Inside

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 is a mid-range combination that delivers playable frame rates in Inside, though its performance ceiling is firmly set by the graphics card. The CPU, a 6-core/12-thread Alder Lake-S part with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost of 4.40 GHz, is more than capable for this title. Its benchmark scores—such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16518 and a single-core score of 2332—place it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong headroom. However, the RX 580, a Polaris 20 part from 2017 with 2304 shading units and 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, is the limiting factor in this pairing. The data shows that at 1080p, the combination can push past 120 FPS on lower presets, but the GPU’s age becomes apparent as resolution and settings increase.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The i5-12400F’s role in this pairing is to provide a stable, high-throughput foundation that the RX 580 can fully utilize. With 6 physical cores and 12 threads, the processor offers ample parallel processing power for a puzzle platformer like Inside, which does not demand extreme multi-threaded performance. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.40 GHz ensures that single-threaded tasks—often the bottleneck in older game engines—are handled swiftly. In synthetic tests, the chip scores 909 in 3DMark single-thread and 1699 in 3DMark 2-thread, demonstrating robust per-core performance that prevents the CPU from holding back the GPU in most scenarios.

The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4/DDR5) further solidify the CPU’s capability to feed the GPU with data. However, the benchmark results reveal that the CPU is rarely the constraint. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 147.6 FPS, and at 1080p High, it still manages 77.6 FPS. These numbers suggest that the CPU can drive frame rates well above 60 FPS, but the GPU’s limits are exposed when settings are raised. The i5-12400F’s nearest rivals—the Intel Core i7-8700K (0.1% faster) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS (0.7% slower)—show that this CPU is competitively positioned, but none of these differences translate into meaningful gameplay changes for Inside.

FAQ

*Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400F bottlenecking the AMD Radeon RX 580 in Inside?*

A: No. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 147.6 FPS, which is far above the 60 FPS target. The CPU’s single-thread score of 909 in 3DMark and multi-thread score of 5912 in max-threads indicate it has ample headroom, while the GPU’s performance drops more sharply with increased settings, confirming the RX 580 is the limiting component.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a smooth experience?

A: At 1080p, the combo delivers 77.6 FPS on High and 70.4 FPS on Ultra, both of which are smooth. At 1440p, the frame rate drops to 55 FPS on High and 50.4 FPS on Ultra, which is still playable but less ideal. 4K High is only 34.8 FPS, making 1080p the recommended resolution for consistent performance.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its closest rivals in overall GPU performance?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559, placing it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. It is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (0% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (0.1% delta), while being 1.1% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro 455. This indicates it is a solid, but not exceptional, graphics card for modern games.

*Q: Does the i5-12400F’s 65W TDP affect its performance in Inside?*

A: The 65W TDP is a measure of power consumption, not performance. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16518 and single-core score of 2332 demonstrate that it delivers strong computational results despite its modest power draw. In Inside, the CPU never appears to be a bottleneck, as frame rates scale more with GPU settings than CPU load.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Inside?*

A: At 4K Low, the combo achieves 70.1 FPS, which is playable. However, at 4K Medium, it drops to 52.4 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 34.8 FPS. The data suggests that 4K is only viable on the Low preset; higher settings will result in sub-60 FPS performance.

Q: What is the significance of the combo’s rank of 1534 out of 1671 tested combos?

A: This rank indicates that the i5-12400F + RX 580 combination is in the bottom 10% of all tested combos for Inside. This is primarily due to the GPU’s age, as the CPU’s percentile (77th) is much higher than the GPU’s (53rd). The rank reflects that most other tested combos feature more powerful graphics cards.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern: performance scales inversely with resolution, and the GPU is the dominant constraint. At 1080p High, the combo averages 77.6 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 55 FPS—a 29% decrease. At 4K High, the frame rate plummets to 34.8 FPS, which is a 55% drop from 1080p. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, as the CPU’s workload does not increase proportionally with resolution.

The Low preset tells a similar story. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 147.6 FPS, but at 1440p Low, it drops to 110.1 FPS (a 25% reduction), and at 4K Low, it falls to 70.1 FPS (a 52% reduction from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across presets confirms that the RX 580’s pixel throughput, rated at 42.88 GPixel/s, is the limiting factor. The CPU’s performance, by contrast, remains constant regardless of resolution, as evidenced by its stable benchmark scores. This data indicates that users seeking higher resolutions should prioritize a GPU upgrade over a CPU upgrade.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset at 1080p offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The combo achieves 120.9 FPS at 1080p Medium, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while providing noticeably better visuals than Low (147.6 FPS). High at 1080p is also viable at 77.6 FPS, but the drop to 70.4 FPS on Ultra suggests diminishing returns—the Ultra preset costs 9% performance compared to High, likely for minimal visual gains in a game with Inside’s art style.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again emerges as the sweet spot, delivering 87.2 FPS, which is comfortably playable. High at 1440p drops to 55 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. For 4K, the Low preset is the only option that maintains playability at 70.1 FPS, but the visual compromise may not be worth it for most users. The data suggests that 1080p Medium is the recommended configuration for this combo, as it provides high frame rates without sacrificing too much visual quality.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranks 1534th out of 1671 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the RX 580, which sits in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, whereas the i5-12400F is in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU’s nearest rivals—the GTX 570 and GTX 950—are similarly older parts, confirming that the RX 580’s performance is dated. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the i7-8700K (0.1% faster) and Ryzen 5 7533HS (0.7% slower), have negligible impact on the combo’s rank.

The rank of 1534 suggests that the vast majority of tested combos feature more powerful GPUs, even if their CPUs are weaker. This is a classic case of a balanced but aging mid-range build: the CPU has headroom for future upgrades, but the GPU holds back the overall experience in Inside. For users with this combo, the data indicates that lowering settings is the most effective way to improve frame rates, as the GPU’s performance ceiling is the primary constraint. The combo’s rank is not a reflection of poor optimization, but rather a natural consequence of pairing a 2022 CPU with a 2017 GPU.