Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. The measured data shows this pairing achieves a combo rank of 40 out of 2887 tested configurations, placing it in the top 1.4% of all systems. The game's modest requirements relative to this hardware create a situation where frame rates are extraordinarily high across all resolutions and settings, with the data revealing interesting bottlenecks that shift depending on the configuration.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

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. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, and it has a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. This processor sits in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are tightly clustered. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030, just 0.1% lower, while the Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, a 0.1% difference. The AMD EPYC 4364P sits at 45970 (0.2% lower) and the AMD EPYC 7303 at 45960 (also 0.2% lower). This clustering indicates the Core Ultra 5 235 is positioned in a highly competitive performance band where single-digit percentage differences separate it from alternatives.

In the context of Inside, a puzzle platformer with relatively simple physics and game logic, the CPU's role is not particularly demanding. The game's core loop involves controlling a character through environmental puzzles, which typically requires modest single-threaded performance rather than heavy multi-threaded workloads. The processor's Cinebench R23 scores of 14769 multi-core and 2085 single-core provide ample headroom for the game's logic, but the data suggests the CPU is rarely the limiting factor.

The benchmark results show that at lower resolutions and settings, the frame rates are so high that CPU performance becomes more relevant. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 413 FPS average, and at 1440p Low it reaches 370 FPS. These numbers suggest the CPU can feed the GPU with enough data to maintain frame rates well beyond typical display refresh rates. The 14 cores and 14 threads do not have hyper-threading, which is an interesting design choice, but for a game like Inside, the parallel workload is minimal. The boost clock of 5.00 GHz is likely the more relevant specification here, as puzzle platformers tend to favor high single-core performance over many threads.

The Passmark single-thread score of 4516 reinforces this interpretation. The processor's performance in single-threaded tasks places it in a strong position, and the game's requirements are well within its capabilities. The data shows that the CPU's 89th percentile ranking means it outperforms the vast majority of processors, providing a solid foundation for the GPU to operate at its full potential.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a flagship graphics card based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The card has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). Its 21760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs provide substantial compute capability, with FP32 performance rated at 104.8 TFLOPS.

The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79842. Its nearest rivals are interesting: the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605 (0.3% lower), the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396 (0.6% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940 (1.1% lower). The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959, which is 1.4% higher. This grouping suggests the RTX 5090's raw compute power is comparable to certain data-center and prosumer cards, though the consumer-oriented feature set differs.

For Inside, the GPU's 32 GB VRAM is far beyond what the game requires. The game's visual style is relatively simple, with a monochromatic palette and limited texture complexity. At 4K Ultra, the system achieves 143 FPS average, and at 4K High it reaches 150 FPS. These numbers indicate the GPU is not stressed by the game's graphics workload. The RTX 5090's architectural strengths in ray tracing and tensor operations are irrelevant here, as Inside does not utilize these features.

The memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s is also excessive for this game. Even at 4K resolution, the data transfer requirements are minimal, and the card's massive bandwidth means there is no scenario where memory throughput becomes a bottleneck. The boost clock of 2407 MHz provides high raw speed, and the pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s suggest the card can handle any resolution and settings combination the game offers.

The interesting dynamic is that at lower settings, the GPU is so fast that the CPU becomes the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system hits 413 FPS, and at 1440p Low it reaches 370 FPS. These frame rates are likely constrained by the CPU's ability to process game logic and issue draw calls, not by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The data suggests that the RTX 5090's full potential is not realized in this game, as the frame rates are limited by other components.

FAQ

*Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems in Inside?*

A: This pairing ranks 40th out of 2887 tested configurations, placing it in the top 1.4% of all systems. This is an exceptional result, though not the absolute top, leaving room for other high-end combinations to achieve higher frame rates.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate this system can achieve?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the system averages 413 FPS. At 1440p Low, it averages 370 FPS. These are the highest measured averages in the data, though the 1080p Medium setting shows a max FPS of 439, indicating frame rate spikes can go even higher.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game's performance?

A: The data shows that at high frame rates, the CPU becomes the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system hits 413 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 300 FPS. The GPU's performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is more pronounced, while the CPU's single-thread performance likely caps frame rates in lighter settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rivals in GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score of 79842 is 0.3% higher than the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, 0.6% higher than the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. However, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 1.4% higher, indicating close competition in this performance tier.

Q: What is the highest frame rate achieved in this game by this system?

A: The highest average FPS is 413 at 1080p Low settings. However, the max FPS recorded is 439, which occurs at 1080p Medium settings. At 1440p Low, the max FPS reaches 393, and at 4K Medium, the max FPS is 276.

Q: Does the game support high refresh rate monitors well?

