Inside

Inside is a restrained, side-scrolling puzzle platformer from 2016, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile reveals a combination that is far more capable than this genre typically demands. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings are exceptionally high, often exceeding the refresh rates of standard displays. This analysis examines how this specific hardware pairing performs in this game, what the data reveals about the balance between the CPU and GPU, and which settings deliver the optimal experience.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this particular pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile achieves a rank of 1889 out of 3716 tested combinations for Inside. This places the combo in the upper half of all tested systems, specifically in the 50.8th percentile. While not a top-tier ranking, this position is heavily influenced by the sheer number of combinations tested, many of which include desktop-class components. For a mobile platform, this ranking is respectable and suggests the hardware is well-matched for this title, though it is far from being the highest-scoring config. The data indicates that this combo sits squarely in the middle of the pack, a position that makes sense given the game's modest graphical demands.

The ranking implies that while the hardware is powerful, Inside is not a title that will push either the Ultra 9 275HX or the RTX 4070 Mobile to its absolute limits. The frame rates achieved are more than sufficient for smooth gameplay, but the combo's rank is not a reflection of the hardware's peak potential in more demanding applications. Instead, it highlights how a high-end mobile CPU and GPU perform when a game's workload is relatively light. The percentile ranking serves as a comparative data point, showing that the same hardware can land in different percentile brackets depending on the game's engine and optimization. In this case, the 50.8th percentile is a direct result of the high frame rates being achieved, but also the fact that many other, potentially less balanced, combinations also achieve high frame rates in this specific title.

The near-rival analysis for the individual components provides further context. The CPU, Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, has an average benchmark score of 67469, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Xeon w5-3525 with an average score of 67673, a delta of -0.3%, meaning the Ultra 9 is essentially on par. Similarly, the AMD EPYC 4484PX and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX are within 0.5% and 0.6% respectively. On the GPU side, the RTX 4070 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 27435, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT with a score of 27425, a delta of 0%, indicating near-identical average performance. These component-level statistics suggest that the combo's mid-pack ranking is not due to a weak link, but rather the nature of the game itself, where high frame rates are common across a wide range of hardware.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1395 MHz and a boost clock of 1695 MHz, with memory running at an effective speed of 16 Gbps. These specifications are substantial for a mobile part. In Inside, the GPU's role is to render the game's distinctive monochromatic, atmospheric visuals, which, while artistically rich, are not geometrically complex. The benchmark results show that the GPU is more than capable of handling this task.

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: as the graphical settings are increased, the frame rate decreases, which is the expected behavior. At 4K Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 72 FPS, while at 4K Low, it jumps to 150 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the primary component responding to changes in graphical fidelity. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor in this game, as the texture and asset sizes are modest. The GPU's pixel rate of 81.36 GPixel/s and texture rate of 244.1 GTexel/s are more than sufficient to process the frame buffer and textures for a 2D side-scrolling game, even at 4K resolution. The FP32 performance of 15.62 TFLOPS further underscores that this GPU is overqualified for the rendering workload presented by Inside.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a Passmark G3D score of 19587, places it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, has a nearly identical score of 27425, with a 0% delta. This confirms that the RTX 4070 Mobile is a high-performing mobile GPU. In the context of Inside, its role is not to struggle for frame rates, but to deliver exceptionally high performance. The data shows that at 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 266 FPS, and at 1080p Low, it reaches 333 FPS. These numbers suggest the GPU is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions and settings, leaving headroom for the CPU to become the limiting factor. The GPU's performance is so far beyond the needs of Inside that the game's settings become a matter of preference rather than necessity, as even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset produces a playable 72 FPS average.

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. It has 36 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. This is an extremely powerful mobile CPU, evidenced by its 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 67469. In a game like Inside, the CPU's role is primarily to handle game logic, physics, and input, which are not particularly demanding tasks for a processor of this caliber.

The benchmark results show that the CPU is not a bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings, as the GPU is fully utilized. However, at lower settings, such as 1080p Low, the CPU's performance becomes more apparent. The average FPS of 333 at 1080p Low confirms the CPU's ability to feed the GPU with data quickly. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.40 GHz and 24 cores ensure that even the most complex frame-rendering tasks in this game are handled with ease. The single-threaded performance, as measured by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2204, is particularly important for a game like Inside, which likely does not utilize all 24 cores effectively.

The data suggests that the CPU's role in this combo is to ensure that frame rates never dip due to processor limitations. The fact that the average FPS at 1080p Low (333 FPS) is exactly double the frame rate at 4K Low (150 FPS) indicates a scaling pattern that is more dependent on resolution and GPU load than CPU capability. The CPU is also responsible for handling the game's data compression and encryption tasks, as indicated by its Passmark scores of 608381 and 47112 respectively, though these are not directly relevant to gaming performance. In comparison to its nearest rivals, the Ultra 9 275HX is essentially tied with the Intel Xeon w5-3525, which is only 0.3% faster on average. This shows that the CPU is among the fastest available, ensuring that it will not be the limiting factor in Inside.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile combo in Inside provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080 resolution, the combo achieves exceptionally high frame rates. On Low settings, the average FPS is 333. Moving to Medium, the average FPS is 266, with a minimum of 226 and a maximum of 306. High settings yield an average of 166 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 159 FPS. This data shows that even at the highest preset, the frame rate is well above 144 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The difference between Low (333 FPS) and Ultra (159 FPS) is significant, representing a 52% reduction in performance, but the absolute numbers remain high.

