Inside

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is a capable combination for running Inside, a Puzzle Platformer released in 2016. The database shows this setup ranks 2060 out of 3716 tested combos for this game, placing it in the upper-middle tier of performance. Across all tested resolutions, from 1920x1080 up to 3840x2160, this system delivers average frame rates that clear the 60 FPS playability threshold, even at the highest Ultra preset. The data reveals a system with substantial headroom, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors at lower resolutions and smooth 4K gameplay at maximum settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for this CPU and GPU combo at 1920x1080?

A: The Ultra preset is fully playable, with an average frame rate of 167.3 FPS. This is the most demanding setting tested and still provides performance more than double the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Can this system handle 4K resolution with Inside?

A: Yes, all four tested settings presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra) at 3840x2160 produce average frame rates above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 82 FPS, while the High preset averages 83.4 FPS.

Q: How does the frame rate scale when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At the Ultra preset, the average frame rate drops from 167.3 FPS at 1920x1080 to 129.4 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 23%. The scaling is similar across other presets, with the Low preset dropping from 221.6 FPS to 200.9 FPS.

Q: Which component, the CPU or GPU, is the primary performance driver in this game?

A: The data shows the GPU is the dominant factor, as frame rates scale significantly with resolution changes. For instance, the High preset averages 172 FPS at 1080p but falls to 134.9 FPS at 1440p and 83.4 FPS at 4K, indicating the graphics card is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the least demanding setting tested for this system?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 yields the highest average frame rate of 221.6 FPS, which is the fastest result recorded for this combination.

Q: Is there a performance difference between the High and Ultra presets?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset is consistently slightly slower than High across all resolutions. At 2560x1440, High averages 134.9 FPS while Ultra averages 129.4 FPS. At 3840x2160, the difference is smaller: High at 83.4 FPS versus Ultra at 82 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured frame rates reveal a clear pattern: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the component that determines performance in Inside. The evidence lies in the scaling across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with the Low preset, the system produces 221.6 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 200.9 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it falls to 169.3 FPS. This is a 23.6% reduction from 1080p to 4K, a scaling curve that is characteristic of GPU-bound workloads.

The Intel Core i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, appears to provide sufficient processing power to keep up with the GPU at all tested settings. The frame rate differences between presets are relatively small compared to resolution differences. For example, at 2560x1440, the gap between Low (200.9 FPS) and Ultra (129.4 FPS) is 71.5 FPS, while the gap between 1080p and 4K at the same preset is larger. This suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the GPU handles the increased graphical load from higher presets without the frame rate collapsing.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset still holds an average of 82 FPS, which is 22 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game’s demands at this resolution. The RTX 3070’s 5888 shading units and 96 ROPs contribute to its strong pixel throughput, evidenced by the 165.6 GPixel/s pixel rate. The data indicates that the GPU has headroom even at 4K, as the High preset (83.4 FPS) and Ultra preset (82 FPS) are nearly identical, suggesting the game’s Ultra settings add minimal additional load over High.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080: The lowest resolution tested shows the highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 221.6 FPS, the Medium preset averages 208.1 FPS, the High preset averages 172 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 167.3 FPS. All presets exceed 60 FPS by a wide margin, with even the slowest result (Ultra) running at nearly triple the playability threshold.

2560x1440: At this resolution, frame rates remain very high. The Low preset averages 200.9 FPS, the Medium preset averages 181 FPS, the High preset averages 134.9 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 129.4 FPS. The drop from 1080p is noticeable, especially at High and Ultra, but all presets are comfortably above 60 FPS. The Medium preset offers a strong balance, staying above 180 FPS.

3840x2160: At 4K, the system still performs well. The Low preset averages 169.3 FPS, the Medium preset averages 136 FPS, the High preset averages 83.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 82 FPS. While the Low and Medium presets are far above 60 FPS, the High and Ultra presets are closer to the threshold, yet still maintain a healthy margin. The difference between High and Ultra at this resolution is only 1.4 FPS, indicating that pushing from High to Ultra costs almost nothing.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Inside at all tested settings and resolutions. The verdict from the database is unambiguous: every resolution and every preset clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1920x1080, the weakest result is the Ultra preset at 167.3 FPS, which is more than double the threshold. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 129.4 FPS, still far above 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 82 FPS, and the High preset averages 83.4 FPS, both comfortably above the threshold.

The best settings per resolution are listed as Ultra for all three resolutions, with the average FPS at these settings being 82 at 4K, 129.4 at 1440p, and 167.3 at 1080p. This means users can play at maximum graphical quality without any concerns about frame rate drops. The system is not just playable, it is overkill for a game with this level of graphical demand. Even at 4K, the frame rate is high enough to support a 60 Hz display with room to spare, and at lower resolutions, the system can drive high-refresh-rate monitors well past 144 Hz on most presets.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, placing it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are closely matched. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, a delta of -0.2%, making it virtually identical in performance. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, a delta of -0.4%, also effectively the same. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, a delta of 0.3%, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a delta of 0.4%. Any of these processors would behave similarly to the i5-9400 in this game, as the performance differences are all within 1%. For a user swapping the i5-9400 for any of these, the frame rates in Inside would be practically unchanged, as the CPU is not the limiting factor.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, placing it at the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT with a score of 17083 (delta 0.7%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 with a score of 17037 (delta 1%), the AMD Radeon HD 7970M with a score of 17019 (delta 1.1%), and the NVIDIA Tesla K40c with a score of 17468 (delta -1.5%). The RX 7600 XT is the closest modern alternative, with a score just 0.7% lower, meaning it would produce nearly identical frame rates in Inside. The GTX 690 and HD 7970M are older architectures but their benchmark scores suggest they would also perform similarly, though their feature sets and driver support may differ. The Tesla K40c is a compute-oriented card, but its score is 1.5% higher, indicating it could deliver marginally better frame rates.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 167.3 FPS. This is the most demanding setting and still provides performance far above the 60 FPS threshold, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again is the best choice, with an average of 129.4 FPS. This is a significant drop from 1080p but still leaves ample headroom above 60 FPS, suitable for 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitors.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 82 FPS, which is the best playable setting. The High preset is nearly identical at 83.4 FPS, but Ultra offers the same performance with higher visual quality. Users targeting a locked 60 FPS on a 4K display can enable Ultra without concern, as the average is 22 FPS above the threshold. For those who prefer maximum frame rates, the Medium preset at 136 FPS provides a substantial boost while still maintaining high visual fidelity.