Inside

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer. The data shows this combination is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but the CPU’s six cores provide enough headroom to push very high frame rates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance metrics, settings scaling, and the specific roles each component plays in this title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Inside with this hardware?*

A: The data shows 2560x1440 with High settings provides an excellent balance, hitting 114 FPS average. This offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while still maintaining a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold, unlike the 4K Ultra preset which drops to 68 FPS average.

Q: How much of a performance drop occurs when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 159 FPS at 1920x1080 to 114 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 72 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 54.7% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, indicating the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 4K resolution?

A: The measured data shows the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 yields an average of 68 FPS. While this is technically above 60 FPS, it is the lowest measured average in the entire dataset and leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The High preset at 4K provides a more comfortable 72 FPS average.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compare to its close rivals?

A: The Core i5-11400F’s average benchmark score of 17177 places it slightly above the AMD EPYC 7H12, which scores 17120 (a 0.3% difference), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U at 17074 (a 0.6% difference). It trails the Intel Core i5-12450H by a 0.4% margin, which scores 17239.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and how does it relate to performance?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti features 11 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 352-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 484.4 GB/s. This substantial bandwidth is likely a key factor in maintaining high frame rates at 4K, where the GPU’s memory subsystem is heavily utilized for texture streaming.

Q: Does the CPU have an integrated GPU for fallback?

A: The FACT PACK lists the "integratedGraphics" field as null for the Intel Core i5-11400F. This means the processor does not include an integrated graphics unit, requiring a discrete GPU like the GTX 1080 Ti for any display output.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for optimizing the experience in Inside. At 1920x1080, all presets exceed 150 FPS average, making the choice purely about visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 151 FPS average, which is only 5% slower than the High preset’s 159 FPS, but the Low and Medium presets offer substantially higher speeds at 273 and 252 FPS respectively.

For 2560x1440, the High preset stands out as the optimal choice. It delivers a 114 FPS average, which is more than sufficient for a smooth experience on standard 144Hz monitors. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 109 FPS average, a marginal 4.4% decrease for potentially minor visual gains. The Medium preset at 183 FPS is viable for users with very high refresh rate displays, but the High preset’s balance of quality and speed is more compelling.

At 3840x2160, the data indicates that users should avoid the Ultra preset, as its 68 FPS average is the lowest in the dataset and could produce noticeable stutter in fast-moving scenes. The High preset at 72 FPS is the recommended choice for 4K, providing a playable experience. The Medium preset at 115 FPS is the best option for 4K users seeking high refresh rates, though it may involve a visible reduction in shadow quality and texture detail compared to High.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the GPU as the limiting component in this pairing. At High settings, the average FPS declines from 159 at 1920x1080 to 114 at 2560x1440, a 28.3% drop, and then to 72 at 3840x2160, a further 36.8% drop from 1440p. This steep decline with increasing pixel count is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, where the render output units (ROPs) and shading units are saturated by the higher resolution.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all presets. The Low preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with a 47.6% drop from 273 FPS at 1080p to 143 FPS at 4K. This suggests that even at the lowest settings, the GTX 1080 Ti’s pixel throughput is the constraining factor at 4K. The Ultra preset exhibits a similar trend, falling from 151 FPS at 1080p to 68 FPS at 4K, a 55% reduction.

