Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer with modest graphical demands, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT produces a combination that ranks in the 1806th position out of 3716 tested combos. This placement places it in the 51st percentile of all tested configurations, indicating a mid-pack standing where the GPU is the primary limiter at lower resolutions, while the CPU’s strong multi-threaded performance ensures that even at 4K, the system remains comfortably playable at high frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1806 out of 3716 tested combinations situates it almost exactly at the median of all hardware pairings in the benchmark database. This is a noteworthy result given the components involved: the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a high-end desktop processor that achieves a 94th percentile ranking against all CPUs, while the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT sits at the 72nd percentile against all GPUs. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range-to-upper-mid-range GPU yields a balanced system that performs well, but the overall rank is dragged down by the GPU’s relative standing compared to the CPU’s exceptional benchmark scores.

Benchmark results indicate that the CPU’s average benchmark score of 70,879 places it within 1% of the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which scores 70,163, and slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F at 69,996. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 27,425 puts it on par with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (27,435) and within 0.5% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (27,565). This data suggests that the combo’s mid-pack rank is not due to any single weak component, but rather reflects the inherent balance of a very strong CPU paired with a GPU that, while capable, does not match the CPU’s elite status.

In practical terms for Inside, this rank means the system is neither overkill nor underpowered. The 1806th rank out of 3716 indicates that roughly half of all tested combos deliver higher average frame rates, but given the game’s light rendering load, this system still achieves triple-digit FPS at 1440p and maintains playable frame rates at 4K across all settings. The data shows that the combo’s rank is more indicative of its position among high-end gaming rigs than any deficiency in running this specific title.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations for Inside?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT combination ranks 1806th out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the 51st percentile of all tested configurations for this game.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 337 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate across all tested resolutions and settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the frame rate drops from 337 FPS at 1080p Low to 152 FPS at 4K Low, indicating the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution scales, with the CPU still providing sufficient headroom.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 72 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which still exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay in this puzzle platformer.

Q: How does the CPU’s benchmark performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265K scores 70,879 on average, which is 1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70,163) and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (69,996), while trailing the Intel Xeon 6511P by 0.2%.

Q: What are the GPU’s closest competitors in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The RX 6700 XT’s average score of 27,425 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (27,435), and it sits 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (27,565) and 1.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (27,839).

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 337 FPS at 1080p to 242 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 28%, and then to 152 FPS at 4K, a further 37% reduction from 1440p. This aggressive scaling indicates that the RX 6700 XT is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the CPU’s 20 cores and 20 threads provide more than enough processing power for this lightweight title.

The scaling at Medium settings follows a similar trend: 269 FPS at 1080p drops to 194 FPS at 1440p (28% reduction) and then to 122 FPS at 4K (37% reduction from 1440p). The High settings preset shows 168 FPS at 1080p, 121 FPS at 1440p (28% reduction), and 76 FPS at 4K (37% reduction from 1440p). This consistent ~28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~37% drop from 1440p to 4K across all settings strongly suggests that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the bottleneck, not the CPU.

The data indicates that the Core Ultra 7 265K, with its base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz, has ample single-threaded performance to feed the GPU at any resolution. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2020 and multi-core score of 35,850 further confirm that it is not a limiting factor in this game. The resolution scaling pattern is nearly identical across all quality presets, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios where the CPU is not struggling to keep up with frame generation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 337 FPS, which is the highest recorded frame rate in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 269 FPS with a minimum of 229 FPS and maximum of 310 FPS, showing smooth and consistent frame delivery. High settings average 168 FPS, while Ultra settings average 160 FPS, a mere 5% reduction from High, indicating that the game’s Ultra preset does not impose a significant additional load at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain highly playable. Low settings average 242 FPS, Medium settings average 194 FPS with a minimum of 165 FPS and maximum of 223 FPS, High settings average 121 FPS, and Ultra settings average 115 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent at approximately 28% for each setting, reinforcing the GPU-bound analysis. The minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium (165 FPS) still exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors, ensuring a tear-free experience on 144Hz displays.

At 3840x2160, the combo shows its limitations but remains playable. Low settings average 152 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 122 FPS with a minimum of 103 FPS and maximum of 140 FPS, providing a smooth experience on 120Hz 4K displays. High settings average 76 FPS, and Ultra settings average 72 FPS. The 4K Ultra result, while the lowest in the dataset, still clears the 60 FPS bar, meaning users can run the game at maximum quality without sacrificing fluidity.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo depends on the user’s display refresh rate and resolution preference. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, with an average of 269 FPS and a minimum of 229 FPS, ensuring no frame drops below 144Hz even in demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 160 FPS average is also excellent for 144Hz displays, but the marginal visual gains over High (168 FPS) are not worth the 5% performance hit.

For 1440p users, the High preset is the recommended choice, delivering an average of 121 FPS with no recorded minimum below the 60 FPS threshold. This provides a substantial visual improvement over Medium (194 FPS) while still comfortably exceeding 120 FPS, making it ideal for 120Hz monitors. The Ultra preset at 115 FPS is also viable for 144Hz displays, but the difference between High and Ultra is minimal, so High offers better headroom for frame-time spikes.

At 4K, the Medium preset stands out as the best option, with an average of 122 FPS and a minimum of 103 FPS, which is sufficient for 120Hz displays and provides a 60% performance improvement over High (76 FPS). The Low preset at 152 FPS is overkill for most 4K displays and sacrifices too much visual quality, while High and Ultra at 76 and 72 FPS respectively are playable but do not leave much margin above the 60 FPS minimum. For users with 60Hz 4K displays, the Ultra preset is perfectly acceptable, but for higher refresh rates, Medium is the clear winner.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. With a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, the CPU delivers exceptional single-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2020. This is particularly relevant for Inside, a puzzle platformer that relies heavily on single-threaded game logic and physics calculations, which are not heavily multi-threaded.

The CPU’s multi-threaded performance is equally impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,850 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 23,085. These scores place the 265K at the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70,879. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6511P (71,051, -0.2%) and the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70,163, +1%), indicating that the 265K is competitive with the best desktop processors available.

In the context of Inside, the CPU’s role is to maintain high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom. The data confirms that the CPU is not a limiting factor: at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 337 FPS, which is likely near the game’s engine limits. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is heavily taxed, the 72 FPS average suggests the CPU is still delivering frames fast enough to keep the GPU fully utilized. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support further ensure that memory bandwidth (102.4 GB/s) does not impede performance in this title.