Inside

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 produces a wide spread of frame rates in Inside, depending on resolution and quality preset. The recorded data shows that this combination never drops below the 60 FPS playability threshold at any tested setting, and in most cases it delivers frame rates far above what a 60 Hz display requires. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, compares the combo against other tested hardware, and provides guidance on which settings to use at each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its highest raw performance. The Low preset reaches an average of 225.1 FPS, followed by Medium at 202.8 FPS, High at 172.3 FPS, and Ultra at 167.0 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 58.1 FPS, which represents a 34.8 percent reduction in average frame rate when moving from the least demanding to the most demanding preset. Even at Ultra, the average stays well above 150 FPS, meaning the CPU and GPU are both operating with substantial headroom. The data shows no minimum or maximum FPS values recorded for any resolution, so the analysis relies on averages, but those averages are consistently high enough to make stutter or frame pacing issues unlikely.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low preset averages 198.1 FPS, Medium drops to 184.7 FPS, High falls to 125.0 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 123.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 75.0 FPS, or a 37.9 percent reduction. Notably, the step from Medium to High at this resolution is steep: 184.7 FPS to 125.0 FPS, a 59.7 FPS drop. That suggests High preset introduces significantly more shading or post-processing work than Medium. The step from High to Ultra is much smaller, only 1.9 FPS, indicating that Ultra adds little extra cost over High at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are still comfortably above 60 FPS but show the largest relative impact from preset changes. Low preset averages 158.7 FPS, Medium averages 126.4 FPS, High averages 80.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 77.4 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 81.3 FPS, a 51.2 percent reduction. The transition from Medium to High is again the most punishing, with a 45.7 FPS drop from 126.4 to 80.7. High to Ultra only costs 3.3 FPS, mirroring the 1440p behavior. Even at 4K Ultra, the average of 77.4 FPS clears the 60 FPS threshold by a comfortable margin, so this combo is not struggling at any point.

Across all resolutions, the scaling from 1080p to 4K at the same preset shows where the GPU becomes the limiting factor. For Low preset, moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces the average by 27.0 FPS (225.1 to 198.1), and moving from 1440p to 4K reduces it by another 39.4 FPS (198.1 to 158.7). For Ultra preset, the drops are 43.9 FPS (167.0 to 123.1) and then 45.7 FPS (123.1 to 77.4). The larger absolute drops at higher resolutions indicate that pixel throughput becomes more important as resolution increases, which is expected for a GPU-heavy title like Inside.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this Intel Core i5-9400 plus RTX 5060 combination at rank 2208 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside. That puts it in the 59th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 40 percent of tested configurations deliver higher average frame rates in this game. The rank reflects the fact that Inside is not a demanding title, and many high-end combos will exceed these numbers, but the i5-9400 and RTX 5060 still land above the median.

The CPU alone sits at the 47th percentile when compared against all processors in the database, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 at 2259 (0.2 percent higher), the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248 (0.3 percent lower), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246 (0.4 percent lower), and the Intel Core i3-10305 at 2264 (0.4 percent higher). The differences among these CPUs are tiny, all within 0.8 percent of each other, so any of them would produce nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Inside.

The GPU performs better relative to its own field, sitting at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 26331. Its nearest competitors are the AMD Radeon 860M at 26401 (0.3 percent higher), the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 at 26421 (0.3 percent higher), the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary at 26553 (0.8 percent higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT at 26011 (1.2 percent lower). The close margins here mean that swapping the RTX 5060 for any of these GPUs would change Inside’s frame rates by only a few percent, not enough to alter the playability verdict.

The combo rank of 2208 out of 3716 suggests that while the individual components are mid-pack to above-average, their pairing does not push the system into the top tier for this game. That is primarily because Inside is lightly threaded and not graphically intensive, so even modest hardware can achieve high frame rates, and the ranking becomes more about raw CPU clock speed and GPU pixel fill than about advanced features.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The recorded average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 77.4, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The database lists Ultra as the best settings at 4K with that exact average.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from Low to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low preset averages 225.1 FPS while Ultra averages 167.0 FPS, a difference of 58.1 FPS. That is a 34.8 percent reduction from Low to Ultra.

Q: Which resolution shows the largest gap between Medium and High presets?

A: At 3840x2160, Medium averages 126.4 FPS and High averages 80.7 FPS, a 45.7 FPS drop. At 2560x1440, the same step costs 59.7 FPS (184.7 to 125.0), which is the largest single preset transition in the entire dataset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to bottleneck this system in Inside?

A: The GPU ranks higher than the CPU in the database (72nd percentile versus 47th percentile). The frame rate scaling with resolution shows larger absolute drops at 4K, indicating the GPU becomes more influential at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be near its limit, but the recorded FPS still exceeds 167 even at Ultra.

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

A: The database lists Ultra as the best settings at 2560x1440, with an average FPS of 123.1. All four presets are playable at 1440p, but Ultra offers the highest quality without dropping below 60 FPS.

Q: How does this combo compare to the median tested system for Inside?

