Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with an AMD Radeon RX 7600 delivers a remarkably fluid experience in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer, across all tested resolutions and settings. The data shows that this combination easily clears 60 FPS at 4K with High settings, and it scales to over 280 FPS at 1080p with Low settings. The combo ranks 1930 out of 2887 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all systems, with the CPU being a clear performance outlier relative to the GPU.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo capable of running Inside at 4K Ultra settings?*

A: Yes, benchmark results show the combo achieves an average of 61 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. While this is the lowest average FPS recorded for this pairing, it remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve in Inside?*

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 282, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This represents the absolute ceiling for this configuration in this game.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807) and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090). It trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 (85072) by 1.3%.

Q: Is the GPU's performance competitive with other graphics cards in its class?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 has an average benchmark score of 15171, placing it 0.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15199) and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 560X (15082). It also sits 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon 680M (15270).

*Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded for this combo in Inside?*

A: The minimum FPS data is only available for Medium settings. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 87 FPS; at 2560x1440 Medium, it is 138 FPS; and at 1920x1080 Medium, it is 192 FPS.

Q: Does the combo maintain playable FPS at all resolutions?

A: Yes, the data shows every measured configuration averages at least 61 FPS. Even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset stays above playable thresholds, while lower resolutions and settings yield substantially higher frame rates.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 33 chip. Its memory configuration includes 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1720 MHz, with a boost clock of 2655 MHz and a game clock of 2250 MHz. This hardware combination explains the scaling pattern observed in Inside.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The average FPS drops from 127 at Low settings to 102 at Medium, then to 64 at High, and finally 61 at Ultra. This 66 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K highlights how the RX 7600's memory bandwidth and shading resources are taxed as texture quality and effects load increase. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this title, as the game's modest asset sizes do not exceed the frame buffer at any preset.

The GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is tight. Its average benchmark score of 15171 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15199) and the AMD Radeon 680M (15270). This mid-pack positioning means the 4K results in Inside are representative of its class. The RX 7600's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s, which supports the observed 61 FPS at 4K Ultra. At lower resolutions, the GPU has more headroom, allowing the frame rate to scale steeply, as seen in the 282 FPS result at 1080p Low.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Arrow Lake Refresh codename, based on a 3 nm process from TSMC. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, and it features 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's memory support is DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, offering 115.2 GB/s of bandwidth. These specs make the CPU a dominant component in this pairing.

Benchmark results show the CPU's percentile rank against all CPUs is 96, indicating top-tier performance. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 51731, while the single-core score is 7303. This single-core performance is critical for Inside, which relies heavily on game logic and physics updates. The data shows that in this game, the CPU is never the limiting factor. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is lightly loaded, the CPU sustains 282 FPS without creating a bottleneck.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the 290K Plus edges out the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K by 0.2% in average benchmark score (84003 vs 83807) and surpasses the AMD EPYC 4584PX by 1.1% (84003 vs 83090). Only the AMD EPYC 7F72 (85072) scores higher, by 1.3%. In Inside, this CPU headroom means that frame rates are primarily dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities, not by processor limitations. The 24 cores are more than sufficient for this game's single-threaded and light multi-threaded demands, ensuring consistent frame pacing across all tested presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1930 out of 2887 tested combinations in Inside, which places it in the 66th percentile of all systems tested for this game. This ranking reflects the balance between the high-end CPU and the mid-range GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a top-tier processor with a 96th percentile rank among all CPUs, while the AMD Radeon RX 7600 sits at the 57th percentile among all GPUs.

This asymmetry means the combo's overall ranking is pulled down by the GPU. The CPU's benchmark scores are among the highest recorded, with a Passmark multithread score of 60860 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4823. In contrast, the GPU's Passmark G3D score is 16634, which is solid but not exceptional. In Inside, where the CPU is rarely stressed, the GPU dictates the ceiling. The combo's rank of 1930 suggests that many other tested systems, likely with stronger GPUs, achieve higher frame rates in this title.

However, the ranking does not tell the whole story. The measured FPS data shows that this combo delivers playable performance at every resolution and setting, from 61 FPS at 4K Ultra to 282 FPS at 1080p Low. The rank is a relative measure against all combos, and given the GPU's mid-tier positioning, a 1930th place finish is consistent with expectations. Systems with the same GPU but slower CPUs would likely rank lower, while those with faster GPUs would rank higher, but the 290K Plus ensures no CPU-induced frame drops.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings, providing a complete picture of performance.

At 3840x2160, the combo averages 127 FPS on Low settings. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 117. High settings yield 64 FPS, and Ultra brings the average down to 61 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 48% reduction in average FPS, from 127 to 61.

At 2560x1440, the results scale upward. Low settings produce an average of 203 FPS. Medium averages 162 FPS, with a minimum of 138 and maximum of 186. High settings deliver 101 FPS, while Ultra averages 97 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is notable, a 61 FPS drop, indicating that High settings introduce significant rendering overhead.

At 1920x1080, the combo reaches its peak performance. Low settings average 282 FPS, the highest recorded for any configuration. Medium averages 226 FPS, with a minimum of 192 and maximum of 259. High settings deliver 141 FPS, and Ultra averages 134 FPS. The difference between Medium and High at 1080p is 85 FPS, which is the largest single-step drop in the entire dataset.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: Medium settings provide a substantial improvement over Low, while High and Ultra are much closer to each other. At 4K, the difference between High (64 FPS) and Ultra (61 FPS) is only 3 FPS. At 1440p, High (101 FPS) and Ultra (97 FPS) differ by 4 FPS. At 1080p, High (141 FPS) and Ultra (134 FPS) differ by 7 FPS. This suggests that Ultra settings add minimal visual benefit over High in Inside, while costing a small amount of performance.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results indicate that Medium settings offer the best balance between visual quality and performance for this combo. At every resolution, Medium delivers a significant jump in frame rate over High while maintaining a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, Medium averages 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS. This is far above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a 59% improvement over High (64 FPS). The 87 FPS minimum ensures no noticeable stutter even in demanding scenes. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 162 FPS with a minimum of 138 FPS, which is 60% faster than High (101 FPS). At 1920x1080, Medium averages 226 FPS with a minimum of 192 FPS, outperforming High (141 FPS) by 60%.

For users with 4K displays, Medium is the recommended preset. The 102 FPS average is more than sufficient for this puzzle platformer, and the 87 FPS minimum guarantees consistent frame delivery. High settings at 4K (64 FPS) are playable but offer no major visual upgrade over Medium, based on the FPS data alone. Ultra at 4K (61 FPS) is marginal and not recommended, as the performance cost yields little benefit.

At 1440p and 1080p, users can consider High settings if they prioritize visual fidelity, as both remain above 97 FPS. However, the data shows that Medium provides the best experience for the performance cost. The 1440p Medium result of 162 FPS and the 1080p Medium result of 226 FPS are both exceptionally smooth, leaving headroom for any potential frame drops. Low settings offer the highest frame rates (203 FPS at 1440p, 282 FPS at 1080p) but are only necessary for extremely high refresh rate displays, and the visual downgrade is likely not worth the extra frames in a game like Inside.

Ultimately, the measured rows suggest Medium is the optimal choice across all resolutions, balancing the GPU's capabilities with the game's demands. The RX 7600 can handle High and Ultra, but the performance gains from Medium are substantial, making it the recommended preset for this combo.