Inside

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a fascinating case study in bottleneck dynamics for Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer. The benchmark data reveals a system where the capable six-core processor is consistently held back by an integrated GPU that ranks in the bottom percentile of all tested graphics hardware. While the combination can achieve playable frame rates at lower resolutions and settings, its overall standing among 2,887 tested combos is low, reflecting the GPU's fundamental limitations.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combination in Inside?*

A: The combo ranks 2547 out of 2887 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom percentile of systems tested for this game. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the Intel Arc B390's graphics performance, which sits in the 9th percentile against all other GPUs.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-11400F compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 17,177, placing it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, scores 17,120, which is a 0.3% difference. The Intel Core i5-12450H is slightly ahead at 17,239, a -0.4% delta, while the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G leads at 17,278, a -0.6% difference.

Q: What is the best frame rate achieved by this system in the measured data?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 156 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is more than double the 74 FPS average seen at the same resolution with Ultra settings, indicating the GPU is the primary limiter.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K resolution in Inside?*

A: At 3840x2160 resolution, the system produces an average of 35 FPS on High settings and 34 FPS on Ultra. While the Medium preset yields a better 56 FPS average with a minimum of 48 FPS, the performance at 4K is generally marginal and not consistently smooth.

Q: What is the GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals in the benchmark database?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1,482. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1,463, which is a 1.3% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1,443, a 2.7% delta, indicating the Arc B390 is only slightly faster than these older, low-end parts.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 resolution, the system achieves 112 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 53 FPS on Ultra settings. The Medium preset offers a middle ground at 90 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on Intel's Rocket Lake architecture, using a 14 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and its 65 W TDP makes it a mainstream desktop part. The processor's memory bandwidth is rated at 51.2 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR4 interface, which provides adequate data throughput for most gaming scenarios.

In synthetic tests, the i5-11400F demonstrates solid multi-threaded capability. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14,340 and Geekbench multicore score of 7,737 show that it can manage complex workloads. The Passmark multithread score of 16,908 reinforces this, while the single-thread performance, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,024, is also respectable for its generation. These scores place the CPU in the 71st percentile against all processors, with a performance profile that is essentially neck-and-neck with the AMD EPYC 7H12, which has an average score of 17,120 versus its own 17,177.

For Inside, the CPU's role is not the primary constraint. The game is a puzzle platformer, which typically does not demand extreme multi-core processing power. The data supports this interpretation: the CPU is never the bottleneck, as frame rates scale directly with GPU load changes from settings adjustments. When the GPU is under less stress at Low settings, the CPU is able to feed it frames at up to 156 FPS at 1080p. The processor's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes offer a capable foundation, but in this specific pairing, its power is left largely untapped.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It features 1,536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory is system-shared, meaning it uses a portion of the main system RAM, and its bandwidth is system-dependent. This is a fundamental limitation for gaming, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access.

The GPU's compute capabilities are modest, with a FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 1,482 points, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This score is only marginally better than its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which scores 1,443 points, a 2.7% difference. The data clearly shows that the Arc B390 is positioned at the very low end of the graphics performance spectrum.

This GPU limitation is directly reflected in the Inside frame rates. The measured FPS drops dramatically as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the system hits 156 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it falls to 74 FPS. This pattern holds across all resolutions, with the gap widening at higher pixel counts. The GPU's inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K, where it averages only 34-35 FPS on High and Ultra settings, confirms that it is the definitive performance bottleneck in this configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combination illustrate a system that is capable of smooth performance only at lower graphical demands. At 1920x1080, the most common resolution, the system shows a wide range of performance. With Low settings, it averages 156 FPS. This drops to 125 FPS on Medium, which has a measured minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 144 FPS. High settings yield 78 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 74 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset produces an average of 112 FPS, which is still very playable. The Medium preset averages 90 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS. High settings drop the frame rate to 56 FPS, and Ultra settings settle at 53 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 22 FPS drop, while the step from High to Ultra is only 3 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is running out of headroom at these higher settings.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain consistently smooth gameplay. The Low preset averages 70 FPS, which is the only setting at this resolution that provides a clearly playable experience. The Medium preset averages 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS. High and Ultra settings are nearly identical, averaging 35 FPS and 34 FPS respectively. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo beyond the Low preset, and even that is borderline.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall ranking of this system within the benchmark database is 2547 out of 2887 total combinations. This position places it firmly in the lower quartile of all tested systems for Inside. The primary reason for this low ranking is the Intel Arc B390's performance, which is in the 9th percentile against all GPUs. The CPU, by contrast, is a relatively strong component, ranking in the 71st percentile against all CPUs.

This disparity creates a significant imbalance. The i5-11400F's performance, as measured by its average benchmark score of 17,177, is not the limiting factor. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-12450H and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G, have average scores within 0.6% of its own, showing that it is a competitive processor. However, the GPU's average score of 1,482 is only slightly higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, a legacy entry-level card.

The result is a system that is held back by its graphics solution. While the CPU could likely push much higher frame rates in Inside if paired with a more powerful discrete GPU, the Arc B390's integrated nature caps the overall performance. The ranking of 2547 out of 2887 reflects this reality, showing that while the combination is functional, it is not competitive with the vast majority of other systems in the database for this specific game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this system depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 125 FPS, with a minimum of 106 FPS, ensuring no drops below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset, at 78 FPS, is also viable, but the Medium preset provides a larger safety margin for more complex scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is again the recommended setting. It achieves an average of 90 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS, which is sufficient for a responsive experience. The Low preset, at 112 FPS, is also excellent, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. The High and Ultra presets, at 56 FPS and 53 FPS respectively, are playable but dip below the 60 FPS mark, which may be noticeable in a game that relies on precise platforming.

At 3840x2160, the options are limited. The Low preset is the only setting that provides a consistently playable frame rate, averaging 70 FPS. The Medium preset, with an average of 56 FPS and a minimum of 48 FPS, is playable but may experience occasional stutters. The High and Ultra presets, averaging 35 FPS and 34 FPS, are not recommended for a smooth experience. For users prioritizing a stable frame rate at 4K, the Low preset is the only sensible choice, while those who value visual quality over performance should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p and using the Medium preset.