Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the AMD Radeon 880M integrated graphics delivers a playable, though not consistently smooth, experience in Inside across most settings, with performance heavily dependent on resolution and quality preset. Benchmark results indicate that this combination is positioned in the lower percentile of tested systems, ranking 3626 out of 3716 combos, which underscores the GPU's role as the primary constraint in this puzzle platformer.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Inside with this hardware?*

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the most viable resolution. At this setting, even the High preset achieves an average of 66 FPS, while Low and Medium reach 131 and 105 FPS respectively. Higher resolutions like 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 show significant frame rate drops, making them less suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 62 FPS, which is only 4 FPS lower than the High preset's 66 FPS average. This suggests that the visual upgrade from High to Ultra comes at a minimal performance cost at this resolution, making Ultra a viable option if the system can maintain the slightly lower frame rate.

*Q: Is the AMD Radeon 880M a limiting factor for Inside?*

A: Yes, benchmark results clearly indicate the GPU is the bottleneck. The Radeon 880M has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 535 and a Passmark G3D score of 7615, placing it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs. This is relatively low, and the measured FPS scaling across resolutions confirms that the integrated graphics struggle as pixel count increases.

*Q: Can I play Inside at 4K with this system?*

A: Technically, yes, but not comfortably. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 59 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset drops to 47 FPS, High to 30 FPS, and Ultra to 28 FPS. For a consistent experience, 4K is only viable on the lowest settings, and even then, frame pacing may be inconsistent.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H has an average benchmark score of 32697, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600T, scores 32707, a negligible 0% difference. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 is 0.1% slower, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is 0.2% faster, indicating the CPU is a mid-to-high tier performer.

Q: What is the expected frame time variance at Medium settings?

A: The measured data includes minimum and maximum FPS for Medium settings. At 1080p, the average is 105 FPS with a range of 89 to 121 FPS. At 1440p, the average is 75 FPS with a range of 64 to 87 FPS. At 4K, the average is 47 FPS with a range of 40 to 55 FPS, showing that variance increases with resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and smooth gameplay, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended starting point. The data shows this configuration yields an average of 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS, ensuring that frame rates stay well above the 60 FPS threshold for most of the experience. This provides a comfortable margin for demanding scenes without sacrificing too much visual quality.

If a player prioritizes frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 1080p delivers an average of 131 FPS, which is more than double the refresh rate of a standard 60Hz display. This setting is ideal for achieving maximum fluidity, though it will reduce the game's atmospheric lighting and shadow details. The High preset at 1080p, averaging 66 FPS, is a solid alternative for those who want better visuals while staying just above the 60 FPS target.

At higher resolutions, the options become more constrained. For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the only reasonable choice, averaging 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS. The High preset at this resolution drops to 47 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for smooth gameplay. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is recommended, as it averages 59 FPS, while all other settings fall below 50 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it consistently produces the lowest frame rates, including a 28 FPS average at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, indicating that the AMD Radeon 880M is the limiting component. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 131 FPS at 1920x1080 to 94 FPS at 2560x1440, a 28% reduction, and then to 59 FPS at 3840x2160, a further 37% reduction. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU that is saturated by pixel fill-rate demands, as the Radeon 880M has only 16 ROPs and a pixel rate of 46.40 GPixel/s.

The trend is even more pronounced at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 66 at 1080p to 47 at 1440p and 30 at 4K. The gap between Low and High settings widens as resolution increases; at 1080p, the difference is 65 FPS, but at 4K, it narrows to 29 FPS. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so heavily burdened by resolution that the additional shading work from higher settings has a proportionally smaller impact, as the pixel throughput becomes the dominant bottleneck.

The CPU, with 16 cores and 22 threads, is unlikely to be the source of this scaling. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028 and Passmark multi-thread score of 24873 indicate ample processing power for a physics-light puzzle game like Inside. The data strongly suggests that the integrated GPU's memory bandwidth, which is system-dependent, and its raw compute power are the primary factors limiting performance at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and AMD Radeon 880M ranks 3626 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the bottom 2.4% of all systems, which is a stark indicator of its overall performance level. Despite having a high-performing CPU in the 83rd percentile, the GPU's low ranking (43rd percentile) drags the entire combo down to a near-bottom position.

