common questions about this specific configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured performance of this specific CPU and GPU pairing places it at rank 224 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. This puts it in the top 7.8% of all configurations tested, which is a strong result for a game that is not typically considered a hardware stress test. The ranking reflects the combination’s ability to push exceptionally high frame rates, though the game’s age means even mid-range hardware can achieve playable results. What distinguishes this combo is its headroom: it does not merely hit 60 FPS or 144 FPS; it often doubles or triples those targets.

The rank is driven by both components working in concert. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s raw graphics throughput ensures that even at 4K Ultra settings, the average frame rate stays above 100 FPS. Simultaneously, the Core Ultra 5 235’s strong single-thread performance prevents any CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions where the GPU could otherwise be waiting on the processor. This balance is critical; in a game like Inside with simple geometry but complex physics and lighting calculations, a weaker CPU would cap performance well below what the GPU can deliver.

Compared to other combinations in the database, this pairing sits in the upper echelon. While it does not crack the top 100, its position at 224 suggests it outperforms the vast majority of systems, including many with older flagship GPUs or CPUs. The data indicates that for Inside, this combo offers near-maximum quality for the hardware class, with the only faster results likely coming from newer, more expensive components like the GeForce RTX 50-series or top-tier AMD equivalents.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary driver of frame rates in this configuration, especially at higher resolutions. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. For Inside, this memory configuration is more than sufficient; the game’s textures and assets are not demanding by modern standards, and the GPU never appears to be memory-limited based on the scaling patterns. The 1980 MHz base clock and 2475 MHz boost clock allow the card to maintain high sustained performance, which is evident in the consistent frame times at 1080p and 1440p.

The GPU’s architecture, Ada Lovelace, includes 7168 shading units and 56 RT cores, though ray tracing is not a factor in Inside. What matters more is the card’s raw fill rate: 198.0 GPixel/s pixel rate and 554.4 GTexel/s texture rate. These specifications directly translate to the ability to render the game’s atmospheric lighting and shadow effects at high resolutions without dropping below 100 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is still the limiting factor, producing an average of 110 FPS, which reflects its strength given the resolution’s pixel count.

The RTX 4070 SUPER’s performance is also notable in comparison to its nearest rivals in the database. Its average benchmark score of 43223 is within 1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile, which scores 43667 and has a deltaPct of -1. This means the desktop 4070 SUPER essentially trades blows with a top-tier laptop GPU, a significant achievement. It also outperforms the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, which scores 43262 with a deltaPct of -0.1, showing that the 4070 SUPER is not just a gaming card but also a capable compute workhorse.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals clear scaling trends across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo is heavily CPU-limited at lower settings. The difference between Low and Medium is small (413 FPS vs 381 FPS), but the jump to High (256 FPS) and Ultra (244 FPS) shows a more significant drop, suggesting the GPU begins to take on more load. The fact that 1080p Low hits 413 FPS indicates the CPU cannot push much beyond that figure, as the GPU is barely taxed. This is a classic CPU bottleneck scenario where the processor’s single-thread speed dictates the ceiling.

Moving to 2560x1440, the balance shifts. Low settings still hit 368 FPS, but the drop from 1080p Low is only about 11%, which is modest. At Medium, the average is 294 FPS, and High drops to 184 FPS. The Ultra setting produces 175 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra is a 28% reduction (from 244 to 175 FPS), indicating that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor but still has ample headroom.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant constraint. Low settings produce 231 FPS, which is a 44% drop from 1080p Low. Medium yields 185 FPS, High drops to 116 FPS, and Ultra falls to 110 FPS. The pattern shows that at 4K, the CPU is no longer a bottleneck; the GPU’s computational limits are what set the frame rate. The fact that 4K Ultra still averages 110 FPS is remarkable, meaning users with 4K 120Hz displays can run the game at maximum settings without needing to compromise, though those with 144Hz panels would need to drop to High settings to stay fully within refresh rate.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K with max settings?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 110 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay, and it will be perfectly playable on any 4K display, including those with 120Hz refresh rates.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the CPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 413 FPS average. The GPU is capable of more, but the Core Ultra 5 235’s single-thread performance caps the output. At higher settings like Ultra (244 FPS), the GPU begins to share the load, but the CPU still plays a significant role.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to the RTX 4090 Mobile?

