Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that places almost no strain on modern hardware, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT confirms this. The measured frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings and resolutions, indicating that the game is far more dependent on raw GPU throughput than on CPU logic. This combination ranks in the 410th position out of 2887 tested combos, placing it in the top 15% of all systems tested for this title, which is a strong result for a game that can run on nearly anything.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 420 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 330 FPS, and at 4K it falls further to 207 FPS. This represents a 21.4% performance hit from 1080p to 1440p, and a 50.7% hit from 1080p to 4K. This is a textbook example of pixel-count scaling, where the workload grows proportionally with the number of rendered pixels.

The pattern holds for Medium settings, where the frame rates are 367 FPS at 1080p, 264 FPS at 1440p, and 166 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 28.1% reduction, while the jump to 4K costs 54.8% of the 1080p performance. This consistent behavior across settings reinforces that the RX 9070 XT is the primary bottleneck, and the CPU is not limiting the frame output at any resolution.

The High and Ultra presets show the same trend, though the absolute numbers are lower. High settings yield 230 FPS at 1080p, 165 FPS at 1440p, and 104 FPS at 4K. Ultra produces 219 FPS at 1080p, 157 FPS at 1440p, and 99 FPS at 4K. Interestingly, the scaling from 1440p to 4K is more severe on the higher settings, with High losing 37% of its 1440p performance and Ultra losing 37% as well, compared to the 37.3% loss on Medium and 37.3% on Low. This suggests that the higher-quality shadows and post-processing effects at High and Ultra add a fixed cost that becomes more significant as the pixel count rises.

The data indicates that the game is entirely GPU-bound. The CPU's performance headroom is so large at 1080p that it can push over 400 FPS, and even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains nearly 100 FPS. For a player targeting a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor, the 1080p and 1440p results are more than sufficient, while 4K gaming at High settings remains viable for 100Hz+ displays.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the dominant component in this pairing for Inside. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is far more than a 2016 puzzle platformer can utilize. The memory clock runs at 2518 MHz, translating to 20.1 Gbps effective, and the GPU's boost clock reaches 2970 MHz with a game clock of 2400 MHz. These clocks are high for a modern GPU, and the benchmark results show they are not being stressed by this title.

The GPU's raw compute capabilities are substantial, with 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. The pixel rate is 380.2 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 760.3 GTexel/s. These figures are overkill for a game like Inside, which uses simple 2.5D side-scrolling visuals with limited texture detail. The data shows that the RX 9070 XT is essentially coasting, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rates scale almost perfectly with resolution, with no signs of memory bandwidth constraints or compute shader bottlenecks.

The GPU's benchmark scores in other tests are modest relative to its peers, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 7260 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 65879, but these do not directly translate to Inside's performance. The GPU's percentile rank is 55, which is average, but its nearest rivals in the aggregate benchmark list are older cards like the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, which have far lower raw specs. This discrepancy suggests that the RX 9070 XT's performance in synthetic tests is not indicative of its real-world capability in this specific game, where it delivers frame rates far above what those older rivals could achieve.

The 16 GB VRAM capacity is irrelevant for Inside, as the game's assets are small and do not require significant memory allocation. The GPU's 644.6 GB/s bandwidth is similarly underutilized. The data shows that the RX 9070 XT is more than capable of handling any settings combination at any resolution, making it the clear performance driver in this system.

FAQ

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 104 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for a high-refresh-rate 4K display.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. Resolution scaling shows a consistent frame rate drop as resolution increases, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's single-thread score of 4648 in Cinebench R23 is more than enough for this title.

Q: How does the RX 9070 XT compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the aggregate benchmark score, the RX 9070 XT scores 13543, which is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (13536, 0.1% difference) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13515, 0.2% difference). These synthetic scores do not reflect Inside's actual performance, where the RX 9070 XT delivers significantly higher frame rates.

Q: What is the best setting for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 330 FPS, Medium delivers 264 FPS, High delivers 165 FPS, and Ultra delivers 157 FPS. All presets exceed 144 FPS, so you can use Ultra for maximum visual quality without sacrificing refresh rate.

Q: Does the game benefit from the RX 9070 XT's 16 GB of VRAM?

