Inside

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a robust experience in Inside, a 2D puzzle platformer where the emphasis is on atmosphere and physics rather than brute-force rendering. The measured data shows this combination is more than capable of handling the game’s demands across all tested resolutions and settings, with the primary performance ceiling shifting from the GPU at 4K to the CPU at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the scaling behavior, component roles, and optimal settings based strictly on the provided benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in this title. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo averages 155 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 reduces that to 111 FPS, a 28% drop. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 70 FPS, which is a 55% reduction from the 1080p figure. This steep decline as resolution increases indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at higher pixel counts, while the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions.

The data supports this further when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system hits an average of 309 FPS, which is exceptionally high and suggests the CPU is near its practical limit for frame generation in this scenario. At 1440p Low, it drops to 222 FPS, and at 4K Low, it settles at 140 FPS. The fact that 4K Low (140 FPS) is still higher than 1080p High (155 FPS) is telling; it demonstrates that the GPU can handle the pixel throughput at 4K when the graphical effects are minimal, but the gap between Low and High presets widens as resolution increases.

Specifically, the difference between Low and High settings is 154 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K. This pattern shows that the cost of enabling higher fidelity effects scales almost linearly with resolution, which is typical for a game that relies heavily on shader complexity and post-processing. The limiting component shifts decisively: at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance is the bottleneck, as evidenced by the 309 FPS ceiling on Low. At 4K, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become the dominant constraint, as seen in the 70 FPS average on High.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 70 FPS at 3840x2160 on High settings. While not extremely high, it is above the standard 60 FPS threshold. For smoother performance, dropping to Medium yields an average of 112 FPS, and Low reaches 140 FPS.

Q: What is the maximum achievable frame rate at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 309 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. On Medium, it drops to 247 FPS, and on High it is 155 FPS. This suggests that the CPU is the primary limiter at this resolution, as even the lowest settings cannot push beyond the 309 FPS mark.

Q: Is the i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RX 9060 in this game?

A: The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is indeed the limiting factor. The 309 FPS average on Low is likely near the CPU's maximum frame generation capability. However, at 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution. The CPU provides sufficient performance to avoid limiting the GPU at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the performance scale between Medium and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, the drop from Medium to Ultra is from 247 to 147 FPS, a 40% reduction. At 1440p, it goes from 178 to 106 FPS, also a 40% reduction. At 4K, the drop is from 112 to 66 FPS, a 41% reduction. This consistent scaling suggests that the Ultra preset adds a fixed percentage of rendering cost over Medium, regardless of resolution.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM pose any issues at 4K?

A: The benchmark results do not show any VRAM-related stuttering or frame drops. The minimum FPS recorded for 4K Medium is 95 FPS, which is a healthy value. The data suggests that 8 GB is sufficient for this game's textures and effects at 4K, as the average FPS scales predictably with settings.

Q: What is the performance gap between High and Ultra settings?

A: The gap is relatively small. At 1080p, High averages 155 FPS while Ultra averages 147 FPS, a difference of only 5%. At 1440p, High is 111 FPS and Ultra is 106 FPS, a 4.5% difference. At 4K, High is 70 FPS and Ultra is 66 FPS, a 5.7% difference. The visual improvement from Ultra may not justify the FPS cost, as the performance penalty is minimal but consistent.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060's specifications directly influence the measured results. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2990 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz. The benchmark scores place it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, scores 16129, a delta of -0.7%, indicating the RX 9060 is effectively a peer to that card.

In Inside, the GPU's role is most apparent at 4K. The jump from Low to Medium settings at 3840x2160 increases the average FPS from 140 to 112, a 20% reduction. This is a significant cost, and it highlights the GPU's shading and texture processing limits. The 288.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth appears sufficient for this title, as the minimum FPS on 4K Medium is 95 FPS, which is stable.

The GPU's 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs govern the pixel throughput. The pixel rate is 191.4 GPixel/s, which helps explain why the card can still manage 140 FPS at 4K Low. However, enabling higher presets introduces more complex pixel shaders, which drops the frame rate to 70 FPS on High. The data shows that this GPU is a capable 1440p performer for this game, with a 178 FPS average on Medium, and it can handle 4K if the user is willing to adjust settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1615 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the 56th percentile of all tested systems. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the high FPS numbers, but it likely reflects that many other tested combos include more powerful CPUs and GPUs that push even higher frame rates in this lightly-threaded title.

The CPU itself has an average benchmark score of 18683, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-14100F, which scores 18519 (a 0.9% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330, which scores 18811 (a -0.7% delta). This indicates the i5-12400 is a solid mid-range performer. The GPU's average score of 16014 puts it in the 59th percentile, near the RTX 3060 Ti.

The combo's rank suggests that while the individual components are competent, the system as a whole is not in the top tier for this specific game. This is likely because Inside can achieve extremely high frame rates on any modern hardware, and the top combos are achieving 500+ FPS. The 1615 rank is not a negative indicator; rather, it reflects the sheer volume of high-end systems tested. For a practical gaming setup, the 309 FPS maximum at 1080p Low is a strong result.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is derived directly from the measured FPS table.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 309 FPS, no min/max data.
• Medium: Average 247 FPS, min 210 FPS, max 284 FPS.
• High: Average 155 FPS, no min/max data.
• Ultra: Average 147 FPS, no min/max data.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 222 FPS, no min/max data.
• Medium: Average 178 FPS, min 151 FPS, max 204 FPS.
• High: Average 111 FPS, no min/max data.
• Ultra: Average 106 FPS, no min/max data.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 140 FPS, no min/max data.
• Medium: Average 112 FPS, min 95 FPS, max 128 FPS.
• High: Average 70 FPS, no min/max data.
• Ultra: Average 66 FPS, no min/max data.

The Medium preset is the only one with minimum and maximum FPS data, showing a consistent frame pacing at all resolutions. The 4K Medium minimum of 95 FPS is particularly notable, as it shows the system can maintain a stable experience even at high resolution. The 1080p Medium minimum of 210 FPS demonstrates there is no CPU-related stutter.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display and preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity.

For a 1080p display with a 144 Hz or 165 Hz refresh rate, the High preset at 155 FPS is the best choice. It provides a smooth experience above 144 FPS and offers better visual quality than Medium. The Ultra preset at 147 FPS is also viable, but the 5% performance penalty over High is not worth the marginal visual upgrade. For 240 Hz displays, the Medium preset at 247 FPS is the only way to approach that refresh rate, but it requires a step down in visual quality.

For a 1440p display, the High preset at 111 FPS is the sweet spot for a 120 Hz monitor. It provides a near-flawless experience. If the user has a 144 Hz display, the Medium preset at 178 FPS is the better option, as it comfortably exceeds the refresh rate and provides smoother motion. The Ultra preset at 106 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz displays but leaves performance on the table for higher refresh rates.

For a 4K display, the Medium preset at 112 FPS is the recommended choice. It offers a significant improvement over High (70 FPS) and maintains a stable minimum of 95 FPS. The High preset is playable at 70 FPS, but the Medium preset provides a much more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 66 FPS is only suitable for users who prioritize maximum visual fidelity over frame rate stability, as it leaves no headroom for demanding scenes.

In summary, the Medium preset is the most balanced option across all resolutions, providing high frame rates without sacrificing too much visual quality. The High preset is best for 1080p and 1440p users with standard 60 Hz or 120 Hz displays, while 4K users should stick to Medium to ensure a consistently smooth experience.