Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that is anything but demanding by modern standards, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti treats it as such. The benchmark data shows this pairing obliterates every frame rate target you could reasonably have, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and settings. The results are less about whether the game runs and more about how much headroom this hardware provides, making it a definitive case study in how newer components handle older, less intensive titles.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate in the measured data is 442 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This demonstrates the immense headroom this pairing has in a game like Inside, where even the most demanding preset leaves significant performance on the table.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the setup produces an average frame rate of 119 FPS. This is the lowest average recorded across the entire dataset, yet it remains well above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that even the most punishing configuration for this game is easily handled.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 396 FPS on Low settings to 189 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a performance reduction of roughly 52% when moving to the highest quality preset, showing that while the GPU is heavily utilized, it still delivers exceptionally high frame rates.

Q: Is there a significant frame rate gap between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: Yes, the data shows a considerable difference. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average is 277 FPS, which drops to 199 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 125 FPS at 3840x2160. The progression illustrates how resolution scaling impacts the workload, but even at 4K, the frame rate remains more than triple the standard 60 FPS target.

Q: Does the game have a frame rate cap that limits performance?

A: The data does not indicate any frame rate cap. The highest recorded average of 442 FPS at 1080p Low and the maximum frame rate of 469 FPS at 1080p Medium suggest that the hardware is allowed to run freely without software-imposed limits in the tested scenarios.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for Inside?

A: The combo ranks 106th out of 2887 tested combinations. This places it in the top 3.7% of all recorded results, confirming that this hardware pairing is exceptionally well-suited for this title, despite the game's age and low system requirements.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this hardware handles Inside across various presets. For players using a 1920x1080 display, the Ultra preset yields an average of 263 FPS, which is already far beyond what any standard monitor can display. The Medium preset offers an average of 408 FPS with a minimum of 347 FPS, while High produces 277 FPS. Since the visual difference between High and Ultra in a game like this is often negligible on smaller screens, the High preset at 277 FPS is a sensible choice for 1080p, as it provides a smoother experience than Ultra with a higher average frame rate, while still delivering excellent visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers a robust 189 FPS average. This is sufficient for even the fastest high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the High preset at 199 FPS offers a slight performance advantage with a marginal reduction in visual fidelity. For users prioritizing maximum smoothness, High is the better option, as the data shows it maintains a higher average frame rate. The Medium preset at 318 FPS is overkill for most displays, but it is there for those seeking the absolute highest frame rates possible.

For 3840x2160, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 119 FPS, which is excellent for 4K gaming. This is the most demanding scenario in the dataset, yet it still clears the 120 FPS mark on average. The High preset at 125 FPS is nearly identical in performance, making it the recommended choice for 4K, as it provides a slightly higher average frame rate than Ultra. The Medium preset at 200 FPS is an option for those who want to maximize performance, but the visual compromise is unnecessary given that even Ultra is playable.

The optimal experience across all resolutions is to use the High preset. It consistently provides a higher average frame rate than Ultra, with a negligible visual difference in a game with this art style. For 1080p and 1440p, High offers the best balance of smoothness and quality. For 4K, High is the top pick, as it edges out Ultra in performance while maintaining a high level of detail. The Low and Medium presets are only relevant for chasing extreme frame rates, which are not necessary for a game like Inside.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. In the context of Inside, a puzzle platformer with relatively simple physics and logic, the CPU is not a bottleneck. The game's workload is primarily single-threaded, but this processor's high boost clock and strong single-core performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303, ensure it handles the game's logic with ease.

The benchmark results show that this CPU is in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, has a nearly identical average score of 83807, a mere 0.2% difference. This indicates that the 290K Plus is at the very top of the performance stack, and for a game like Inside, the difference between it and a much less powerful processor would be negligible in terms of frame rates.

