Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer with modest graphical demands, and the data shows that pairing the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti produces extraordinarily high frame rates at every tested setting. The benchmark results indicate a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, shifting to a more balanced load only at 4K with the highest quality presets. This combination never drops below 116 FPS in any measured configuration, making it a definitive overachiever for this title, ranking in the 94th percentile of all tested combos.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, but with an unusual twist: the performance headroom is so vast that even the most demanding settings leave significant untapped potential. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 413 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 370 FPS, a 10.4% reduction, and then to 4K Low it falls to 243 FPS, a further 34.3% reduction. This pattern—where the most significant drop occurs between 1440p and 4K—is a hallmark of the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases.

However, the story changes with the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the system delivers 257 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 184 FPS (a 28.4% reduction), and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 116 FPS (a 37.0% reduction from 1440p). The scaling between resolutions is steeper on the Ultra preset compared to Low, which suggests that while the GPU is still the bottleneck, the additional shading and texture work at higher settings amplifies the cost of each pixel. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is likely providing all the frames the GPU can handle, but the GPU's limits are never truly stressed until 4K Ultra, where it still manages a very playable 116 FPS.

The most telling data point is the gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference is 156 FPS (413 vs 257). At 1440p, it narrows to 186 FPS (370 vs 184). At 4K, it shrinks to 127 FPS (243 vs 116). This convergence at higher resolutions confirms that the RTX 4070 Ti's rendering throughput is the deciding factor; when the resolution increases, the CPU's ability to feed frames becomes less relevant, and the GPU's raw pixel-pushing power dominates the final output. The system is so fast that it is never truly "CPU-limited" in a problematic way, but the data clearly shows the GPU's workload scaling is the primary driver of frame rate changes.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of 2,887 tested combinations for Inside, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti achieves a rank of 170. This places it in the top 5.9% of all systems tested, a position that reflects the high-end nature of both components. The benchmark results indicate that this combo is not just fast; it is exceptionally well-suited to this game, outperforming the vast majority of other hardware pairings.

The ranking is particularly impressive given the game's release date in 2016. Inside is not a graphically intensive title by modern standards, so the combination of a 2025 CPU and a 2023 GPU provides significant headroom. The data suggests that this combo is likely overkill for a smooth experience, but it does ensure maximum frame rates and perfect frame pacing even in the most complex scenes. The fact that it ranks 170th out of 2,887 combos means there are only 169 other systems in the database that can produce higher average frame rates in this specific game, evidence of the high-tier performance of both the Ultra 5 235 and the RTX 4070 Ti.

When compared to other potential pairings, the CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks—such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and the Intel Core i9-13900HX—show a negligible performance delta. This suggests that the CPU choice is not a differentiator in this game, as the GPU is the bottleneck. The ranking is therefore primarily a function of the RTX 4070 Ti's position in the GPU hierarchy. The GPU's percentile ranking of 84 versus all GPUs reinforces this, showing it is a high-end part that, when paired with a capable CPU, easily secures a top-tier position in a game as light as Inside.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. For a puzzle platformer like Inside, which does not typically utilize massive multi-threading, the single-thread performance is more critical. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and the Passmark single-thread score of 4516 indicate a very strong performer for this task. The data shows that the CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the GPU's output at 1080p and 1440p.

The CPU's role in this combo is to ensure that the GPU is never starved of data. At 1080p Low, where the GPU can produce 413 FPS, the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls is being tested. The fact that the frame rate is so high suggests that the 14 cores are handling the workload with ease. In fact, the CPU's Passmark multithread score of 37,816 and 14 threads provide a substantial buffer, ensuring that even the most complex physics calculations or AI routines in the game do not cause a bottleneck.

