Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a performance profile that is heavily dictated by the graphics card, though the CPU’s significant headroom ensures that even the most demanding settings never become processor-bound. In Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016, this combination produces playable frame rates at 4K with high settings, but the data reveals that the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s capabilities are fully exposed only at 1080p with lower graphical presets.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its 30 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory position it as a high-end desktop part, and its benchmark scores confirm this: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 50009 and a single-core score of 7060, placing it in the 97th percentile of all CPUs. This level of processing power is far beyond what Inside requires, as the game’s puzzle-platformer design does not stress multi-threaded workloads.

The measured FPS data supports this interpretation. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 311.1 FPS, which is over double the frame rate at 4K High (72 FPS). This dramatic gap indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions; instead, the GPU’s rendering workload dominates. The processor’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF and Intel Core i9-14900KF, both with an average benchmark score within 0.2% delta, meaning the 265K is statistically tied with those parts. For Inside, this means the CPU provides essentially unlimited headroom—even at 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 149 FPS, a frame rate that would likely be limited by the GPU’s pixel throughput rather than the processor’s instruction throughput.

The CPU’s high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7060) is relevant for a game like Inside, which may rely on a single main thread for game logic. However, the benchmark results show that even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is most stressed, the frame rate only drops to 65.8 FPS, suggesting the CPU never becomes a bottleneck. The processor’s Passmark single-thread score of 4904 further confirms its capability, and its average benchmark score of 79102 places it just 0.9% behind the Intel Core i9-14900K. In practical terms, the 265K’s role in this combo is to ensure that the RTX 2070 SUPER is always the component that determines performance, which is the ideal scenario for a GPU-bound title.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the decisive component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured frame rates. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, the card offers a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for Inside’s relatively modest texture requirements. The GPU’s boost clock of 1770 MHz and its 2560 shading units deliver a peak FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS, and its Passmark G3D score of 18169 places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A400 (0.5% lower average score) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (2.5% higher score), indicating that the 2070 SUPER sits in the mid-range tier of graphics hardware.

The GPU’s role becomes clear when examining the FPS scaling across settings. At 4K, the difference between Low (141.8 FPS) and Ultra (65.8 FPS) is a 53.6% drop, which demonstrates that the GPU’s compute units and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints as graphical complexity increases. The card’s 8 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor here, as even at 4K Ultra, the game runs at 65.8 FPS, suggesting that the memory capacity is adequate for Inside’s art style. The GPU’s 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are largely irrelevant for this title, which does not utilize ray tracing or DLSS, but the raw rasterization performance is what drives the results.

The RTX 2070 SUPER’s TDP of 215 W and its PCIe 3.0 x16 interface are consistent with its performance class, and the data shows that it is the bottleneck at 4K. At 1080p Low, the card produces 311.1 FPS, which is close to the limit of what a 60 Hz or 144 Hz display could use, but at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 65.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU is fully saturated. The card’s Passmark DirectX 12 score of 67 is notably low compared to its DirectX 11 score of 151, but this does not impact Inside, which is a DirectX 11-era title. Overall, the GPU’s role is to provide a playable experience at 4K with High settings (72 FPS) while offering headroom for higher refresh rates at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that identifies the GPU as the limiting component. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 152.7 FPS at 1080p to 109.7 FPS at 1440p (a 28.2% decrease) and then to 72 FPS at 4K (a 34.4% decrease from 1440p). This steep decline with increasing pixel count is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload scales nearly linearly with the number of pixels. The CPU’s performance is constant across resolutions, so the frame rate differences can only be attributed to the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 311.1 FPS at 1080p drops to 221.2 FPS at 1440p (a 28.9% decrease) and then to 141.8 FPS at 4K (a 35.9% decrease from 1440p). This consistency in percentage drops across settings suggests that the GPU’s pixel processing capability is the sole determinant of performance, regardless of the graphical preset. The fact that the 1080p Low score of 311.1 FPS is nearly five times the 4K Ultra score of 65.8 FPS further emphasizes that the RTX 2070 SUPER is stretched to its limits at 4K with high fidelity settings.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (311.1 FPS) and Ultra (149 FPS) is a 52.1% reduction, while at 4K, the same comparison shows a 53.6% reduction (from 141.8 FPS to 65.8 FPS). This indicates that the GPU’s shading units and texture units are equally stressed at all resolutions, and the CPU is never the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, the frame rate would plateau at higher resolutions, but the steady decline proves that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the component that governs the experience. This makes the combo well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for lower settings or less demanding scenes.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in Inside?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 311.1, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K with Ultra settings?*

