Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016, and its measured performance on the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination reveals a title that is exceptionally easy to drive, even at the highest settings. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, with frame rates scaling to extreme levels that far exceed the refresh rate of typical displays. The analysis below breaks down how this specific pairing handles the game’s demands, focusing on resolution scaling, component roles, and the practical settings that deliver the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear and dramatic relationship between resolution and performance. At 1080p with Low settings, the average frame rate is 328 FPS, which drops to 236 FPS at 1440p and further to 148 FPS at 4K. This represents a 28% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a 55% decrease from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, suggesting that the GPU is the primary bottleneck as the resolution increases.

The scaling behavior implies that at 1080p, the system is likely hitting a ceiling imposed by the CPU or other system limits, as the frame rates are extraordinarily high. For instance, moving from 1080p Low (328 FPS) to 1440p Low (236 FPS) shows a significant drop, but the 4K Low result (148 FPS) is still well above playable thresholds. This suggests that while the GPU is being stressed more at higher resolutions, the CPU’s 14 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock are sufficient to keep feeding frames even at the lower resolutions. The data indicates that 4K is where the GPU begins to work substantially harder, but it still manages to deliver smooth gameplay.

The difference between settings at the same resolution is also telling. At 4K, High settings yield 74 FPS, while Ultra yields 71 FPS, a negligible 4% difference. However, dropping to Medium at 4K boosts performance to 118 FPS, which is a 59% improvement over Ultra. This suggests that the jump from Medium to High/Ultra introduces a significant graphical feature that is disproportionately expensive. The same pattern holds at 1440p and 1080p, where Medium consistently delivers a large performance uplift over High, indicating that the High and Ultra presets likely enable effects that are not well optimized for this hardware.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 328, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the 4K performance compare to 1080p performance?

A: At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS is 148, which is 55% lower than the 328 FPS seen at 1080p with the same Low settings.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between High and Ultra settings?

A: No, the difference is minimal. At 4K, High averages 74 FPS while Ultra averages 71 FPS, a difference of only 3 FPS. At 1080p, High averages 164 FPS and Ultra averages 156 FPS, an 8 FPS difference.

Q: Which settings preset offers the highest frame rate at 1440p?

A: The Low preset offers the highest average FPS at 1440p, with a score of 236 FPS. Medium follows at 189 FPS, High at 118 FPS, and Ultra at 112 FPS.

Q: Does the game show any signs of being CPU-limited at lower resolutions?

A: The data suggests so, as the frame rates at 1080p are extremely high across all settings. The difference between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is 92 FPS, but the jump from 1440p to 4K at Low settings is 88 FPS, which is a similar absolute drop, indicating the GPU is scaling with resolution while the CPU maintains high throughput.

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

A: The minimum FPS was only recorded for the Medium settings preset. The lowest min FPS is 101 at 4K, 160 at 1440p, and 223 at 1080p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the central component in this combo, and its specifications directly explain the measured performance. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. For a game like Inside, which has a relatively simple visual style, this memory capacity and bandwidth are more than sufficient, allowing the GPU to operate without memory bottlenecks. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 71, which is a playable frame rate, indicating that the GPU’s 6144 shading units are handling the rendering load effectively.

The clock speeds of the RTX 5070 are also relevant. With a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, the GPU has a solid performance ceiling. The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as frame rates drop significantly from 1080p. However, the scaling from Medium to High settings is steep, suggesting that the High and Ultra presets may enable GPU-intensive effects like advanced lighting or post-processing that the hardware struggles with. The GPU’s performance percentile of 82 versus all GPUs indicates it is a strong performer, but the game’s age means it is not a demanding title.

The 12 GB VRAM is another point of analysis. While it is not a massive amount by modern standards, for a 2016 puzzle platformer, it is more than adequate. The measured data does not show any signs of stuttering or memory-related slowdowns, as the minimum FPS for Medium settings remains relatively high (101 FPS at 4K). This suggests that the GPU’s memory subsystem is not a limiting factor in this game, and the performance is primarily dictated by the core compute capabilities of the RTX 5070.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset for this combo depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For players with a 1080p display, the High preset provides an average of 164 FPS, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor. The Medium preset yields 262 FPS, which is excessive for most displays, but could be used for competitive play or to maximize smoothness. The Ultra preset at 156 FPS is also perfectly playable, so the choice between High and Ultra comes down to visual preference, as the performance difference is small.

