Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Inside, a 2D puzzle platformer that is far more dependent on the CPU than the GPU. The data shows this combination ranks in the top 13% of all tested configurations, with performance scaling that remains fluid even at 4K Ultra settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average frame rate is 164 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings, indicating a very smooth experience for the game's puzzle platforming mechanics.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has an average benchmark score of 93,785, which is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon 6520P (93,786, 0% delta). It trails the AMD EPYC 4564P by 1.5% and the AMD EPYC 9175F by 1.9%.

Q: What is the GPU's average benchmark score and percentile ranking?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41,187 and sits in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, placing it above the GeForce RTX 5070 which has a 2% lower score.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate recorded for this combo at 1080p Medium settings?

A: The maximum frame rate recorded at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 420 FPS, with an average of 366 FPS and a minimum of 311 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the CPU at 1080p Low compared to 4K Ultra?

A: The average frame rate at 1080p Low is 456 FPS, which is 4.65 times higher than the 98 FPS average measured at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the combo support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Yes, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), along with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti achieves a rank of 374 out of 2,887 tested combos in Inside. This places the configuration in the 87th percentile of all tested pairings, a strong result for a game that is not traditionally demanding on modern hardware. The high ranking is largely attributable to the CPU's exceptional single-thread performance, which is critical for the game's physics and logic updates.

The CPU's benchmark data supports this position. With a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,439 and a Passmark single-thread score of 5,068, the processor demonstrates the kind of per-core strength that puzzle platformers rely on. In multi-threaded workloads, the 24-core processor achieves a Cinebench R23 score of 44,253 and a Passmark multithread score of 68,574, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. While the GPU is a capable Ampere-based part, the game's modest visual complexity means the CPU's performance ceiling is the primary factor in this high combo rank.

The GPU's own percentile ranking of 83rd is slightly lower than the CPU's 96th, but the measured frame rates indicate that this gap does not create a bottleneck in Inside. The GPU's average benchmark score of 41,187 is within 2% of the GeForce RTX 5070, yet the combo rank remains high because the game's demands are met well before the GPU's limits are reached. The 374th rank out of 2,887 is a clear indicator that this pairing is well-balanced for this specific title, even if the GPU is not the absolute fastest available.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a predictable shift in the bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 456 FPS. When the resolution increases to 2560x1440, the average drops to 329 FPS, a 27.8% reduction. Moving to 3840x2160 further reduces the average to 206 FPS, another 37.4% drop from the 1440p result. This pattern indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is the limiting factor, as the frame rate remains exceptionally high and the GPU has ample headroom.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher settings. At Medium settings, the average frame rate falls from 366 FPS at 1080p to 263 FPS at 1440p (a 28.1% drop) and then to 165 FPS at 4K (a 37.3% drop from 1440p). This consistent percentage drop across resolutions suggests that the GPU is beginning to take on a more significant role as the pixel count increases, but the CPU remains a strong contributor. The transition from 1440p to 4K shows the largest absolute FPS loss, which is typical for a game that is not heavily GPU-bound.

At High and Ultra settings, the scaling is similar. High settings drop from 228 FPS at 1080p to 164 FPS at 1440p, a 28.1% reduction, and then to 103 FPS at 4K, a 37.2% reduction. Ultra settings show the same trend, going from 218 FPS at 1080p to 156 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 98 FPS at 4K. The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical across all settings indicates that the game's rendering pipeline scales linearly with resolution, and the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p to a more balanced state at 4K, where the GPU's 12 GB of memory and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth become more relevant.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance across four settings presets and three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 456 FPS at Low settings, 366 FPS at Medium, 228 FPS at High, and 218 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset has the most detailed data, showing a minimum of 311 FPS and a maximum of 420 FPS, indicating some variability but no significant stutters.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 329 FPS at Low, 263 FPS at Medium, 164 FPS at High, and 156 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset again provides the only min/max data for this resolution, with a minimum of 223 FPS and a maximum of 302 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is significant, at 37.6%, while the drop from High to Ultra is a much smaller 4.9%, suggesting diminishing returns at the highest preset.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 206 FPS at Low, 165 FPS at Medium, 103 FPS at High, and 98 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 140 FPS and a maximum of 190 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 4K is only 4.9%, mirroring the 1440p results. The data shows that even at the most demanding settings, the combo maintains an average above the 60 FPS threshold, with the only sub-100 FPS result being the 98 FPS average at 4K Ultra.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti plays a supporting role in Inside, as the game's 2D visuals do not fully stress its capabilities. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for the game's textures and effects, even at 4K Ultra settings where the average frame rate remains at 98 FPS.

