Inside

Inside, a 2D puzzle platformer from 2016, presents an interesting case for high-end hardware. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 produces exceptionally high frame rates across all tested configurations, with the data showing that the primary bottleneck shifts from the GPU at 4K to the CPU at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance of this specific pairing, interpreting how the scores relate to the broader database of tested combos and what they reveal about the system's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic pattern of scaling as resolution increases, but the degree of change is heavily influenced by the graphics preset. At the Low preset, performance scales from 420 FPS at 1080p down to 275 FPS at 4K, representing a 34.5% drop in frame rate. This relatively modest decline indicates that at lower settings, the CPU is playing a significant role in limiting performance, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly even at higher resolutions.

The Medium preset shows a more pronounced scaling curve. The frame rate drops from 388 FPS at 1080p to 347 FPS at 1440p, a 10.6% decrease, and then further to 220 FPS at 4K, a 36.6% decrease from the 1440p result. The High preset follows a similar trajectory, with a 305 FPS result at 1080p dropping to 219 FPS at 1440p and ultimately to 138 FPS at 4K. This represents a 54.8% total drop from 1080p to 4K, showing that as the workload becomes more demanding, the GPU begins to assert itself as the constraining component.

The Ultra preset exhibits the most significant scaling, with frame rates falling from 290 FPS at 1080p to 209 FPS at 1440p and then to 131 FPS at 4K. The 54.8% drop from 1080p to 4K at this preset is identical to the High preset, suggesting that the Ultra settings are not drastically more demanding than High in a way that changes the scaling behavior. The data indicates that the RTX 5080 is sufficiently powerful to maintain very high frame rates even at 4K, but the scaling pattern confirms that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU's influence is more apparent at 1080p, particularly with lower graphical settings.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of 2,887 tested combinations for Inside, this specific pairing of the Core Ultra 5 245 and RTX 5080 achieves a rank of 65. This places the combo in the top 2.3% of all tested systems, indicating that it is one of the highest-performing configurations for this title. The high rank reflects the strength of both components, as the game's relatively simple 2D rendering can be pushed to very high frame rates by even a single powerful component.

The ranking is supported by the individual performance percentiles of the components. The RTX 5080 scores in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, while the Core Ultra 5 245 sits in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. This combination of two top-tier parts ensures that neither component is likely to hold the system back, allowing the combo to reach the upper echelons of the performance chart. The data shows that this system is not just capable of high frame rates, but is positioned among the very best for this game.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals further contextualizes its performance. The Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, with a delta of -0.4% and -0.5% respectively. It is also closely matched with the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which is 0.6% slower, and the Intel Core i5-14600K, which is 0.8% slower. This indicates that the CPU is a solid performer, but its contribution to the exceptional combo rank is likely amplified by the sheer power of the RTX 5080, which is 2.2% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE and 0.6% faster than both the AMD Radeon 8060S and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Inside?

A: The highest average frame rate is 420 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the combo perform at the highest graphical settings?

A: At the Ultra preset, the combo maintains an average of 290 FPS at 1080p, 209 FPS at 1440p, and 131 FPS at 4K, showing that it can easily handle the most demanding settings in this game.

Q: Is the RTX 5080 the main performance limiter in this game?

A: The data suggests that the GPU becomes the primary limiter at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K. However, at 1080p with Low settings, the CPU likely becomes more of a limiting factor, as the frame rate of 420 FPS is exceptionally high.

Q: How does this combo compare to other systems tested for Inside?

A: This specific combo ranks 65th out of 2,887 tested combinations, placing it in the top 2.3% of all systems for this game.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Medium and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: At 4K resolution, the Medium preset achieves an average of 220 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 131 FPS. This represents a significant 40.5% decrease in performance when moving from Medium to Ultra.

Q: Does the game run smoothly at 4K with this hardware?

A: Yes, the benchmark results indicate that the game runs exceptionally smoothly at 4K, with even the most demanding Ultra preset maintaining an average of 131 FPS, which is well above standard 60 FPS display refresh rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 420 FPS on Low, 388 FPS on Medium, 305 FPS on High, and 290 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset also shows a minimum frame rate of 329 FPS and a maximum of 446 FPS, indicating some variance but no concerning dips.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 376 FPS on Low, 347 FPS on Medium, 219 FPS on High, and 209 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum of 295 FPS and a maximum of 399 FPS. The performance drop from 1080p is noticeable, but the system still maintains very high frame rates across the board.

At 3840x2160, the data shows the most significant scaling. The Low preset achieves 275 FPS, the Medium preset 220 FPS, the High preset 138 FPS, and the Ultra preset 131 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 187 FPS and a maximum of 253 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at this resolution is minimal at only 7 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset offers diminishing returns in terms of visual quality for the performance cost. The data confirms that every tested configuration maintains an average frame rate above 130 FPS, making the game exceptionally smooth on this hardware.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 plays a central role in delivering the high frame rates observed in this test. With 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, it provides a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s, which is more than sufficient for a game like Inside. The GPU's core configuration includes 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output pipelines, providing substantial raw compute power. The boost clock of 2617 MHz and base clock of 2295 MHz allow the card to process the game's simple 2D graphics with ease.

The GPU's benchmark scores corroborate its strong performance. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 36565 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 255450, placing it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. The data shows that the RTX 5080 is a high-end part, but its performance in Inside is not fully stressed until the resolution is raised to 4K and the settings are increased to High or Ultra. At 1080p and 1440p, the frame rates are so high that the GPU is often not the limiting factor, with the CPU's performance becoming more relevant. The 16 GB of VRAM is also a non-issue for this title, as the game's requirements are far below what this card offers.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 provides the processing power to feed the RTX 5080, and its performance is critical to achieving the highest frame rates. This CPU features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its architecture, Arrow Lake-S, is built on a 3 nm process node, and it has 24 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications ensure that the CPU can handle the game's logic and physics calculations without becoming a bottleneck in most scenarios.

The CPU's benchmark results place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32924 and single-core score of 4648 demonstrate strong all-around performance. In the context of Inside, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p resolution with lower graphical settings. For instance, the jump from 420 FPS at Low to 305 FPS at High settings at 1080p indicates that the CPU is capable of driving extremely high frame rates, but the GPU's workload increases with settings, shifting the bottleneck. The data shows that the CPU is a capable partner for the RTX 5080, providing enough performance to prevent it from being the primary constraint at standard gaming resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's priority between maximum visual fidelity and maximum frame rate. For users with a 1080p or 1440p display, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation, as it delivers an average of 290 FPS and 209 FPS respectively. These frame rates are far beyond what any display can refresh, so there is no practical benefit to lowering the settings for performance reasons. The visual enhancements from the Ultra preset can be fully enjoyed without any perceptible downside.

For 4K users, the choice is more nuanced. The High preset achieves an average of 138 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 131 FPS. The 7 FPS difference is negligible, and both are well above 120 FPS, making either a viable choice. However, the Medium preset at 4K provides a significantly higher 220 FPS. If the user prioritizes frame rate above all else, the Medium preset offers a 59.4% performance increase over High, but the visual quality difference between Medium and High/Ultra may be noticeable. The data suggests that the High preset is the best balance for 4K, as it provides a high level of visual fidelity while still maintaining a very high average frame rate of 138 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate 4K displays.