Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far more forgiving on hardware than most modern titles, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER reflects that reality. This combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, positioning the CPU as a dominant force while the GPU remains the primary bottleneck only at the highest fidelity levels. The results show a system that is overkill for the game’s demands, yet the specific numbers reveal interesting scaling patterns that highlight the strengths of each component.

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 desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock runs at 3.70 GHz, with a boost clock reaching 5.50 GHz, and it carries a 125 W TDP. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 36 MB L3 cache. Memory support is limited to DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, providing a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s, and it supports ECC memory. The chip also integrates Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units, though the discrete RTX 2060 SUPER renders all game frames here.

For a game like Inside, which is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer with relatively simple geometry and lighting, the CPU rarely becomes a limiting factor. This is evident from the measured FPS data: at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 281 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most displays. The processor’s single-thread performance is particularly relevant, as the game’s logic and physics are likely to rely on fewer threads. Benchmark results show a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2439 and a PassMark single-thread score of 5068, placing it in the 96th percentile among all CPUs. Multi-core performance is equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253, but this is unlikely to influence Inside’s frame rates given the game’s modest parallel demands.

The CPU’s 24 threads provide massive headroom for background tasks, and its high boost clock ensures that any single-threaded bottleneck is minimized. However, the data suggests that even at 4K Ultra settings, the CPU is not the constraint. The average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra drops to 60, which is exactly half of the 120 FPS achieved at 1440p Ultra, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. In contrast, the jump from 1080p Low (281 FPS) to 1440p Low (202 FPS) shows a 28% reduction, which is more consistent with GPU-bound scaling. The CPU’s PassMark multi-thread score of 68574 and data compression score of 804322 suggest it can handle any background workload without impacting game performance, but for Inside specifically, the core count and clock speed are more than sufficient to keep up with the GPU at every setting tested.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1973 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking might seem counterintuitive given the high frame rates, but it reflects the fact that many other combinations with more powerful GPUs achieve even higher averages, especially at 4K Ultra where the RTX 2060 SUPER’s limitations become apparent. The comboRankInGame percentile is not explicitly given, but a rank of 1973 out of 2887 means it sits below the median, which is likely due to the GPU’s age and the fact that Inside can run at extremely high FPS on modern hardware.

To contextualize, the RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093 and sits in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, which scores 18159 and is 0.4% faster, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, which scores 18189 and is 0.5% faster. The AMD Radeon RX 460 and Intel Arc A770M are 1.5% and 1.6% slower, respectively, with scores of 18373 and 18383. These small deltas indicate that the RTX 2060 SUPER is competitive with a range of mid-range GPUs, but it is far from the top tier. The CPU, on the other hand, is in the 96th percentile with an average benchmark score of 93785, and its nearest rivals are all server-class processors: the Intel Xeon 6520P scores 93786 (0% delta), the AMD EPYC 4564P scores 95183 (-1.5%), and the AMD EPYC 9175F scores 95615 (-1.9%). This means the CPU is vastly more powerful than what Inside needs, but the GPU holds back the overall combo ranking.

In practical terms, the combo’s rank of 1973 suggests that while it delivers playable and often excellent frame rates, there are 914 other combinations that perform better in this game. Those combinations likely feature GPUs with higher memory bandwidth or more shading units, allowing them to push higher averages at 4K Ultra. For example, the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for Inside, but a higher-end card would achieve more than 60 FPS at 4K Ultra. The data shows that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it ranks much more favorably due to the CPU’s ability to feed frames quickly.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1920x1080 with Medium settings?

A: The combo achieves an average of 225 FPS at 1080p Medium, with minimum and maximum frame rates of 191 and 259 FPS, respectively. This indicates a stable experience well above typical display refresh rates.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus scores 2439 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 44253 in multi-core, while PassMark shows 5068 for single-thread and 68574 for multi-thread. The multi-core scores are roughly 18x higher, reflecting the 24-core design, but Inside likely relies more on single-thread performance.

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

A: The lowest average is 60 FPS, achieved at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the only tested configuration that falls below 63 FPS, indicating that 4K Ultra is the most demanding scenario for the RTX 2060 SUPER.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, while its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, scores 18159, which is 0.4% higher. This places the two GPUs at nearly identical performance levels.

Q: Does the combo deliver higher FPS at 1440p High or 1080p Ultra?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the average FPS is 101, while at 1920x1080 Ultra, it is 134. The 1080p Ultra setting provides a 33% higher frame rate, showing that resolution has a larger impact than the settings preset.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations for Inside?

A: The combo ranks 1973 out of 2887 tested combinations. This places it below the median, primarily due to the GPU’s performance ceiling at higher resolutions.