The ranking suggests that most other tested systems, even those with weaker CPUs, are likely to outperform this combo due to having more powerful discrete graphics solutions. The deltaPct values from the GPU's nearest rivals show that the Radeon 880M is closely matched with older discrete GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (0.1% faster) and the AMD Radeon R9 M375X (1.3% slower). This indicates that while the integrated graphics are competitive with older entry-level discrete cards, they cannot match modern mid-range or high-end GPUs.

For a game like Inside, which is a 2D puzzle platformer with relatively simple geometry, the low rank is less about raw compute and more about the GPU's inability to efficiently handle the rendering pipeline at higher resolutions. The combo's rank reflects that while it can play the game, it does so with significant compromises in resolution and settings compared to the vast majority of other tested configurations.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 880M is the definitive bottleneck in this system. Its specifications paint a picture of a modest integrated graphics processor designed for efficiency rather than high-end gaming. The GPU has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and only 16 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2900 MHz. Its FP32 performance is rated at 4.454 TFLOPS, which is modest for modern gaming.

In Inside, the GPU's role is critical. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU's performance scales almost linearly with resolution, which is a classic sign of a fill-rate or memory bandwidth limitation. The VRAM is "System Shared," meaning it uses the main system memory, and the bandwidth is "System Dependent." This is a significant disadvantage, as the CPU and GPU must compete for the same memory resources, which can lead to stuttering or frame drops in complex scenes.

The GPU's benchmark scores further contextualize its performance. Its Passmark G3D score of 7615 places it in the 43rd percentile, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 535 is quite low. In comparison to its nearest rivals, the Radeon 880M is essentially on par with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX, a GPU from the Kepler generation. This means that while it can handle lighter titles like Inside at lower settings, it will struggle with more demanding 3D games. The 12 RT cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate are present, but they do not translate into high rasterization performance for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates provides a clear picture of performance across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably on lower presets. The Low preset averages 131 FPS, which is excellent. Medium averages 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 and maximum of 121, providing a very smooth experience. High averages 66 FPS, which is playable, while Ultra averages 62 FPS, showing a smaller gap to High than expected.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. Low averages 94 FPS, still smooth, but Medium drops to 75 FPS with a minimum of 64, which is playable but with less headroom. High averages 47 FPS, and Ultra averages 45 FPS, both of which are borderline for a game that benefits from consistent frame pacing.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overburdened. Low averages 59 FPS, barely hitting the 60 FPS target. Medium averages 47 FPS with a minimum of 40, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. These frame rates at 4K are not suitable for a smooth experience, as even the Low preset will exhibit noticeable drops in action-heavy sequences. The data shows a consistent pattern: the GPU's performance is halved with each step up in resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a powerful mobile processor that is not a limiting factor in Inside. With 16 cores (based on Meteor Lake architecture) and 22 threads, it offers substantial multi-threading capability. Its boost clock of 4.80 GHz and base clock of 3.80 GHz ensure strong single-thread performance, which is important for game logic and physics. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028 and single-core score of 1743 confirm its high performance.

In the context of Inside, a game that primarily relies on 2D rendering and light physics, the CPU's role is to ensure that the game's logic and audio processing run without stuttering. The Passmark data compression score of 277353 and integer math score of 86870 indicate that the CPU can handle data-intensive tasks with ease. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache also helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times.

The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600T, has a nearly identical average benchmark score, with a deltaPct of 0%. This suggests that the Ultra 7 155H is performing as expected for its class. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs shows that it is more than capable of feeding the GPU with enough data. In this specific game, the CPU is effectively idle relative to the GPU, meaning that any performance issues are directly attributable to the integrated graphics, not the processor. The CPU's TDP of 28 W also indicates it is designed for mobile efficiency, allowing it to sustain its boost clocks without excessive thermal throttling, further ensuring it does not become a bottleneck.