Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016, and this dataset captures how the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 handle it across three resolutions and four quality presets. The measured frames-per-second values reveal a title that is remarkably easy to drive, with the hardware combination rarely breaking a sweat. The analysis below interprets these numbers, focusing on where the performance ceiling lies and what the data implies for gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking observation in the measured data is the sheer headroom this combo possesses. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system delivers an average of 456 FPS. This is not a scenario where the GPU is being pushed; it is a scenario where the engine's simplicity allows the hardware to run at extreme frame rates. Scaling up to 2560x1440 Low, the average drops to 330 FPS, a reduction of roughly 27.6% from the 1080p figure. Moving to 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 208 FPS, which is a 37% drop from the 1440p result. This pattern indicates that even at 4K, the RTX 4070 is nowhere near its limit, as the frame rate remains above 200 FPS.

The scaling behavior changes when we look at High settings. At 1080p High, the average is 230 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 165 FPS, a 28.3% decrease. At 4K High, the average is 104 FPS, which is a 37% decrease from the 1440p figure. The percentage drops are similar across Low and High presets when moving between resolutions, which suggests that the performance scaling is largely resolution-bound rather than settings-bound. The limiting component is not the CPU or the GPU's compute power but rather the pixel throughput required at higher resolutions.

Examining the Ultra preset reinforces this. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 219 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it averages 157 FPS, a 28.3% drop. At 4K Ultra, it averages 99 FPS, a 37% drop from 1440p. The consistency of these percentage drops across all presets—from Low to Ultra—strongly suggests that the game is not bottlenecked by the CPU at any settings level. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller gap between 1080p and 1440p, as the CPU workload would remain constant while the GPU workload increased. Instead, the data shows a pure resolution scaling curve, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, even if the GPU is not fully saturated.

The 4K numbers are particularly telling. The gap between 4K Low (208 FPS) and 4K High (104 FPS) is exactly double. This is a clear indicator that the pixel shading workload is the primary driver of performance changes. The RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth are sufficient to feed the rendering pipeline without introducing a memory bottleneck, as the frame rates remain high even at the maximum resolution. The data implies that for a game like Inside, the resolution scaling is smooth and predictable, with no sudden cliffs or anomalies.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253 and a single-core score of 2439. These numbers place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 93785. Its nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Xeon 6520P, which has a nearly identical score, and AMD EPYC processors that are slightly ahead.

In the context of Inside, the CPU's role is minimal. The game is a 2D side-scrolling puzzle platformer, and its engine does not appear to demand significant multi-threaded resources. The data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution or settings combination. At 1080p Low, the system produces 456 FPS, which is a frame rate that would saturate most high-refresh-rate displays. Even if the CPU were to become a bottleneck at extremely high frame rates, the measured data does not show it. The frame rates at 1080p are consistently above 200 FPS across all presets, from Low (456 FPS) to Ultra (219 FPS).

The fact that the frame rate drops when moving from Low to Ultra at the same resolution—456 to 367 to 230 to 219 FPS at 1080p—indicates that the GPU is doing more work at higher presets. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rate to be relatively flat across settings at a given resolution, as the CPU workload would not change significantly with visual quality. The data shows a clear inverse relationship between settings and frame rate, which further confirms that the CPU is not the limiting component.

The processor's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 115.2 GB/s of bandwidth are more than sufficient for this game. The 24 cores are largely idle, as the game likely uses only a handful of threads for gameplay logic and rendering commands. The single-core performance, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2439, is more relevant for this title, and it is clearly adequate given the high frame rates achieved. The data does not suggest any CPU-related stuttering or frame pacing issues, as the average FPS numbers are consistently high.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. It has a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. The GPU is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its compute capability is rated at 29.15 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 26927 in Passmark G3D and 14720 in Passmark GPU Compute, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's role in Inside is to render the game's distinctive monochromatic art style and lighting effects. The data shows that the RTX 4070 is more than capable of handling this task. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 99, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The GPU's memory configuration is also sufficient, as the 12 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor at any resolution or setting. The bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s ensures that textures and frame buffers are accessed without delay.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows the GPU's workload increasing. At 4K Low, the average is 208 FPS. At 4K Medium, it drops to 166 FPS. At 4K High, it is 104 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it is 99 FPS. The biggest jump is from Medium to High, where the frame rate drops by 62 FPS. This suggests that the High preset introduces significant additional pixel shading or post-processing effects that tax the GPU. The transition from High to Ultra is smaller, with only a 5 FPS difference, indicating that Ultra adds minimal extra load over High.