At 2560x1440 resolution, the performance remains stellar. Low settings produce an average of 239 FPS. Medium settings average 192 FPS, with a minimum of 163 and a maximum of 220. High settings average 120 FPS. Ultra settings average 114 FPS. This represents a clear step down from 1080p, but the frame rates are still extremely smooth. The drop from 1080p Low (333 FPS) to 1440p Low (239 FPS) is 28%, indicating a resolution-dependent scaling.

At 3840x2160 (4K) resolution, the GPU begins to show its limits, but the performance remains more than playable. Low settings average 150 FPS. Medium settings average 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 and a maximum of 138. High settings average 75 FPS. Ultra settings average 72 FPS. The difference between Low (150 FPS) and Ultra (72 FPS) is a 52% reduction. The minimum FPS of 102 at 4K Medium is notable, as it suggests that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate does not drop below 100 FPS. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the fastest, followed by 1440p, with 4K being the most demanding. The frame rates at 4K Ultra, while the lowest in the dataset, are still perfectly playable and smooth.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling of FPS across resolutions reveals important insights into the balance between the CPU and GPU. From 1080p Low (333 FPS) to 1440p Low (239 FPS), the frame rate drops by 28%. From 1440p Low to 4K Low (150 FPS), the drop is 37%. The total drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 55%. This pattern indicates that the GPU is becoming an increasingly significant bottleneck as resolution increases, which is expected. The CPU's role is more evident at 1080p, where the frame rate is highest, and the GPU has less work per frame.

For Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 1080p Medium (266 FPS) to 1440p Medium (192 FPS) is a 28% drop, and 1440p Medium to 4K Medium (120 FPS) is a 37.5% drop. For High settings, 1080p High (166 FPS) to 1440p High (120 FPS) is a 28% drop, and 1440p High to 4K High (75 FPS) is a 37.5% drop. For Ultra settings, 1080p Ultra (159 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (114 FPS) is a 28% drop, and 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra (72 FPS) is a 37% drop. The consistency of these percentages across all settings strongly suggests that the scaling is primarily driven by resolution, not by the specific settings preset.

This consistent ~28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~37% drop from 1440p to 4K points to the GPU being the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its 24 cores and high boost clock, is clearly capable of maintaining high frame rates at 1080p. The fact that the frame rate at 1080p Low is 333 FPS, which is likely near the game's engine limit or the CPU's practical limit, further supports this. The data implies that for this combo, the most efficient way to increase performance is to lower the resolution, as the GPU is the component that is being stressed the most. The CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by its high benchmark scores and the relatively small FPS differences between settings at the same resolution compared to the large differences between resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Inside?*

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 333 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile a bottleneck in this game?

A: The data suggests that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. For example, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 72, whereas at 1080p Low, it reaches 333 FPS. The consistent percentage drops in FPS from 1080p to 1440p to 4K across all settings presets indicate that the GPU is struggling more as resolution increases.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ultra 9 275HX has an average benchmark score of 67469. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon w5-3525, has an average score of 67673, which is a delta of -0.3%, meaning the Xeon is only 0.3% faster on average.

*Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 4070 Mobile cause any issues in Inside?*

A: The benchmark data does not indicate any VRAM-related issues. The game's visual assets are not demanding, and the combo achieves high frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings, suggesting that the 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this title.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS on Low settings is 239, while on Ultra settings it is 114. This represents a 52% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Is the combo's performance better at 1080p Medium or 1440p High?

A: The data shows that at 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 266, while at 1440p High, it is 120. The 1080p Medium setting provides significantly higher frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's display and preference for visual quality versus frame rate. The data shows that the game is highly playable at all settings and resolutions, so the choice comes down to the desired experience.

For users with a 1080p display, the High settings preset offers an excellent balance, providing an average of 166 FPS. This is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many gaming monitors. Ultra settings at 1080p yield 159 FPS, which is a marginal difference of only 7 FPS, but offers the highest visual fidelity. For those seeking the absolute highest frame rates, Low settings at 1080p deliver 333 FPS, which is beneficial for competitive play, though the visual compromise is significant. Medium settings at 1080p provide 266 FPS, a strong middle ground.

At 1440p, the High settings preset is the recommended choice for a balanced experience, delivering an average of 120 FPS. This is excellent for smooth gameplay on a 144 Hz monitor. Ultra settings at 1440p provide 114 FPS, which is still very smooth and offers the best image quality. Medium settings at 1440p provide 192 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays, while Low settings at 239 FPS are for those who prioritize frame rate above all else.

At 4K, the Medium settings preset appears to be the sweet spot, providing an average of 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 FPS. This ensures a consistently smooth experience with good visual quality. High settings at 4K provide 75 FPS, which is still playable, but the jump from Medium to High results in a 37.5% performance drop. Ultra settings at 4K provide 72 FPS, offering the best visuals at the cost of lower frame rates. Low settings at 4K provide 150 FPS, but the visual quality is noticeably reduced. For most users, the 4K Medium preset is the best recommendation, as it maintains a high frame rate while still looking good. Ultimately, the data indicates that this hardware is so powerful for Inside that users can prioritize visual quality without sacrificing playability, with the 4K Medium and 1440p High presets offering the best overall experiences.