Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 delivers a surprisingly fluid experience in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far more demanding on the GPU than its minimalist art style suggests. This combination produces frame rates that range from a highly playable 64 FPS at 4K High to a blistering 282 FPS at 1080p Low, placing it in the 66.9th percentile of all tested combos for this title. The data reveals a system where the CPU provides ample headroom, allowing the GPU to become the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, yet the overall performance remains consistently smooth across all settings tested.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor built on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and can boost up to 5.50 GHz, which is a significant factor in its strong single-threaded performance. While Inside is not generally considered a CPU-intensive title, the processor’s capabilities ensure that it never becomes a limiting factor in the measured frame rates. The CPU’s benchmark scores reinforce this, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253 and a single-core score of 2439. The Passmark single-thread score of 5068 further indicates strong per-core performance, which is often more critical for game logic and frame pacing than raw multi-core throughput.

The processor’s 36 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s provide a robust foundation for feeding data to the GPU. In the context of Inside, where the game’s physics and puzzle mechanics are relatively light, the CPU’s 24 cores are largely underutilized. However, the high boost clock of 5.50 GHz is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times, especially at lower resolutions where the CPU has to prepare frames more quickly to keep up with the GPU. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 282 FPS, a figure that highlights the CPU’s ability to handle high frame rate scenarios without creating a bottleneck. The CPU’s percentile rank of 96 among all CPUs places it in the top tier of processors, and its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6520P, has an identical average benchmark score with a 0% delta, indicating that the 270K Plus is performing at the expected level for its class.

The processor’s TDP of 125 W and its production status as an active desktop part suggest it is designed for sustained performance, which is reflected in the stable frame rates observed across all test runs. While the game does not leverage the CPU’s multi-threading capabilities to their full extent, the sheer speed of the cores, combined with the high memory bandwidth, ensures that the GPU is always supplied with the necessary data. In practical terms, this means that the CPU’s role in Inside is to stay out of the way, and the benchmark results confirm it does so effectively. The lack of a noticeable CPU bottleneck is evident when comparing the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K, where the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor, rather than the processor.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the primary driver of performance in this combination, and its specifications directly correlate with the observed frame rates. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. For a game like Inside, which was released in 2016, this memory configuration is more than sufficient, even at 4K resolution. The GPU’s boost clock of 2655 MHz and game clock of 2250 MHz enable it to process the game’s relatively simple 2D and 3D rendered scenes with high efficiency. The RDNA 3.0 architecture, with 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs, delivers a pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s, which are the key metrics for a title that relies on rendering detailed environments and lighting effects.

The GPU’s benchmark results, such as a Passmark G3D score of 16634 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2310, position it as a mid-range performer, which is consistent with its 57th percentile rank among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, has a similar average score with a -0.2% delta, indicating that the RX 7600 is performing as expected for its class. In Inside, the GPU’s capabilities are showcased at 4K, where it manages an average of 64 FPS on High settings. This suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, as the frame rate drops significantly compared to lower resolutions. At 1080p High, the average FPS jumps to 141, which is a 120% increase, demonstrating that the GPU has ample headroom when the pixel count is reduced.

The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is not a constraint in this title, as even at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate remains at a playable 61 FPS. The memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s is sufficient to handle the game’s texture streaming and rendering demands. The fact that the FPS scales almost linearly with resolution and settings suggests that the RX 7600’s raw compute power, rather than its memory subsystem, is what determines performance. For a game with the visual complexity of Inside, the GPU’s 21.75 TFLOPS FP32 performance is more than adequate, but it is still the component that dictates the final frame rate in most scenarios. The data shows that the GPU is the dominant factor in performance scaling, particularly when moving from 1440p to 4K.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 282 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 203 FPS, a reduction of 28%. At 4K Low, the average is 127 FPS, which is a 55% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling is not linear, which suggests that while the GPU is becoming more stressed, the CPU is still providing enough headroom to prevent a hard bottleneck. The same pattern holds for High settings: 141 FPS at 1080p, 101 FPS at 1440p (a 28% drop), and 64 FPS at 4K (a 55% drop from 1080p). The consistent percentage drops across settings indicate that the GPU’s workload is scaling predictably with the number of pixels.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (282 FPS) and Ultra (134 FPS) is 148 FPS, or 52.5%. At 4K, the difference between Low (127 FPS) and Ultra (61 FPS) is 66 FPS, or 48%. This compression suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so saturated with pixel work that the additional load from higher settings has a proportionally smaller impact on the final frame rate. The medium settings at 4K provide a more detailed view, with an average of 102 FPS and a minimum of 87 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

