Inside

Inside is a puzzle-platformer that runs exceptionally well on the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination, but the data reveals that the GPU becomes the primary scaling bottleneck at higher resolutions. The measured frames per second (FPS) show that this combo is capable of delivering a smooth experience across all tested settings, yet the most efficient balance of visual quality and performance is found at 1440p. The benchmark results indicate that the 4K Ultra preset is the only configuration that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the sole setting where the hardware's limits are clearly exposed. This analysis will break down the optimal settings, answer common questions, and detail how the system scales across resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The best experience for this combination of CPU and GPU is achieved at 2560x1440 with the High preset, which produces an average of 101 FPS. This choice provides a significant visual uplift over Medium settings while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the standard 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The data shows that moving from Medium to High at this resolution costs 61 FPS (from 162 down to 101), which is a substantial drop, but the resulting 101 FPS average still leaves ample headroom for consistent performance. The High preset at 1440p is the sweet spot because it delivers a fluid experience without the steep performance penalty seen at Ultra, which averages only 96 FPS. The 5 FPS difference between High and Ultra at this resolution is not justified by the typical visual improvements, making High the more prudent choice.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates over visual fidelity, the 1080p Low preset is the clear winner, achieving a staggering 281 FPS average. This configuration is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, as it more than doubles the frame rate of the High preset at the same resolution. The scaling from Low to Medium at 1080p shows a 56 FPS drop to 225 FPS, and the jump to High further reduces it to 141 FPS. While the Ultra preset at 1080p still delivers a respectable 134 FPS, the diminishing returns in visual quality versus the 147 FPS loss from Low make it less appealing for competitive or high-speed gameplay.

At 4K, the data suggests that the 3840x2160 Medium preset is the optimal choice, with an average of 102 FPS and a minimum of 86 FPS. This is the only 4K setting that provides a guaranteed frame rate above the 60 FPS threshold, as the High preset drops to 63 FPS and the Ultra preset falls to 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K offers a balanced experience, but the 39 FPS drop from Low (127 FPS) indicates that the GPU is already under significant load. The recommended path for a flawless 4K experience is to use Medium settings, as it is the highest preset that maintains a comfortable margin above the minimum playable frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset to use for a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 4K?

A: The data shows that the Medium preset at 3840x2160 is the only 4K configuration that averages above 60 FPS, with an average of 102 FPS and a minimum of 86 FPS. The High preset averages 63 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages exactly 60 FPS, indicating that Medium is the safest choice for maintaining a stable frame rate without dipping below the threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER perform relative to its closest rivals based on benchmark scores?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 18093 and sits in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, scores 18159, which is only 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 460 scores 18373, which is 1.5% higher, while the Intel Arc A770M scores 18383, a 1.6% difference. These deltas are minimal, indicating that the RTX 2060 SUPER is highly competitive with its direct peers.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 281 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 134 FPS. This represents a 147 FPS drop, or roughly 52% lower performance when moving from the lowest to the highest settings. The Medium preset sits in between at 225 FPS, and High averages 141 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 CPU a bottleneck for this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this pairing. The processor has a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42216 and a single-core score of 5960. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a clear GPU dependency, as the frame rates decrease with resolution, which is a typical sign that the GPU is the primary constraint.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures available for the settings?

A: Minimum FPS data is only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 191 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 137 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 86 FPS. These values confirm that the Medium preset maintains a high floor across all resolutions, ensuring smooth gameplay without stutters.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Inside?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1973 out of 2887 tested combos in this game. This places it in the 68th percentile of all configurations, indicating that it performs better than the majority of systems tested for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, demonstrating that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary limiting component in this system. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 281 FPS at 1920x1080 to 202 FPS at 2560x1440, a 79 FPS reduction, and then further to 127 FPS at 3840x2160, another 75 FPS drop. This scaling is not linear; the percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 28%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is approximately 37%. This steeper decline at higher resolutions is a classic indicator that the GPU's pixel processing capabilities are being saturated.

