Inside

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti delivers a decisive performance profile in Inside, a title whose modest system demands are reflected in the measured frame rates. This combination demonstrates that even a mid-range 2020 CPU can feed a high-end GPU effectively in a puzzle-platformer context, though the scaling data reveals specific bottlenecks at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides the computational foundation for this system, operating with 6 cores and 12 threads. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz define its ability to handle the game's logic and physics threads, while the 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 42.7 GB/s keep data flowing. The processor's benchmark scores place it in a specific performance tier: its PassMark multithread score of 12115 and Cinebench R23 multicore result of 10297 indicate solid multi-threaded capability, while the single-thread score of 1453 in Cinebench R23 and 2541 in PassMark single-thread show the per-core strength needed for lightly-threaded game workloads.

In the context of Inside, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU, but the data still shows its influence. At 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches 231.7 FPS, which is the highest measured result across all tested configurations. This suggests the CPU can sustain very high frame delivery, but the gap between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution—231.7 FPS versus 134.2 FPS—indicates that the graphics card is the primary limiter even at this entry-level preset. The processor's percentile rank of 73 against all CPUs, combined with its average benchmark score of 14168, places it within 1.1% of the Intel Core i5-8500 and 0.8% above the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C based on avgScore deltas, confirming it sits in a well-populated mid-range segment. For a game like Inside, which does not stress many threads, the 6-core/12-thread configuration provides ample headroom, but the benchmark results show that the GPU's workload dominates the frame rate equation.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-10400F compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 14168 places it 0.4% above the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115) and 1.1% above the Intel Core i5-8500 (14332). It trails the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C by 0.8% and the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 by 1.2%, indicating near-parity with its direct competitors.

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo in Inside?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 231.7 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the same resolution, Medium settings yield 213.1 FPS, High settings produce 142.8 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 134.2 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 3060 Ti bottleneck the CPU at any resolution?

A: At 1080p Low, the system achieves 231.7 FPS, which is the performance ceiling across all tests. The CPU's single-thread score of 1453 in Cinebench R23 suggests it could push higher, but the GPU's rendering limits at this preset cap the output, indicating a GPU-driven bottleneck even at lower resolutions.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1266 out of 1671 total combinations tested in Inside. This places it in the lower-middle percentile of all possible pairings, though the game's low system requirements mean even this rank produces playable frame rates.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the average FPS is 142.8, while at 3840x2160 High, it drops to 61.7 FPS. This represents a 56.8% reduction in average FPS when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Is the GPU's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for this game's Ultra settings?

A: At 4K Ultra, the system averages 62.7 FPS, and at 1440p Ultra it achieves 95.5 FPS. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth handles the game's textures without issue, as the measured frame rates remain above 60 FPS even at the highest resolution and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across resolutions shows a clear pattern of GPU limitation, with the CPU maintaining sufficient headroom at all tested points. Starting at 1080p Low, the system delivers 231.7 FPS, which falls to 203.9 FPS at 1440p Low and 124.6 FPS at 4K Low. This progression shows a 46.2% drop from 1080p to 4K at the lowest settings, indicating that the GPU's pixel throughput becomes increasingly strained as resolution rises.

At High settings, the scaling is more pronounced: 142.8 FPS at 1080p, 104.1 FPS at 1440p, and 61.7 FPS at 4K. The 56.8% decrease from 1080p to 4K at High settings, compared to the 46.2% drop at Low settings, suggests that the additional shading complexity amplifies the GPU's workload more than the raw pixel count alone. The Ultra preset follows a similar trajectory, with 134.2 FPS at 1080p, 95.5 FPS at 1440p, and 62.7 FPS at 4K, representing a 53.3% reduction from the lowest to highest resolution.

The limiting component shifts subtly with resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (231.7 FPS) and Ultra (134.2 FPS) is 97.5 FPS, indicating that the GPU's compute units are the primary constraint, as the CPU can deliver higher frame rates when the GPU is less burdened. At 4K, the same Low-to-Ultra gap narrows to 61.9 FPS (124.6 to 62.7), showing that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading rate become the dominant factors. The 4K Medium result of 100.8 FPS further confirms this, as it falls between Low and High, demonstrating a linear relationship between settings complexity and frame rate that is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti achieves a rank of 1266 out of 1671 tested combos in Inside. This position, while in the lower 24.2% of all pairings, must be interpreted within the context of the game's dated engine and low hardware requirements. The rank reflects the relative performance of this specific CPU-GPU pairing against all other combinations, and the measured data shows that it still produces excellent absolute frame rates.

The ranking suggests that many other tested combos include higher-end CPUs or GPUs that offer marginal gains in this title. However, the combo's own results—such as 213.1 FPS at 1080p Medium and 162.8 FPS at 1440p Medium—demonstrate that the pairing is well-balanced for the game's demands. The GPU's average benchmark score of 25120 and percentile rank of 69 against all GPUs, combined with the CPU's percentile of 73, indicate that neither component is a clear outlier within its respective market segment. The rank of 1266 also implies that while some combos outperform this pairing, the delta in real-world frame rates is likely minimal given the game's ceiling, as evidenced by the 231.7 FPS maximum at 1080p Low.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing for Inside, as its benchmark results and measured FPS demonstrate. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is essential for maintaining the high frame rates observed at 4K. Its GA104 chip, built on an 8 nm process with 17,400 million transistors, delivers 16.20 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, a figure that directly correlates with the shading throughput required for the game's visual effects.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range positioning: a PassMark G3D score of 20349 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result of 2626 place it within 0.5% of the AMD Radeon RX 6600 and 0.7% of the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP based on avgScore deltas. Its average benchmark score of 25120 and percentile rank of 69 against all GPUs confirm its standing as a capable but not top-tier card. In Inside, this translates to a minimum measured average of 61.7 FPS at 4K High, which is the lowest result across all tested configurations, yet still above the 60 FPS threshold. The GPU's 200 W TDP and PCIe 4.0 x16 interface ensure it can sustain these workloads without thermal or bandwidth limitations, and the 1x 12-pin power connector with a suggested 550 W PSU provides adequate power delivery. The measured data shows the GPU scaling predictably with settings, from 124.6 FPS at 4K Low to 62.7 FPS at 4K Ultra, indicating that its 4864 shading units and 80 ROPs are the primary determinants of performance in this title.