Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a performance profile in Inside that is almost entirely dictated by the graphics card, with the CPU providing more than enough headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck. The measured frame rates across the three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a clear pattern of scaling that highlights the game’s relatively modest demands on modern hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial but not catastrophic, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 231 at 1920x1080 to 166 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 65 FPS. Moving further up to 3840x2160, the average drops to 104 FPS, which is a 127 FPS decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern shows that the RTX 4090’s rendering load increases significantly with pixel count, as expected for a GPU-bound scenario.

The Low preset tells a similar story, but with a much steeper absolute drop. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 337 FPS on average. This falls to 302 FPS at 1440p and then to 209 FPS at 4K. The 128 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is larger than the 127 FPS difference seen at High, which suggests that at lower graphical loads, the GPU is still the dominant constraint, but the relative impact of resolution scaling becomes more pronounced. The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor even when the GPU is pushed to its limits at 4K Low.

The Medium preset, which is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum frame times, shows a similar resolution trend. The average at 1080p is 311 FPS, with a minimum of 264 and a maximum of 357. At 1440p, the average drops to 266 FPS, with a minimum of 226 and a maximum of 306. The 4K Medium average is 167 FPS, with a minimum of 142 and a maximum of 192. The minimum frame rates at each resolution are consistently above 140 FPS, which indicates a stable experience without major hitches, even when the resolution is increased.

The Ultra preset produces the lowest overall frame rates, but the scaling pattern remains consistent. From 220 FPS at 1080p, the average drops to 158 FPS at 1440p and finally to 99 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured average below 100 FPS, but it still represents a highly playable experience for a puzzle platformer. The consistent scaling across all presets confirms that the RTX 4090’s performance is the primary variable, with the CPU architecture providing a stable platform that does not introduce frame rate inconsistencies.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the clear performance driver in this configuration. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, which is more than sufficient for a game like Inside that does not demand massive texture loads. The GPU’s 16,384 shading units and 512 texture mapping units allow it to process the game’s 2D side-scrolling visuals with extreme efficiency, as evidenced by the high frame rates even at 4K Ultra.

The clock speeds of the RTX 4090, with a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz, are relatively high for a desktop GPU, and the data shows they contribute to a significant performance ceiling. The GPU’s FP32 compute rating of 82.58 TFLOPS indicates a raw processing capability that is far beyond what Inside requires, which is why the frame rates are so high across all settings. The GPU’s 128 ray tracing cores and 512 tensor cores are largely irrelevant for this title, but their presence does not hinder performance.

The benchmark results for the RTX 4090 show it ranks in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60,347. Its nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a delta of 0 percent and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M with a delta of -2.5 percent. These comparisons show that the RTX 4090 is a top-tier performer, and the measured FPS in Inside reflects that standing, with even the most demanding preset at 4K producing nearly triple-digit frame rates. The GPU’s role is to render the game at such high speeds that the CPU’s performance becomes almost an afterthought.

The memory clock of 1313 MHz, translating to 21 Gbps effective, and the 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensure that the GPU never starves for data, even when the resolution is increased. The 24 GB capacity is far beyond the requirements of Inside, meaning there is no risk of VRAM limits being reached. The GPU is the component that dictates the scaling from 1080p to 4K, and its capabilities are the reason why the frame rates remain so high throughout.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 99 FPS, which is the lowest measured average across all tested configurations.

Q: How does the CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H scores 17,984.5 in Cinebench R23 multicore. Its nearest rival by average benchmark score is the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, which has a delta of -0.1 percent relative to this CPU.

Q: Is the frame rate at 1080p significantly higher than at 4K?

A: Yes, the difference is substantial. At High settings, the average frame rate at 1920x1080 is 231 FPS, while at 3840x2160 it is 104 FPS, showing a 127 FPS decrease.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth and size?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, with a 384-bit memory bus.