The High preset shows a similar trend, with averages of 141 FPS at 1080p, 101 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1440p to 4K results in a 38 FPS loss, which is the largest single step decrease among the tested settings. This reinforces the notion that the RTX 2060 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, is reaching its limits when rendering at 4K. The Ultra preset follows the same pattern, moving from 134 FPS at 1080p to 96 FPS at 1440p and finally to 60 FPS at 4K, highlighting that the GPU's compute resources are the bottleneck.

The data strongly suggests that the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265, is not a constraint in this scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, or the drop would be less pronounced. Instead, the substantial FPS reductions at each resolution step indicate that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the deciding factors. The 20-core processor with a 5.30 GHz boost clock provides ample headroom, as evidenced by the high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot maintain those rates when the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 281 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 225 FPS, with a minimum of 191 FPS and a maximum of 259 FPS, providing a smooth and consistent experience. The High preset averages 141 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 134 FPS. These figures demonstrate that even at the highest settings, the combination easily exceeds the requirements for high-refresh-rate displays, maintaining a comfortable margin above 120 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's workload. The Low preset averages 202 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. The Medium preset averages 162 FPS, with a minimum of 137 FPS and a maximum of 186 FPS, ensuring a smooth gameplay experience. The High preset drops to an average of 101 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for standard displays. The Ultra preset averages 96 FPS, showing that the system can handle 1440p at maximum settings with only a minor performance penalty compared to High.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 SUPER's limits become apparent. The Low preset averages 127 FPS, which is still playable, but the higher settings show significant drops. The Medium preset averages 102 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS, providing a stable experience. The High preset averages 63 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target, but the lack of minimum FPS data suggests potential variability. The Ultra preset averages exactly 60 FPS, which is the borderline for acceptable performance, and any scene complexity could push it below this threshold. The data indicates that 4K gaming is possible with this combo, but it requires careful settings management.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1973 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. This placement puts the system in the 68th percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of all configurations tested. The ranking reflects a balanced system where the CPU's high performance, with a 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, is paired with a GPU that sits in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs. This asymmetry suggests that the CPU is capable of driving more demanding graphics cards, but the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor in this pairing.

The rank is a composite measure of the system's overall capability in this specific game. Given that Inside is a puzzle-platformer with relatively modest graphical demands compared to modern AAA titles, the rank of 1973 indicates that this combo is more than sufficient for the game. The high FPS figures at 1080p and 1440p, which are well above 100 FPS on most settings, support this conclusion. The rank would likely be lower (better) if the game were more CPU-intensive, but the data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, which caps the system's overall standing.

The deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals show that the Ultra 7 265 is closely matched with the AMD EPYC 4464P, which is 0.3% faster, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, which is 0.3% slower. These are negligible differences in real-world performance. For the GPU, the nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, is only 0.4% faster, and the Intel Arc A770M is 1.6% faster. These small deltas mean that the combo's rank is not significantly affected by component choice, as the performance envelope is tightly clustered.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 plays a supportive but crucial role in this system, providing a robust foundation that ensures the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates. The processor features 20 cores and 20 threads, a base clock of 2.40 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This high boost clock is critical for gaming, as it allows the CPU to handle single-threaded tasks with ease, which is typical for game logic and physics. The benchmark scores reflect this capability, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960 and a multicore score of 42216, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs.

The core count of 20 is more than sufficient for a game like Inside, which is a puzzle-platformer and does not require the massive thread counts that modern AAA titles might utilize. The data confirms that the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the FPS scaling is directly tied to resolution changes, which affect the GPU's workload. At 1080p, the system can achieve 281 FPS on Low settings, which is a clear indication that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with data at a very high rate. If the CPU were weak, this frame rate would be capped much lower.

The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support contribute to its ability to keep the GPU fed, but the game's performance is ultimately limited by the RTX 2060 SUPER's specifications. The GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 8 GB of memory are the deciding factors when resolution increases. The CPU's role is to ensure that it does not introduce any frame pacing issues or stutters, and the high minimum FPS values on the Medium preset, such as 191 FPS at 1080p, demonstrate that the CPU maintains a consistent frame delivery. In summary, the Ultra 7 265 is an overpowered partner for the RTX 2060 SUPER in this game, but it guarantees that the GPU is the only component that needs to be upgraded for higher resolutions.