Inside

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a puzzle platformer that is far more demanding than its minimalist aesthetic suggests. The measured frame rates are consistently high across all tested settings and resolutions, indicating a system with significant headroom for this title.

Resolution Scaling

Frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals a clear and predictable pattern, with the GPU emerging as the primary limiting component even at this processor's high level of performance. The benchmark results demonstrate a substantial drop in average FPS when moving from 1080p to 4K, a classic indication of GPU-bound behavior.

At the High preset, the average FPS falls from 230 FPS at 1920x1080 to 165 FPS at 2560x1440, a 28% reduction. Pushing to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 104 FPS, which is 55% lower than the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is typical for a title that is heavily dependent on the graphics card, as the number of pixels to render quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend. The measured average sits at 367 FPS, 264 FPS, and 166 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 2160p respectively. The ratio between the 1080p and 4K results is roughly 2.2, which aligns with the theoretical pixel count difference. The minimum FPS at Medium settings also scales accordingly, with 312 FPS at 1080p, 225 FPS at 1440p, and 141 FPS at 4K, ensuring a smooth experience even during the most graphically intense scenes.

The Low preset results reinforce this analysis. At 1080p, the average FPS is an exceptionally high 442, which falls to 330 FPS at 1440p and 208 FPS at 4K. The fact that the 1080p average is more than double the 4K average, despite the CPU having 24 cores and 24 threads, points directly to the GPU's pixel processing limits as the bottleneck.

Interestingly, the Ultra preset shows a smaller relative drop from 1080p to 4K. The average FPS is 219, 157, and 99 for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. The 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings is slightly less than the 55% reduction seen at High settings. This suggests that the additional graphical features in the Ultra preset may include effects that are less dependent on resolution, such as certain post-processing or shading calculations, which can slightly offset the pure pixel-count scaling.

The data confirms that the limiting component across all tested configurations is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070. The CPU is not the constraining factor in this title, even at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 400 FPS. The scaling pattern, where FPS drops proportionally with the number of pixels, is a textbook example of GPU-bound performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a high-end component, and the benchmark results show it has a strong impact on the game's performance. The processor features 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, providing a high level of computational power.

This CPU's strength is evident in the frame rates achieved, especially at 1080p. At this resolution, the GPU has the least amount of work to do per frame, and the CPU's ability to feed the GPU becomes more relevant. The average FPS of 442 at Low settings and 367 FPS at Medium settings are among the highest measured scores for this game, indicating that the CPU is not a limiting factor.

The processor's score in Cinebench R23 multi-core is 51731, and its single-core score is 7303. These scores place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, a signal of its high level of performance. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which is just 0.2% slower, and the AMD EPYC 4584PX at a 1.1% difference. This close competition shows that the Ultra 9 290K Plus is a top-tier CPU, and its performance is more than sufficient to keep a high-end GPU like the RTX 4070 fully utilized.

The game's physics and logic aren't heavily multithreaded, but the high single-thread performance of the 290K Plus ensures that the main game thread is not a bottleneck. The PassMark single-thread score of 4823 and the single-core Cinebench R23 score of 7303 support this conclusion. In this title, the CPU's role is to ensure a stable, high frame rate floor, which it does. The data shows no signs of CPU-induced stutter or frame rate dips, with the minimum FPS recorded at 141 FPS at 1440p Medium settings, which is still a high level.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results provide a clear picture of how the settings presets affect performance, allowing for a precise recommendation to be made based on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For a 1080p display, the Ultra preset is the best choice. The average FPS of 219 is far above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the visual improvements from Ultra settings are likely to be noticeable. Even at the minimum, the frame rate is high enough to experience no stutter. The High preset also offers a good experience, but the 230 FPS average is also far above the refresh rate of most 1080p displays, so the extra visual fidelity of Ultra is a better trade-off.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset remains the recommended option. The average FPS of 157 FPS is still exceptionally high, providing a smooth experience on 144Hz or 165Hz displays. The High preset, which is 165 FPS, is arguably more balanced for a 144Hz monitor, but the Ultra preset's 157 FPS is still a very good margin above the refresh rate. For the highest refresh-rate displays, the Medium preset, which yields 264 FPS, is a viable option.

