Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile is a capable combination for Inside, but the benchmark data shows it is closer to the bottom of the pack than the top. This combo ranks 2,971 out of 3,716 tested combinations, placing it in the 20th percentile of all systems tested for this specific game. While the raw performance is sufficient to play the game smoothly at most settings, the data indicates that this pairing is not optimized for pushing maximum frame rates at higher resolutions. The CPU is a strong performer in general benchmarks, but the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, a dynamic that is clearly visible in the measured FPS across the different settings presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The ranking of 2,971 out of 3,716 combos is a stark indicator that while this system can run Inside, it does so with performance that is well below the median of the database. This is a low-to-mid-tier result, suggesting that the combination of the Core Ultra 5 235HX and RTX 5050 Mobile is not a high-performance pairing for this title. The data shows that the CPU holds a strong 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs, but the GPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs is the limiting factor. The gap between the CPU's relative strength and the GPU's relative position is the key takeaway.

The combo's rank is likely pulled down by the GPU's performance ceiling. When the game is run at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves a very high average of 245 FPS, which is over double the refresh rate of most standard monitors. However, this is a scenario where the CPU is doing most of the heavy lifting, and the GPU has plenty of headroom. As the resolution and settings are increased, the GPU is pushed to its limits, and the frame rate drops significantly. This dynamic is common in puzzle platformers where the visual load is not extreme, but it highlights that this combo is not designed for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming.

The performance delta between this combo's rank and the top-tier systems is substantial. The data does not provide direct comparisons for FPS against other combos, but the rank itself is the primary metric. A rank of 2,971 means there are 745 other combinations that perform worse, but there are 2,970 that perform better. For a game like Inside, which has a simple art style, this level of performance is more than adequate for a playable experience, but it is far from the best. The system is essentially a mainstream performer that will handle the game without issue, but it will not deliver the ultra-high frame rates that more powerful GPUs can achieve.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile is the central component determining the frame rate in Inside. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. This is a modest amount of memory, but for a game like Inside, it is more than sufficient. The GPU's boost clock is 1500 MHz, with a base clock of 1020 MHz. The benchmark results show that the GPU has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,365, which is a measure of its raw graphics processing power.

In the context of this game, the GPU's role changes with the settings preset. At 1080p Low, the system hits 245 FPS, indicating the GPU is not the limiting factor. However, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 53, showing the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are being saturated. The GPU's 2,560 shading units and 80 texture mapping units are working hard at higher resolutions, but the 32 ROPs are likely a bottleneck for pixel output at 4K, limiting the fill rate. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, which is a hard limit on how many pixels can be drawn per second.

The GPU's performance relative to its rivals is interesting. Its average benchmark score is 43,268, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (43,262) and within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER. The data shows the RTX 5050 Mobile is 0.1% faster than the RTX 4070 SUPER in the aggregate benchmark score, but 0.9% slower than the RTX 4090 Mobile. This places it in a strange position where it is competing with desktop cards from a previous generation, but it is a mobile part, so the performance is relative to its power envelope. The GPU's TDP is 50 W, which is very low, and this is reflected in its performance class.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases. Starting at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the system achieves an average of 196 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 with the same Medium settings, the average drops to 141 FPS, a 28% decrease. Finally, at 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average falls to 88 FPS, another 37.6% decrease from the 1440p result. This pattern shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The scaling is even more pronounced at the High preset. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 122. At 1440p High, it drops to 88 FPS, a 27.9% decrease. At 4K High, it falls to 55 FPS, a 37.5% decrease from the 1440p result. This shows that the GPU's performance headroom is quickly exhausted as pixel count increases. The data indicates that the GPU is not able to maintain a 60 FPS average at 4K on the High preset, which is a common target for smooth gameplay.

The scaling from Low to Medium to High at each resolution is also telling. At 1080p, the FPS drops from 245 (Low) to 196 (Medium) to 122 (High), showing the GPU is being stressed more with each preset. At 4K, the drop is from 111 (Low) to 88 (Medium) to 55 (High). This suggests that the game is not heavily CPU-bound at any resolution, as the FPS scales consistently with the GPU load. The data shows that the limiting component is the GPU, and the CPU has enough performance to feed it at all settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for a balance of visual quality and performance is the Medium preset at 2560x1440. This setting yields an average FPS of 141, with a minimum of 120 and a maximum of 162. This is a smooth, responsive experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a higher resolution than 1080p. The Medium preset at 1440p offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p, and the frame rate is high enough to be comfortable on most displays.

For users with a 1080p monitor, the High preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended choice, with an average of 122 FPS. This is a very playable frame rate, and the High preset provides better visual fidelity than Medium. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 117 FPS, which is not a significant difference from High, so the extra visual cost of Ultra may not be worth the slight FPS drop. If you have a high-refresh-rate 1080p monitor, the Low preset at 245 FPS is the only way to truly maximize the display's potential, but the visual quality will suffer.

At 4K, the data suggests that the system is not ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming. The Medium preset at 4K provides an average of 88 FPS, which is playable, but the minimum of 75 FPS indicates some dips. The High preset at 4K drops to 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may feel less smooth. The Ultra preset at 4K is the worst option, with an average of 53 FPS. For a game like Inside, the Medium preset at 4K is the best choice if you want to use a 4K display, but the 1440p Medium setting is the most balanced overall.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 245, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this system maintain a stable 60 FPS at 4K?

A: The data shows that the system can only maintain a 60+ FPS average at 4K with the Low preset, which hits 111 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 88 FPS, but the High and Ultra presets fall below 60 FPS, at 55 and 53 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 Mobile compare to the RTX 4070 SUPER in this database?

A: The RTX 5050 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 43,268, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4070 SUPER's score of 43,223. They are effectively tied in the aggregate benchmark.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck for this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU has a high percentile ranking (91), while the GPU has a lower one (83). The FPS scales heavily with resolution and settings, which is a sign of GPU limitation.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the best option, providing an average of 141 FPS with a minimum of 120 FPS. This offers a good balance of visual quality and smooth performance.

Q: What is the combo's ranking out of all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2,971 out of 3,716 tested combinations for Inside, placing it in the lower 20% of all systems.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX plays a supporting role in Inside, but it is a strong one. This CPU features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This is a high-performance mobile processor, as evidenced by its 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs. The CPU's architecture is Arrow Lake, built on a 3 nm process node by TSMC, with a 24 MB shared L3 cache. The data shows the CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the GPU.

In the context of Inside, the CPU's performance is not a limiting factor. The game is not heavily threaded, but the CPU's strong single-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,903, ensures that the game logic and physics are handled with ease. The CPU's multi-core performance is also excellent, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34,731, but this is less relevant for a puzzle platformer. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4,683 confirms its strong per-core performance.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the data shows it is a top-tier performer. Its average benchmark score is 52,073, which is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 8124P (52,121) and the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (51,947). It is also very close to the Intel Core i7-14700 (52,301) and the Intel Core i9-13900F (51,730). The delta percentages are all within 0.7%, indicating that the Core Ultra 5 235HX performs on par with these high-end desktop and server processors in the aggregate benchmark. The CPU is clearly not the weak link in this system.

The CPU's memory support includes DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. This is sufficient for feeding the GPU and ensuring no data bottlenecks. The CPU also has integrated graphics in the form of Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 48EU, but this is not used for gaming in this combo. The CPU's role in this system is to provide a solid foundation, and the benchmark results indicate it does so without any issues, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of the final frame rate.