The RTX 4070's nearest rivals in the database provide context for its performance class. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 has a similar average benchmark score, with a delta of 0.4%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is slightly ahead. However, in the context of Inside, the RTX 4070 is clearly positioned in the upper echelon of GPUs. The measured frame rates, even at 4K Ultra, are at a level that many GPUs would struggle to reach in more demanding titles. The data implies that the RTX 4070 is over-provisioned for this game, offering performance headroom that could be used for future titles or higher refresh rate displays.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal setting depends on the user's display refresh rate and resolution preference. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, but the data shows diminishing returns as you move up the quality ladder. The Low preset yields an average of 456 FPS, which is far beyond any consumer display's refresh rate. The Medium preset drops to 367 FPS, still extremely high. The High preset offers 230 FPS, and Ultra offers 219 FPS. For a 1080p display with a 144 Hz or 240 Hz refresh rate, the High or Ultra presets are the best choices, as they provide a significant visual upgrade while maintaining frame rates well above the display's capabilities.

At 2560x1440, the recommended preset is High or Ultra. The High preset averages 165 FPS, which is sufficient for a 144 Hz display. The Ultra preset averages 157 FPS, still above 144 Hz. The Medium preset offers 264 FPS, but the visual quality difference between Medium and High is likely noticeable in a game with such a distinct art style. The Low preset at 330 FPS is unnecessary for most users. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for 1440p, offering a balanced combination of visual fidelity and performance.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation is the High preset, which averages 104 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS standard and is suitable for a 60 Hz or 120 Hz display. The Ultra preset averages 99 FPS, a marginal decrease that may not justify the potential visual improvements. The Medium preset at 166 FPS is also viable, but High provides a better visual experience. The Low preset at 208 FPS is not recommended, as it likely sacrifices too much visual quality for a frame rate that exceeds display capabilities.

The measured data includes minimum and maximum FPS only for the Medium preset. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 312 FPS and the maximum is 423 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 225 FPS and the maximum is 304 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 141 FPS and the maximum is 191 FPS. These ranges indicate consistent frame pacing with no significant stutters or drops. The lack of min/max data for other presets suggests that the Medium preset may have been the focus of testing, but the average FPS figures for other presets are high enough to assume smooth performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 364th out of 2887 tested combinations in Inside. This places it in the top 12.6% of all tested systems. Given the game's age and low system requirements, this ranking is expected. The combo is not at the very top because there are likely many systems with more powerful GPUs or CPUs that achieve even higher frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU might become a factor.

The ranking of 364 out of 2887 indicates that this combo is in the upper quartile of performance. The data shows that the system can handle the game at maximum settings and resolution without dropping below 99 FPS. The ranking is a reflection of the hardware's overall capability, which is high but not the absolute best. The RTX 4070 is a mid-to-high-end GPU, and the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a high-end CPU, but there are more powerful components available that would rank higher.

The combo's performance in Inside is consistent with its synthetic benchmark scores. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking and the GPU's 81st percentile ranking suggest that the system is well-balanced for most workloads. In a game like Inside, which is not particularly demanding, the combo's performance is more than adequate. The ranking of 364 out of 2887 is a positive indicator, showing that this system will not struggle with this title or similar games.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in Inside?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 456 at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 99, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 165 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 157 FPS, a difference of 8 FPS.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, with no signs of a CPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1080p?

A: The minimum FPS for the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is 312 FPS, with a maximum of 423 FPS.

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

A: It ranks 364th out of 2887 tested combinations, placing it in the top 12.6% of systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data is presented below, organized by resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves the following average FPS:

• Low: 456 FPS
• Medium: 367 FPS (minimum 312, maximum 423)
• High: 230 FPS
• Ultra: 219 FPS

At 2560x1440, the system achieves the following average FPS:

• Low: 330 FPS
• Medium: 264 FPS (minimum 225, maximum 304)
• High: 165 FPS
• Ultra: 157 FPS

At 3840x2160, the system achieves the following average FPS:

• Low: 208 FPS
• Medium: 166 FPS (minimum 141, maximum 191)
• High: 104 FPS
• Ultra: 99 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates drop proportionally across all settings. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values, and these show a narrow range, indicating stable performance. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding scenario, with an average of 99 FPS, which is still well above playable thresholds. The Low preset at 1080p is the least demanding, with an average of 456 FPS, which is far beyond any display's refresh rate capabilities. This breakdown confirms that the combo is over-powered for Inside, offering substantial headroom for higher refresh rates or more demanding games.