Inside

The Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. Across all tested resolutions and settings, the measured average FPS never drops below 73, indicating a pairing that is more than capable of handling this title’s demands. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but exhibits a clear CPU headroom at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 270 in some configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo is telling. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 shows a performance cost, but the system remains fluid. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 170 at 1080p to 122 at 1440p, a 28% reduction. The scaling continues to 3840x2160, where the average FPS falls to 77, a further 37% drop from the 1440p result. This pattern indicates that the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the workload on the GPU increases significantly.

At Low settings, the scaling is more dramatic. The 1080p average of 273 FPS drops to 244 at 1440p, and then plummets to 154 at 4K. The 4K Low result represents a 44% decrease from the 1440p Low result. This steep decline at 4K, even with minimal graphical load, suggests that while the GPU is still the bottleneck, the CPU’s capabilities are being stretched to maintain such high frame rates. The 154 FPS average at 4K Low is still excellent, but the scaling curve shows that the i5-11400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is working harder to feed the GPU at lower settings.

The most interesting data point comes from the Medium preset. At 1080p, the average FPS is 252, which drops to 196 at 1440p and further to 123 at 4K. The 1440p to 4K drop of 37% is less severe than the Low preset’s 44% drop, but more severe than the High preset’s 37% drop. This suggests that the Medium preset is where the balance between CPU and GPU load shifts most noticeably. The frame pacing data for Medium settings shows a min FPS of 105 at 4K and 167 at 1440p, which are healthy values that indicate consistent performance without significant stutters.

The Ultra preset follows a similar trend to High, with averages of 162 at 1080p, 117 at 1440p, and 73 at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a 55% reduction in FPS, which is the largest relative drop of all presets. This is expected, as the Ultra preset places the heaviest load on the GPU, making the 8 GB VRAM and the GPU’s compute resources the definitive bottleneck at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination’s performance in Inside places it at rank 1970 out of 3716 tested combos. This puts it in the 53rd percentile of all configurations, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of the tested systems. Given the game’s age and the high FPS numbers, this rank may seem modest, but it reflects the fact that many modern high-end systems can achieve similar or higher frame rates in a game that is not graphically demanding.

The rank is likely influenced by the fact that the RX 9060 XT 8 GB is a mid-range GPU, while the i5-11400F is a capable but older CPU. The combination’s strength lies in its consistency across resolutions, rather than achieving top-tier absolute performance. The data shows that this combo is better suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can push well beyond 120 FPS, rather than for 4K gaming, where it still delivers playable but less impressive frame rates.

The combo’s rank of 1970 suggests that there is a significant portion of the database with better-performing hardware. However, the measured results indicate that for a game like Inside, this rank is more than sufficient. The system never dips below 73 FPS at any tested setting, which is a strong indicator of a smooth experience. The rank may be lower than some might expect given the FPS numbers, but this is due to the database including many high-end configurations that can achieve even higher frame rates in this lightweight title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its architecture is Rocket Lake, built on a 14 nm process. In Inside, the CPU’s role is to maintain high frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 273 FPS, which indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to reach those speeds.

The i5-11400F’s single-thread performance is crucial for a game like Inside, which is a puzzle platformer that may not scale perfectly across many cores. The CPU’s single-thread benchmark scores, such as 868 in 3DMark single-thread and 2981 in PassMark single-thread, suggest strong per-core performance. This is reflected in the game’s results, where the 1080p Low preset achieves a very high frame rate. The multi-threaded performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340, but the game likely does not fully utilize all 12 threads.

The CPU’s performance relative to its rivals is notable. It scores within 0.6% of the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G and 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-12450H in average benchmark scores. In the context of Inside, this means that the i5-11400F is not a limiting factor for the GPU at most settings. The data indicates that the CPU can handle the game’s logic and physics without bottlenecking the GPU, except perhaps at the very highest frame rates seen at 1080p Low.