At 4K resolution, the situation becomes more nuanced. The Ultra preset's average FPS of 99 FPS is the highest fidelity option, but it is very close to the 60 FPS line. The High preset, at 104 FPS, is a slightly better choice, as it offers a higher frame rate with only a slight reduction in visual quality. For the most demanding players, the Medium preset delivers 166 FPS, which is a more substantial increase in frame rate, but it comes with a noticeable reduction in settings. The data suggests that for 4K, the High preset is the best balance, as it maintains a high frame rate while still providing a high-quality visual experience. The Ultra preset, while offering the best visual quality, is more prone to potential dips, even though the average FPS remains high.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has a combo rank of 515 out of 3716 tested in this game. This places it in the top 14% of all tested configurations, a strong showing for a system with a high-end CPU and a modern mid-range GPU.

This ranking is a direct result of the CPU's exceptional performance and the RTX 4070's capabilities. The CPU's high core count and clock speeds ensure that it is never a bottleneck, while the GPU's performance is enough to push frame rates to high levels. The combo's position in the leaderboard is not surprising, given that the RTX 4070 is a powerful GPU for a 2023 release, but it is not the absolute top-tier card.

The benchmark results show that the combo is still bound by the GPU, especially at high resolutions. The CPU's performance headroom is so large that even a more powerful GPU could be paired with it to achieve even higher frame rates. This suggests that this combo is well-suited for gamers who want to play at 1440p or 4K with high settings, but it may not be the absolute best option for those seeking the highest possible FPS at 1080p, where a more powerful GPU would be the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is a key component in this benchmark. It is a part of the GeForce 40-series and is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, featuring a 192-bit memory bus and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. The GPU has a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, with a memory clock of 1313 MHz (effective 21 Gbps). Its 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 64 ROPs are not the highest in the lineup, but they are sufficient for this game's demands.

The GPU's performance in this game is directly tied to its pixel and texture fill rates. The game's graphical engine is not overly complex, but the GPU's role is to handle the rendering pipeline. The measured FPS at 4K, for example, shows that the GPU is the primary component that determines the final frame rate, as the CPU has enough headroom to not be a bottleneck.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s is also a factor. At 4K, the game requires more memory bandwidth, and the 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for this title. The GPU's VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor, as the game's texture and memory requirements are well within the 12 GB capacity.

The RTX 4070's score in 3DMark Steel Nomad is 3854, which is a good indicator of its performance. The GPU's PassMark G3D score is 26927, and it is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. This shows that it is a high-performance GPU, but not the fastest one available. The data shows that the GPU is the more limiting component in this system, as the CPU's performance is so high that it allows the GPU to be the bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS is 219, with a minimum of 219 FPS.

Q: How does the FPS scale from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 230 to 104, which is a 54% decrease.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 a good match for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus in this game?

A: Yes, the combo ranks 515 out of 3716, placing it in the top 14% of all tested combos.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS is 264, with a minimum of 225 and a maximum of 304.

Q: What is the best setting preset for 4K gameplay?

A: The High preset is recommended, as it provides a 104 FPS average, which is a good balance between visual quality and frame rate.

Q: What is the GPU's VRAM size?

A: The RTX 4070 has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured frame rates for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 3840x2160 | High | 104 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 208 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 166 | 141 | 191 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 99 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 165 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 330 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 264 | 225 | 304 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 157 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 230 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 442 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 367 | 312 | 423 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 219 | - | - |

The data confirms that the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 deliver a high-performance experience in Inside. The system is capable of running the game at very high frame rates across all resolutions and settings, with the GPU being the primary factor at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance is more than sufficient to keep up with the GPU, ensuring a smooth and stable playing experience.