Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer with modest visual demands, and the measured frame rates for the Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 reflect that reality. The data shows a configuration capable of delivering exceptionally high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, with the primary performance ceiling shifting from the CPU at lower resolutions to the GPU at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the role of each component, and how this specific combination ranks against other tested hardware pairings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 clearly illustrates where the system’s bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 273 FPS, which drops to 222 FPS at 1440p and further to 140 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern—a reduction of roughly 19% from 1080p to 1440p and another 37% from 1440p to 4K—suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly. The relatively modest frame rate drop between 1080p and 1440p indicates that the Intel Core i5-11400F’s six cores and twelve threads are keeping pace with the GPU’s output at those resolutions.

However, the transition to 4K reveals a more GPU-bound scenario. At Ultra settings, 4K yields 66 FPS compared to 147 FPS at 1080p, a 55% decrease. This substantial drop indicates that the Radeon RX 9060’s rendering capacity becomes the primary constraint at higher pixel counts, particularly with more demanding graphical presets. Medium settings at 4K show a similar trend, with 112 FPS versus 247 FPS at 1080p, confirming that resolution scaling has a disproportionate impact on performance when the GPU is pushed harder.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (273 FPS) and Ultra (147 FPS) is 126 FPS. At 4K, this gap narrows to 74 FPS (140 FPS vs 66 FPS), which suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU’s raw pixel throughput becomes the dominant factor, reducing the relative impact of settings changes. This behavior is typical for a game like Inside, where the visual complexity is not extreme, and the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth play a larger role at 4K than the CPU’s processing speed.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake generation, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores indicate strong single-thread performance, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2024. For a game like Inside, which relies on consistent frame pacing rather than heavy multi-threaded workloads, this single-core strength is crucial. The CPU’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s provide adequate bandwidth for the game’s data streaming needs.

In the measured results, the CPU’s influence is most apparent at 1080p, where the frame rates exceed 270 FPS on Low settings. At this resolution, the GPU is not fully saturated, and the CPU’s ability to process game logic and issue draw calls becomes the limiting factor. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5619 and the max-thread score of 5652 show that the processor can handle concurrent tasks efficiently, but the single-thread performance is what drives the high FPS in Inside’s simpler scenes. The passmark single-thread score of 2981 further reinforces this, as the game’s physics and puzzle mechanics are largely serial in nature.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-11400F holds its own. It trails the AMD EPYC 7H12 by just 0.3% in average benchmark score, and it leads the Intel Core i5-12450H by 0.4%. This places it in a competitive position for gaming workloads, particularly where single-thread performance is prioritized. The CPU’s 71st percentile ranking among all processors indicates that it is a solid mid-range option, and for Inside, its clock speeds and core configuration are more than sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at any tested setting.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS across different presets provides clear guidance for optimizing the gameplay experience. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 147 FPS, which is already well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. However, the Medium preset offers 247 FPS, a 68% improvement over Ultra, with a minimum FPS of 210. For players with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Medium preset at 1080p is the best choice, as it provides a substantial frame rate boost while still maintaining visual quality that is likely indistinguishable from Ultra in a game with Inside’s art style.

At 1440p, the Medium preset yields 178 FPS with a minimum of 151 FPS, which is an excellent balance. The High preset drops to 111 FPS, still playable but not as fluid on 144Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 1440p produces 106 FPS, which is acceptable for most users but does not fully utilize the GPU’s potential. For 1440p, Medium is the recommended setting, as it offers the highest frame rate with a minimum that never dips below 151 FPS, ensuring consistent performance.

