Inside

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a unique performance profile for Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. The data shows a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics component, with the CPU offering substantial headroom. The recorded measurements indicate that playability is highly dependent on the resolution and preset, with the system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but struggling at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its strongest results. The Low preset produces an average of 156 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS playability threshold. The Medium preset averages 125 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 144 FPS. High settings average 78 FPS, while the demanding Ultra preset still manages an average of 74 FPS. This means every preset at 1080p clears the 60 FPS threshold, making this resolution the most versatile for the combo.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably but remains largely playable. The Low preset averages 112 FPS, providing a comfortable margin for high refresh rate displays. Medium settings average 90 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 56 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold, while Ultra falls further to 53 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p users should stick to Low or Medium presets for a consistent experience above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Arc B390 becomes the limiting factor. The Low preset averages 70 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. Medium settings average 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS, showing noticeable frame dips below the threshold. High settings drop to 35 FPS, and Ultra averages just 34 FPS. The gap between Low and High at 4K is substantial, representing a 100% performance difference, which highlights the GPU's sensitivity to preset changes at this resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions clearly identifies the Intel Arc B390 as the primary bottleneck. The i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and its benchmark results suggest it is far more capable than the GPU requires for this title. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340 and single-core score of 2024 indicate strong processing power, while the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, a very low standing.

The resolution scaling demonstrates this imbalance. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 156 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 70 FPS, a 55% reduction. This dramatic drop when pixel count increases is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. If the CPU were the constraint, the frame rate would remain relatively stable across resolutions. The fact that 1080p Ultra (74 FPS) performs similarly to 4K Low (70 FPS) further confirms that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth, which is system dependent, are the deciding factors.

The preset scaling reinforces this analysis. At 1440p, moving from Low to Medium reduces the average from 112 FPS to 90 FPS, a 20% drop. The jump from Medium to High reduces performance from 90 FPS to 56 FPS, a 38% drop. These steep penalties for increased graphical fidelity are typical of a GPU that is already operating near its limits. The CPU, with its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR4 memory support, is not the limiting factor in any of these scenarios. The data suggests that even a significantly weaker CPU would produce similar frame rates in this game, as the Arc B390 is the sole performance gatekeeper.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Inside at 1080p with all settings maxed out?

A: Yes. The recorded data shows an average of 74 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, which exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset is the best playable option at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 90 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS. The High preset falls below the threshold at 56 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable on this hardware?

A: Only with the Low preset. The data shows an average of 70 FPS at 3840x2160 on Low, while Medium averages 56 FPS and High drops to 35 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443). These are all very low-end results, placing the GPU in the 9th percentile.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor. Frame rates drop by roughly half when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same preset, while the CPU's strong benchmark scores indicate it has ample headroom for this title.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p Medium?

A: The average is 125 FPS, with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 144 FPS. This provides a smooth experience on 144Hz displays.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i5-11400F sits in a tight cluster of comparable CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 17177 is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 7H12, which scores 17120, a delta of 0.3%. The Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17239, putting it 0.4% ahead of the i5-11400F. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G scores 17278, 0.6% ahead, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U scores 17074, 0.6% behind. For this game, any of these processors would deliver essentially identical performance, as the GPU is the limiting factor. The choice between them would not meaningfully change frame rates in Inside.

The Intel Arc B390's nearest rivals are all NVIDIA entries from a much older era. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% below the Arc B390. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% below, and the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% below. The GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% below. These deltas are small, meaning a system with any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Inside. However, the Arc B390 is the fastest of this group, so it would offer the best performance among these specific alternatives. The extremely low benchmark scores of all these cards, combined with their presence in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicates that users upgrading from any of these NVIDIA parts would see minimal gains.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3296 out of 3716 tested combos in the database for Inside. This places it in the bottom 11% of all systems tested, which is consistent with the GPU's low benchmark standing. The CPU's percentile rank of 71 against all CPUs is strong, but the GPU's 9th percentile rank drags the overall combo down significantly. The data suggests that this pairing is heavily unbalanced, with a capable processor handicapped by a very weak graphics solution. For a game like Inside, which is not demanding by modern standards, the combo still manages to clear 60 FPS at 1080p and 1440p, but its overall ranking reflects the GPU's limitations. Users comparing systems should note that the ranking is driven almost entirely by the Arc B390, and that upgrading the GPU alone would dramatically improve the combo's position.

The Verdict

This system can run Inside, but the experience varies greatly by resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 74 FPS and Low reaching 156 FPS. This is the ideal resolution for this hardware, as it provides a smooth experience across the board. At 2560x1440, the Low and Medium presets are playable, with Medium averaging 90 FPS and Low averaging 112 FPS. The High and Ultra presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, averaging 70 FPS. The verdict data confirms this: 1080p supports High, Low, Medium, and Ultra; 1440p supports Low and Medium; and 4K supports only Low. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the highest playable fidelity, while 1080p Ultra is the best overall experience for those who prioritize image quality. The system is a solid 1080p machine for this game, a capable 1440p machine with settings adjustments, and a 4K machine only at the lowest settings.