This data indicates that the Core i5-11400F is not a bottleneck at any resolution. If the CPU were limiting performance, the frame rates would plateau or show diminishing drops as resolution increases. Instead, the consistent percentage declines point to the GPU’s fixed shading rate and memory bandwidth being the primary constraints, particularly at 3840x2160 where the 484.4 GB/s bandwidth is fully utilized.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Core i5-11400F and GTX 1080 Ti combination delivers exceptional performance. The Low preset achieves the highest average at 273 FPS, while the Medium preset records a 252 FPS average with a minimum of 214 FPS and a maximum of 290 FPS. The High preset produces a 159 FPS average, and the Ultra preset manages 151 FPS average, showing that even the most demanding settings at 1080p remain highly playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected reduction. The Low preset drops to a 228 FPS average, while the Medium preset records a 183 FPS average with a minimum of 155 FPS and a maximum of 210 FPS. The High and Ultra presets deliver 114 and 109 FPS averages respectively, with the 4.4% difference between them being nearly imperceptible in actual gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The Low preset still achieves a respectable 143 FPS average, but the Medium preset falls to 115 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS. The High preset drops to a 72 FPS average, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 68 FPS. The min FPS data for the Medium preset at 4K shows a 15.7% drop from the average, indicating some frame time variance in more complex scenes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing for Inside performance. Its 11 GB of GDDR5X memory, paired with a 352-bit bus, provides a bandwidth of 484.4 GB/s, which is critical for handling the game’s high-resolution textures and post-processing effects. The GPU’s 3584 shading units and 88 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 139.2 GPixel/s, which explains its ability to maintain 143 FPS at 4K on Low settings.

The GPU’s clock speeds, with a base of 1481 MHz and a boost of 1582 MHz, are relatively modest by modern standards, but the Pascal architecture’s efficiency allows it to perform well above its percentile ranking of 58. The benchmark data shows the GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 18600 is only 1.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060’s 15290, yet in Inside, the 1080 Ti’s high memory bandwidth proves decisive at higher resolutions.

The 16 nm TSMC process node and 11,800 million transistors on a 471 mm² die size contribute to the GPU’s power characteristics, but the measured FPS data shows that its raw throughput is what drives performance. The 250 W TDP and 600 W suggested PSU requirement are consistent with its high-end positioning, but the actual frame rates in Inside demonstrate that this older GPU still holds up well for this specific title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F provides a solid foundation for the GTX 1080 Ti in this game. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it offers sufficient parallel processing capability for Inside’s physics and logic systems. The CPU’s base clock of 2.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz, combined with a 12 MB shared L3 cache, ensures that it does not bottleneck the GPU at any tested resolution or setting.

The CPU’s benchmark scores confirm its mid-range positioning. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and single-core score of 2024 place it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs. The 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and multi-thread score of 5652 indicate that the processor can handle both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads without issue. In Inside, which is not a CPU-intensive title, this headroom means the GPU is always the primary determinant of frame rate.

The 14 nm Rocket Lake architecture, with its 276 mm² die size and 65 W TDP, shows that the CPU’s power efficiency is adequate for a desktop build. The memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s for dual-channel DDR4 is sufficient for the game’s data streaming needs. The fact that the measured FPS scales consistently with resolution, rather than plateauing, confirms that the CPU is not introducing a performance ceiling in this scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

The Core i5-11400F and GTX 1080 Ti combination ranks 2087 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the 56th percentile of all system pairings. This ranking reflects a balanced system where the GPU’s performance is adequate for the game’s requirements, but not exceptional by modern standards. The rank suggests that while this combo can play the game smoothly, many newer or higher-end configurations achieve higher frame rates.

The CPU’s percentile rank of 71 relative to all CPUs is higher than the GPU’s percentile rank of 58 relative to all GPUs. This disparity indicates that the GTX 1080 Ti is the weaker link in this pairing, even though it is not a significant bottleneck in Inside. The combo’s overall ranking is likely dragged down by the GPU’s age, as newer GPUs with more shading units and higher memory bandwidth would produce higher average FPS at 4K.

The measured FPS data supports this interpretation. At 1080p, the combo achieves 273 FPS on Low settings, which is higher than many modern systems. However, at 4K Ultra, the 68 FPS average is modest. The combo’s ranking of 2087 out of 3716 suggests that while it is above the median, there is substantial room for improvement, particularly in the GPU department. The fact that the GTX 1080 Ti’s nearest rival, the RTX 2060, has a very similar average benchmark score (15290 vs 15548) indicates that this GPU generation is at the edge of modern performance expectations for high-resolution gaming.