Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is an exceptionally fast combination for Inside, a Puzzle Platformer from 2016. The measured results show this combo delivers triple-digit frame rates at every tested resolution and setting, with the only meaningful bottleneck appearing at 1080p where the CPU begins to limit the GPU’s output. This analysis breaks down the resolution scaling, GPU role, comparative ranking, and measured FPS data.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking finding is how Inside scales from 1080p to 4K with this hardware. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 432 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 325 FPS, a 25% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 204 FPS, which is another 37% reduction from 1440p. The pattern is consistent across settings: each step up in resolution reduces frame rates substantially, but even the worst case at 4K Ultra remains playable at 97 FPS.

The scaling behavior reveals that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-limited. The difference between 1080p Low (432 FPS) and 1440p Low (325 FPS) is 107 FPS, while the jump from 1440p Low to 4K Low (204 FPS) is 121 FPS. If the GPU were the sole bottleneck, the 1440p to 4K drop would be larger relative to the 1080p to 1440p drop, given the quadrupling of pixel count. Instead, the reductions are roughly comparable in absolute terms, suggesting the CPU’s single-thread performance is capping the frame rate at lower resolutions.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX has a boost clock of 5.10 GHz and scores 4903 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which places it in the 91st percentile among all CPUs. That strong single-core performance is what allows such high frame rates, but it still becomes the limiting factor when the GPU is underutilized. At 4K, the GPU’s workload increases enough that the RTX 5080 becomes the primary constraint, which is why the scaling from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced.

Looking at the Medium preset, the measured data includes minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 362 FPS with a minimum of 308 and maximum of 416. At 1440p Medium, the average is 260 FPS with a minimum of 221 and maximum of 299. At 4K Medium, the average is 163 FPS with a minimum of 139 and maximum of 188. The minimum FPS values track proportionally with the averages, indicating no unexpected frame pacing issues. The gap between minimum and maximum at 1080p Medium is 108 FPS, which narrows to 78 FPS at 1440p and 49 FPS at 4K. This tightening range at higher resolutions further supports the interpretation that CPU limits create more variance at lower resolutions.

Between High and Ultra presets, the scaling is also informative. At 4K, High averages 102 FPS while Ultra averages 97 FPS, a modest 5 FPS difference. At 1440p, High hits 163 FPS and Ultra 155 FPS, an 8 FPS gap. At 1080p, High delivers 226 FPS and Ultra 215 FPS, an 11 FPS gap. The Ultra preset costs less than 5% performance at every resolution compared to High, which suggests the visual uplift from Ultra is nearly free on this hardware.

The limiting component analysis is clear. At 1080p, the CPU is the bottleneck. The GPU’s 56.28 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 960.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are more than sufficient to push far beyond 432 FPS if the processor could keep up. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, but even then, the RTX 5080’s 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 84 RT cores are overkill for a title from 2016. The data shows a system that is never truly stressed, even at maximum settings and resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC. It features 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. The boost clock is 2617 MHz, with a base clock of 2295 MHz. Memory runs at 1875 MHz, which translates to 30 Gbps effective on a 256-bit bus, yielding 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU also includes 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores.

In Inside, the GPU’s role is largely about raw throughput rather than advanced features. The game’s simple geometry and lighting mean the RTX 5080’s ray tracing capabilities are irrelevant for this title. The 56.28 TFLOPS FP32 performance is the relevant metric, and the measured FPS shows this is far more than needed. Even at 4K Ultra, the average of 97 FPS is well above the 60 FPS target most players would consider smooth.

The GPU’s 16 GB of VRAM is another factor that does not come into play here. Inside is a puzzle platformer with limited texture memory requirements, and none of the measured settings—Low, Medium, High, or Ultra—would approach the VRAM capacity. The 960.0 GB/s bandwidth is similarly excessive for this workload, but it ensures that memory bandwidth is never a limiting factor, even at 4K with maximum settings.

