Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers an exceptional experience in Inside, a puzzle platformer that is far more demanding than its minimalist aesthetic suggests. This combination places 1426th out of 2887 tested combos, a solid mid-pack result that highlights a system capable of crushing the game’s graphical load at any resolution. The data shows a pairing where the GPU is the primary workhorse, but the CPU’s substantial core count ensures no bottlenecking even at high frame rates.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread mobile processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture. With a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, this chip is built for heavy multithreaded workloads, yet its single-core performance is equally strong. The processor’s 36 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth ensure that data flows efficiently to the GPU, which is critical for maintaining consistent frame pacing in a game like Inside.

Benchmark results place this CPU in the 94th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 67469. Its nearest rivals in the synthetic suite are the Intel Xeon w5-3525, which scores 67673 (a -0.3% delta), and the AMD EPYC 4484PX, which scores 67822 (a -0.5% delta). The data indicates the Ultra 9 275HX is essentially tied with these workstation-class chips, underscoring that its compute power is not a limiting factor in this game. In Inside, which relies on simple physics interactions and 2.5D side-scrolling logic, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle the game’s simulation thread. The 24 cores are overkill for this title, but the high 5.40 GHz boost clock on a single core ensures that the primary game thread runs without stutter.

The processor’s integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units is present, but the discrete RTX 4070 renders all frames in our data. The CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 4713 and multithread score of 55759 show a balanced design. For Inside, the measured FPS scales almost purely with GPU settings, confirming that the CPU is never the bottleneck. Even at 1080p Low, where the average FPS hits 333, the processor keeps up without issue, as evidenced by the lack of min-FPS data indicating no frame drops. The 3 nm process node from TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die, makes this a power-efficient chip, but the data does not show a thermal or power constraint affecting gameplay. In short, the CPU provides a massive headroom cushion, ensuring that the GPU is the sole determinant of performance in this puzzle platformer.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the star of this pairing, a mobile GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip. It packs 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, alongside 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores. The GPU boosts to 2475 MHz from a base of 1920 MHz, with memory clocked at 1313 MHz, translating to 21 Gbps effective. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Inside’s modest texture requirements. The FP32 compute throughput is 29.15 TFLOPS, placing it well above what a 2D puzzle platformer needs.

In the GPU benchmark suite, the RTX 4070 scores an average of 37648, putting it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P4 with a score of 37628 (a 0.1% delta), and it sits 1.3% behind the RTX 4080 Mobile, which scores 38135. This puts the RTX 4070 in a performance class that can easily handle the game’s highest settings at 4K. The GPU’s DirectX 12 score of 103 and Vulkan score of 174152 in Geekbench indicate strong API support, though Inside is not a graphically intense title by modern standards. The 12 GB VRAM is never a constraint; even at 4K Ultra, the game’s simple geometry and limited texture detail fit comfortably within the frame buffer.

The data shows that the GPU is the clear performance driver. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 333 is far beyond any display’s refresh rate, demonstrating that the GPU can render frames as fast as the CPU can issue them. The 200 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest this is a high-power mobile part, but the measured results show no thermal throttling impacts on FPS. The GPU’s pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s are more than sufficient to push the game’s 2D sprites and lighting effects. For a title released in 2016, the RTX 4070 is overqualified, but the data confirms it delivers a fluid experience without any VRAM or bandwidth limitations.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions, with the GPU becoming the dominant limiting factor as pixel count increases. At 1080p High settings, the average FPS is 166. Moving to 1440p High drops performance to 120 FPS, a 27.7% reduction. At 4K High, the average FPS falls to 75, a 37.5% drop from 1440p and a 54.8% drop from 1080p. This steep decline is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 4070’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are taxed by the 4K pixel count.

The scaling is even more pronounced at Low settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 333 FPS, but this falls to 239 FPS at 1440p (a 28.2% drop) and then to 150 FPS at 4K (a 37.2% drop from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings indicates that the GPU is the sole bottleneck, as the CPU’s performance is unaffected by resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the FPS to remain flat across resolutions, which is not the case. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system is pushing over 300 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s maximum draw call throughput, but the GPU still has headroom, as evidenced by the 4K Low result of 150 FPS.

At Ultra settings, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 28.3% drop (from 159 FPS to 114 FPS), and from 1440p to 4K is a 36.8% drop (to 72 FPS). This pattern suggests that the RTX 4070’s memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s becomes a constraint at 4K, where the pixel shader workload increases exponentially. The game’s art style, which uses a dark, moody palette with dynamic lighting, does not require heavy texture sampling, so the VRAM is not the issue. Instead, the fill rate and compute units are saturated. The data confirms that for the best experience, users should consider their display’s native resolution, as the GPU will deliver playable frame rates at all resolutions, but the headroom for high refresh rates is only available at 1080p and 1440p.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 4070 combination ranks 1426th out of 2887 total tested combos in Inside. This places it in the 49.4th percentile of all pairings, meaning roughly half of the tested systems perform better and half perform worse. This is a surprisingly low rank for such a powerful CPU and GPU, but it is explained by the fact that Inside is a lightweight title where even mid-range components achieve high frame rates. The rank reflects that many older, less powerful GPUs can still hit 60 FPS at 1080p, narrowing the performance gap.

