Inside

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB paired with the Intel Core i5-12400 delivers a remarkably fluid experience in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far more demanding on the GPU at higher resolutions than its minimalist aesthetic suggests. The measured frame rates show that this combination scales from excellent 1080p performance to surprisingly playable 4K, though the relationship between settings and resolution reveals distinct bottlenecks. Benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at 4K, while the CPU’s six cores provide ample headroom at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the data across resolution scaling, settings, and component roles.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals the GPU as the limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 170 FPS at 1920x1080 to 122 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 48 FPS, and then further down to 77 FPS at 3840x2160. This trajectory shows a 54.7% performance loss from 1080p to 4K, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound rendering, as the RX 9060 XT’s 8 GB memory and 322.3 GB/s bandwidth are taxed by the increasing pixel workload. The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is not fully stressed, leaving headroom, but at 4K, the GPU’s capabilities are the ceiling.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 317 at 1080p to 245 at 1440p, and then to 154 at 4K. This represents a 51.4% decline from 1080p to 4K, nearly identical to the High preset’s drop. The uniformity of this percentage across presets indicates that the resolution scaling factor is independent of graphical complexity; the GPU’s pixel throughput, rated at 200.3 GPixel/s, is the consistent bottleneck. Even at Ultra settings, where the GPU is most heavily loaded, the drop from 162 FPS at 1080p to 73 FPS at 4K is a 54.9% reduction, reinforcing that the 4K resolution is the dominant stressor.

Interestingly, the gap between 1440p and 4K is larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p for every preset. For example, at Medium settings, the FPS goes from 272 at 1080p to 196 at 1440p (a 76 FPS drop), but then falls to 123 at 4K (a 73 FPS drop). The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is 37.2%, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 27.9%. This nonlinear scaling suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth of 322.3 GB/s becomes critically strained at 4K, as the 128-bit bus width struggles to feed the shading units with the increased data required for higher resolutions. The data clearly shows that 4K is the resolution where the RX 9060 XT’s 8 GB VRAM and bus width are most exposed.

For gamers targeting high refresh rates, the 1080p results are exceptional, with all presets exceeding 160 FPS on average. The 1440p High setting at 122 FPS is also suitable for 120 Hz displays, but 4K Ultra at 73 FPS is the only preset that dips below the 75 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU is the absolute limit at this resolution. The measured data points to a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p, but requires settings reductions to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance on which preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 4K yields an average of 73 FPS, which is playable but close to the edge of smoothness for many displays. However, the step down to High at 4K provides a significant boost to 77 FPS, a marginal 5.5% improvement, suggesting that the jump from High to Ultra is not particularly costly at this resolution. This is unusual, as Ultra typically demands much more, but the data shows only a 4 FPS difference, indicating that the game’s Ultra preset may not add substantial GPU load over High.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 122 FPS, which is a strong result for a 120 Hz monitor. The Medium preset jumps to 196 FPS, a 60.7% improvement over High, but this comes with a visible reduction in visual fidelity. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot at 1440p, as it offers a high frame rate while presumably retaining most of the graphical features. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 117 FPS, nearly identical to High, which further confirms that the High-to-Ultra gap is minimal in this game.

At 1080p, the High preset achieves 170 FPS, which is more than enough for any mainstream display. The Medium preset reaches 272 FPS, and Low hits 317 FPS, but these higher frame rates are unlikely to be perceptible on most monitors, which cap at 144 Hz or 240 Hz. The data indicates that High is the optimal choice at 1080p, as it provides a frame rate well above the refresh rate of typical displays without sacrificing the visual quality that Medium or Low would remove. The Ultra preset at 1080p, at 162 FPS, is only 8 FPS slower than High, so players with very high refresh rate panels could use Ultra without a meaningful penalty.

The best experience per the measured rows is the High preset at 1440p. It delivers 122 FPS, which is above the 120 Hz threshold, and the resolution offers a significant sharpness improvement over 1080p. The data shows that High at 1440p is the most balanced configuration, as it avoids the 4K GPU strain that drops frame rates to the 70s, while still providing a smooth, high-fidelity image. For players with 4K displays, High at 77 FPS is the recommended preset, as it is only 4 FPS slower than Ultra but may offer better stability, though the measured data shows no min FPS for High, making the Medium preset at 4K, with a min FPS of 105, the safer choice for consistent frame pacing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 provides six cores and twelve threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In Inside, a puzzle platformer that is not typically CPU-intensive, these specifications are more than sufficient. The benchmark results for the CPU show strong single-thread performance, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1848, which are critical for games that rely on a single main thread for game logic. The data suggests that the i5-12400’s single-thread capability is a key asset, as it prevents the CPU from becoming a bottleneck even at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom.

The CPU’s multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989, is also robust, but Inside likely does not utilize all 12 threads. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 317 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that could potentially be limited by the CPU if it were weak. However, the i5-12400’s 3dmark_max_threads score of 5890 indicates strong multi-threading, and the data confirms that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent across presets, which would not be the case if the CPU were causing a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The CPU’s cache hierarchy, with 18 MB of shared L3 cache, is ample for a game like Inside, which has a small memory footprint. The 65 W TDP and Alder Lake architecture provide efficient performance, but the clock speeds of 2.50 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost are the primary drivers of gameplay responsiveness. The benchmark data shows a Passmark single-thread score of 3456, which is competitive, and the 3dmark_2_threads score of 1692 suggests that the CPU can handle the dual-threaded workloads common in game engines. Overall, the CPU’s role in this combo is to provide consistent, high-frequency execution without introducing frame drops, and the data indicates it performs this role admirably.

