Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is an extreme mismatch in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer. The data shows a combination where a top-tier, 96th-percentile CPU is hamstrung by a graphics card that sits in the 25th percentile of all GPUs. The benchmark results indicate a system that is entirely GPU-limited, with the processor's immense headroom going unused. This analysis breaks down how this pairing performs across resolutions and settings, using only the measured data.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Inside?*

A: The combo ranks 2837 out of 2887 tested combos in the game. This places it in the bottom 2% of all tested systems, indicating very low overall performance relative to the database's full set of combinations.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

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). It is 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090) and 1.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 9135 (82980). It is 1.3% lower than the AMD EPYC 7F72 (85072).

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti has an average benchmark score of 4193. This is 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (4170) and 1% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (4151). It is 1.1% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (4241) and 1.8% lower than the AMD Radeon Vega 3 (4268).

*Q: What is the best performance the GTX 1050 Ti achieves in Inside?*

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 109 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next best is 87 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings.

*Q: What is the worst performance the GTX 1050 Ti achieves in Inside?*

A: The lowest average frame rate recorded is 23 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. At the same 4K resolution, High settings produce 25 FPS, and Medium settings produce 39 FPS.

Q: Is there a measurable performance difference between the CPU's single-core and multi-core scores?

A: Yes. The CPU's multi-core performance is significantly higher, scoring 51731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 7303 in single-core. The PassMark multithread score is 60860, while the single-thread score is 4823.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the primary performance bottleneck in this configuration for Inside. Its specifications—4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 112.1 GB/s bandwidth—are modest by modern standards. The core clocks are a base of 1291 MHz and a boost of 1392 MHz, with the memory running at 1752 MHz (7 Gbps effective). These figures, combined with a 25th-percentile standing among all GPUs, place it firmly in the entry-level segment, a fact reflected in its 2016 release date and end-of-life production status. Its launch MSRP is 139 USD.

The data shows that this GPU's capabilities are the limiting factor across all tested scenarios. In synthetic benchmarks, its PassMark G3D score is 6340, and its DirectX 11 score is 45, which is higher than its DirectX 12 score of 26. This suggests the Pascal architecture, which supports DirectX 12 (12_1), performs better under older APIs in this title. The GPU's compute performance is also limited, with a PassMark GPU compute score of 2652 and an FP32 throughput of 2.138 TFLOPS.

Frame rates in Inside scale directly with resolution and settings, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound system. For instance, at 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 78 FPS on Low to 37 FPS on Ultra. This is a 41 FPS swing purely due to graphical load. At 3840x2160, the impact is even more severe, with the Low setting producing 49 FPS and the Ultra setting only 23 FPS. The GPU's pixel rate of 44.54 GPixel/s and texture rate of 66.82 GTexel/s are simply insufficient to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions and quality presets. The 4 GB VRAM capacity is not the primary issue at these settings, but the overall processing power is clearly inadequate for consistent high-refresh-rate gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is an overwhelmingly powerful processor that plays a minimal role in the final frame rates of Inside when paired with the GTX 1050 Ti. With 24 cores and 24 threads, a base clock of 3.70 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, this CPU is designed for heavy multi-threaded workloads. Its synthetic benchmark scores confirm this, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a PassMark multithread score of 60860. The single-core performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303, which is more than sufficient for gaming.

The CPU sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, is only 0.2% behind, highlighting the 290K Plus's position at the top of the desktop heap. The processor's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core provide ample fast memory for game logic and physics. Its memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s via dual-channel DDR5 support ensures that data can be fed to the CPU quickly, but this speed is irrelevant when the GPU cannot process frames fast enough to utilize it.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU's power never becomes a contributing factor. The frame rates are consistently low, and they scale predictably with GPU load (resolution and settings). For example, the difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is a drop from 109 FPS to 49 FPS. This is a pure GPU workload increase. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at lower resolutions, but the data does not show this pattern. The CPU is effectively idle, waiting for the GTX 1050 Ti to deliver each frame. The processor could easily handle hundreds of frames per second, but the GPU cannot produce them.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2837 out of 2887 tested combos is a dramatic illustration of the performance ceiling imposed by the GPU. This rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capability but rather the entire system's ability to run Inside. The data suggests that this pairing is among the weakest 50 combinations ever tested for this game. This is a clear case where the sum is less than its parts; the CPU is a top-tier component, but it is paired with a GPU that is in the bottom quarter of all GPUs.

