Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016, and the measured performance data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti shows a system that is overwhelmingly capable of running this title at extreme frame rates. The combination of a 24-core, 24-thread processor and a high-end Ada Lovelace GPU produces results that far exceed the demands of the game's art style and physics, with average frame rates remaining in the triple digits even at the most demanding settings and resolutions tested.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, featuring 24 cores and 24 threads. It operates at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and can boost up to 5.50 GHz. For a puzzle platformer like Inside, the computational load is typically not as heavily threaded as in modern AAA shooters or strategy games, but the sheer capability of this CPU ensures it is not a bottleneck. Its strong single-core performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2439, is particularly relevant for a game that relies on consistent physics calculations and game logic updates.

The data shows that the CPU's high boost clock and substantial core count provide a massive performance headroom. In the benchmark results, the processor's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 96, placing it in the top tier of available processors. Its average benchmark score of 93785 places it in direct competition with server-class parts like the Intel Xeon 6520P, which has a deltaPct of 0, and the AMD EPYC 4564P, which is only 1.5% faster. This context is important: while the game itself may not utilize all 24 cores, the processor's ability to handle background tasks and maintain high single-thread throughput ensures that frame pacing remains stable, and the GPU is fed with data without interruption.

The relationship between this CPU and the game's results is one of elimination. The processor is so far ahead of the requirement that the measured FPS is dictated almost entirely by the GPU's pixel-pushing power and the game's engine limits. The high L3 cache of 36 MB (shared) and support for DDR5 memory with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth further contribute to minimizing any potential data stalls. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any of the tested resolutions, as evidenced by the scaling of FPS from 1080p to 4K.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has an average benchmark score of 93785. This puts it statistically tied with the Intel Xeon 6520P, which also scores 93786 (a deltaPct of 0). It is slightly behind the AMD EPYC 4564P, which is 1.5% faster, and the AMD EPYC 9175F, which is 1.9% faster. This indicates it performs in the same class as these professional-grade processors.

Q: What is the significance of the CPU's single-core performance for Inside?

A: While the CPU has 24 cores, the game's engine benefits most from strong single-thread performance. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2439 and a Passmark single-thread score of 5068 demonstrate a very high level of performance. This ensures that the primary game thread can run efficiently, preventing CPU-related frame hitches even when many objects are on screen.

Q: Is the CPU's 24-core configuration overkill for a puzzle platformer?

A: The data suggests it is unnecessary for the game itself, but it provides exceptional headroom. The processor's multi-threaded score in Passmark is 68574, showing immense parallel power. However, in a game like Inside, the FPS is more likely limited by the GPU's ability to render the scene, as the CPU can handle the game's logic with a fraction of its capacity.

Q: What does the "percentileVsAllCpus" value of 96 mean?

A: It means that the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus performs better than 96% of all CPUs in the benchmark database. This places it in the top 4% of processors, indicating it is a high-end part that should not cause any performance bottlenecks in most gaming scenarios, including this one.

Q: How does the measured FPS in Inside reflect on the CPU's performance?

A: The measured FPS shows the CPU is not a bottleneck. For example, at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 456 FPS. Such high frame rates are only possible when the processor can feed the GPU with draw calls and physics data faster than the GPU can render frames. The fact that the FPS drops as resolution increases strongly suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor, not the CPU.

Q: Does the CPU's memory bandwidth play a role in this game?

A: The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. While Inside does not have large open worlds requiring massive data streaming, this high bandwidth ensures that game assets and instructions are delivered to the CPU cores quickly. This contributes to consistent frame times observed in the benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of scaling as resolution increases, which highlights the shifting balance between CPU and GPU load. At 1080p with High settings, the system averages 269 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 194 FPS, a reduction of approximately 28%. At 4K High, the average falls further to 122 FPS, which is a 55% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling behavior is classic evidence of the GPU becoming the primary performance limiter at higher resolutions.

The trend is even more pronounced at Low settings. At 1080p Low, the system reaches an enormous 456 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 387 FPS, and at 4K Low, it hits 243 FPS. The percentage decrease from 1080p to 4K is about 47%. This indicates that even when the graphical load is light, the GPU's rendering capabilities are still the constraining factor, as the CPU can easily maintain these very high frame rates. The fact that the FPS does not stay flat across resolutions confirms that the CPU is not the bottleneck; if it were, the frame rate would remain similar regardless of resolution.