The 65W TDP and 12 MB of L3 cache are sufficient for this workload. The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while not exceptional, is adequate for a game of this scope. The benchmark results show that the i5-11400F performs consistently, with the 1080p Low result of 273 FPS being a clear indicator that the CPU is not holding back the GPU in less demanding scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo’s performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 162 FPS, which drops to 170 FPS on High, 252 FPS on Medium, and peaks at 273 FPS on Low. The jump from High to Medium is significant, with a 48% increase in FPS, indicating that the Medium preset is where the GPU load is substantially reduced. The Medium preset also has the most detailed frame data, with a min FPS of 214 and a max of 290, showing strong frame consistency.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. The Ultra preset averages 117 FPS, High averages 122 FPS, Medium averages 196 FPS, and Low averages 244 FPS. The difference between Ultra and High at this resolution is minimal, with only a 5 FPS gap, suggesting that the High preset is a more efficient choice than Ultra for a negligible visual difference. The Medium preset’s min FPS of 167 and max of 225 indicate a stable experience, with the average of 196 being well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Ultra preset averages 73 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset averages 77 FPS, a marginal improvement. The Medium preset jumps to 123 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 154 FPS. The 4K results show that this combo is capable of 4K gaming, but only at lower settings. The Medium preset at 4K is the best balance of visual quality and performance, with a min FPS of 105 ensuring no major drops below 60 FPS.

The data reveals a clear hierarchy: Ultra and High settings are nearly identical in performance at 1440p and 4K, while Medium and Low offer significant FPS boosts. At 1080p, the gap between High and Ultra is only 8 FPS, but the gap between High and Medium is 82 FPS, making Medium the best option for high-refresh-rate monitors.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is a RDNA 4.0 architecture GPU with 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its boost clock is 3130 MHz, and it has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 322.3 GB/s. In Inside, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s visuals, and its performance is the primary factor in the FPS differences between settings.

The GPU’s VRAM capacity of 8 GB is more than sufficient for Inside, which is a game from 2016 with relatively modest texture requirements. The data shows that the GPU is not VRAM-limited, as the performance drops are consistent with resolution scaling rather than sudden spikes that would indicate memory overflow. The GPU’s 64 ROPs and 128 TMUs are well-suited for the game’s 2.5D perspective and lighting effects.

The GPU’s benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 4093, which places it in the 24th percentile of all GPUs. This score is surprisingly low, but it is important to note that the nearest rivals include the Intel HD Graphics 630 and NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, which are integrated or older mobile GPUs. This suggests that the RX 9060 XT’s benchmark score may be influenced by driver optimizations or the specific test’s workload, which may not be representative of its performance in Inside.

In the game, the GPU’s performance is strong, as evidenced by the 273 FPS average at 1080p Low. The GPU’s boost clock of 3130 MHz is high, which helps in achieving these frame rates. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 322.3 GB/s is also a factor, as it allows for fast texture fetching at higher resolutions. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, where even at Low settings, the average FPS drops to 154, showing that the GPU’s compute resources are being fully utilized.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset is the standout choice. With an average of 252 FPS and a minimum of 214 FPS, it provides a buttery-smooth experience that is well-suited for 144Hz or 240Hz monitors. The High preset at 170 FPS is also excellent, but the Medium preset’s 48% FPS increase makes it the better value for most users. The Ultra preset at 162 FPS is barely different from High, so it is not worth the potential visual upgrade unless the user prefers maxed-out settings.

For 1440p gaming, the Medium preset is again the best recommendation. Averaging 196 FPS with a minimum of 167, it maintains high frame rates that are ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset at 122 FPS is also viable for 120Hz monitors, but the Medium preset offers a 60% FPS increase. The Ultra preset at 117 FPS is nearly identical to High, so choosing High over Ultra is recommended for a slight performance boost with no discernible visual penalty.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the only sensible choice. Averaging 123 FPS with a minimum of 105, it ensures a smooth experience on 4K displays. The High and Ultra presets at 77 and 73 FPS, respectively, are playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced gameplay due to their lower frame rates. The Low preset at 154 FPS is an option for users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, but the Medium preset offers a good balance of visual quality and performance. The data clearly shows that Medium is the sweet spot for this combo across all resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 162.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 123, with a minimum of 105 and a maximum of 142.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 122. The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as the frame rate scales significantly when moving to Medium settings (196 FPS).

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 273, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1970 out of 3716 tested combinations for this game.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 73, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.