A: It ranks 2208 out of 3716 tested combos, which places it at the 59th percentile. This means it performs better than most systems in the database, but a significant number of higher-end combos achieve higher average frame rates.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals are all within 0.4 percent of the Intel Core i5-9400’s average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264. In Inside, where the CPU is rarely the limiting factor above 1080p, swapping the i5-9400 for any of these would change FPS by less than one percent. The i3-10305 is the closest match in raw score, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is slightly slower but still within the same performance envelope.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show similarly tight margins. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401, the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011. The RTX 5060 sits at 26331, meaning the Radeon 860M is 0.3 percent faster, the MX550 is 0.3 percent faster, the RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary is 0.8 percent faster, and the RX 6750 XT is 1.2 percent slower. In practical terms, any of these GPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Inside at the same resolution and preset. The differences are so small that user experience would be indistinguishable.

A system built with the Intel Core i3-10305 and an AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT would be the closest overall alternative from the database’s perspective, with the CPU being 0.4 percent faster and the GPU being 1.2 percent slower. The net effect on Inside’s FPS would be negligible. Similarly, pairing the i5-9400 with a GeForce MX550 would yield performance nearly identical to the RTX 5060 in this specific game, since the GPU scores are only 0.3 percent apart.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data from Inside shows a clear pattern where the GPU becomes more important as resolution increases, while the CPU retains a more consistent role. At 1920x1080, the average FPS across all presets ranges from 167.0 to 225.1. The CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU at these rates, but the relatively small differences between presets (a 58.1 FPS spread) suggest that the GPU is not being pushed to its absolute limit. If the CPU were a bottleneck, the Low and Ultra presets would show less variation because the CPU would cap the frame rate regardless of GPU load.

At 2560x1440, the spread between Low and Ultra expands to 75.0 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it grows to 81.3 FPS. The increasing spread with resolution indicates that the GPU’s workload scales more steeply than the CPU’s. The CPU’s job in Inside is mostly fixed: it has to handle game logic, physics, and draw call submission, which do not change much with resolution. The GPU, however, must render more pixels at higher resolutions, so its load grows proportionally. The measured FPS drops of 27.0 FPS (1080p to 1440p at Low) and 39.4 FPS (1440p to 4K at Low) show that the GPU is the primary driver of performance changes.

That said, the CPU is not irrelevant. The i5-9400 has six cores and six threads, and Inside is a puzzle platformer that likely uses only a few threads. The single-core benchmark score of 935 in Cinebench R23 and 1389 in Geekbench indicates moderate single-thread performance, which is sufficient for this game. At 1080p with Low preset, the 225.1 FPS average suggests the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output. If the CPU were weaker, the Low preset at 1080p would show lower FPS because the GPU would be waiting for the CPU. The fact that 1080p Low hits 225.1 FPS while 4K Low hits 158.7 FPS confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU remains capable throughout.

The preset scaling also reveals the GPU’s role. Moving from Low to Medium at 4K costs 32.3 FPS (158.7 to 126.4), while moving from High to Ultra costs only 3.3 FPS (80.7 to 77.4). This nonlinear response suggests that the High preset already includes most of the expensive visual effects, and Ultra adds marginal improvements. At 1080p, the same transitions cost 22.3 FPS (225.1 to 202.8) for Low to Medium and 5.3 FPS (172.3 to 167.0) for High to Ultra. The GPU handles these effects more easily at lower resolutions, confirming that its headroom shrinks as pixel count rises.

The Verdict

This system can run Inside at every resolution and preset combination tested in the database. The verdict by resolution shows that all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160, with average FPS always above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, the lowest recorded average is 77.4 FPS at Ultra, which still leaves a 29 percent margin above the playability threshold. At 1440p, the lowest average is 123.1 FPS at Ultra, and at 1080p, the lowest average is 167.0 FPS at Ultra.

The database explicitly lists the best settings for each resolution. For 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra with an average FPS of 77.4. For 2560x1440, the best settings are Ultra with an average FPS of 123.1. For 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra with an average FPS of 167.0. In all three cases, the highest quality preset is also the recommended one, because the performance headroom is large enough to absorb the extra GPU load without dropping below 60 FPS.

For users with a 60 Hz display, this combo is overkill in the best way. Even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 77.4, which would require a display with a refresh rate higher than 60 Hz to fully utilize. For a 144 Hz monitor at 1440p, the Ultra preset’s 123.1 FPS average is close to the refresh rate but not quite enough for a locked 144 FPS. At 1080p, the 167.0 FPS average at Ultra exceeds 144 Hz, making this resolution the best choice for high-refresh-rate gaming. The verdict is clear: this PC can run Inside at maximum quality across all tested resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average FPS of 167.0. Since all presets exceed 60 FPS, there is no reason to lower quality for performance reasons. The database confirms Ultra as the best settings for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, averaging 123.1 FPS. The gap to the next preset, High at 125.0 FPS, is only 1.9 FPS, so choosing Ultra does not cost meaningful performance. Medium and Low are also playable, but they offer lower visual quality for no practical benefit.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra, averaging 77.4 FPS. This is the only resolution where the margin above 60 FPS is relatively slim, but it still clears the threshold by 17.4 FPS. High preset averages 80.7 FPS, which is slightly higher, but Ultra’s 77.4 FPS is still comfortably playable, and the visual upgrade is worth the small FPS cost. The database lists Ultra as the best settings for 4K, so users should not hesitate to use it.

In summary, the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination provides excellent performance in Inside at every resolution. The GPU is the more influential component, especially at 4K, but the CPU holds its ground at lower resolutions. With no preset below 60 FPS and Ultra recommended at all three resolutions, this system delivers a smooth experience regardless of display choice.