The RTX 5080’s benchmark scores provide context for its capabilities. It scores 8637 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 235901 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 255450 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its Passmark G3D score is 36565, with a GPU compute score of 21789. These numbers place it in the 87th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 56083. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 8060S (0.6% higher score), AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (0.7% higher), and AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE (2.2% lower). This indicates the RTX 5080 is competitive with other high-end cards, though not the absolute fastest.

For Inside specifically, the GPU’s clock behavior is not directly measured, but the FPS data implies that the GPU never needs to throttle. The sustained frame rates across all settings suggest the RTX 5080 operates well within its thermal and power limits. The TDP is 360 W, with a suggested PSU of 750 W, but the actual power draw in this game is likely far lower given the modest workload.

The combination of CPU and GPU roles is clear: the RTX 5080 provides overwhelming GPU headroom, while the Ultra 5 235HX’s single-core strength allows frame rates to exceed 400 FPS at 1080p Low. The system is balanced in the sense that neither component is a weak link, but the CPU is the first to reach its limit when the resolution drops.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average is 432 FPS at 1080p Low settings. This is the maximum frame rate recorded across all resolution and settings combinations.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX has an average benchmark score of 52073, placing it at the 91st percentile. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 8124P, scores 52121 (0.1% higher), while the Intel Core i7-14700 scores 52301 (0.4% higher). The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X scores 51947 (0.2% lower) and the Intel Core i9-13900F scores 51730 (0.7% lower).

*Q: Is the RTX 5080’s performance in Inside limited by its memory bandwidth?*

A: No. The GPU has 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth from its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (97 FPS average) shows no bandwidth-related stuttering, and the minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 139 FPS, indicating consistent delivery.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 606th out of 3716 tested combinations. This places it in the top 16.3% of all systems, which is notable given that Inside is not a demanding title and many lower-end GPUs can achieve playable frame rates.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide better performance than High at 4K?

A: No. At 4K, High averages 102 FPS while Ultra averages 97 FPS, a 5 FPS difference. The Ultra preset is slightly slower, but the gap is small enough that either setting is viable for 4K play.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5080’s average benchmark score is 56083. The AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757 (0.6% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (0.7% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (2.3% higher). The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE scores 57367 (2.2% lower).

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 606 out of 3716 combinations places this system in the upper tier of tested hardware for Inside. This rank reflects the combined CPU and GPU performance, and the data shows that both components contribute to the high standing. The CPU’s 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU’s 87th percentile ranking among all GPUs combine to produce a system that outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations.

However, the rank is not as high as the raw hardware might suggest. Inside is a lightweight game, and the difference between a mid-range GPU and the RTX 5080 is less pronounced than in a AAA title. The CPU’s single-core performance is more critical here, and the Ultra 5 235HX’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4903 ensures it handles the game’s logic without bottlenecking. The 14 cores and 14 threads (with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost of 5.10 GHz) provide ample multi-threaded headroom, though Inside likely uses only a few cores.

Comparing to other combos, the nearest rivals in CPU benchmark scores have similar overall performance. The AMD EPYC 8124P (0.1% higher average score), Intel Core i7-14700 (0.4% higher), AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (0.2% lower), and Intel Core i9-13900F (0.7% lower) all sit within 1% of the Ultra 5 235HX’s score. This suggests that swapping the CPU for any of these would yield nearly identical frame rates in Inside, provided the GPU remains the same.

The GPU side shows more variance. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE has a 2.2% higher average score than the RTX 5080, which could translate to slightly higher FPS in GPU-bound scenarios like 4K Ultra. Conversely, the AMD Radeon 8060S and RX 6750 GRE have lower scores by 0.6% and 0.7% respectively, which might result in marginally lower frame rates. Still, the differences are small enough that the combo rank would likely shift by only a few positions.

