Inside

The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination delivers exceptional performance in Inside, securing a rank of 526 out of 1671 tested combos, placing it firmly in the top third of all configurations. This pairing proves to be overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures that even at 1080p, the system never becomes a bottleneck. The data indicates a supremely capable setup for this puzzle platformer, capable of delivering buttery-smooth frame rates at any setting, with the only meaningful compromises appearing at 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 526 out of 1671 tested configurations puts it in the 69th percentile of all tested pairings, a strong result that reflects a balanced, high-end pairing. This position is driven by the GPU's exceptional raw power, as the RX 6800 XT sits in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, while the i5-12400 holds a respectable 77th percentile among CPUs. The system's overall performance is not hindered by a weak link; rather, it reflects how a capable mid-range CPU can fully feed a high-end graphics card in a game like Inside, which is not heavily threaded. The GPU's dominance in this pairing is clear, as its benchmark scores are nearly two and a half times higher than the CPU's average benchmark score, indicating the graphics card is the primary driver of the frame rates we see.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 6800 XT is the undisputed star of this configuration. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the relatively modest texture and geometry demands of Inside. The GPU's clock speeds are high, with a base of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. These clocks, combined with 4608 shading units and 128 ROPs, allow for massive pixel throughput, evidenced by its 288.0 GPixel/s pixel rate. This raw power is why the system can push 318.6 FPS at 1080p Low. The GPU's performance relative to its peers is strong, with its average benchmark score placing it 2.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, a direct competitor. This lead in synthetic benchmarks translates directly to the high frame rates observed in the game's measured results.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a clear picture of a GPU-bound system. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 210.9 FPS to 155.3 FPS, a decrease of approximately 26%. The subsequent jump to 4K at High settings yields 97.2 FPS, another 37% drop from 1440p. This steep decline with increasing resolution is the classic signature of a GPU-limited scenario; the CPU is able to feed frames fast enough at lower resolutions, but the GPU's rendering workload becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises. This is further confirmed by the fact that the frame rate at 1080p Low (318.6 FPS) is nearly identical to the frame rate at 1440p Low (285.8 FPS), showing that the CPU can keep up even at very high frame rates, leaving the GPU to do the heavy lifting as resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the "High" preset offers the optimal balance of visual fidelity and performance for this hardware. At 1440p High, the system produces 155.3 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most high-refresh monitors. Even at 4K High, the system maintains 97.2 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience on a 4K display. The "Ultra" preset, while offering marginal visual gains, exacts a heavy performance penalty: at 4K, it drops to 90 FPS, and at 1440p it falls to 146.2 FPS. Given that the jump from High to Ultra provides diminishing returns in a game with Inside's art style, High is the recommended setting. For players with 240Hz+ monitors at 1080p, the "Medium" preset, which delivers 290.6 FPS, might be a better choice to maximize the display's potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system is a powerhouse. The Low preset yields an average of 318.6 FPS, while Medium produces 290.6 FPS. High settings still deliver an outstanding 210.9 FPS, and even the demanding Ultra preset averages 203.4 FPS. The performance is uniformly high, with no preset dipping below the 200 FPS threshold.

At 1440p, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. The Low preset averages 285.8 FPS, and Medium is close behind at 243.9 FPS. High settings provide a very smooth 155.3 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming. Ultra settings drop to 146.2 FPS, still a very playable and fluid experience.

At 4K, the GPU begins to show its limits. The Low preset averages a very playable 189.6 FPS, and Medium stays high at 155.4 FPS. High settings produce 97.2 FPS, which is suitable for a 60Hz or 120Hz 4K display. The Ultra preset drops to 90 FPS, which is the only setting that dips below the 95 FPS mark and represents the most demanding configuration tested.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K with high refresh rates?*

A: Yes. At 4K with High settings, the system averages 97.2 FPS, which is sufficient for a 120Hz display. For a standard 60Hz 4K monitor, even the Ultra preset at 90 FPS provides a flawless experience.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear limiting factor. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases (from 318.6 FPS at 1080p Low to 189.6 FPS at 4K Low), which is the classic indicator of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's performance is sufficient to feed the GPU at all settings.

Q: What is the best setting to use for competitive play?

A: For the absolute highest frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p provides 318.6 FPS. However, the Medium preset at 1080p still offers 290.6 FPS, which is likely to be indistinguishable in practice while offering better visuals.

Q: How does the RX 6800 XT compare to a modern high-end competitor?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, the RX 6800 XT is 2.6% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER. This performance edge is reflected in the high frame rates measured in this game.

Q: Is the i5-12400 a good match for the RX 6800 XT?

A: Yes. The i5-12400's benchmark scores place it nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-9700, with a delta of just 0.1%. This level of performance is more than adequate to prevent a CPU bottleneck in Inside, allowing the RX 6800 XT to perform to its full potential.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 plays a supporting but crucial role in this configuration. With 6 cores and 12 threads, and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, it provides ample processing power for the game's logic and physics. The CPU's single-threaded performance is particularly important for a game like Inside, which relies on a single primary game thread. Its 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 and passmark_single_thread score of 3456 are strong, ensuring that the main game loop is never starved for processing power. The CPU's average benchmark score of 19850 is essentially on par with the Intel Core i7-8700, which trails by only 0.2%, and the Intel Core i7-9700, which is a mere 0.1% behind. This indicates that the i5-12400 offers performance in the same class as older, higher-tier i7 processors, making it an excellent partner for the high-end RX 6800 XT. The data confirms that this CPU does not hold the GPU back, as evidenced by the massive frame rates achieved even at lower resolutions where CPU load is highest.