Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 delivers a playable experience in Inside, but the data reveals a combination that is heavily constrained by its graphics subsystem. At 1080p, the system demonstrates strong performance, yet the scaling curve indicates that the GTX 1650 is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent decline as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 134 FPS at 1080p to 97 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 37 FPS. Moving to 4K, the average falls further to 61 FPS. This trajectory represents a 54.5% performance loss from 1080p to 4K at Low settings.

The Medium settings row tells a similar story, with averages of 107 FPS at 1080p, 77 FPS at 1440p, and 49 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 30 FPS, while the 1440p to 4K transition costs another 28 FPS. High settings show 67 FPS at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p, and 30 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings follow the same pattern: 64 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K.

The scaling pattern is informative. Between 1080p and 1440p, the average FPS loss across all settings is approximately 30-35%. Between 1440p and 4K, the loss is another 35-40%. This consistent proportional decline suggests that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. The GTX 1650's 128.1 GB/s memory bandwidth and 53.28 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient to maintain higher frame rates at increased pixel counts.

Notably, the delta between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 70 FPS (134 vs 64). At 4K, this gap compresses to 32 FPS (61 vs 29). This compression indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU is saturated regardless of settings, and the CPU's substantial headroom cannot compensate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 2780 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the bottom 3.7% of all configurations. This ranking is remarkably low given the CPU's capabilities. The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus sits in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 93785. The GPU, however, is in the 40th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 7472.

The disparity between the components is stark. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6520P (avgScore 93786, deltaPct 0) and AMD EPYC 4564P (avgScore 95183, deltaPct -1.5). The GPU's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon HD 8850M (avgScore 7447, deltaPct 0.3) and Intel UHD Graphics 750 (avgScore 7441, deltaPct 0.4). This pairing couples a top-tier 24-core processor with a GPU that is just barely above the median.

The low combo rank is directly attributable to the GPU's performance class. While the CPU can process the game's logic and physics with ease, the GTX 1650's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 896 shading units limit the final output. The benchmark results indicate that this combination performs worse than 96.3% of all tested combos in this specific game, which is a puzzle platformer with modest graphical demands. The data suggests that the GPU is the overwhelming bottleneck, making the CPU's massive compute potential largely irrelevant for frame rate generation in this title.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The measured average of 107 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold, with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS ensuring consistent smoothness. High settings at 1080p provide 67 FPS, which is acceptable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra at 1080p dips to 64 FPS, offering no significant advantage over High.

At 1440p, Low settings are the only fully smooth option, delivering 97 FPS. Medium at 1440p drops to 77 FPS, which remains playable but begins to show strain. High and Ultra at 1440p fall to 48 FPS and 46 FPS respectively, which are below the ideal smoothness threshold. For 1440p, Low is recommended for consistent frame pacing, while Medium is acceptable for users who prioritize visual fidelity over maximum smoothness.

At 4K, Low settings produce 61 FPS, which is technically playable but marginal. Medium at 4K averages 49 FPS with a minimum of 41 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering. High and Ultra at 4K produce 30 FPS and 29 FPS respectively, which are barely playable for a puzzle platformer where precise timing is less critical. For 4K, Low is the only sensible choice, and users should be prepared for occasional dips below 60 FPS.

The data indicates that this system is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p with lower presets. The GPU's limitations become increasingly apparent at higher resolutions, and the CPU's performance cannot mitigate the GPU's fill rate constraints.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 134 FPS. Medium settings average 107 FPS, with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS. High settings average 67 FPS. Ultra settings average 64 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 70 FPS, demonstrating the GPU's sensitivity to shading complexity at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 97 FPS. Medium settings average 77 FPS, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 89 FPS. High settings average 48 FPS. Ultra settings average 46 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 51 FPS, indicating that the GPU begins to run out of resources.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings average 61 FPS. Medium settings average 49 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS. High settings average 30 FPS. Ultra settings average 29 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 32 FPS, and even the Low preset cannot consistently hold above 60 FPS.

