Inside

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination delivers overwhelming performance for Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. Benchmark data shows this pairing produces playable frame rates at every tested resolution and preset, with the weakest result being 66 FPS at 4K Ultra. The CPU, ranking in the 94th percentile among all processors, pairs with a GPU in the 59th percentile to create a system that never approaches the 60 FPS playability threshold. This analysis examines how this combo compares to nearby hardware, which component drives performance at each resolution, and what settings deliver the smoothest experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i7-14700KF sits in a tight cluster of high-end processors based on average benchmark scores. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F posts an average score of 69996, a mere 0.2% below the i7-14700KF's 70163. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX follows at 69875, trailing by 0.4%, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, a 0.9% gap. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K leads the group slightly with 70879, putting the i7-14700KF 1% behind. For gaming workloads like Inside, any of these processors would behave nearly identically, as the differences fall well within run-to-run variance. Users upgrading from any of these rivals would see no meaningful change in frame rates for this title.

On the GPU side, the Radeon RX 9060's average benchmark score of 16014 places it alongside several comparable cards. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, which is 0.7% higher, making it the closest performance match. The AMD Radeon R9 370X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 both score nearly identically at 15862 and 15852 respectively, each about 1% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 trails by 2.1% with a score of 15679. For Inside specifically, these GPUs would deliver nearly interchangeable frame rates at all settings. The RX 9060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth proves ample for this game's modest graphical demands.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals that the GPU handles the primary workload for Inside, with frame rates scaling dramatically across resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 247 FPS, dropping to 178 FPS at 1440p Medium and 112 FPS at 4K Medium. This pattern of roughly 30% performance reduction with each resolution step indicates GPU-bound rendering. The CPU's role remains secondary throughout, as the i7-14700KF's 20 cores and 28 threads provide far more processing headroom than a puzzle platformer requires. Single-thread performance, measured at 4480 in PassMark and 6235 in Cinebench R23, ensures no CPU bottleneck occurs even at high frame rates.

The scaling between presets reinforces the GPU-centric nature of this workload. At 4K, moving from Low to Medium reduces average FPS from 140 to 112, while jumping to High drops it to 70. The Ultra preset at 4K yields 66 FPS, barely below High. This suggests that the High and Ultra presets impose similar GPU loads, with diminishing returns beyond Medium. At 1440p, the same pattern emerges: Low produces 222 FPS, Medium 178 FPS, High 111 FPS, and Ultra 106 FPS. The 1080p results follow suit with 309 FPS at Low, 247 at Medium, 155 at High, and 147 at Ultra. The consistent roughly 50% drop from Medium to High across all resolutions indicates that preset scaling affects GPU shader and texture work significantly, while the smaller High-to-Ultra gap shows those two settings differ less dramatically.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Inside at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The measured 4K Ultra average is 66 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playability threshold. The minimum frame rate was not recorded for this preset, but the average provides sufficient headroom.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals for this game?

A: The RX 9060's average benchmark score of 16014 places it 0.7% below the RTX 3060 Ti, 1% above the R9 370X and RX 7700, and 2.1% above the Radeon Pro W5500. These differences translate to negligible frame rate variations in Inside.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 106 FPS, so all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) exceed 60 FPS. The best visual quality comes from Ultra while still providing nearly double the playability threshold.

Q: Does resolution scaling affect frame rates proportionally?

A: No. Dropping from 4K to 1440p roughly doubles frame rates at every preset. For example, 4K Medium averages 112 FPS while 1440p Medium averages 178 FPS, a 59% increase. Moving from 1440p to 1080p yields another 39% improvement, with 1080p Medium at 247 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor for Inside?

A: The GPU limits performance. Frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes, which indicates GPU-bound rendering. The i7-14700KF's single-thread score of 4480 in PassMark provides far more processing capability than this game requires.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Inside?

A: This combination ranks 2129th out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the upper 43% of systems. Despite the mid-pack ranking, the game's low graphical demands ensure excellent performance regardless of ranking position.

The Verdict

This PC runs Inside exceptionally well across all tested scenarios. The verdict data confirms that every resolution and preset combination delivers playable frame rates above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, the weakest result comes from the Ultra preset at 66 FPS, while Low reaches 140 FPS and Medium hits 112 FPS. The 1440p results show even greater headroom, with Ultra averaging 106 FPS and Low reaching 222 FPS. At 1080p, performance becomes almost excessive, with Ultra at 147 FPS and Low at 309 FPS. The best settings at each resolution—meaning the highest quality preset that still clears 60 FPS—are Ultra at all three resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 66 FPS provides only 6 FPS of headroom, so users sensitive to frame drops might prefer High at 70 FPS or Medium at 112 FPS for additional margin. At 1440p and 1080p, the Ultra presets offer comfortable buffers of 46 and 87 FPS respectively.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2129 out of 3716 tested combinations places it in the 57th percentile of all systems tested for Inside. This mid-field position might seem surprising given the hardware's capabilities, but it reflects the game's age and modest requirements. Many lower-spec systems can run Inside at high frame rates, compressing the performance field. The i7-14700KF's 94th percentile CPU ranking and the RX 9060's 59th percentile GPU ranking both exceed the combo's overall game rank, which indicates that Inside does not fully utilize either component's potential. The game's 2016 release date means even mid-range modern hardware achieves playable performance, making the combo's rank less meaningful than its absolute frame rates. For context, the 3716 tested combos span everything from entry-level integrated graphics to flagship multi-GPU setups, and this pairing lands comfortably in the upper half.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset delivers 66 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by 10%. This is the most demanding setting that remains playable, though users wanting more margin can select High at 70 FPS or Medium at 112 FPS. The Low preset reaches 140 FPS for those prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 106 FPS, providing 77% more performance than the playability threshold. High runs at 111 FPS, Medium at 178 FPS, and Low at 222 FPS. All presets offer substantial headroom, making Ultra the clear choice for visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1920x1080, Ultra achieves 147 FPS, more than double the 60 FPS target. High runs at 155 FPS, Medium at 247 FPS, and Low at 309 FPS. The 1080p results show that even the most demanding preset provides a comfortable margin, with the minimum recorded frame rate at Medium being 210 FPS. This system handles Inside at 1080p with such ease that users could enable maximum settings on high refresh rate displays without concern.