A: The desktop RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 43223, while the RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43667. This represents a deltaPct of -1, meaning the 4070 SUPER is essentially 1% slower on average, making them equivalent in performance for practical purposes.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maximize refresh rate?

A: At 1440p, the combo achieves 368 FPS on Low and 175 FPS on Ultra. This makes 1440p the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming, as even Ultra settings exceed 144Hz. At 4K, you would need to drop to Low settings (231 FPS) to exceed 240Hz, but Ultra is capped at 110 FPS.

Q: Does the Core Ultra 5 235 hold back the GPU in this game?

A: Only at 1080p Low and Medium settings. At 1080p Low, the CPU limits the frame rate to 413 FPS, which is a theoretical issue but not a practical one, as no mainstream monitor exceeds that refresh rate. At 4K, the GPU is fully utilized, and the CPU provides ample headroom.

*Q: Is this combo overkill for Inside?*

A: Yes, from a pure playability standpoint, it is. The game runs at 110 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is far beyond what the game’s mechanics require. However, the high frame rates ensure zero stutter and maximum responsiveness, which is beneficial for a puzzle platformer that relies on precise timing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the average FPS measured for this specific combo in Inside. Where available, minimum and maximum FPS are also provided to show frame time variance.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 231 FPS average
• Medium: 185 FPS average, 157 FPS minimum, 213 FPS maximum
• High: 116 FPS average
• Ultra: 110 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 368 FPS average
• Medium: 294 FPS average, 250 FPS minimum, 338 FPS maximum
• High: 184 FPS average
• Ultra: 175 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 413 FPS average
• Medium: 381 FPS average, 324 FPS minimum, 439 FPS maximum
• High: 256 FPS average
• Ultra: 244 FPS average

The minimum FPS figures at Medium settings are worth noting. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 157 FPS is higher than the average of many other systems at 1080p, indicating excellent frame pacing. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 250 FPS ensures that even in the most demanding scenes with complex particle effects, the frame rate never dips below a level that would be noticeable to the human eye. The maximum FPS values, particularly the 439 FPS at 1080p Medium, show that the combo has significant untapped potential, limited only by the game engine’s physics updates.

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 features a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, which is critical for Inside’s physics calculations. The CPU has 24 MB of shared L3 cache, and its memory bandwidth is 102.4 GB/s over dual-channel DDR5. For this game, the CPU’s single-thread performance is far more important than its multi-core capabilities, as Inside does not scale well across many threads.

Benchmark data supports this. The CPU scores 2085 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is a strong result, and 14769 in multi-core. The single-core score is what allows the CPU to push frame rates above 400 FPS at low settings, as the game’s main loop and physics updates are largely single-threaded. The multi-core score of 14769 ensures that background tasks and any additional game systems (like audio) do not cause frame drops.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 46062 places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, making it a high-end part. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, scores 46030 with a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the Ultra 5 235 is effectively tied with that mobile chip. More importantly, it comfortably outperforms the Intel Core i9-13900HX, which scores 46098 with a deltaPct of -0.1, showing that this desktop CPU can match or beat a previous-generation laptop flagship. The 14 threads, while not a huge count, are sufficient for Inside, and the CPU’s high boost clock ensures that the GPU is never starved for data at high resolutions.

The CPU’s integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 24 EU is present but irrelevant for this configuration, as the discrete GPU handles all rendering. The 65W TDP means it is power-efficient, but the data does not include power draw measurements. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 lanes provides ample bandwidth for the RTX 4070 SUPER, though the GPU uses PCIe 4.0 x16, which is more than sufficient for this game’s data transfer needs. In summary, the Core Ultra 5 235 is not a bottleneck for Inside except in the most extreme low-resolution scenarios, and its high single-core performance is the key reason this combo ranks as well as it does.