Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and AMD Radeon RX 7900M combination delivers a remarkably smooth experience in Inside, a puzzle platformer that scales aggressively with hardware capabilities. The benchmark data, derived from direct measurement, shows this pairing achieves frame rates that are consistently high across all tested configurations, though the pattern of results reveals a clear division of labor between the processor and the graphics card. The data indicates a strong overall showing, placing this combo in the upper echelon of tested systems.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and can boost up to 5.40 GHz, which provides substantial headroom for demanding workloads. The processor has a 36 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory via a dual-channel bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589 and a single-core score of 2204, indicating that both multi-threaded and single-threaded performance are robust. Its percentile ranking versus all CPUs is 94, and its average benchmark score of 67469 places it in close competition with the Intel Xeon w5-3525, which scores 67673, a delta of -0.3%. It also sits near the AMD EPYC 4484PX, which scores 67822, a delta of -0.5%.

In the context of Inside, the CPU's role is less about brute force and more about maintaining a stable frame delivery. The game is a 2D puzzle platformer, which typically does not stress a high-core-count processor as heavily as a modern 3D title. The data from the measured FPS suggests that the CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU with data. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 377 FPS. This extraordinarily high frame rate, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most displays, indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution and setting level. The single-core performance, reflected in the Geekbench single-core score of 2458, is likely the more relevant metric here, as the game's logic and physics simulation benefit from strong per-core throughput. The 24 cores are present, but the game’s engine simply does not require all that parallel processing power to hit high frame rates; instead, the high boost clock is what allows the CPU to keep up with the GPU at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900M is the other half of this equation, and it is the component that carries the primary rendering load. This GPU is based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, using the Navi 31 chip, and it comes with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. The memory bandwidth is 576.0 GB/s, and the card operates at a base clock of 1825 MHz with a boost clock of 2090 MHz. Its compute capabilities are substantial, with 4608 shading units and a peak FP32 performance of 38.52 TFLOPS. The GPU’s percentile ranking versus all GPUs is also 94, and its average benchmark score of 97487 places it slightly above the AMD Radeon Pro VII, which scores 97131, a delta of 0.4%. It trails the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000, which scores 101872, a delta of -4.3%.

In Inside, the GPU's performance is the primary driver of the FPS differences between settings. The game features a distinctive monochromatic art style with dynamic lighting and shadow effects, which can be taxing on the graphics processor. The data shows that the RX 7900M has the power to render the game at very high frame rates, but the scaling between settings suggests that the graphics card is the limiting factor as resolution and quality increase. For example, at 4K, the average FPS drops from 170 on Low to 81 on Ultra. This 89 FPS swing is a direct consequence of the GPU working harder to fill more pixels and apply more complex effects. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this title, even at 4K Ultra, so the bottleneck is not memory capacity but rather the raw compute and fill rate of the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and AMD Radeon RX 7900M combination is quantified by its combo rank in the benchmark database. This specific pairing ranks 998 out of 2887 tested combos, placing it in the top 34.6% of all tested systems. While this might sound modest, it is important to consider the context. The database includes a wide variety of hardware combinations, including dual-GPU configurations and extreme desktop processors, which can skew the rankings. For a mobile platform, this is a very strong result.

The rank suggests that this combo is not the absolute fastest, but it is clearly capable of delivering high performance. The CPU's average benchmark score of 67469 is close to the Intel Xeon w5-3525, which scores 67673, and the GPU's average score of 97487 is competitive with the AMD Radeon Pro VII, which scores 97131. The combination of a top-tier mobile CPU and a high-end mobile GPU results in a system that is well-balanced for gaming. The data implies that the bottleneck shifts from the CPU to the GPU as resolution increases, which is a typical and healthy sign for a gaming system. The rank also indicates that while there are many combos that can produce higher average frame rates in other games, this particular pairing is very effective in Inside, as evidenced by the raw FPS numbers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how this combo performs across different resolutions and settings. The most granular data is available for the Medium preset, which includes both minimum and maximum FPS, offering a clearer picture of frame time consistency.

At 1080p, the system is incredibly fast. With Low settings, it averages 377 FPS. The Medium preset averages 302 FPS, with a minimum of 257 FPS and a maximum of 347 FPS. High settings yield an average of 189 FPS, and Ultra settings produce an average of 180 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 75 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 9 FPS. This suggests that the Medium preset is a sweet spot where the GPU has enough headroom to maintain high frame rates without being fully saturated.

