Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer with modest system demands, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti reflects this. The measured frame rates are exceptionally high across all resolutions, indicating that this combination is far more powerful than the game requires. The data shows a system that delivers triple-digit average FPS even at 4K, making the analysis primarily about understanding how the game's engine scales with settings and where the bottlenecks lie in this specific pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial but not catastrophic, revealing a system that transitions from a CPU-bound state at lower resolutions to a more balanced GPU-bound state at higher ones. At 1080p High settings, the combo produces 181.4 FPS average, while at 1440p High it drops to 162.9 FPS, a reduction of 18.5 FPS. Moving to 4K High yields 103.9 FPS, a further drop of 59 FPS from 1440p. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 3080 Ti is still capable of handling 4K with ease, but the relative performance loss from 1080p to 4K is significant.

The Low settings preset shows a similar trend with a smaller absolute range. At 1080p Low, the system hits 232 FPS, which falls to 207.9 FPS at 1440p and 180.4 FPS at 4K. The 51.6 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K Low suggests that even at lower graphical loads, the resolution increase still taxes the GPU noticeably. However, the fact that 4K Low still exceeds 180 FPS demonstrates that the GPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration; rather, the game's engine and CPU overhead cap the achievable frame rate.

The most telling data point is the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 178.6, which is only 2.8 FPS lower than High settings. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 155.4 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 97.9 FPS. The relatively small gap between High and Ultra at 1080p suggests that the CPU is the primary limiter at this resolution, as the additional GPU workload from Ultra settings does not significantly reduce performance. The larger gap at 4K, where Ultra is 6 FPS slower than High, indicates that the GPU begins to take on a more significant role at higher pixel counts. Overall, the scaling data shows a system that is heavily CPU-limited at lower resolutions, with the GPU becoming more relevant as resolution increases.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. In the context of Inside, a game that is not heavily threaded, this CPU's single-thread performance is the key factor. The 3DMark single-thread score of 688 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1453 indicate solid per-core performance, which is sufficient to drive high frame rates in this title.

The benchmark results show that the CPU is capable of pushing well over 200 FPS at 1080p Low settings (232 FPS), which is near the practical limit for many displays. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 1350 and 4-thread score of 2560 suggest that the CPU can handle the game's primary thread plus auxiliary tasks without bottlenecking. However, the data shows that even with a powerful GPU like the RTX 3080 Ti, the CPU caps performance at around 232 FPS in the best case, indicating that Inside does not scale beyond a few threads.

Comparing to nearest rivals, the i5-10400F's average benchmark score of 14168 places it 0.4% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7552 and 0.8% behind the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C. It is 1.1% behind the Intel Core i5-8500 and 1.2% behind the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546. These small deltas indicate that the CPU's performance is competitive with these alternatives, but its 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it is not a top-tier part. In Inside, this means the CPU will not be the limiting factor for most users, as the game's low requirements are easily met by this processor's capabilities.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a high-end graphics card based on the Ampere architecture, featuring 10,240 shading units and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus. It has a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz, with a memory bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. The GPU's launch MSRP is 1,199 USD. In Inside, this GPU is massively overqualified, as evidenced by the fact that it achieves 103.9 FPS at 4K High settings, a resolution and quality level that would strain most other cards.

The GPU's benchmark scores further illustrate its capabilities. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077 and Passmark G3D score of 26896 place it in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 41224 is 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, and 1.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070. These comparisons show that the 3080 Ti is a top-tier performer, but in Inside, its raw power is not fully utilized due to the game's simple graphics.

The VRAM capacity of 12 GB is more than sufficient for Inside, which is a 2D side-scrolling game with minimal texture requirements. The GPU's clock speeds are also ample for the game's demands. The data shows that at 4K Ultra settings, the GPU delivers 97.9 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS and indicates that even at the highest settings, the GPU has headroom. The GPU's role in this combo is to ensure that frame rates remain high regardless of resolution, but the CPU's limits prevent it from reaching its full potential at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 790th out of 1671 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the middle of the pack, which is surprising given the high-end nature of the GPU. The ranking reflects the fact that Inside is not a demanding game, and many lower-spec combos can achieve similar frame rates. The combo's performance is limited by the CPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU ensures high FPS at 4K.

The rank suggests that while this pairing is powerful, it is not optimized for this specific game. Many other combos, likely featuring faster CPUs, would achieve higher frame rates at 1080p, where the CPU is the bottleneck. However, the combo's 4K performance is strong, with 103.9 FPS on High settings, which is likely better than a significant portion of the tested combos. The data indicates that the ranking is skewed by the game's low requirements, allowing even mid-range systems to compete.

The percentile rankings of the individual components (CPU at 73rd, GPU at 83rd) do not translate directly to a high combo rank, highlighting that game-specific performance is distinct from synthetic benchmarks. In Inside, the combo's rank is more indicative of the CPU's limitations than the GPU's strengths. This is a key takeaway for users considering this pairing for other titles, as the balance between CPU and GPU is critical for optimal performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, all presets deliver over 178 FPS, making the choice between them purely about visual quality. The Ultra preset at 178.6 FPS is only 2.8 FPS slower than High, so it is the recommended choice for users who prioritize image quality without sacrificing performance. The Low preset's 232 FPS is excessive for most displays, and the difference between High and Ultra is negligible.

At 1440p, the same logic applies. The Ultra preset delivers 155.4 FPS, which is still well above 144 Hz refresh rates, and it is only 7.5 FPS slower than High. The Medium preset at 189.4 FPS is also viable, but the visual improvement from Medium to Ultra is likely worth the small performance cost. The data shows that the combo can handle Ultra at 1440p without any issues.

At 4K, the choice becomes more nuanced. The High preset at 103.9 FPS is the best balance of quality and performance, as it is 6 FPS faster than Ultra (97.9 FPS) and 60.7 FPS faster than Low (180.4 FPS). The Ultra preset is still playable, but the 6 FPS difference suggests that the GPU is starting to feel the load. The Medium preset at 164.6 FPS is also an option for those who want higher frame rates, but the visual fidelity drop may not be worth it. The recommendation is to use High settings at 4K for the best experience, as it provides a smooth frame rate without sacrificing too much visual quality.