Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer that scales heavily with resolution and settings, and the data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX with the AMD Radeon 880M shows a system that is firmly GPU-limited at higher presets. The measured frame rates demonstrate that the integrated Radeon 880M is the primary bottleneck, while the 24-core CPU provides more than enough headroom to avoid becoming a limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and clearly indicates a GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 66 at 1920x1080 to 47 at 2560x1440, a reduction of roughly 29%, and then to 30 at 3840x2160, which is a 55% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is characteristic of a system where the rendering load is overwhelming the graphics processor, not the central processor.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern is even more revealing. The average FPS at 1080p is 131, dropping to 94 at 1440p and 59 at 4K. The fact that 4K Low still delivers nearly double the frame rate of 4K High (59 vs. 30) confirms that the GPU's workload is the deciding factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in frame rates regardless of resolution, but the consistent downward trend as pixel count increases proves the integrated GPU is the limiting component.

The data suggests that the GPU's performance ceiling is hit early. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 62, which is only slightly below the 66 FPS at High. This indicates that increasing settings from High to Ultra at the same resolution has a smaller impact than changing resolution, but the overall performance envelope is still constrained by the Radeon 880M's compute capabilities. The 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS is the lowest measured, and given the 1440p Ultra result of 45 FPS, it is clear that the system is not designed for high-fidelity 4K gaming in this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a multi-core score of 35589 in Cinebench R23 and 20795 in Geekbench, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon w5-3525 and AMD EPYC 4484PX, with performance deltas of -0.3% and -0.5% respectively, indicating that this mobile processor is comparable to high-end workstation chips.

For a game like Inside, which is a puzzle platformer with relatively simple physics and AI, the CPU demands are modest. The benchmark results show that the Core Ultra 9 275HX is never the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 131 FPS, and while this is the highest score in the dataset, it is still constrained by the GPU. The CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2204 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2458, is more than sufficient to handle the game's logic and rendering calls.

The processor's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s of dual-channel memory bandwidth also contribute to smooth data flow, but the game's modest requirements mean that these features are not fully utilized. The fact that the CPU has a TDP of 55 W and is built on a 3 nm process node highlights its efficiency, but for gaming purposes, its role here is purely to feed the GPU without creating a bottleneck. The data shows that even when the GPU is struggling at 4K Ultra (28 FPS), the CPU is not the cause; it is simply waiting for the graphics unit to catch up.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 880M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, with a boost clock of 2900 MHz and a base clock of 400 MHz. It features 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, and its FP32 performance is rated at 4.454 TFLOPS. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 7615 in Passmark G3D and 40006 in Geekbench Vulkan, placing it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX, which is 0.1% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330, which is 0.3% faster, showing that this integrated solution is competitive with older entry-level discrete graphics cards.

The GPU's VRAM is listed as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the CPU's memory. This is a critical factor in the measured performance. The system memory bandwidth is 102.4 GB/s, but the actual available bandwidth for the GPU is "System Dependent," which means it can be a limiting factor in higher resolutions. The measured FPS data confirms this, as the GPU's performance degrades significantly when moving from 1080p to 4K.

At 1080p Low, the GPU delivers 131 FPS, which is a playable result, but at 4K High, it drops to 30 FPS. The GPU's 16 ROPs are a major constraint at higher resolutions, as the pixel fill rate of 46.40 GPixel/s is insufficient for 4K rendering with demanding settings. The texture rate of 139.2 GTexel/s also becomes a bottleneck, as the 48 TMUs have to process more texture data at higher resolutions. The data indicates that the Radeon 880M is best suited for 1080p gaming at lower settings, where it can maintain smooth frame rates, but it struggles to maintain playable performance at 1440p and 4K beyond Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of the system's performance across different resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system performs best at Low settings, achieving an average of 131 FPS. Moving to Medium settings reduces the average to 105 FPS, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS. High settings yield 66 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 62 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the game is fully playable at all settings, with even Ultra maintaining a smooth 60+ FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings deliver an average of 94 FPS, which is still excellent. Medium settings average 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. High settings drop to 47 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 45 FPS. The 1440p results show that the GPU is starting to struggle, with High and Ultra settings falling below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened. Low settings deliver an average of 59 FPS, which is just barely playable. Medium settings drop to 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS. High settings yield 30 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 28 FPS. The 4K results are the most telling, showing that the system can only handle 4K at Low settings, and even then, it is close to the edge of playability.

The combination of these results shows a consistent pattern: the system is capable of delivering high frame rates at 1080p, but the integrated GPU's limitations become apparent as resolution increases. The delta between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for playing Inside with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At Low settings, the system achieves 131 FPS, and even at Ultra, it maintains 62 FPS. 1440p is playable at Low and Medium settings (94 and 75 FPS), but 4K is only viable at Low settings with 59 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU is highly competitive. It is 0.3% slower than the Intel Xeon w5-3525 and 0.5% slower than the AMD EPYC 4484PX, but it is 0.7% faster than the Intel Xeon 6515P. This places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon 880M a bottleneck for this game?

A: Yes, the data clearly indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops proportionally with resolution, and the system cannot maintain 60 FPS at 1440p High or 4K Medium, confirming that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are insufficient for higher loads.

Q: What is the performance delta between the AMD Radeon 880M and its closest rival?

A: The GPU is 0.1% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and 0.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce MX330. It is also 1.3% faster than the AMD Radeon R9 M375X, showing that it performs in the range of older entry-level discrete GPUs.

Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Only at Low settings, where it achieves 59 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 47 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 30 and 28 FPS respectively, which is below the generally accepted playable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance affect gaming results?

A: The CPU's multi-core performance, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 score of 35589, is far beyond what Inside requires. The game's physics and logic are not demanding enough to utilize 24 cores, so the CPU does not constrain the frame rates in any of the measured scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this hardware is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This combination delivers an average of 105 FPS, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS. This provides a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience while maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, as it is significantly faster than High (66 FPS) and Ultra (62 FPS) while still providing enhanced graphics over Low (131 FPS).

For users who prioritize visual quality over raw frame rate, 1080p Ultra is still viable, with an average of 62 FPS. However, the difference between High and Ultra is only 4 FPS, so High may be the better choice if you want to reduce GPU load without a noticeable visual sacrifice. At 2560x1440, the recommended setting is Low, as it is the only preset that maintains a high frame rate (94 FPS). Medium at 1440p is acceptable at 75 FPS, but High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS, which can be jarring in a platformer that requires precise timing.

At 3840x2160, the system is not recommended for this game, as only Low settings achieve 59 FPS. If 4K is a requirement, Low settings are the only option, but the experience will be borderline. The data suggests that the sweet spot for this configuration is 1080p Medium, which offers the best combination of smoothness and visual detail without pushing the integrated GPU to its limits.