A: Yes, but with a reduced frame rate. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 65.8, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K has an average benchmark score of 79102, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF and 0.9% lower than the Intel Core i9-14900K.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the bottleneck in this combo?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops by over 50% from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra, while the CPU’s high scores (97th percentile) suggest it has ample headroom.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s.

*Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in Inside?*

A: The combo ranks 974 out of 1671 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all tested hardware pairings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that High settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p, High settings deliver 152.7 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay on standard monitors, while at 1440p, the same preset yields 109.7 FPS, suitable for 100 Hz displays. Even at 4K, High settings achieve 72 FPS, which meets the threshold for 60 Hz panels without requiring a compromise in graphical fidelity.

Ultra settings offer only marginal visual improvements over High but incur a significant performance cost: at 1080p, Ultra drops to 149 FPS (only 2.4% lower than High), but at 4K, the drop is more severe, falling to 65.8 FPS (8.6% lower). Given that Inside is a puzzle platformer with a stylized art direction, the difference between High and Ultra is unlikely to be noticeable, making High the more efficient choice. Medium settings provide a middle ground, with 247.5 FPS at 1080p and 112.1 FPS at 4K, but the jump from Medium to High at 4K (72 FPS vs. 112.1 FPS) is substantial, suggesting that High is the optimal preset for this title when prioritizing visual quality.

Low settings should only be used for competitive or high-refresh-rate scenarios, as they deliver 311.1 FPS at 1080p and 141.8 FPS at 4K, but the reduction in visual detail is substantial. For most users, High settings are recommended, as they provide a 72 FPS experience at 4K and exceed 100 FPS at 1440p, ensuring a smooth and visually appealing experience across all common resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo is presented below, organized by resolution and settings.

1920x1080:

• Low: 311.1 FPS
• Medium: 247.5 FPS
• High: 152.7 FPS
• Ultra: 149 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 221.2 FPS
• Medium: 177.1 FPS
• High: 109.7 FPS
• Ultra: 108.8 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 141.8 FPS
• Medium: 112.1 FPS
• High: 72 FPS
• Ultra: 65.8 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings reduces the frame rate by a similar proportion, and each increase in resolution has a compounding effect. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 162.1 FPS (a 52.1% reduction), while at 4K, the same comparison yields a 76 FPS difference (a 53.6% reduction). This consistency underscores the GPU-bound nature of the combo, with the RTX 2070 SUPER’s rendering capabilities dictating the frame rate at every resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 974 out of 1671 tested combinations in Inside. This places it in the 58th percentile of all tested combos, meaning it outperforms a majority of systems but is not among the top-tier configurations. The ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range position; the RTX 2070 SUPER’s Passmark G3D score of 18169 is below that of many newer cards, and its 65th percentile ranking among GPUs limits the overall combo’s standing.

However, the CPU’s high performance (97th percentile) means that the combo is well-balanced for GPU-bound titles like Inside, where the processor’s capabilities are not fully utilized. The ranking suggests that users seeking higher frame rates at 4K Ultra would need a more powerful GPU, but for the majority of gaming scenarios—especially at 1080p and 1440p—this combo delivers excellent results. The rank of 974 out of 1671 confirms the RTX 2070 SUPER’s longevity, as it remains competitive for older titles, while the 265K ensures future-proofing for more demanding games. In summary, this combo is a capable pairing for Inside, with the GPU being the primary determinant of performance and the CPU providing ample headroom for years to come.