The CPU’s percentile vs all CPUs is 72, indicating it is in the top 28% of processors, but this ranking is based on synthetic benchmarks that may not translate directly to Inside. The nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i3-14100F with a 0.9% higher average score, show that the i5-12400 is in a competitive mid-range position. For this game, the CPU’s six cores are more than adequate, as the FPS data shows no signs of CPU limitation, even at 1080p Low where the GPU is least stressed. The measured results are purely GPU-bound, which is the expected behavior for a well-optimized puzzle platformer.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB ranks 1806 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the 51.4th percentile, meaning it performs better than just over half of all tested configurations. This rank is somewhat surprising given the high frame rates measured, but it reflects the fact that the RX 9060 XT 8 GB is a lower-tier GPU, as indicated by its percentile vs all GPUs of 24. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 4093 in 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 is modest, and its nearest rivals include the Intel HD Graphics 630 and NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, which are much older and weaker parts.

The combo’s rank is primarily dragged down by the GPU’s performance class, not the CPU. The i5-12400 has a percentile vs all CPUs of 72, which is solid, but the GPU’s percentile of 24 is below average. This creates a mismatch where the CPU is capable of driving higher frame rates, but the GPU is the limiting factor. The data shows that the combo rank of 1806 is consistent with a mid-range CPU paired with an entry-level GPU. For comparison, the GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M, has a deltaPct of 1.5%, meaning it scores 1.5% higher in the 3dmark benchmark, but this does not directly translate to game performance.

In the context of Inside, the combo rank is still respectable because the game is not demanding. The measured FPS at 1080p High is 170, which is higher than many combos with more powerful GPUs would achieve, but the rank is based on the overall dataset of combos, which includes systems with flagship GPUs. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates, but it will not compete with high-end systems in the rank. The combo’s position in the middle of the pack is a direct reflection of the GPU’s 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus, which are entry-level specifications.

The rank of 1806 out of 3716 is a useful metric for buyers, as it indicates that this combo is a middle-of-the-road option. It outperforms 1910 other combos, but it is also outperformed by 1910 combos. This balance is expected for a CPU that is in the 72nd percentile and a GPU in the 24th percentile. The data implies that upgrading the GPU would significantly improve the combo’s rank, while upgrading the CPU would have a smaller impact, as the CPU is not the bottleneck. For Inside, the combo is adequate, but the rank shows that it is not a top-tier performer.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is the dominant component in this combo’s gaming performance, as evidenced by the FPS scaling data. The GPU has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2530 MHz, and a boost clock of 3130 MHz, which are high frequencies for an entry-level card. These clocks help the GPU achieve a pixel rate of 200.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 400.6 GTexel/s, but the 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 322.3 GB/s bandwidth is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data shows that the GPU’s memory subsystem is strained at 4K, leading to the significant FPS drops observed.

The GPU’s 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are sufficient for Inside’s simple graphics, but the 4K resolution requires more memory bandwidth than the 128-bit bus can provide. This is evident in the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K, which is over 50% for all presets. The GPU’s 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 4093 is a low score, placing it in the 24th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include integrated graphics like the Intel HD Graphics 630 and mobile parts like the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M. This indicates that the RX 9060 XT 8 GB is a low-end discrete GPU, despite its high clock speeds.

The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is a critical factor. In Inside, a game with minimal texture detail, 8 GB is likely sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the memory pressure may cause the GPU to use its 322.3 GB/s bandwidth less efficiently. The measured FPS at 4K High is 77, which is playable, but the GPU’s low percentile suggests that it is not designed for high-resolution gaming. The boost clock of 3130 MHz is impressive, but it cannot compensate for the narrow memory bus.

The GPU’s performance in this game is best described as adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but marginal for 4K. The data shows that at 1080p High, the GPU delivers 170 FPS, which is a strong result, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 73 FPS, which is below the 75 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The GPU’s 25.64 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is high for its class, but the memory bandwidth is the bottleneck. The GPU’s RDNA 4.0 architecture and 4 nm process node are modern, but the 128-bit bus is a cost-cutting measure that limits its potential. For Inside, the GPU is the clear performance limiter.

FAQ

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

A: The average FPS is 170 at 1920x1080 with High settings, as measured in the data.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1806 out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the middle of the pack.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and bus width?

A: The GPU has a memory bandwidth of 322.3 GB/s and a bus width of 128 bit, which contributes to the 4K performance drop.

Q: What is the CPU’s boost clock and core count?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has 6 cores and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, which provides ample processing power for this game.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 123, with a minimum FPS of 105, which ensures smooth gameplay.

Q: Which preset and resolution deliver the best balance of performance?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers 122 FPS, making it the most balanced configuration for high refresh rate displays.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB has a percentile of 24, indicating it is in the bottom quarter of all GPUs tested.