The GPU's clock speeds are 1365 MHz base and 1665 MHz boost, with a memory clock of 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). These clocks are moderate for a high-end card, but they are enough to keep up with the game's demands at all tested resolutions. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 26,896 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,077 confirm its mid-to-high-range positioning, which is consistent with its 83rd percentile ranking.

The GPU's role becomes more apparent at higher resolutions. The performance drop from 1440p to 4K is consistent across all settings, with averages falling by roughly 37%. This suggests that the GPU's pixel processing capabilities, including its 112 ROPs and 186.5 GPixel/s pixel rate, are being exercised more fully at 4K. However, even at its most stressed state, the GPU does not become a severe bottleneck, as the CPU's strong single-thread performance continues to feed it frames efficiently. The GPU's 10,240 shading units and 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are more than adequate for a game of this visual complexity.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data indicates that the Ultra preset offers the best experience for users with high refresh rate displays, as it delivers an average of 218 FPS at 1080p and 156 FPS at 1440p, both well above the 144 Hz threshold. At 4K, the Ultra preset drops to 98 FPS, which is still playable but may not fully utilize a 120 Hz or higher display. The High preset provides a marginal performance increase over Ultra, with averages of 228 FPS at 1080p, 164 FPS at 1440p, and 103 FPS at 4K, but the visual differences are likely minimal.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset is the clear choice. It delivers 456 FPS at 1080p and 329 FPS at 1440p, which is more than double the High preset's results. However, the Medium preset offers a more balanced approach, with averages of 366 FPS at 1080p, 263 FPS at 1440p, and 165 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset also has the most stable minimum frame rates, with a 311 FPS minimum at 1080p and a 223 FPS minimum at 1440p, indicating consistent performance without significant drops.

Given that the game is a puzzle platformer, the visual fidelity of the Ultra preset is unlikely to provide a competitive advantage. The High preset is the recommended starting point for most users, as it offers a strong balance of visual quality and performance, with all resolutions maintaining an average above 100 FPS. For users with 4K displays, the High preset at 103 FPS is preferable to Ultra at 98 FPS, as the 5 FPS difference is negligible but the performance headroom is slightly better. The Low preset is only recommended for users with extremely high refresh rate monitors (240 Hz or above) who want to maximize frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is the dominant component in this combination for Inside. The processor features 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This high boost clock is critical for the game's single-threaded physics and logic calculations, which are typical of the puzzle platformer genre. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 5,068 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,439 place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, underscoring its strength in tasks that rely on per-core performance.

The CPU's multi-threaded performance is also substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44,253 and a Passmark multithread score of 68,574. While Inside may not fully utilize all 24 threads, the processor's ability to handle background tasks and maintain high clock speeds under load contributes to the consistently high frame rates observed. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache further reduce latency, which is beneficial for the game's frequent data access patterns.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 93,785 is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon 6520P (93,786), and it trails the AMD EPYC 4564P by only 1.5%. This places the processor in a competitive position against server-grade parts, which is unusual for a desktop chip. The CPU's 5.50 GHz boost clock is the key differentiator, as it provides the raw single-thread speed that the game demands. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 456 FPS, which is a clear indicator that the CPU is the primary driver of performance at lower resolutions. As the resolution increases, the GPU becomes more involved, but the CPU's consistent frame delivery ensures that the combo never falls below playable levels, even at 4K Ultra.