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

The measured FPS data for this combo covers four resolutions and four settings presets, providing a clear picture of performance scaling. At 1920x1080, the lowest tested resolution, the combo delivers exceptional frame rates across all settings. Low settings yield an average of 281 FPS, which is the highest recorded for this combo. Medium settings drop to 225 FPS average, with a minimum of 191 and maximum of 259 FPS. High settings average 141 FPS, while Ultra settings average 134 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 7 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns from the highest preset at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear scaling trend. Low settings produce an average of 202 FPS, which is a 28% reduction from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 162 FPS, with a minimum of 137 and maximum of 186 FPS. High settings drop to 101 FPS, and Ultra settings average 96 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to just 5 FPS, similar to the 1080p pattern. The data indicates that 1440p is still well within the GPU’s comfort zone, with all settings exceeding 96 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. Low settings still deliver a very playable 127 FPS average, which is remarkable for 4K. Medium settings average 102 FPS, with a minimum of 86 and maximum of 117 FPS, providing a smooth experience. High settings drop to 63 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings average exactly 60 FPS, making it the only configuration that fails to exceed 60 FPS. The drop from Medium to High at 4K is 39 FPS, which is the largest single-setting reduction across all resolutions, highlighting the GPU’s struggle with higher fidelity at this resolution.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear. For example, at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 281 to 127, a 55% reduction, while at Ultra settings, it drops from 134 to 60, a 55% reduction as well. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all settings, as the CPU’s performance remains constant. The minimum and maximum FPS values are only provided for Medium settings, with 1080p showing a range of 191-259, 1440p showing 137-186, and 4K showing 86-117. These ranges indicate that frame pacing is stable, with no severe drops below the average.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with the TU106 chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It features 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, along with 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. The GPU’s base clock is 1470 MHz, with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz, yielding 14 Gbps effective. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The card’s FP32 performance is 7.181 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Its TDP is 175 W, and it requires a 450 W power supply, with a dual-slot design and a single 8-pin power connector.

For Inside, the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is more than sufficient, as the game’s textures and assets are modest by modern standards. The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s ensures that even at 4K resolution, there is no memory-related stuttering, as evidenced by the 127 FPS average at 4K Low settings. The boost clock of 1650 MHz, combined with the 2176 shading units, allows for strong pixel throughput, rated at 105.6 GPixel/s and 224.4 GTexel/s. These specifications explain why the GPU can handle 4K Medium at 102 FPS but drops to 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, where the added shading and post-processing effects strain the FP32 throughput.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning. It scores 2011 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 76957 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 77402 in Geekbench Vulkan. PassMark scores show 16462 for G3D and 6721 for GPU compute. When compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 2060 SUPER is nearly identical to the RTX 3060 Mobile, which is 0.4% faster, and the Radeon Pro 5700, which is 0.5% faster. This suggests that the GPU is well-matched to other mid-range options, but it lacks the headroom to push 4K Ultra beyond 60 FPS. The data shows that the GPU’s role in Inside is to provide high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, while at 4K, it can only achieve 60 FPS at Ultra, making it a marginal choice for 4K gaming.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings provide excellent performance, with even Ultra averaging 134 FPS. The difference between High (141 FPS) and Ultra (134 FPS) is minimal, so choosing Ultra for the best visual quality is a reasonable choice, as it still delivers well above 120 FPS. However, if a player prioritizes maximum frame rates, Low at 281 FPS is the best option, though Medium at 225 FPS offers a balance of visuals and speed.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot, with an average of 162 FPS and a minimum of 137 FPS, ensuring no dips below 144 Hz. High averages 101 FPS, which is still smooth, but Ultra drops to 96 FPS, and the visual difference between High and Ultra may not justify the 5 FPS loss. For 1440p gaming, Medium provides the best experience, as it maintains high frame rates while offering improved visuals over Low (202 FPS). Low is also viable for competitive play, but the 40 FPS difference between Low and Medium is significant.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations change drastically. Low settings yield 127 FPS, which is excellent for 4K and provides the best experience for fast-paced gameplay. Medium averages 102 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS, making it a strong choice for those who want better visuals without sacrificing playability. High drops to 63 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold, but Ultra falls to exactly 60 FPS, meaning any minor fluctuation could cause noticeable stuttering. For 4K, Medium is the recommended preset, as it offers the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, staying comfortably above 60 FPS. Ultra is only advisable if a player is willing to accept a locked 60 FPS, but the data shows that the jump from Medium to Ultra provides diminishing returns in this game. Overall, the combo is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p with High or Ultra settings, while 4K users should stick to Medium or Low for a consistently smooth experience.