Inside

The Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination delivers a thoroughly playable experience for the puzzle platformer Inside, with every resolution and preset tested exceeding the 60 FPS threshold. The CPU, with a launch MSRP of $589, and the GPU, with a launch MSRP of 299 USD, form a pairing that yields a combo rank of 1587 out of 3716 tested configurations. Measured data shows Ultra settings averaging 76.9 FPS at 3840x2160, 120.8 FPS at 2560x1440, and 170.5 FPS at 1920x1080. The CPU sits in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, and the game’s measured frame rates confirm that this system has ample headroom for the title’s demands.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i9-14900K posts an average benchmark score of 79097 across all tests. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900KF, scores 79371 with a deltaPct of -0.3, indicating near-identical compute performance. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574 (deltaPct -0.6), and the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041 (deltaPct -1.2). On the opposite side, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740 (deltaPct 1.7). For a game like Inside, where the CPU is not the primary constraint, any of these alternatives would produce frame rates indistinguishable from the i9-14900K. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39399.5 and single-core score of 2262.5, along with its Geekbench multicore score of 21697, demonstrate that all four rivals are within a fraction of a percent in raw throughput, so swapping to any of them would not change the measured FPS in this title.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M (26401, deltaPct -0.3), the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (26421, deltaPct -0.3), the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26553, deltaPct -0.8), and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (26011, deltaPct 1.2). These deltas are all within 1.2 percent of the RTX 5060’s average score, meaning that for Inside, swapping the RTX 5060 for any of these would yield nearly the same measured FPS. The RTX 5060’s Passmark G3D score of 20891 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3628 place it in a performance band where these four rivals are effectively equivalent. The data shows that the RX 6750 XT, despite having a lower average score of 26011, would still deliver frame rates within a small margin of the RTX 5060, given the game’s modest graphical requirements.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate ranges from 351.3 FPS on Low to 170.5 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, the range is 250.5 FPS on Low to 120.8 FPS on Ultra. At 3840x2160, the range is 160.9 FPS on Low to 76.9 FPS on Ultra. The absolute drop from Low to Ultra is 180.8 FPS at 1080p, 129.7 FPS at 1440p, and 84.0 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining performance as settings are raised, since the CPU’s capability (24 cores, 32 threads, boost clock of 6.00 GHz) is far beyond what Inside requires. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39399.5 and single-core score of 2262.5 underscore its headroom; even at 1080p Low, the frame rate of 351.3 FPS is not constrained by any CPU bottleneck.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra drops from 170.5 FPS to 76.9 FPS, a reduction of 93.6 FPS, reinforcing that the GPU is the limiting factor as pixel count increases. At 4K Ultra, the GPU still delivers 76.9 FPS, which is 16.9 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The GPU’s 8 GB GDDR7 memory, 128-bit bus, and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this title, and its 3840 shading units and 48 ROPs handle the pixel workload effectively. The CPU’s role is secondary: its Passmark multithread score of 58674 and single-thread score of 4697 show that it can feed the GPU without issue, but the game’s frame rate is governed by the GPU’s ability to render each frame. The data shows that at every resolution, the gap between Low and Ultra is proportionally similar, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1587 out of 3716 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the lower half of the field, roughly at the 43rd percentile (1587 divided by 3716 equals 0.427). Despite the CPU’s 95th percentile standing and the GPU’s 72nd percentile standing, the combo rank is lower because the game itself is not particularly demanding, and many higher-end GPUs are present in the test pool. The rank reflects the relative strength of the GPU within the pool; a higher-ranked combo would typically feature a more powerful GPU, but for Inside, the RTX 5060’s performance is more than adequate. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 79097 and the GPU’s average of 26331 contribute to a system that, while not at the top of the ranking, easily clears the 60 FPS threshold at all settings. The rank of 1587 indicates that a significant number of combos (2129) are slower, but the absolute performance is what matters for playability, and the data confirms that this combo is fully capable of running the game at maximum settings.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Inside. The verdict by resolution lists all four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) as playable at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080. The best settings per resolution are Ultra at all three, with average FPS of 76.9 at 4K, 120.8 at 1440p, and 170.5 at 1080p. Since the playable threshold is 60 FPS, the lowest margin is at 4K Ultra, which still sits 16.9 FPS above the threshold. No settings need to be lowered to achieve a smooth experience. The measured data shows that even the most demanding preset at the highest resolution remains well above the playable threshold, making this combo a reliable choice for Inside. The CPU’s integrated UHD Graphics 770 is irrelevant here, as the discrete RTX 5060 handles all rendering, and the system’s overall performance is sufficient for the game’s puzzle-platformer mechanics.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Inside at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 76.9, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p?

A: Ultra, with an average FPS of 120.8, is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to the AMD Radeon 860M?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331, while the Radeon 860M scores 26401 with a deltaPct of -0.3, indicating near-identical performance.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 1587 out of 3716 combos, placing it in the lower half of the test pool.

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

A: The GPU is the primary driver; the FPS drops from 351.3 (1080p Low) to 170.5 (1080p Ultra), while the CPU’s high benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multicore 39399.5) show it is not a bottleneck.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU?

A: The CPU launch MSRP is $589.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average FPS of 76.9. At 2560x1440, Ultra delivers 120.8 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra delivers 170.5 FPS. In all three cases, Ultra is the best choice, as it provides the highest visual quality while still maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data shows that no resolution requires a reduction to High or Medium to achieve playability; the RTX 5060 has sufficient headroom to run the game at its maximum settings across the board.

Measured FPS Breakdown

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 78.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 160.9 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 126.0 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 76.9 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 127.3 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 250.5 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 204.4 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 120.8 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 176.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 351.3 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 281.3 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 170.5 |

The measured FPS breakdown shows a clear progression: at each resolution, Low produces the highest frame rate, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra being the most demanding. The gaps between settings are substantial—at 1080p, Low (351.3) is 70.0 FPS higher than Medium (281.3), which is 104.9 FPS higher than High (176.4), which is 5.9 FPS higher than Ultra (170.5). At 4K, the same pattern holds: Low (160.9) exceeds Medium (126.0) by 34.9 FPS, Medium exceeds High (78.7) by 47.3 FPS, and High exceeds Ultra (76.9) by 1.8 FPS. These numbers confirm that the GPU is the primary scaling factor, with the CPU providing consistent support across all resolutions.