The Medium settings rows at each resolution are the only ones with complete min/max data. At 1080p Medium, the 91 FPS minimum and 124 FPS maximum show a 33 FPS variance, indicating moderate frame pacing stability. At 1440p Medium, the 66 FPS minimum and 89 FPS maximum show a 23 FPS variance. At 4K Medium, the 41 FPS minimum and 56 FPS maximum show a 15 FPS variance. This narrowing variance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU's workload becomes more uniform as it becomes the limiting factor.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Inside?*

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. The system achieves 107 FPS at Medium settings and 134 FPS at Low settings, providing smooth gameplay. At 1440p and 4K, frame rates drop significantly, with even Low settings producing only 97 FPS and 61 FPS respectively.

*Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which produce an average of 61 FPS. Medium settings at 4K average 49 FPS, while High and Ultra average 30 FPS and 29 FPS. For a puzzle platformer, 4K Low is playable, but users should expect frame rates near the 60 FPS boundary.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has an average benchmark score of 93785, placing it in the 96th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6520P, scores 93786, a delta of 0%. The AMD EPYC 4564P scores 95183, which is 1.5% higher, and the AMD EPYC 9175F scores 95615, which is 1.9% higher.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 7472, placing it in the 40th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 8850M, scores 7447, which is 0.3% lower. The Intel UHD Graphics 750 scores 7441, which is 0.4% lower, and the AMD Radeon R7 350 scores 7425, which is 0.6% lower.

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

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The CPU sits in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 40th percentile. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent proportional decline, indicating GPU-bound performance. The CPU's 24 cores and 5.50 GHz boost clock are far more capable than the GPU's 896 shading units require.

Q: What is the frame rate variance at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 91 FPS and the maximum is 124 FPS, a variance of 33 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 66 FPS and the maximum is 89 FPS, a variance of 23 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 41 FPS and the maximum is 56 FPS, a variance of 15 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It features a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3. The processor supports DDR5 memory via a dual-channel bus, providing 115.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

In Inside, the CPU's role is primarily to handle game logic, physics calculations, and scene management. As a puzzle platformer released in 2016, the game's computational demands are modest. The CPU's 24 cores and 5.50 GHz boost clock provide substantial headroom for this workload. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44253 and single-core score of 2439 confirm the CPU's strong performance in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded tasks.

The Passmark multithread score of 68574 and single-thread score of 5068 further illustrate the CPU's capabilities. The data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this combination. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 134 FPS, and the frame rate drops to 61 FPS at 4K Low. This decline is entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering capabilities, not the CPU's processing power.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s is more than sufficient for the game's data requirements. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache provides ample storage for frequently accessed game assets. The CPU's percentile ranking of 96 among all CPUs indicates that it outperforms the vast majority of processors, yet the combo rank of 2780 out of 2887 shows that this raw CPU power cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is based on the TU117 chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process by TSMC. It features 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1485 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz. Memory consists of 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's pixel rate is 53.28 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 93.24 GTexel/s.

In Inside, the GPU is the decisive component. The game's visual style, characterized by its dark, atmospheric environments and physics-based puzzles, is well within the GPU's architectural capabilities, but the resolution scaling reveals its limits. At 1080p, the GPU can sustain high frame rates, with Low settings producing 134 FPS. However, the frame rate drops precipitously as resolution increases.

The GPU's 4 GB of VRAM is a potential constraint at higher resolutions. While Inside is not a VRAM-intensive title, the measured FPS data suggests that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for 4K rendering. The 128.1 GB/s memory bandwidth is a fraction of what modern GPUs offer, and this limits the GPU's ability to handle the increased pixel throughput demanded at 3840x2160.

The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 7880 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 305 place it in the 40th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, the AMD Radeon HD 8850M and Intel UHD Graphics 750, have scores of 7447 and 7441 respectively, showing that the GTX 1650 is only marginally better than these integrated and legacy solutions. The GPU's fp32 performance of 2.984 TFLOPS is the fundamental limit for this game's rendering workload.

The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at all resolutions above 1080p. Even at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 64 FPS, indicating that the GPU is taxed even at the most common gaming resolution. The CPU's substantial performance headroom cannot be utilized because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to benefit from the CPU's processing speed.