Q: Does the system maintain high minimum frame rates at 1440p Medium?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is recorded at 226, with an average of 266 FPS and a maximum of 306 FPS.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock speed?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H has a boost clock speed of 5.10 GHz, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 821st out of 3,716 tested combos for Inside. This places the system in the top 22 percent of all configurations tested for this game. The rank is a reflection of the GPU’s high percentile standing of 88, which heavily influences the overall position, as the CPU’s percentile is lower at 85.

The combo’s rank is determined by the measured FPS data, which shows consistently high performance across all resolutions and settings. The fact that the system achieves over 200 FPS at 1080p High and over 100 FPS at 4K High reflects the hardware’s capability. The rank suggests that while there are faster combinations, this pairing is more than adequate for Inside, producing frame rates that are far beyond the requirements of the game’s genre.

Compared to other tested combos, the 821st position indicates that the RTX 4090’s raw power is the primary driver, but the CPU’s performance is sufficient to avoid dragging down the overall score. The data shows that the GPU is not being held back by the processor, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes. The rank is a data point that places this system in the upper echelon of tested hardware, with only 820 other combinations producing better results in this particular title.

The delta between this combo and others in the database is not directly provided, but the rank of 821 out of 3,716 implies that it is in the top quartile. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 60,347, which is near its nearest rivals, suggests that the graphics card is performing as expected. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 35,670, with rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X at a -0.7 percent delta, shows that the processor is also performing within the expected range for its class. The combination of these two components results in a system that is well-positioned for high-refresh-rate gaming in Inside.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, with its 16 cores and 22 threads, provides a substantial amount of processing power that is largely underutilized in Inside. The CPU’s base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz ensure that any single-threaded or lightly-threaded tasks are handled with minimal latency. The game’s puzzle platformer nature does not require the full multi-threaded capability of the CPU, but the available cores and threads prevent any potential bottlenecks from background processes.

The CPU’s cache hierarchy, with 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3, provides quick access to frequently used data. This is beneficial for maintaining a stable frame rate, as the CPU can feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic without delays. The memory support for DDR5 and a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth ensure that the CPU has enough data throughput to keep up with the GPU’s demands, though Inside is not a memory-intensive title.

Benchmark results for the CPU show a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 17,984.5 and a single-core score of 1,810.5. The Geekbench multicore score is 11,657, with a single-core score of 1,794. These scores place the CPU in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35,670. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 with a delta of -0.1 percent and the Intel Core 7 250H with a delta of -0.2 percent. This indicates that the CPU is performing at a level consistent with its peers.

In the context of Inside, the CPU’s role is to maintain a steady frame pacing, which it does effectively. The measured FPS at 1080p Low is 337, which is likely near the engine’s maximum frame rate limit, and the CPU does not appear to constrain this. The fact that the frame rates scale predictably with resolution, even at the higher CPU load from lower settings, suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor. The 7 nm process node and Meteor Lake architecture contribute to efficient power consumption, with a TDP of 45 W, but the performance data is the primary indicator of its capability in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 337, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium settings reduce the average to 311 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 264 and a maximum of 357. High settings produce an average of 231 FPS, while Ultra settings yield an average of 220 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors without any issues, even with the most demanding settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high, but the reduction from 1080p is noticeable. The Low preset averages 302 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 266 FPS, with a minimum of 226 and a maximum of 306. High settings produce an average of 166 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 158 FPS. The 1440p results show that the GPU is still operating well within its capabilities, as even the Ultra preset maintains an average above 150 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system still delivers playable frame rates, but the demands of 4K rendering become apparent. The Low preset averages 209 FPS, which is still very high. Medium settings average 167 FPS, with a minimum of 142 and a maximum of 192. High settings produce an average of 104 FPS, while Ultra settings bring the average down to 99 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration in the dataset that falls below the 100 FPS threshold, but it remains a smooth experience for a game like Inside.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 4090 is powerful enough to handle this game at maximum settings in 4K, although the frame rate drops to just under 100 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K, with a minimum of 142 FPS, suggests that players seeking the highest frame rates could easily use Medium settings to achieve a nearly 170 FPS average. The overall FPS breakdown highlights the GPU’s dominance, with the CPU providing a stable foundation that does not introduce any frame rate inconsistencies.