Moving to 1440p, the performance remains high but begins to show the GPU's workload. Low settings average 271 FPS, while Medium averages 217 FPS, with a minimum of 184 FPS and a maximum of 250 FPS. High settings average 136 FPS, and Ultra settings average 129 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is now only 7 FPS, indicating that the visual quality gains from Ultra are minimal at this resolution, while the performance cost is also small.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low settings average 170 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings average 136 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 85 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 81 FPS. The drop from Low to High is 85 FPS, and the drop from High to Ultra is only 4 FPS. This shows that at 4K, the Ultra preset offers little benefit over High, as both are likely constrained by the GPU's pixel throughput.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals a clear trend: the system's performance degrades as the resolution increases, but the rate of degradation is not linear. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. When comparing 1080p to 4K on the High preset, the average FPS drops from 189 to 85, a 55% reduction. On the Low preset, the drop is from 377 FPS to 170 FPS, a 55% reduction as well. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor across all settings.

However, the pattern changes when looking at the Medium preset. At 1080p, the average is 302 FPS. At 1440p, it drops to 217 FPS, a 28% reduction. At 4K, it drops to 136 FPS, a 37% reduction from 1440p. This shows that the GPU's workload scales with pixel count, and the 4K resolution requires significantly more work from the RX 7900M. The fact that the CPU can deliver 377 FPS at 1080p Low implies that the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the GPU is able to reach that high frame rate. The limiting component is unequivocally the GPU, as the FPS scales inversely with the number of pixels rendered, and the CPU's performance headroom is proven by the high frame rates achieved at low resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal preset for the best experience depends on the user's display and preference for visual fidelity versus raw frame rate. The data provides clear guidance for various scenarios.

For owners of high-refresh-rate 1080p displays, the Medium preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 302 FPS with a minimum of 257 FPS, ensuring a buttery-smooth experience that is well above the 144Hz refresh rate that many gaming monitors offer. The jump from Medium to High results in a 113 FPS drop, while the visual difference is likely less noticeable in a game with a stylized art direction. Pushing to Ultra offers only 180 FPS, which is still high, but the 122 FPS gain from switching to Medium is more valuable for competitive play or simply for ensuring maximum fluidity.

For 1440p users, the Medium preset is again the sweet spot. It averages 217 FPS, which is sufficient for most high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset, at 136 FPS, is still excellent for a 144Hz display, but the Medium preset provides a more comfortable margin above the refresh rate, reducing the risk of frame drops below the threshold. The Ultra preset, at 129 FPS, is also viable, but the performance gain from Medium is substantial, making Medium the recommended setting for a balance of smoothness and visual clarity.

For 4K users, the situation is different. The Low preset, at 170 FPS, is the only one that guarantees a high-refresh-rate experience. However, the Medium preset, at 136 FPS, is still excellent for a 120Hz display. The High preset, at 85 FPS, is playable but may not be ideal for users who are sensitive to frame rate fluctuations. The Ultra preset, at 81 FPS, offers virtually no benefit over High, as the average FPS difference is only 4 FPS. Therefore, for 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it offers a massive performance boost over High and Ultra while still providing a visually rich experience. The data suggests that the visual quality jump from Medium to High or Ultra is not worth the significant FPS cost at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 302 FPS, with a minimum of 257 FPS and a maximum of 347 FPS.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU achieves a high 377 FPS at 1080p Low, while the FPS drops consistently as resolution increases, showing that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the primary constraint.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900M has an average benchmark score of 97487, which is 4.3% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000’s score of 101872.

Q: What is the best setting to use for a 1440p 144Hz monitor?

A: The Medium preset is recommended, as it delivers an average of 217 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above the 144Hz refresh rate, while the High preset at 136 FPS is also viable but with less headroom.

Q: Does the Ultra preset offer a significant performance advantage over High at 4K?

A: No. The data shows that the Ultra preset averages 81 FPS, while the High preset averages 85 FPS, a difference of only 4 FPS. The visual quality difference is not worth the negligible performance cost.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank among all tested systems?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and AMD Radeon RX 7900M combination ranks 998 out of 2887 tested combos in this game.