At 4K, the situation changes. The Low preset achieves 140 FPS, which is impressive, but the Medium preset provides 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS. The High preset at 4K drops to 70 FPS, and Ultra falls to 66 FPS. For a cinematic puzzle game like Inside, 4K at High or Ultra is viable for users with 60Hz displays, as the average FPS remains above the refresh rate. However, for those seeking higher frame rates, the Medium preset at 4K offers a good compromise, with a minimum FPS of 95 that prevents noticeable stutter.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 1694 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the 58th percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects a mid-tier position, which is consistent with the hardware’s specifications. The GPU’s 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs and the CPU’s 71st percentile ranking suggest that the combo is balanced, with neither component being a significant outlier. The rank indicates that while this setup performs well, there are many other combinations that deliver higher frame rates in this game.

In terms of relative performance, the RX 9060 is closely matched with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which has an average benchmark score of 16129 versus the RX 9060’s 16014, a difference of -0.7%. This places the RX 9060 slightly behind the RTX 3060 Ti in raw compute but ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 370X and RX 7700 by 1% each. For Inside, this means the GPU is capable of high frame rates, but it is not at the top of the performance hierarchy. The combo’s rank of 1694 out of 2887 suggests that users can achieve smoother performance with more powerful GPUs, but the current setup is far from inadequate.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2990 MHz and game clock of 2400 MHz are high for its class, and the 1792 shading units deliver 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. For Inside, which is not graphically intensive, the GPU’s pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s are more than sufficient to handle the game’s 2D-style visuals with ease.

The GPU’s role in the measured results becomes more pronounced at 4K, where the frame rates drop significantly compared to 1080p. At 4K Ultra, the RX 9060 produces 66 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra, it achieves 147 FPS. This 55% reduction is largely due to the increased pixel count, which stresses the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth. The 8 GB VRAM is adequate for Inside at all settings, as the game does not require large texture pools, but the 128-bit memory bus limits the bandwidth available at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s benchmark scores further contextualize its performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322 and the Passmark G3D score of 17631 indicate a mid-range GPU that performs well in older or less demanding titles. The nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti, has a slightly higher average score, but the RX 9060’s performance in Inside is still strong, with 4K Medium achieving 112 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is well-suited for this game, even at high resolutions, provided the settings are adjusted appropriately.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achieved by this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 273 FPS, achieved with the Low settings preset. The Medium preset reaches 247 FPS, while High and Ultra produce 155 FPS and 147 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti in benchmark scores?

A: The Radeon RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, while the RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, making the RX 9060 0.7% slower. This is a negligible difference in real-world performance.

Q: Is the i5-11400F a bottleneck at 4K resolutions?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 4K. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are significant (e.g., from 155 FPS to 70 FPS at High settings), indicating the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the lowest minimum FPS recorded across all tested settings?

A: The lowest minimum FPS is 95 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This still provides a smooth experience, as it remains above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What percentile does the CPU rank among all processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F ranks in the 71st percentile among all CPUs, indicating it is a solid mid-range processor. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, is 0.3% faster in average score.

Q: How many combos does this configuration beat in Inside?

A: The combo ranks 1694 out of 2887 tested combinations, meaning it outperforms 1193 other combos and trails 1693. This places it in the 58th percentile of all tested hardware pairings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 deliver the following average FPS across presets: Low produces 273 FPS, Medium achieves 247 FPS with a minimum of 210 and maximum of 284, High reaches 155 FPS, and Ultra yields 147 FPS. This resolution shows the highest frame rates, with the CPU and GPU working in tandem to exceed 240 FPS on lower presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but scales down as expected. Low settings deliver 222 FPS, Medium produces 178 FPS with a minimum of 151 and maximum of 204, High achieves 111 FPS, and Ultra reaches 106 FPS. The frame rates at 1440p are roughly 20-25% lower than at 1080p, which aligns with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. Low settings still achieve 140 FPS, Medium produces 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 and maximum of 128, High drops to 70 FPS, and Ultra falls to 66 FPS. The 4K results show a steep decline from 1440p, particularly at High and Ultra presets, where the frame rates are halved. Despite this, the combo maintains playable frame rates at all settings, making it a versatile option for Inside at any resolution.