However, the benchmark results also show that the CPU's performance is not the limiting factor in this game. As resolution increases, the frame rate drops consistently regardless of the CPU's capabilities, which confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth with DDR5 support are ample for a game of this era. The data indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is effectively a "silent partner" in this configuration, providing a rock-solid foundation without ever becoming a point of contention. Its 89th percentile ranking versus all CPUs shows it is a high-end processor, but its specific core count and clock speeds are not directly responsible for the high frame rates seen here; rather, they ensure the GPU can operate at its full potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the performance across three resolutions and four quality settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 413 FPS on Low, 381 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 324 and maximum of 439), 269 FPS on High, and 257 FPS on Ultra. The spread between Low and Ultra is 156 FPS, showing that the settings have a significant impact, but even the lowest result is exceptionally smooth.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high: 370 FPS on Low, 310 FPS on Medium (min 263, max 356), 194 FPS on High, and 184 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1080p is noticeable, particularly on High and Ultra settings, where the frame rate falls below 200 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is working harder, but the results are still far above the refresh rates of most monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still impressive for a 4K resolution. The Low preset produces 243 FPS, Medium drops to 195 FPS (min 166, max 224), High yields 122 FPS, and Ultra produces 116 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 127 FPS, which is the smallest of the three resolutions. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is the dominant factor, and the settings have a relatively smaller impact on the final frame rate compared to the resolution itself. The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium is 166, which indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above 60 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the Medium preset offers a significant jump in performance over High, while High and Ultra are relatively close in frame rate. For example, at 1440p, the difference between High (194 FPS) and Ultra (184 FPS) is only 10 FPS, while the difference between Medium (310 FPS) and High (194 FPS) is 116 FPS. This suggests that the High and Ultra presets likely share many of the same expensive rendering features, while Medium is a more efficient step down.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the clear driver of performance in this combo, and its specifications explain the measured results. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 192-bit memory bus providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, the GPU has ample resources for a game like Inside, which does not require large texture pools. The GPU's boost clock of 2610 MHz and 7680 shading units allow it to process the game's simple geometry and lighting effects with incredible speed.

The GPU's role is most evident in the resolution scaling. The data shows that as the resolution increases, the frame rate drops, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth being consumed. The RTX 4070 Ti's 80 ROPs and 208.8 GPixel/s pixel rate are responsible for the final output, and at 4K, the sheer number of pixels to fill (8.3 million) begins to tax the GPU. However, even with this load, it manages 116 FPS on Ultra, which reflects its raw power.

The GPU's performance is also highlighted by its Passmark G3D score of 31,624 and its 84th percentile ranking versus all GPUs. This places it in the high-end tier, but its nearest rivals in the database, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, show that it is not the absolute fastest. The deltaPct values are small, indicating that the RTX 4070 Ti is on par with other high-end parts. For Inside, this means the GPU is never the limiting factor in a negative way; it simply provides an abundance of frame rate. The 12 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, and the data shows no signs of memory-related stuttering or frame drops, as evidenced by the recorded minimum FPS values.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target frame rate and resolution. For players with a 1080p or 1440p monitor running at 144Hz or 165Hz, the Ultra preset is the best choice. At 1080p Ultra, the system produces 257 FPS, and at 1440p Ultra, it manages 184 FPS, both of which are well above the refresh rate of high-end monitors. The data shows that the visual quality increase from High to Ultra is worth the small frame rate cost, as the difference is only 12 FPS at 1080p and 10 FPS at 1440p.

For 4K resolution, the recommendation is more nuanced. The High preset at 122 FPS and the Ultra preset at 116 FPS are both playable, but the difference between them is a mere 6 FPS. The data suggests that the Ultra preset may offer marginal visual improvements, but the High preset provides a slightly higher frame rate buffer. However, for a game that is not fast-paced, either preset would be acceptable. The Medium preset at 4K, which averages 195 FPS, is the best choice for maximizing performance without sacrificing too much visual fidelity, especially for players with a 144Hz 4K display.

Ultimately, the data shows that the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality for all resolutions if the goal is to maximize frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the system hits 381 FPS, at 1440p Medium it hits 310 FPS, and at 4K Medium it hits 195 FPS. These numbers are all significantly higher than the High and Ultra presets, and the visual difference in a game like Inside is likely minimal. Therefore, for the most responsive experience, Medium is recommended. For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, Ultra is the clear choice, as it only reduces frame rates by a small margin compared to High, while still delivering well over 100 FPS at 4K and over 180 FPS at 1440p.