The fact that the FPS does not halve when moving from 1080p to 4K (which would be a 75% reduction if perfectly scaling with pixel count) indicates that the system is not purely pixel-bound. The actual drop is around 55%, which points to other factors such as memory bandwidth and draw call overhead. The CPU’s high boost clock and strong single-thread performance help mitigate some of the overhead, but the GPU is clearly the component that is working hardest at 4K. The minimum FPS data at Medium settings shows that the system maintains a stable frame rate, with the 4K minimum of 87 FPS being only 15% lower than the 1080p minimum of 192 FPS, which is a good sign for frame pacing. Overall, the resolution scaling analysis confirms that the RX 7600 is the primary limiting component, while the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus provides a solid foundation that does not constrain performance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 achieves a rank of 1930 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the 66.9th percentile of all systems tested, meaning it outperforms a majority of combinations but is not at the top tier. This ranking is a reflection of the GPU’s mid-range positioning rather than the CPU’s high-end capabilities. The CPU alone ranks in the 96th percentile among all processors, but the GPU’s 57th percentile rank pulls the overall combo down. The data indicates that pairing a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU results in a system that is competent for this game but leaves performance on the table, as the GPU is the limiting factor.

In the context of the combo ranking, the system is in the upper two-thirds of all tested configurations. This suggests that for a game like Inside, which is not particularly demanding, most modern systems can achieve playable frame rates, and the 270K Plus + RX 7600 is no exception. The combo’s rank of 1930 implies that there are 957 other combos that perform better, which likely include systems with more powerful GPUs. The ranking also shows that the system is not at the bottom, indicating that the CPU’s strength helps to ensure that the system does not fall behind in less GPU-intensive scenes. The fact that the combo ranks higher than the GPU’s individual percentile (57th) suggests that the CPU is providing a slight boost to overall performance, likely by ensuring that the GPU is always fed with data.

When compared to the GPU’s nearest rivals, the RX 7600’s performance is consistent with the combo’s ranking. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, which has a similar average score, would likely produce a similar combo ranking. However, the 270K Plus’s superior CPU performance compared to what might be paired with the RTX 3050 OEM could give this combo a slight edge in CPU-bound scenarios, though the data for Inside shows that the GPU is the bottleneck. The combo’s rank of 1930 is a solid mid-pack result, and the measured FPS data confirms that it delivers a smooth experience at all tested settings and resolutions, making it a viable choice for this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average frame rate at 1920x1080 with High settings is 141 FPS.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as frame rates drop significantly with increased resolution, while the CPU’s performance remains sufficient to keep up.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The minimum frame rate at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 138 FPS, with a maximum of 186 FPS.

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

A: This combo ranks 1930 out of 2887 tested combinations, placing it in the 66.9th percentile.

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

A: At 1080p, Low settings yield an average of 282 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 134 FPS, a difference of 148 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 7600 combination in Inside is as follows, providing a comprehensive view of performance across all tested configurations.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 282. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 226 FPS, with a minimum of 192 FPS and a maximum of 259 FPS. High settings produce an average of 141 FPS. The most demanding setting, Ultra, yields an average of 134 FPS. The data shows a clear step-down in performance as settings increase, but even at Ultra, the frame rate remains well above 100 FPS, ensuring a very smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease as expected. Low settings produce an average of 203 FPS. Medium settings see an average of 162 FPS, with a minimum of 138 FPS and a maximum of 186 FPS. High settings yield an average of 101 FPS. Ultra settings result in an average of 97 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with the system still maintaining high frame rates across all settings. The minimum FPS at Medium settings is 138, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that the system handles this resolution with ease.

At 3840x2160, the system’s performance is more constrained, but still playable. Low settings produce an average of 127 FPS. Medium settings see an average of 102 FPS, with a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS. High settings yield an average of 64 FPS. Ultra settings result in an average of 61 FPS. The data shows that at 4K, the system can still achieve playable frame rates, with even Ultra settings staying above 60 FPS on average. The minimum FPS at Medium settings is 87, which indicates that the system maintains a stable frame rate even during demanding scenes. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown demonstrates that this combination is capable of delivering a smooth experience in Inside at all tested resolutions and settings, with the GPU being the primary determinant of performance.