The data also shows the impact of settings at each resolution. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is substantial: 243 FPS versus 116 FPS. This 127 FPS gap demonstrates how much headroom exists in the GPU's rendering pipeline. The scaling from Low to High at 4K (243 to 122 FPS) is a 50% reduction, suggesting that the High preset adds significant pixel shading and post-processing load. Overall, the resolution scaling analysis indicates that this combo is powerful enough to push very high frame rates even at 4K, but the GPU is undeniably the component that determines the final output.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database provides a comprehensive set of measured FPS averages for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti combination. At 1920x1080, the system performs exceptionally well across all presets. With Low settings, the average FPS is 456. Medium settings yield an average of 421 FPS, with a minimum of 358 and a maximum of 484. High settings produce 269 FPS, and Ultra settings drop slightly to 257 FPS. The relatively small gap between High and Ultra at this resolution (269 vs 257 FPS) suggests that the Ultra preset may introduce effects that are not fully scalable with the hardware, but the performance remains extremely high.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains stellar. The Low preset delivers an average of 387 FPS. Medium settings average 310 FPS, with a minimum of 263 and a maximum of 356. High settings average 194 FPS, while Ultra settings average 184 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction in FPS across all presets, with the High and Ultra presets seeing the most significant percentage drops (28% and 28.4%, respectively), indicating that the GPU is working harder to fill the additional pixels.

At 3840x2160, the system still delivers excellent playable frame rates. Low settings average 243 FPS, which is a substantial drop from 1080p but still incredibly smooth. Medium settings average 195 FPS, with a minimum of 166 and a maximum of 224. High settings average 122 FPS, and Ultra settings average 116 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows at 4K (122 vs 116 FPS), suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional demands are mitigated by the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute capabilities. The minimum FPS recorded in the entire dataset is 166 at 4K Medium, indicating that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate never drops below the threshold of what would be considered a smooth experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the driving force behind the high frame rates observed in Inside. This GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. For a game with the visual style of Inside, which uses a distinctive silhouette and atmospheric lighting, this bandwidth is more than sufficient. The GPU's boost clock of 2610 MHz and its 7680 shading units deliver immense pixel throughput. The pixel rate is 208.8 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 626.4 GTexel/s, which are figures that allow the card to easily handle the game's rendering demands at any resolution.

The GPU's percentile ranking against all GPUs is 84, placing it in the upper tier of graphics cards. Its average benchmark score is 44795, and it sits close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile in the rankings, which has a deltaPct of -0.8. This context shows that the RTX 4070 Ti is a high-performance part. In the measured game results, the GPU's role is clearly defined by the resolution scaling. As resolution increases, the FPS drops, confirming that the GPU is the limiting component. The data shows that the GPU can push 456 FPS at 1080p Low, but this is likely limited by the game engine's frame rate cap or the CPU's ability to issue draw calls at that speed. At 4K Ultra, the GPU's workload is much higher, resulting in 116 FPS, which shows the raw rendering power required for 4K.

The GPU's 12 GB of VRAM is a key asset. At 4K Ultra settings, the game is unlikely to exceed this capacity, preventing any potential stuttering from memory swapping. The GPU's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and its 60 RT cores are also relevant, as even though Inside does not heavily use ray tracing, the compute capabilities of the card allow for high-quality post-processing effects without a major FPS penalty. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 4070 Ti is the primary determinant of performance, and it handles the task with considerable headroom, as evidenced by the high minimum frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware combination depend on the user's display and preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as it delivers an average of 257 FPS, which is indistinguishable from the High preset's 269 FPS in terms of smoothness but offers better visual quality. The Medium preset at 421 FPS is unnecessary for most users, as the refresh rate of most monitors will be a limiting factor.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again provides the best experience, with an average of 184 FPS. This is well above the threshold for high-refresh-rate gaming. The High preset at 194 FPS offers a negligible performance benefit over Ultra, so choosing Ultra is recommended for the best image quality without sacrificing smoothness. The Medium preset at 310 FPS is overkill for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the choice is more nuanced. The Ultra preset averages 116 FPS, which is still a very playable frame rate. The High preset at 122 FPS provides a marginal FPS increase. For users with a 120Hz or 144Hz 4K display, the High preset might be preferable to ensure frame rates stay closer to the display's maximum refresh rate, but the difference is minimal. The Medium preset at 195 FPS offers a significant performance boost and is the recommended choice for users who prioritize frame rate above all else at 4K. The Low preset at 243 FPS is not recommended, as it would significantly degrade the game's atmosphere and visual storytelling for a frame rate that is not necessary. In summary, for the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, the Ultra preset is recommended for 1080p and 1440p, while the High or Medium preset is recommended for 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti combination holds a rank of 115 out of 2887 tested combos in the database for Inside. This places the system in the top 4% of all tested hardware configurations for this specific game. This high ranking is a direct result of the exceptional performance measured across all resolutions and settings. The combo's ability to maintain an average FPS above 116 even at 4K Ultra reflects its strength.

This ranking is particularly impressive considering the age of the game and the fact that many other combos in the database may include newer, more expensive GPUs. The data suggests that this pairing is extremely well-balanced for Inside, with neither component holding the other back. The combo's rank of 115 indicates that there are only 114 other combinations that perform better, likely involving top-tier flagship GPUs. For a mid-to-high-end desktop setup, this result is exceptional. The measured FPS data shows that this combo is not just capable of running the game; it is capable of running it at frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of the vast majority of monitors on the market, making it an ideal choice for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, even in a game that is not traditionally competitive.