Inside

Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer, proves remarkably forgiving on modern hardware. The pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT delivers exceptional performance, with even the most demanding settings at 4K remaining comfortably playable. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the 24-core processor ensures that frame rates never dip due to CPU limitations, even at 1080p where the graphics card is pushed to its absolute limit.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the performance drop is modest compared to more demanding titles. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 177 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that figure to 127 FPS, a 28% reduction, and further to 80 FPS at 4K, a 55% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling indicates that the Radeon RX 6750 XT, with its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, but its capabilities are more than sufficient for this game's relatively light visual load.

The most revealing data points come from the Low settings tests. At 1080p Low, the system achieves a staggering 353 FPS average. This number is so high that it strongly suggests the CPU, despite its 24 cores and 24 threads, is beginning to become a factor, or at least that the GPU is no longer the sole bottleneck. At 1440p Low, the average drops to 254 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 160 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Low settings (a 37% drop) is less severe than the scaling from 1080p to 1440p (a 28% drop), which is counterintuitive. This non-linear behavior at the extreme low end suggests that at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303, is being taxed to feed the GPU enough frames. The bottleneck shifts from the GPU to the CPU only at these extraordinarily high frame rates.

For the more practical settings, the pattern is standard. At Medium settings, the frame rate drops from 283 FPS at 1080p to 203 FPS at 1440p and then to 128 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Medium is a 55% reduction, identical to the High setting. At Ultra, the game's most demanding preset, the averages are 168 FPS at 1080p, 121 FPS at 1440p, and 76 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop at Ultra is 28%, and the 1440p to 4K drop is 37%. This shows that as the settings increase, the GPU becomes more of a bottleneck, but the overall performance remains high.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data provides a clear hierarchy of presets, and the choice of which to use depends entirely on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For players with a high-refresh-rate 1080p monitor, the High preset is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 177 FPS, which is more than enough to take advantage of a 144Hz display, while still providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium (283 FPS) or Low (353 FPS), which are likely to exceed the refresh rate of most monitors anyway. The Ultra preset at 1080p, with an average of 168 FPS, offers only a marginal performance cost over High and could be used, but the data shows High is the more balanced choice.

At 1440p, the High preset again emerges as the optimal choice. Its 127 FPS average is perfect for a 120Hz or 144Hz monitor, and the difference from Ultra (121 FPS) is negligible. The Medium preset at 203 FPS is excessive for most displays, and the visual fidelity loss is not worth the extra frames. The data suggests that High is the intended sweet spot for this resolution.

For 4K gaming, the decision becomes more nuanced. The Ultra preset averages 76 FPS, which is playable on a 60Hz display but leaves little headroom. The High preset, at 80 FPS, is nearly identical in performance but likely offers a slightly less demanding visual load. The Medium preset at 128 FPS is the most interesting option for 4K. It provides a frame rate high enough for smoother motion on a 120Hz 4K display, and given the game's art style, the visual difference between Medium and High may be less noticeable than in other genres. The data indicates that for a locked 60 FPS experience at 4K, High settings are the most efficient, delivering an 80 FPS average with clear headroom, while those with higher refresh rate 4K panels should consider Medium.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a desktop processor with 24 cores and 24 threads, based on the Arrow Lake Refresh codename. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, and it boosts up to 5.80 GHz. In the context of Inside, a game that is not known for heavy multi-threading, the CPU's massive core count is not the primary driver of performance. Instead, its high boost clock and strong single-core performance are what allow it to keep pace with the GPU. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303 and the multi-core score of 51731 highlight a processor that excels in both domains, but the game's results show that the single-threaded capability is what prevents bottlenecking at lower resolutions.

The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the system produces 353 FPS. This is a clear indicator that the CPU is still able to feed the GPU with enough data to achieve such a high frame rate. If the CPU were a limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau in performance at lower resolutions, but the data shows a continuous increase from 4K to 1080p. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth also contribute to its ability to handle the game's data flow without issue. The processor's percentile ranking of 96 among all CPUs reinforces its top-tier status, meaning it is in the top 4% of all processors tested, and it is more than capable of handling this game's demands.

The nearest rival to this CPU in the benchmark database is the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, with an average benchmark score of 83807, a negligible 0.2% difference. This indicates that the 290K Plus is not a significant upgrade over its direct predecessor in raw compute, but its performance in this game is ultimately dictated by the GPU. The data suggests that the CPU is effectively a non-factor in Inside's performance, as even a less powerful processor would likely produce nearly identical frame rates, especially at 1440p and 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT ranks 1151 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the 60th percentile of all tested systems, which is a strong showing given the GPU's age. The GPU itself, the RX 6750 XT, has a percentile ranking of 71 among all GPUs, and its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon R9 M395X, which has a 0.5% higher average benchmark score. This places the RX 6750 XT in the upper-middle tier of graphics cards, and its performance in this game is consistent with that position.

The combo's rank is more a reflection of the GPU's capabilities than the CPU's. While the CPU is in the top 4% of all processors, the GPU is in the top 29%, which pulls the overall combo ranking down. The data shows that for a game like Inside, which is not graphically intensive, the GPU is the deciding factor. The high rank of the CPU is somewhat wasted in this scenario, as the game does not utilize more than a few cores effectively. The performance of this combo is best understood by looking at the RX 6750 XT's performance relative to its peers, and the measured FPS data confirms that it provides a smooth and playable experience across all tested settings and resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 76. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth playability on a standard 4K display.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming with this hardware?

A: The High preset is the most balanced choice at 2560x1440. It delivers an average of 127 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, while the Ultra preset only achieves 121 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a significant bottleneck, even at 1080p Low where the system reaches 353 FPS. The high boost clock of 5.80 GHz ensures that the 24-core processor can keep up with the GPU's frame output.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT has an average benchmark score of 26011, which is 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon R9 M395X's score of 25891. This indicates they are virtually identical in overall compute performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 80 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 76 FPS. The difference is only 4 FPS, making High the more efficient choice.

Q: Does the game support high refresh rates at 1080p?

A: Yes, the system easily supports 240Hz+ displays at 1080p. The Medium preset averages 283 FPS, and the Low preset averages 353 FPS, providing more than enough frames for the fastest monitors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT combination. All data is measured and comes from the fact pack.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | :---------- | :------ | :------ |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 353 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 283 | 240 | 325 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 177 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 168 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 254 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 203 | 173 | 234 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 127 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 121 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 160 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 128 | 109 | 147 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 80 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 76 | - | - |

The data confirms a consistent hierarchy: Low is fastest, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. The presence of min and max FPS data for Medium settings at all resolutions shows a stable frame time delivery, with the spread between min and max averaging around 30% of the average FPS. This indicates a smooth experience without significant stuttering. The performance at 1080p Low, exceeding 350 FPS, is particularly noteworthy and demonstrates the headroom this hardware has for a game of Inside's visual fidelity.