At 1440p, the High preset averages 118 FPS, which is ideal for a 120Hz display. The Medium preset offers 189 FPS, which is overkill for most 1440p monitors, but provides a significant margin for frame rate drops. The Ultra preset at 112 FPS is still smooth, but the data shows that the jump from Medium to High costs 71 FPS, indicating that the High preset is a much heavier load. For the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot.

At 4K, the situation changes. The High preset averages 74 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a high-refresh-rate display. The Ultra preset drops to 71 FPS, which is nearly identical. However, the Medium preset jumps to 118 FPS, which is a massive improvement. This suggests that the High and Ultra presets enable graphical features that are disproportionately expensive at 4K. Therefore, for 4K gaming, the Medium preset is strongly recommended, as it provides a high frame rate while still looking visually rich. The Low preset at 148 FPS is an option for those who prioritize performance above all else.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination is ranked 1474 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the top half of all systems. This ranking indicates that while this is a capable setup, there are many other combinations that perform better in this specific game. The data suggests that the game is not particularly demanding, so even mid-range hardware can achieve high frame rates, which explains why this combo does not rank higher.

The GPU’s performance percentile is 82, meaning it is better than 82% of all GPUs, but its nearest rivals include professional workstation cards like the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile, which are not gaming-focused. This suggests that the RTX 5070’s gaming performance is strong, but not exceptional in the context of all hardware. The CPU’s percentile is 91, which is higher, indicating that the processor is a stronger relative performer. The combo’s rank of 1474 suggests that the GPU might be the limiting factor in this game, as the CPU is more powerful relative to its peers.

The rank of 1474 out of 2887 means that approximately 51% of tested combos perform better. This is a middle-of-the-pack result, which is surprising given the high frame rates measured. This is likely because the game is so easy to run that even low-end hardware can achieve high FPS, making the ranking more about the absolute ceiling of performance rather than playability. For a puzzle platformer, the measured FPS far exceeds the requirements for a smooth experience, so the rank is not indicative of a poor gaming experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 156 (Ultra) to 328 (Low). The Medium preset averages 262 FPS, with a minimum of 223 and a maximum of 302. The High preset averages 164 FPS. At 2560x1440, the scores are lower: Low averages 236 FPS, Medium averages 189 FPS (min 160, max 217), High averages 118 FPS, and Ultra averages 112 FPS. At 3840x2160, the scores are the lowest: Low averages 148 FPS, Medium averages 118 FPS (min 101, max 136), High averages 74 FPS, and Ultra averages 71 FPS.

The data reveals a consistent pattern where the Medium preset offers a significant performance boost over High and Ultra. At 1080p, the difference between Medium and High is 98 FPS, and between Medium and Ultra is 106 FPS. This gap widens at higher resolutions, with a 71 FPS difference between Medium and High at 1440p, and a 44 FPS difference at 4K. This indicates that the High and Ultra presets share a similar performance cost, while Medium is a distinct, much lighter tier.

The minimum FPS data for the Medium preset shows that the frame rate is stable, with the 4K minimum of 101 FPS being 86% of the average, and the 1080p minimum of 223 FPS being 85% of the average. This suggests that the game does not have significant frame time spikes, and the RTX 5070 can maintain a consistent performance level, even at 4K. The lack of min FPS data for other presets suggests that they were not recorded, but the average FPS figures are sufficient to gauge performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. For a game like Inside, which is not heavily threaded, the CPU’s high boost clock is more important than its core count. The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rates are extremely high, suggesting that the CPU is able to process game logic and draw calls quickly enough to feed the GPU. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34731 and a single-core score of 4903, indicate strong overall performance.

The CPU’s role in this game appears to be secondary to the GPU, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution. However, the high FPS at 1080p suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect the frame rates to plateau at lower resolutions, but the data shows a clear drop from 1080p to 1440p, which is a GPU-driven change. The 14 cores are likely underutilized, but the single-core performance is what matters for this game, and the 5.10 GHz boost clock provides ample headroom.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and the Intel Core i9-13900F, with the Ultra 5 235HX performing within 0.7% of these desktop processors. This indicates that the mobile CPU is competitive with high-end desktop parts in synthetic benchmarks, which translates to solid gaming performance. For Inside, the data shows that the CPU is more than capable of supporting the RTX 5070, and the system’s overall rank is likely more influenced by the GPU’s performance relative to other tested combinations.