The processor's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 115.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth are more than sufficient for the game's data requirements. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 442 FPS, which is likely close to the limit of what the game engine can produce. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is heavily loaded, the CPU maintains a 119 FPS average, proving it can feed the RTX 5070 Ti without issue. The CPU's role here is to be a non-factor, providing a stable platform for the GPU to perform at its best.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks 106th out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. This top-tier ranking of the top 3.7% reflects the raw power of both components. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking and the GPU's 86th percentile ranking combine to create a system that is overkill for this title, but the data shows it performs exceptionally well, delivering high frame rates at all tested settings.

The rank of 106 is particularly notable because it is not the highest possible. Many combos with less powerful CPUs but similar or better GPUs may rank higher, as the game is not heavily CPU-dependent. However, the consistent performance across all resolutions, from the 442 FPS average at 1080p Low to the 119 FPS average at 4K Ultra, shows a balanced system that does not bottleneck. The combo's position suggests that while it is not the absolute fastest configuration for Inside, it is among the most capable, offering a stable and high-performance experience.

The deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals are all within a narrow band. The AMD EPYC 4584PX is 1.1% slower, while the AMD EPYC 7F72 is 1.3% faster. This tight grouping indicates that the CPU's performance is comparable to other high-end processors. In the context of this game, any of these CPUs would likely deliver similar frame rates, but the 290K Plus's strong single-thread performance gives it a slight edge in a title that relies on it.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the primary driver of performance in Inside. This GPU features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2452 MHz, and it is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using a 5 nm process. The benchmark data shows the GPU has an average score of 49957 and sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs.

Interestingly, the GPU's nearest rivals show very different performance profiles. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 has a near-identical average score of 50001 (-0.1% delta), while the Intel Arc A550M is 0.4% slower. However, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT is 2% faster, and the RX 6800 XT is 3.1% slower. This data suggests that the RTX 5070 Ti is a strong performer, but its ranking in this specific game is influenced by the frame rates measured.

The GPU's role is evident in the scaling of frame rates with resolution and settings. At 4K, the GPU is heavily utilized, with the average frame rate dropping from 250 FPS on Low to 119 FPS on Ultra. This shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high that the CPU might become a limiting factor, but the data shows the GPU still delivers 442 FPS on Low settings. The 16 GB of VRAM is more than enough for this game, which is unlikely to use more than a fraction of it, ensuring no memory-related stutters.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo in Inside are as follows, broken down by resolution and settings:

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 442 FPS. This is the highest average in the dataset, showcasing the immense headroom at this resolution.
• Medium: Average 408 FPS, with a minimum of 347 FPS and a maximum of 469 FPS. The minimum frame rate is still exceptionally high.
• High: Average 277 FPS. A significant drop from Medium, but still far beyond any standard refresh rate.
• Ultra: Average 263 FPS. The most demanding preset at 1080p still produces an incredibly smooth experience.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 396 FPS. Slightly lower than 1080p, but still an extremely high frame rate.
• Medium: Average 318 FPS, with a minimum of 271 FPS and a maximum of 366 FPS. The frame time consistency is excellent.
• High: Average 199 FPS. This is a comfortable range for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors.
• Ultra: Average 189 FPS. The drop from High is minimal, making Ultra a viable option.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 250 FPS. A substantial decrease from lower resolutions, but still incredibly high for 4K.
• Medium: Average 200 FPS, with a minimum of 170 FPS and a maximum of 230 FPS. The minimum frame rate is well above the 144 Hz threshold.
• High: Average 125 FPS. This is the sweet spot for 4K, offering a great balance of quality and speed.
• Ultra: Average 119 FPS. The most demanding setting at 4K still maintains a high average, proving the hardware's capability.

The data shows a clear pattern: performance scales linearly with resolution and settings, with no anomalies or bottlenecks. The minimum frame rates recorded for Medium settings at all resolutions indicate a stable experience without significant drops. This hardware combo is more than capable of running Inside at maximum settings with exceptionally high frame rates at any resolution.