Inside

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti delivers a remarkably consistent gaming experience in Inside, a puzzle platformer that scales cleanly across resolutions and presets. Measured data shows this combination never dips below the 60 FPS threshold at any tested setting, even at 4K Ultra, which is an unusual outcome for a mid-range GPU. The benchmark results reveal a system that is overqualified for the game’s demands, with the only question being how much headroom exists at the highest visual settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combination produces triple-digit frame rates across every preset. The Low preset averages 281.9 FPS, while Medium reaches 224.7 FPS. High drops to 137.3 FPS, and Ultra settles at 132.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 57.2 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is a much smaller 5.2 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset adds minimal strain beyond High. All four settings remain far above the 60 FPS playable threshold, and the data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution given the massive frame rates.

Moving to 1440p, the same pattern holds but with expected scaling. Low averages 202.2 FPS, Medium reaches 161.6 FPS, High drops to 98.5 FPS, and Ultra lands at 98.9 FPS. Interestingly, High and Ultra are nearly identical at 1440p, differing by only 0.4 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is substantial: Low falls by 79.7 FPS, Medium by 63.1 FPS, High by 38.8 FPS, and Ultra by 33.2 FPS. This indicates a strong GPU dependency as resolution increases, but still leaves ample headroom above the playable threshold.

At 4K, the data shows the first signs of pressure, yet the system still clears 60 FPS at every preset. Low averages 125.8 FPS, Medium 99.8 FPS, High 64.4 FPS, and Ultra 62.1 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K is severe: Low drops by 76.4 FPS, Medium by 61.8 FPS, High by 34.1 FPS, and Ultra by 36.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that approaches the 60 FPS line, with a margin of just 2.1 FPS. This suggests that while playable, 4K Ultra leaves virtually no room for frame rate fluctuations or background tasks.

The absence of min and max FPS values in the data means only average performance can be assessed. However, the consistent scaling between presets and resolutions implies a well-optimized engine that responds predictably to graphical load. The 4K High and Ultra figures (64.4 and 62.1 FPS) are close enough that a player would likely not notice a difference in smoothness, but any additional overhead could push Ultra below the threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU’s nearest rivals show that the Core i5-14400F is tightly clustered with several other processors. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U scores 32,233, which is 0.1% higher than the i5-14400F’s average benchmark score of 32,279. The Intel Core i9-11900 trails by 0.2% with a score of 32,226, while the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS is the only rival that beats the i5-14400F by a meaningful margin, scoring 32,354, or 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i7-12800H sits 0.5% behind at 32,121. These deltas are all within half a percent, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Inside at the tested resolutions. The CPU’s 83rd percentile ranking among all processors reinforces that it is comfortably mid-to-high tier for gaming.

For the GPU, the RTX 3060 Ti’s nearest rivals present a similar picture. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16,014, which is 0.7% lower than the RTX 3060 Ti’s 16,129 average. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT both score higher: 16,351 and 16,361 respectively, putting them 1.4% ahead. The AMD Radeon R9 370X is the weakest rival at 15,862, sitting 1.7% behind. None of these deltas exceed 2%, so swapping the RTX 3060 Ti for any of these cards would yield frame rates within a few FPS of the measured results. The GPU’s 59th percentile ranking indicates it is slightly above the median, but the game’s low graphical demands make even that modest standing irrelevant for playability.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU is the more active participant, as evidenced by the massive frame rates (281.9 FPS on Low) that far exceed what the GPU could sustain at higher resolutions. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p reveals a GPU bottleneck emerging: frame rates drop by roughly 25-30% across presets, which aligns with the pixel count increase of 78%. At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint, with frame rates falling another 35-50% from 1440p, particularly at High and Ultra where the drop is 34.1 and 36.8 FPS respectively.

The CPU’s role is further clarified by the benchmark scores. With a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21,645 and a single-core score of 3,055, the i5-14400F has ample processing power for a game like Inside, which is not CPU-intensive. The Geekbench scores (11,268 multi-core, 2,058 single-core) reinforce this. At 1080p, the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to reach 281.9 FPS on Low, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU’s limits are fully exposed, and the CPU is effectively idle waiting for render work. This is typical for a puzzle platformer: the GPU’s fill rate and pixel throughput determine the ceiling, while the CPU only matters if it cannot keep up with draw calls — which the data shows it easily does.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Inside at 4K with all settings maxed?*

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 62.1 FPS, which is 2.1 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. However, this leaves minimal headroom for frame drops.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 1440p?

A: Ultra is the best choice, as it averages 98.9 FPS at 2560x1440. This is only 0.4 FPS higher than High (98.5 FPS), so either setting provides a smooth experience.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: On the Low preset, frame rates drop from 281.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 125.8 FPS at 3840x2160, a loss of 156.1 FPS. On Ultra, the drop is from 132.1 FPS to 62.1 FPS, a loss of 70 FPS.

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

A: The GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU can push frame rates above 280 FPS, but at 4K, the GPU’s rendering capacity caps performance at 125.8 FPS on Low and 62.1 FPS on Ultra.

Q: Does the Ultra preset offer a meaningful improvement over High?

A: At 1080p, Ultra is 5.2 FPS slower than High (132.1 vs 137.3). At 1440p, the difference is negligible (98.9 vs 98.5). At 4K, Ultra is 2.3 FPS slower (62.1 vs 64.4). The visual gains are not quantified in the data, but the performance cost is small.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations?

A: It ranks 2,627th out of 3,716 combos, placing it in the 29th percentile. This low ranking reflects that Inside is not demanding, so many weaker systems also achieve playable frame rates.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Inside at every resolution and preset combination that was measured. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 132.1 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 98.9 FPS, which is comfortably above the threshold. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 62.1 FPS, clearing 60 FPS by a slim margin. The verdict by resolution confirms that all playable settings include High, Low, Medium, and Ultra at each resolution. This means the system is fully playable at maximum settings even at 4K, though the 4K Ultra result is too close to the threshold to recommend for anyone sensitive to frame dips. For a game like Inside, which relies on precise platforming and atmospheric pacing, the 60-62 FPS range at 4K Ultra is acceptable, but 1440p Ultra offers a much safer margin of 38.9 FPS above the threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 62.1 FPS. This is the only configuration at 4K that approaches the limit, but it still qualifies as playable. At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best setting, delivering 98.9 FPS, which provides a substantial buffer. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 132.1 FPS, making it the clear choice for maximum visual quality without any performance concerns. In all cases, the data shows that High, Medium, and Low presets also meet the 60 FPS requirement, but Ultra offers the highest fidelity while staying above the threshold. The margin at 4K Ultra is thin, so players who prioritize stability over visual detail might prefer High at 64.4 FPS, but the measured data confirms Ultra is playable.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti combination ranks 2,627th out of 3,716 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the lower third of all systems, which is expected given the game’s modest hardware requirements. The rank does not indicate poor performance — instead, it reflects that many lower-end GPUs and CPUs can also run the game well. The combo’s 83rd percentile CPU ranking and 59th percentile GPU ranking are not mirrored in the game-specific rank, because Inside does not stress either component heavily. The practical takeaway is that this system has far more power than the game needs, and the rank reflects how accessible the title is. For comparison, any of the nearest rival GPUs — such as the RX 9060 or RX 5700 XT — would likely produce similar ranks, as the deltas are under 2%. The same applies to the CPU rivals, which are all within 0.5% of the i5-14400F’s average score. This combo is effectively overkill for Inside, making the rank less meaningful than the raw FPS data.