Inside

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers overwhelming performance in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer. Benchmark results show this combination produces frame rates that are multiple times higher than the 60 FPS playability threshold across every tested resolution and quality preset. At 4K Ultra, the combo still averages 142.5 FPS, indicating that the game’s modest graphical demands are far exceeded by this hardware pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the measured average frame rates begin at 145.4 FPS on High settings. Dropping to Medium yields a higher average of 226.5 FPS, while Low settings push the average to 242.3 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, still produces an average of 142.5 FPS. No minimum or maximum frame rate data was captured, so the analysis relies solely on these average figures.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance scales upward significantly. High settings deliver a 219.3 FPS average, representing a roughly 51% improvement over the same preset at 4K. Medium settings reach 264.8 FPS, while Low settings hit 284 FPS. Ultra at 1440p averages 215.7 FPS, which is 73.2 FPS higher than the 4K Ultra result.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the frame rates approach the upper limits of what the hardware can output. High settings produce a 242 FPS average, Medium reaches 291.5 FPS, and Low tops out at 315.6 FPS. Ultra settings at 1080p average 238.4 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 77.2 FPS, which is narrower than the 99.8 FPS spread observed at 4K.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: Low settings provide the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra being the most demanding. However, even the slowest configuration tested—4K Ultra at 142.5 FPS—remains far above the 60 FPS playability threshold, meaning every preset and resolution combination is fully playable.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a distinct shift in system bottleneck behavior depending on resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (315.6 FPS) and Ultra (238.4 FPS) is 77.2 FPS, a 32.4% reduction. This relatively small performance gap suggests that at lower resolutions, the Intel Core i5-12400’s six cores and twelve threads, running at a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, are sufficient to keep the RTX 4090 fed. The GPU’s massive compute resources—82.58 TFLOPS FP32 and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate—are not fully taxed, so the limiting factor is likely the CPU’s single-thread performance.

At 1440p, the scaling from Low (284 FPS) to Ultra (215.7 FPS) shows a 68.3 FPS drop, or 24.1%. This smaller relative decrease indicates the GPU is beginning to take on more of the rendering load, but the CPU still has headroom. The 264.8 FPS Medium result and 219.3 FPS High result show a steady progression that tracks with the increased pixel count.

At 4K, the performance gap between Low (242.3 FPS) and Ultra (142.5 FPS) widens to 99.8 FPS, a 41.2% reduction. This is the largest relative drop across all resolutions, demonstrating that at 3840x2160, the RTX 4090’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth become the dominant factor. The GPU’s pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s is being exercised more heavily, while the CPU’s role diminishes.

The resolution scaling data confirms this interpretation. Moving from 1080p Ultra (238.4 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (215.7 FPS) yields a 9.5% decrease, while moving from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra (142.5 FPS) yields a 33.9% decrease. The exponential frame rate drop at 4K indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts, whereas at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU and GPU are more balanced.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 443rd out of 3,716 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the top 11.9% of all configurations tested for this game. The ranking reflects the RTX 4090’s position in the 88th percentile against all GPUs, while the CPU sits in the 72nd percentile against all CPUs.

The high ranking is notable because the CPU is not a top-tier processor. The i5-12400’s average benchmark score of 18,683 places it well below many higher-core-count processors, but for Inside, this does not matter. The game’s low computational demands mean that even a mid-range six-core CPU from the Alder Lake generation is more than adequate, allowing the RTX 4090 to operate near its full potential.

The combo’s rank of 443 out of 3,716 suggests that approximately 3,273 other combinations perform worse in this specific game. This is expected, as the RTX 4090 is an extremely powerful graphics card, and the i5-12400, while not top-tier, provides enough throughput to avoid holding it back in a game this lightweight.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K Ultra settings?*

A: Yes. The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 142.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

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

A: The highest recorded average is 315.6 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K at the same settings?

A: At High settings, 1080p averages 242 FPS while 4K averages 145.4 FPS, making 1080p 66.6% faster. At Ultra settings, the difference is 95.9 FPS (238.4 vs 142.5).

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more at lower resolutions?

A: At 1080p, the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra is 77.2 FPS, which is smaller than the 99.8 FPS difference at 4K. This indicates the CPU has more influence at lower resolutions, while the GPU becomes the primary limiter at 4K.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at all three tested resolutions?

A: Yes, Ultra settings produce 238.4 FPS at 1080p, 215.7 FPS at 1440p, and 142.5 FPS at 4K, all exceeding the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank relative to other tested configurations for this game?

A: It ranks 443rd out of 3,716 total combos, placing it in the top 11.9% of all tested systems for Inside.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-12400’s nearest rivals are remarkably close in average benchmark score. The AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18,697, a mere 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18,730, also 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18,811, which is 0.7% higher. The Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18,519, 0.9% lower. In practice, any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Inside when paired with the RTX 4090, as the game does not heavily tax CPU resources.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090’s nearest rivals show even smaller deltas. The Intel Arc Pro A60 matches with a 0% difference at 60,326. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60,140, just 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61,896, which is 2.5% higher. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58,657, 2.9% lower. These alternatives would provide essentially identical performance in Inside, given that even the slowest of these GPUs would still produce frame rates far above the 60 FPS threshold at all tested settings.

The practical implication is that a buyer seeking similar performance could substitute any of these CPUs or GPUs without experiencing a meaningful difference in Inside. The game’s low requirements mean that even significantly weaker hardware would still achieve playable frame rates, but these specific alternatives would match the measured results within a few percentage points.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best setting that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 238.4 FPS. This is the highest quality preset available, and it delivers frame rates that are 178.4 FPS above the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings also provide the best experience, averaging 215.7 FPS. This is 155.7 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, leaving substantial headroom for any future performance dips or additional background tasks.

At 3840x2160, Ultra settings remain the optimal choice, with an average of 142.5 FPS. This is 82.5 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. Even at the highest resolution with the most demanding preset, the system has more than double the required frame rate, ensuring a smooth experience with no need to compromise on visual quality.

In all three resolutions, the most demanding preset (Ultra) is also the best settings choice, as it stays comfortably above 60 FPS. There is no scenario where a user would need to lower settings to achieve playability with this hardware combination.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Inside at maximum quality. The verdict data confirms that all four settings presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at all three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 238.4 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 215.7 FPS. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 142.5 FPS.

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is vastly overqualified for this game, delivering performance that is 2.4 to 5.3 times higher than the 60 FPS threshold depending on resolution and settings. Even the worst-case scenario—4K Ultra—produces frame rates that are suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. For Inside, this system provides an essentially flawless experience with maximum visual fidelity at any resolution.