Inside

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Inside, a game that is fundamentally a 2D puzzle platformer despite its 3D rendering. The data shows this combination is massively overqualified for the title, with performance limited more by the game engine's frame presentation than by either component. The i5-10400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is a capable mid-range processor from the Comet Lake generation, using the Intel Socket 1200 platform and a 14 nm process node. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz can boost up to 4.30 GHz, and benchmark results indicate strong single-threaded performance, which is the primary driver for a game like Inside that relies on consistent frame pacing rather than heavy multi-threaded physics. While the CPU's multi-threaded scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10297, show it is a solid performer for general tasks, the game's measured FPS figures suggest that the processor is rarely the bottleneck, even at lower resolutions.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-10400F's architecture is well-suited to the demands of Inside. The game's side-scrolling perspective and limited on-screen dynamic elements mean that the CPU is primarily responsible for the game's logic, object tracking, and ensuring a stable frame delivery. The processor's 6 physical cores and 12 threads provide ample headroom for the game's single-threaded primary loop, while the boost clock of 4.30 GHz ensures high frequency response. In the measured FPS data, the combination of this CPU with the RTX 4080 SUPER yields an average of 234.1 FPS at 1080p Low settings. This high ceiling suggests that the CPU can easily feed the GPU, as the FPS scales dramatically with resolution, indicating a transition to GPU-bound scenarios rather than a CPU limitation.

The processor's benchmark profile reinforces this analysis. Its 3dmark single-thread score of 688 and Passmark single-thread score of 2541 indicate robust sequential processing capability, which is critical for maintaining high frame rates in games that are not heavily multi-threaded. The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache also helps in keeping frequently used game data close at hand, reducing latency. However, the data suggests that even at the highest settings, the CPU is not the limiting factor. For instance, at 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 125.4, but this is a 46% reduction from the 1080p Low figure, a drop that is more consistent with GPU workload scaling than a CPU bottleneck. The CPU's percentile rank of 73 among all CPUs further contextualizes its position, placing it in the upper-midrange, but its performance in this specific game is more than sufficient to avoid constraining the powerful GPU.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 SUPER in this game?

A: No. The measured FPS data shows that the frame rate scales consistently with resolution and settings, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 234.1 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 125.4 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the primary driver of performance, not the CPU.

Q: What is the expected performance at 1440p with High settings?

A: The data shows an average of 162.1 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This is a very high frame rate, well above the refresh rate of most monitors, ensuring a smooth experience.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 710th out of 1671 tested combinations in this game. This places it in the top 42% of all combos, which is a strong showing given the game's age and the high-end nature of the components.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of VRAM necessary for this game?

A: Not really. Inside is not a graphically demanding game by modern standards. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on the RTX 4080 SUPER is far more than the game requires, and the high bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s ensures there are no memory-related performance issues at any resolution.

Q: Does the game support high refresh rates with this hardware?

A: Yes, absolutely. At 1080p, all settings presets produce frame rates above 178 FPS, and even at 4K High, the average is 133.1 FPS. This means the hardware can easily drive a 144Hz or even 240Hz monitor at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the GPU's relative performance compared to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 53610, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (score of 53489) and 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (score of 53414). This places it in the top tier of GPUs.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a rank of 710 out of 1671 tested combos in Inside. This places the combo in the 57th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while it is not the absolute fastest configuration possible, it is significantly above the median performance level. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's raw power, as the CPU's contribution is less impactful in this title. The RTX 4080 SUPER's impressive benchmark scores, such as a 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 and a Passmark G3D score of 34245, demonstrate its dominance. The GPU sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, which is the primary driver of this combo's high frame rates. The CPU, while ranking in the 73rd percentile, is not the limiting factor here. This rank suggests that for users with high-refresh-rate displays, this combo provides an excellent experience, and for those with 4K displays, it still delivers playable and often very high frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 234.1 FPS on Low, 217.5 FPS on Medium, 181.6 FPS on High, and 178.5 FPS on Ultra. These figures show that the game is highly playable at all presets, with the difference between Low and Ultra being a modest 23.7% reduction in frame rate. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 205.9 FPS on Low, 195 FPS on Medium, 162.1 FPS on High, and 157.2 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is relatively small, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom. At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more demanding, with averages of 179.9 FPS on Low, 162.5 FPS on Medium, 133.1 FPS on High, and 125.4 FPS on Ultra. Even at 4K Ultra, the frame rate remains comfortably above 120 FPS, ensuring a fluid experience. The data shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern, where each step up in resolution or settings results in a predictable decrease in frame rate, with no anomalies or stuttering indicated by the average FPS figures.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K highlights the GPU's dominance in this configuration. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 234.1 FPS at 1080p to 205.9 FPS at 1440p (a 12% reduction) and then to 179.9 FPS at 4K (a 23% reduction from 1440p). This pattern suggests that the RTX 4080 SUPER is well-utilized, as the workload increases with pixel count. At Ultra settings, the scaling is steeper, with 178.5 FPS at 1080p dropping to 157.2 FPS at 1440p (a 12% reduction) and then to 125.4 FPS at 4K (a 20% reduction from 1440p). The fact that the 4K Ultra frame rate is still 70% of the 1080p Low frame rate indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions, which is not the case here. The data indicates that the i5-10400F is more than capable of feeding the GPU at all tested resolutions, and the performance drop is primarily due to the increased number of pixels the RTX 4080 SUPER must render.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p monitor, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 178.5 FPS. This provides the highest visual fidelity without sacrificing fluidity, as the frame rate is still well above 144 FPS. For 1440p displays, the High preset is recommended, offering an average of 162.1 FPS. This setting provides a perfect balance between visual quality and performance, ensuring a smooth experience on most high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1440p (195 FPS) is also a strong option if a user prioritizes maximum frame rates over visual detail. For 4K resolution, the High preset is the best choice, with an average of 133.1 FPS. This delivers a high level of detail while maintaining frame rates that are smooth on 120Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 4K (125.4 FPS) is also viable, but the marginal visual improvement over High is not worth the 5.8% performance penalty. In all cases, the data suggests that users should avoid Low settings, as the visual downgrade is significant and the frame rate gains are minimal, especially at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this configuration, and its specifications clearly explain the measured performance. The GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and uses a 5 nm process node from TSMC, allowing for a high transistor density of 121.1M per mm² on a 379 mm² die. It features a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2550 MHz, which, combined with its 10240 shading units, delivers a massive FP32 throughput of 52.22 TFLOPS. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s, ensuring that texture data is fed to the GPU cores without delay. This immense processing power is evident in the benchmark scores, with the GPU achieving a Passmark G3D score of 34245 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 246994. The GPU's percentile rank of 88 among all GPUs confirms its high-end status. In Inside, the GPU's role is to render the game's atmospheric lighting, shadows, and particle effects at high resolutions. The data shows that the GPU is fully capable of handling the game at 4K Ultra, with an average FPS of 125.4, proving that even the most demanding settings are not a challenge for this hardware. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 0.2% lower on average, highlighting the RTX 4080 SUPER's performance leadership.