Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. With an average of 102 FPS at 4K High settings and 418 FPS at 1080p Low, this pairing exhibits massive headroom for high-refresh-rate displays. The data indicates a system that is heavily GPU-limited at lower resolutions, while the CPU provides ample single-thread performance to avoid bottlenecks in this physics-driven title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread mobile processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 55 W TDP. This configuration includes a 30 MB shared L3 cache and per-core L2 cache of 3 MB. The processor’s performance profile is well-suited to Inside’s demands, which rely more on sustained single-core throughput than multi-threaded scaling.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 40,642 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5,737 in single-core. Its PassMark single-thread score of 4,500 places it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong per-core performance. The average benchmark score of 63,173 positions it closely alongside rivals: it is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13790F (avg score 63,080) and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (avg score 62,738). Meanwhile, it trails the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G by 0.2% (avg score 63,331) and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185 by 0.5% (avg score 62,839).

For Inside, the CPU’s role is primarily about maintaining consistent frame pacing during physics interactions and object manipulation. The game’s puzzle mechanics are not heavily threaded, so the 20 cores are largely underutilized; however, the high boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures that the primary game thread can execute quickly. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 418 FPS, a figure that indicates the CPU can feed frames far beyond typical display refresh rates. The single-thread performance, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,737, is the key metric here, as it prevents the CPU from becoming a limiting factor even in the most demanding frame-rate scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on a 5 nm process by TSMC, featuring 10,752 shading units and 112 ROPs. It operates with a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz, with memory running at 1875 MHz for 30 Gbps effective speed. The 16 GB of GDDR7 memory is routed through a 256-bit bus, providing 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is critical for Inside at high resolutions, though the game’s art style does not demand excessive texture memory.

The GPU’s benchmark results show strong compute performance: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8,637 and a PassMark G3D score of 36,565. Its PassMark GPU Compute score of 21,789 reflects solid general-purpose throughput. The GPU sits in the 87th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 56,083. Compared to rivals, it is 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S (avg score 55,757) and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (avg score 55,698). It also leads the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 2.3% (avg score 54,828) but trails the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE by 2.2% (avg score 57,367).

In Inside, the GPU handles the atmospheric lighting, shadow rendering, and post-processing effects that define the game’s moody visual aesthetic. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 97 FPS, suggesting the GPU is the primary constraint at the highest settings. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this title, which was released in 2016 and does not push memory capacity limits. The boost clock of 2617 MHz ensures that the GPU can sustain high fill rates, which is evident in the 204 FPS result at 4K Low, where the GPU is less burdened by pixel shading work.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system averages 226 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 High, the average drops to 163 FPS, a 27.9% reduction. At 3840x2160 High, the average falls to 102 FPS, a further 37.4% decline from 1440p. This scaling is consistent with a GPU that is increasingly taxed by pixel count, while the CPU remains capable of keeping up.

The Low settings tier shows similar scaling behavior. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 418 FPS; at 1440p Low, it drops to 325 FPS (a 22.2% decrease); and at 4K Low, it falls to 204 FPS (a 37.2% decrease from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across settings tiers indicate that resolution scaling is uniform and predictable, reinforcing that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. Conversely, at 1080p, the CPU’s single-thread strength allows the GPU to run at near-peak utilization, as evidenced by the 418 FPS result.

The Medium settings tier provides the only min/max FPS data points in the pack. At 1080p Medium, the average is 362 FPS with a min of 308 FPS and max of 416 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 260 FPS with a min of 221 FPS and max of 299 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 163 FPS with a min of 139 FPS and max of 188 FPS. The min-to-max spread narrows as resolution increases, from a 108 FPS spread at 1080p to a 49 FPS spread at 4K, indicating that frame-time consistency improves at higher resolutions where the GPU is more uniformly loaded.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 418 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates the system can drive extremely high frame rates for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX compare to its closest rival in CPU performance?

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score of 63,173 is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-13790F (63,080) and 0.7% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (62,738), but 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G (63,331).

Q: Is the RTX 5080’s performance significantly different from the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE?

A: Yes, the RTX 5080 trails the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE by 2.2% in average benchmark score (56,083 vs. 57,367), while leading the AMD Radeon 8060S by 0.6% and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 0.7%.

Q: What is the frame rate drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 163 at 2560x1440 to 102 at 3840x2160, a 37.4% reduction. This indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: No. The 418 FPS result at 1080p Low demonstrates that the CPU can supply frames well beyond typical display capabilities, with its single-thread score of 5,737 in Cinebench R23 ensuring low latency in frame generation.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded for this combo?

A: The only min FPS values available are for Medium settings: 308 FPS at 1080p, 221 FPS at 1440p, and 139 FPS at 4K. These figures show stable frame delivery without major dips.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 2,887 tested combinations in this game, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and RTX 5080 pairing ranks 464th. This places it in the 84th percentile of all combos, indicating that it outperforms roughly 83.9% of tested systems. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU’s high single-thread capability and the GPU’s strong rasterization performance.

The top 463 combos likely feature higher-tier desktop CPUs or more powerful GPUs, but the data shows that this mobile CPU and desktop-class GPU combination still delivers excellent results. The CPU’s 93rd percentile standing among all CPUs and the GPU’s 87th percentile among all GPUs contribute to a synergistic pairing that excels in this game. The rank of 464 is notable because Inside is not a demanding title by modern standards, so the system’s position is driven by raw frame-rate capability rather than optimization for specific hardware features.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers the following average FPS by settings tier:

• Low: 418 FPS
• Medium: 362 FPS (min 308, max 416)
• High: 226 FPS
• Ultra: 215 FPS

At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: 325 FPS
• Medium: 260 FPS (min 221, max 299)
• High: 163 FPS
• Ultra: 155 FPS

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: 204 FPS
• Medium: 163 FPS (min 139, max 188)
• High: 102 FPS
• Ultra: 97 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the absolute FPS drops, but the relative difference between settings tiers narrows. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 203 FPS (418 vs. 215), while at 4K, the gap is 107 FPS (204 vs. 97). This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU and GPU are both capable of high throughput, and settings changes have a larger absolute impact on frame rate. At 4K, the GPU is more constrained, so the impact of settings changes is less pronounced in absolute terms.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data suggests that 1440p Medium offers an optimal balance of visual quality and performance. At this setting, the system averages 260 FPS with a minimum of 221 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even during complex puzzle sequences. The min FPS of 221 is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on modern monitors, providing headroom for any frame-time spikes.

If the user prioritizes maximum visual fidelity, 4K High at 102 FPS is viable for a 100 Hz display, though the Ultra preset at 97 FPS offers negligible additional detail for a 5 FPS cost. Conversely, 1080p Ultra at 215 FPS is ideal for 240 Hz displays, delivering a high level of visual quality without sacrificing frame rate. The Low presets at any resolution exceed 200 FPS and are unnecessary for this game, as the visual style of Inside is not highly demanding. The Medium preset at 4K (163 FPS) is the strongest recommendation for high-refresh-rate 4K displays, as it maintains a 139 FPS minimum while offering improved visual effects over Low.