A: No. Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer with modest texture requirements. The 16 GB VRAM is not a bottleneck, but the game does not need anywhere near that capacity. The memory bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s is also far beyond what this title requires.

Q: How does this system rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ranks 410 out of 2887 tested combos, placing it in the top 14.2% of all systems for Inside.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data is comprehensive, covering four presets across three resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces an average of 420 FPS. Medium settings yield 367 FPS, with a minimum of 312 FPS and a maximum of 422 FPS. High settings drop to 230 FPS, and Ultra produces 219 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 53 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 11 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns on the highest preset.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 330 FPS. Medium settings produce 264 FPS, with a minimum of 224 FPS and a maximum of 304 FPS. High settings yield 165 FPS, and Ultra produces 157 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across all presets, with Low losing 21.4%, Medium losing 28.1%, High losing 28.3%, and Ultra losing 28.3% of their respective 1080p averages.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 207 FPS. Medium settings produce 166 FPS, with a minimum of 141 FPS and a maximum of 191 FPS. High settings yield 104 FPS, and Ultra produces 99 FPS. The 4K results show that even the most demanding preset remains playable, with Ultra averaging just under 100 FPS. The minimum FPS of 141 at 4K Medium indicates that frame pacing is stable, with no significant stutters.

The data shows that the Medium preset is the only one that includes min/max FPS measurements, and those numbers reveal a tight range. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 141 FPS and the maximum is 191 FPS, a variance of 50 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 224 to 304 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, it is 312 to 422 FPS. This consistency suggests the game engine is well-optimized, with no sudden drops or spikes.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a minimal role in Inside's performance. The CPU has 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache are more than sufficient for a game that primarily relies on single-threaded logic for physics and game state updates.

The CPU's benchmark scores highlight its strength in single-threaded tasks, which are critical for older games. In Cinebench R23, it scores 4648 in single-core and 32924 in multi-core. The PassMark single-thread score is 4394, and the multithread score is 38706. These numbers indicate that the CPU can easily handle the game's update loop, which typically runs on a single thread.

The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. At 1080p Low, the system produces 420 FPS, which is well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see a plateau in frame rates at lower resolutions, but the data shows a continuous increase as resolution decreases, confirming that the GPU is the sole limiting factor.

The CPU's high boost clock of 5.10 GHz is beneficial for maintaining high minimum frame rates, though the measured data does not include min FPS for most presets. The 4K Medium preset shows a minimum of 141 FPS, which is still very high and indicates that the CPU is not causing any frame drops. The CPU's 14 cores are likely idle for most of the game, as Inside is not a multithreaded title. The 14 threads are more than enough for background processes and the game's limited worker threads.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the target display and personal preference for visual fidelity.

For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it delivers 219 FPS while providing the highest visual quality. The difference between High and Ultra is only 11 FPS, so there is no reason to drop to High unless you are targeting an extremely high refresh rate like 240Hz, where 219 FPS is still sufficient.

For 1440p displays, the Ultra preset is also recommended, as it produces 157 FPS. This is above 144Hz, so you can enjoy the full refresh rate of a standard high-end monitor. If you have a 240Hz 1440p panel, the High preset at 165 FPS is a better option, as it provides a slight frame rate boost with minimal visual compromise.

For 4K displays, the choice is more nuanced. The Ultra preset averages 99 FPS, which is just below the 100 FPS mark, making it suitable for a 100Hz or 120Hz display. The High preset at 104 FPS offers a marginal improvement and is essentially equivalent. The Medium preset at 166 FPS provides a significant frame rate headroom, making it the best option for a 144Hz 4K monitor, though the visual downgrade from Ultra to Medium may be noticeable in shadows and reflections.

The Low preset is not recommended for any resolution, as it offers the highest frame rates but sacrifices the game's atmospheric lighting and shadow quality, which are integral to the game's mood. The Medium preset is a safe middle ground for 4K if you prioritize frame rate over visuals, but for most users, the High preset at 4K offers the best balance, delivering 104 FPS while maintaining the game's intended aesthetic. Given that all presets exceed 60 FPS at every resolution, the only real consideration is whether you prioritize maximum visual quality or maximum frame rate, and the data shows you can often have both.