This ranking places the combo far below what the CPU's 96th-percentile standing would suggest. The combination's average benchmark score, if it were calculated, would be dragged down by the GPU's 4193 average score. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon R5 M330 and the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, are similarly low-performing parts, and the combo's rank reflects this reality. The performance is so low that it is in the bottom 1.7% of all recorded systems. This is a key takeaway: a powerful CPU does not rescue a system from a weak GPU in a graphically demanding game.

The rank also suggests that the user experience would be poor at most settings. While the CPU can handle the game's logic without breaking a sweat, the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to provide a smooth experience at higher resolutions. The system is effectively a CPU showcase that is severely underutilized. For a game like Inside, which is a 2.5D side-scroller, the visual effects are modest, but even so, the GTX 1050 Ti struggles. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance, and it is a stark warning against pairing high-end CPUs with entry-level GPUs for gaming.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals a textbook example of a GPU-bound scenario. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average frame rate at Low settings drops from 109 FPS to 78 FPS, a 28% decrease. Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at Low settings results in a further drop to 49 FPS, a 37% decrease from the 1440p figure. This steep decline in performance with increasing pixel count is a direct result of the GPU's limited pixel fill rate and shader processing power.

The pattern holds across all settings. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 54 FPS at 1080p to 39 FPS at 1440p, and then to 25 FPS at 4K. At Medium settings, the drop is from 87 FPS at 1080p to 62 FPS at 1440p and 39 FPS at 4K. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 52 FPS at 1080p to 37 FPS at 1440p and 23 FPS at 4K. The consistent ~50% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K at each setting level confirms that the GPU is the sole limiting factor. The CPU's performance is constant across these resolutions, so the bottleneck is unambiguous.

This scaling analysis shows that the GTX 1050 Ti is only capable of providing a playable experience at 1080p. At 1440p, only the Low setting approaches a playable 78 FPS, while all other settings fall below 62 FPS. At 4K, the system is largely unplayable, with even the Low setting only achieving 49 FPS. The data indicates that to improve performance at higher resolutions, the only option would be to replace the GPU, as the CPU has no influence on these frame rate drops. The system's performance is directly tied to the GPU's ability to process pixels, which diminishes rapidly as resolution increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system achieves its best results. The Low preset delivers an average of 109 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. The Medium preset achieves 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 and a maximum of 100 FPS. The High preset drops to 54 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the lowest at 1080p, with an average of 52 FPS. This shows that the card can handle 1080p at Low and Medium settings for a smooth experience, but it struggles to maintain high frame rates on High and Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the performance decreases significantly. The Low preset is the only one that remains playable, with an average of 78 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 and a maximum of 72 FPS, which is borderline for a fluid experience. The High preset averages 39 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 37 FPS. This resolution is not ideal for this GPU, as only the lowest settings provide a comfortable frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the performance is marginal at best. The Low preset achieves an average of 49 FPS, which is technically playable but not smooth. The Medium preset drops to 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 45 FPS. The High preset averages 25 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 23 FPS. These frame rates are too low for a game that requires precise timing and smooth movement. The data clearly shows that 4K resolution is beyond the capabilities of the GTX 1050 Ti in Inside, regardless of the settings used.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This setting provides an average of 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS. This frame rate is high enough to ensure smooth gameplay and responsive controls, which are critical for a puzzle platformer. The minimum frame rate of 74 FPS indicates that the game will not stutter significantly, even during more demanding scenes. This is the best balance between visual quality and performance.

The Low preset at 1080p is also an excellent choice for players who prioritize a high, consistent frame rate. With an average of 109 FPS, this setting provides the smoothest experience possible with this hardware. However, the visual downgrade may not be worth it for a game like Inside, which has a distinct art style. The Medium preset offers a better visual experience while still maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 78 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution averages 62 FPS, which is playable but may have occasional dips. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are not recommended, as they drop below 40 FPS. The data suggests that 1080p is the intended resolution for this GPU. For the best experience, the Medium preset at 1080p is the clear winner, offering a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a high frame rate. Players who are sensitive to frame rate drops should consider the Low preset, but the Medium preset at 1080p is the recommended default.