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (with a -0.3% delta in average score) and the AMD EPYC 4484PX (with a -0.5% delta) would likely yield similar combo ranks when paired with the same GPU. The GPU’s nearest rival, the RTX 4080 Mobile (with a -1.3% delta in GPU score), would push the combo rank higher, but our data shows the RTX 4070 is sufficient. The 1426th rank is not a reflection of poor performance; rather, it indicates that the game’s low system requirements mean that a $599 launch MSRP GPU like the RTX 4070 is overkill for most users. In practice, the combo delivers 159 FPS at 1080p Ultra, which is far above the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience.

The data suggests that the combo rank is heavily influenced by the CPU’s high benchmark scores, which inflate the average when compared to systems with weaker processors. However, in Inside, the CPU’s contribution is minimal, so the rank does not fully capture the gaming experience. The measured FPS shows that this combo is in the top tier for 4K gaming, where it achieves 72 FPS at Ultra, a result that only a small fraction of the 2887 combos can match. The rank of 1426 is thus a statistical artifact of the game’s low demand, not a sign of weakness. For a puzzle platformer, this combo is more than adequate, and the data supports its ability to handle any settings combination without compromise.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user’s target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers an average of 333 FPS, which is far beyond any display’s capabilities, making it unnecessary. The Ultra preset at 1080p still achieves 159 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, and the Medium preset hits 266 FPS with a min of 226 FPS, ensuring no frame drops. For most users with a 144Hz or 165Hz display, the Ultra preset at 1080p is the best choice, as it maximizes visual quality while still exceeding the refresh rate.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 120 FPS, which is ideal for 120Hz displays, while the Ultra preset drops to 114 FPS, still playable but with less headroom. The Medium preset at 1440p achieves 192 FPS with a min of 163 FPS, which is perfect for 165Hz monitors, but the visual difference between Medium and Ultra in a game like Inside is minimal due to its stylized graphics. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot at 1440p, as it balances the 120 FPS average with the game’s full visual fidelity. The Ultra preset’s 114 FPS is still smooth, but the 6 FPS gain from High to Ultra is not worth the potential for frame drops in busy scenes.

At 4K, the High preset delivers 75 FPS, which is suitable for 60Hz displays with VRR, but the Ultra preset drops to 72 FPS, which is still playable but close to the margin. The Medium preset at 4K achieves 120 FPS with a min of 102 FPS, which is the best option for 4K120 displays, but it sacrifices some visual effects. The Low preset at 4K hits 150 FPS, but the graphical downgrade is noticeable. For a cinematic experience on a 4K TV, the High preset is recommended, as it provides 75 FPS with the game’s intended visual design. The Ultra preset’s 72 FPS is not worth the extra load, and the Medium preset’s higher frame rate is only beneficial for competitive play, which is not the focus of this genre. Overall, the High preset across all resolutions offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with the data showing it consistently delivers over 75 FPS even at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 333 FPS, with no min or max data recorded. The Medium preset averages 266 FPS, with a min of 226 FPS and a max of 306 FPS. The High preset averages 166 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 159 FPS. The data shows that the jump from Low to Medium is a 20.1% reduction in average FPS, while the jump from Medium to High is a 37.6% reduction, and from High to Ultra is a 4.2% reduction. This indicates that the High to Ultra transition is the most efficient in terms of FPS cost, making Ultra a viable option at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 239 FPS. The Medium preset averages 192 FPS, with a min of 163 FPS and a max of 220 FPS. The High preset averages 120 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 114 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium is a 19.7% reduction, Medium to High is a 37.5% reduction, and High to Ultra is a 5.0% reduction. The min FPS of 163 at Medium ensures that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above 144 FPS, making this preset ideal for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors. The High preset’s 120 FPS is a solid match for 120Hz displays, while Ultra’s 114 FPS is only marginally slower.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 150 FPS. The Medium preset averages 120 FPS, with a min of 102 FPS and a max of 138 FPS. The High preset averages 75 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 72 FPS. The Low to Medium reduction is 20.0%, Medium to High is 37.5%, and High to Ultra is 4.0%. The min FPS of 102 at Medium is crucial, as it ensures the game never drops below 100 FPS, providing a smooth experience on 4K120 displays. The High preset’s 75 FPS is suitable for 60Hz displays with VRR, but the Ultra preset’s 72 FPS is very close to the 60 FPS threshold, which could result in perceptible stutter on fixed-refresh-rate screens. The data clearly shows that Medium is the recommended preset at 4K, as it offers a 60% higher average FPS than High while maintaining a min FPS above 100. The Low preset’s 150 FPS is unnecessary for this title, and the visual downgrade is not worth the performance gain.