The 606th rank out of 3716 means there are 605 combos that perform better. These likely include systems with faster CPUs (such as overclocked desktop parts) or GPUs in the top percentile. But for a mobile CPU paired with a high-end desktop GPU, this rank is strong. The data indicates that this combo can run Inside at maximum settings with frame rates far exceeding display refresh rates, making it a top-tier choice for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). Here is the complete breakdown:

1080p (1920x1080)

• Low: 432 FPS average
• Medium: 362 FPS average, 308 FPS minimum, 416 FPS maximum
• High: 226 FPS average
• Ultra: 215 FPS average

At 1080p, the system achieves its highest frame rates. The gap between Low and Medium is 70 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 136 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 11 FPS, indicating diminishing returns from the Ultra preset.

1440p (2560x1440)

• Low: 325 FPS average
• Medium: 260 FPS average, 221 FPS minimum, 299 FPS maximum
• High: 163 FPS average
• Ultra: 155 FPS average

At 1440p, the frame rates remain very high. The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 107 FPS, while the drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is 60 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 221 FPS, which is still well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

4K (3840x2160)

• Low: 204 FPS average
• Medium: 163 FPS average, 139 FPS minimum, 188 FPS maximum
• High: 102 FPS average
• Ultra: 97 FPS average

At 4K, the system remains capable of high refresh rate play. The Low preset averages 204 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play if such a setting were needed. The Ultra preset’s 97 FPS average is just below the 100 FPS threshold, but still smooth for a puzzle platformer.

The data shows that the Medium preset provides the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 4K Medium, the average of 163 FPS with a minimum of 139 FPS ensures no noticeable stutter. At 1440p Medium, the 260 FPS average is far beyond what any display can show. At 1080p Medium, the 362 FPS average is similarly excessive.

The High preset is notable for its consistency. At 4K High, the average is 102 FPS, which is only 5 FPS higher than Ultra. This suggests that High and Ultra are nearly identical in performance cost, making Ultra the better choice for visual quality. At 1080p High, the 226 FPS average is 11 FPS higher than Ultra, which is a small but measurable difference.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 4K, the Ultra preset is recommended. At 97 FPS average, it delivers smooth gameplay while providing the best visual quality. The 5 FPS difference between Ultra and High is negligible, so there is no reason to drop to High unless a user is targeting exactly 100 FPS or higher.

For 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot. It averages 163 FPS, which is more than enough for any high refresh rate monitor. The Ultra preset at 155 FPS offers only an 8 FPS improvement over High, but the visual gains from Ultra are minimal in Inside. If a user wants the absolute highest frame rates, Low at 325 FPS is available, but the visual degradation would be noticeable.

For 1080p, the Medium preset is recommended. It averages 362 FPS with a minimum of 308 FPS, providing a flawless experience. The High preset at 226 FPS is also excellent, but the jump from Medium to High costs 136 FPS. The Ultra preset at 215 FPS is nearly identical to High, so users should choose between Medium and High based on visual preference. Low at 432 FPS is only useful for benchmarking, as the graphical quality would be severely compromised.

The Medium preset is the best overall choice for any resolution. It offers the most balanced combination of frame rate and visual quality. At 4K Medium, the 163 FPS average is more than double the 60 FPS target, and the 139 FPS minimum ensures no drops below the refresh rate of most TVs. At 1440p Medium, the 260 FPS average is excessive but provides a buffer for any future driver overhead. At 1080p Medium, the 362 FPS average is the highest of any non-Low setting.

For users with a 120 Hz display, the 4K High preset (102 FPS) is sufficient, but the 4K Ultra preset (97 FPS) is just below the threshold. In that case, High is the better choice. For users with a 144 Hz display, 1440p High (163 FPS) is the minimum recommended, while 1440p Ultra (155 FPS) also exceeds the threshold. For 240 Hz displays, 1080p Medium (362 FPS) or 1440p Low (325 FPS) are the only settings that can fully utilize the refresh rate.

The data indicates that this system is never truly challenged by Inside. Even the most demanding setting combination—4K Ultra—produces frame rates that would be considered excellent for most games. The only limitation is the CPU at 1080p, where the GPU is left underutilized. This is a positive finding, as it means the system can handle any future game with similar or lower requirements without needing an upgrade.