A: Yes, the system can drive frame rates well above 240 FPS at 1080p and 1440p with most settings. Even at 4K, the system averages 240 FPS at Medium settings and 150 FPS at High settings, making it suitable for high refresh rate displays across all resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers remarkably consistent high performance across all settings. The Low preset averages 413 FPS, while Medium averages 381 FPS with a range of 324 to 439 FPS. High settings yield 318 FPS average, and Ultra produces 313 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is only 100 FPS, which is a 24% drop, indicating the game's settings have a relatively modest impact on performance at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high but show more variation between settings. Low averages 370 FPS, Medium averages 342 FPS with a range of 291 to 393 FPS, High averages 239 FPS, and Ultra averages 228 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra widens to 142 FPS, a 38% reduction, showing that higher resolution amplifies the impact of graphics settings.

At 3840x2160, the performance characteristics change more dramatically. Low settings produce 300 FPS average, Medium averages 240 FPS with a range of 204 to 276 FPS, High averages 150 FPS, and Ultra averages 143 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 157 FPS, a 52% drop. This pattern reveals that the game's settings have a progressively larger effect as resolution increases.

The data shows a clear trend: the system is so powerful that even at 4K Ultra, it maintains 143 FPS average, which is well above typical display refresh rates. The min FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings at each resolution, with 324 at 1080p, 291 at 1440p, and 204 at 4K. These minimums suggest frame time consistency is excellent, with no major stuttering issues.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 40 out of 2887 tested combinations places this system in the 98.6th percentile of all configurations tested in Inside. This is an elite ranking, though not the absolute best, meaning there are 39 other combinations that achieve higher frame rates. The fact that this system does not rank first despite its flagship GPU suggests that other factors, likely CPU choice or system configuration, contribute to even higher performance.

The CPU's 89th percentile ranking and the GPU's 92nd percentile ranking both contribute to this strong overall position. However, the data implies that the bottleneck in this configuration is not the GPU, as the frame rates at 4K Ultra (143 FPS) are far below what the RTX 5090 could theoretically achieve. The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads, while sufficient for most games, might not be optimal for extracting every last frame from such a powerful GPU.

The gap between this combo and the top-ranked systems is likely minimal in absolute terms, as frame rates above 400 FPS are already beyond the refresh rate of most displays. The ranking of 40th is more a reflection of the extreme performance of other high-end configurations rather than a deficiency in this system. The nearest CPU rivals all score within 0.2% of each other, suggesting that processor choice has a limited impact on overall system ranking in this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium settings preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium averages 381 FPS with a max of 439 FPS, which is only 32 FPS lower than Low but offers improved visual fidelity. At 1440p, Medium averages 342 FPS, still well above 240 Hz displays, while High drops to 239 FPS. At 4K, Medium averages 240 FPS, which is ideal for high refresh rate monitors, while High falls to 150 FPS.

The Ultra preset offers marginal visual improvements over High but comes with a performance cost. At 1080p, Ultra is only 5 FPS lower than High (313 vs 318), making it a viable choice. At 1440p, the difference widens to 11 FPS (228 vs 239), and at 4K, the gap is 7 FPS (143 vs 150). The Ultra preset's performance is still excellent, but the visual gains are negligible for a game with Inside's art style.

For players with 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors, the High preset at 4K provides 150 FPS, which is sufficient. For 240 Hz displays, Medium at 4K (240 FPS) or High at 1440p (239 FPS) are the best choices. The Low preset offers the highest frame rates but sacrifices visual quality unnecessarily, as even Ultra settings maintain playable frame rates at all resolutions. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot, providing high frame rates while preserving the game's atmospheric visuals.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the system's bottlenecks. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 413 FPS at 1080p to 370 FPS at 1440p (a 10.4% decrease) and then to 300 FPS at 4K (a 18.9% decrease from 1440p). This scaling pattern suggests the CPU is the primary limiter at lower resolutions, as the GPU's workload increases but the frame rate does not drop proportionally.

At Medium settings, the scaling is more pronounced: 381 FPS at 1080p, 342 FPS at 1440p (10.2% decrease), and 240 FPS at 4K (29.8% decrease from 1440p). This indicates that as settings increase, the GPU becomes more involved, and the resolution impact grows. At High settings, the drop from 1080p (318 FPS) to 1440p (239 FPS) is 24.8%, and from 1440p to 4K (150 FPS) is 37.2%. This pattern continues at Ultra settings, with 313 FPS at 1080p, 228 FPS at 1440p (27.2% decrease), and 143 FPS at 4K (37.3% decrease).

The data reveals that the GPU is not fully utilized until higher resolutions and settings are combined. The fact that 4K Ultra produces 143 FPS, while 1080p Low produces 413 FPS, shows a 65% performance drop. This scaling behavior indicates that the RTX 5090's capabilities are only partially exercised in this game, and the CPU's performance is the more significant constraint at lower resolutions. The system's ability to maintain over 140 FPS at 4K Ultra demonstrates that this combination is thoroughly overkill for Inside, but it also shows the GPU's scaling efficiency across resolutions, with the performance drop from 1080p to 4K being less dramatic than might be expected from a less powerful card.