Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a performance profile in Inside that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset. The measured data reveals a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p, but one where the GPU becomes the primary constraint as pixel count increases. This analysis breaks down the measured frames per second (FPS) to understand the balance between the 20-core processor and the 8 GB graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The most telling data point is the performance drop when moving from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 330.3 at 1920x1080 to 147.6 at 3840x2160. This represents a 55.3% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the rendering workload is scaling significantly with pixel count. The pattern continues across all presets: High settings drop from 164.3 FPS at 1080p to 74.1 FPS at 4K, and Medium settings fall from 265.9 to 122.7 FPS over the same resolution span.

This scaling behavior points to the GPU as the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The RTX 4060, with its 128-bit memory bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth, is being saturated by the 4K pixel workload. In contrast, the CPU's performance headroom is evident at 1080p, where the frame rates are exceptionally high. The data suggests that the Core Ultra 7 265K can feed frames far faster than the RTX 4060 can render them at lower resolutions.

At 4K, the gap between Low and High settings is 73.5 FPS (147.6 vs 74.1), which is a substantial hit. However, the more interesting comparison is between Medium and High at 4K: 122.7 FPS versus 74.1 FPS. This 48.6 FPS difference indicates that the High preset introduces a significant rendering cost that severely impacts the GPU. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is also steep; at Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 115 to 72.8, a 36.7% reduction that reinforces the GPU-bound nature of 4K gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 870th out of 1671 tested combos in Inside. This places the pairing in the lower-middle tier of all possible configurations, which is expected given the GPU's mid-range positioning. While the CPU is a top-tier part—it sits in the 97th percentile of all CPUs—the GPU only reaches the 66th percentile of all GPUs. This imbalance means the combo's ranking is dragged down by the graphics card's performance ceiling.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 79102 places it nearly level with its nearest rivals. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF scores 79240, a 0.2% delta, and the Intel Core i9-14900KF scores 79245, also a 0.2% delta. The AMD EPYC 7413 sits slightly higher at 80041, a 1.2% delta. This shows the 265K is essentially performance-equivalent to its closest competitors in synthetic tests, meaning the FPS differences in Inside are almost entirely attributable to the GPU choice.

For the GPU, the RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 23181 is within a small margin of its nearest rivals. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23321 (-0.6%), and the Intel Arc B580 scores 23021 (0.7%). The data indicates that the RTX 4060 performs as expected for its class, and the 870th rank reflects that this is not a high-end gaming combination, but rather a balanced mainstream setup that excels at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The RTX 4060's specifications directly explain the measured FPS behavior. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This is a modest configuration for 4K gaming, and the data confirms that the memory subsystem becomes a bottleneck at that resolution. The core clocks are set to a base of 1830 MHz and a boost of 2460 MHz, which are respectable for the Ada Lovelace architecture, but the card's overall throughput is limited by its 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 performance.

The GPU's 3072 shading units and 48 ROPs are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the high frame rates at those resolutions. However, at 4K, the pixel fill rate of 118.1 GPixel/s is insufficient to maintain high FPS with demanding presets. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, as the CPU has ample headroom to process the game's logic and physics.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for Inside, which is a puzzle platformer that does not require large texture pools. The measured performance does not show any signs of VRAM capacity issues, as the frame rates scale uniformly with resolution rather than exhibiting sudden drops. This indicates that the 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for the game's requirements, and the performance limitations are due to compute and memory bandwidth rather than capacity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a wide spread across presets. Low settings achieve 330.3 FPS, Medium drops to 265.9 FPS, High reaches 164.3 FPS, and Ultra settles at 158.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 172 FPS, which is substantial. The step from Medium to High is particularly steep at 101.6 FPS, suggesting that the High preset enables effects that heavily tax the GPU.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected decline. Low settings hit 241.8 FPS, Medium achieves 192.1 FPS, High drops to 122.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 115 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at this resolution is only 7.1 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset adds minimal visual benefit for the performance cost. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is a 26.8% reduction, which is less severe than the 55.3% reduction seen from 1080p to 4K.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more constrained. Low settings manage 147.6 FPS, Medium drops to 122.7 FPS, High falls to 74.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 72.8 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is a mere 1.3 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset is effectively unplayable for high refresh rate displays, while the Low preset remains fluid. The 4K Medium setting at 122.7 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance at that resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve high refresh rates?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings achieves 330.3 FPS, while 2560x1440 with Low settings reaches 241.8 FPS. Both are excellent for high refresh rate monitors, with 1080p offering the absolute highest frame rates.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K has an average benchmark score of 79102, which is 0.2% behind the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF and 0.2% behind the Intel Core i9-14900KF. It trails the AMD EPYC 7413 by 1.2%.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause any performance issues in this game?

A: The measured FPS data does not indicate any VRAM-related stuttering or capacity limitations. Frame rates scale smoothly with resolution changes, suggesting the 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for Inside.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 74.1 FPS, while Ultra averages 72.8 FPS. The difference is only 1.3 FPS, making the Ultra preset a negligible upgrade over High at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 rank compared to other GPUs in this test?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 23181, which places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. It is 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Arc B580.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p?

A: The data shows the GPU is the limiting factor at 1440p. The frame rates at High settings (122.1 FPS) are still high, but the CPU is capable of much higher output, as evidenced by the 241.8 FPS at Low settings.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 158.3 FPS is the recommended choice for users with high refresh rate displays. The 158.3 FPS average is well above the 144 Hz threshold, and the performance penalty from High to Ultra is minimal. For users with standard 60 Hz monitors, even the High preset at 164.3 FPS provides more than double the required frame rate, making any settings combination viable.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 192.1 FPS offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The High preset at 122.1 FPS is also acceptable, but the 70 FPS difference between Medium and High suggests that the visual improvements are not worth the performance cost. The Ultra preset at 115 FPS is playable but offers only a marginal improvement over High.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 122.7 FPS is the clear recommendation. It provides a smooth experience that is well above the 60 FPS baseline. The High preset at 74.1 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 147.6 FPS is the best choice for competitive play or for users who prioritize frame rate above all else. The Ultra preset at 72.8 FPS offers no meaningful advantage over High and is not recommended.