Inside

Inside is a 2D puzzle-platformer that places very different demands on a system than a typical 3D shooter, and the data for this Intel Core i5-12400F + Intel Arc B390 combo reflects that. The measured frames per second (FPS) at various resolutions and settings tell a story of a pairing that is clearly GPU-limited at higher workloads but can deliver remarkably smooth results when settings are tuned down. This analysis examines the raw numbers from the benchmark database, interpreting what the scores mean for gameplay and how each component contributes to the final experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank within the database for Inside is 2547 out of 2887 tested combinations. That places it in the 88th percentile from the bottom, meaning roughly 88% of all tested combos perform better in this specific game. It is a low standing, but the context of the game matters greatly. Inside is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer, not a graphically intensive AAA title, so even a modest ranking can still translate to playable frame rates. The rank is determined by a combination of the CPU’s and GPU’s capabilities, and the data shows the Arc B390 is the clear bottleneck.

The CPU, an Intel Core i5-12400F, holds a 73rd percentile rank among all CPUs based on its average benchmark score of 19039. This is a solid mid-range standing, indicating the processor is far more capable than the GPU in this pairing. The GPU, an Intel Arc B390, sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482 from a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. This is a very low score, showing the graphics processor is entry-level or integrated-class in performance. When combined, the strong CPU cannot compensate for the weak GPU in a graphics-bound scenario like Inside at higher settings.

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU gives a clearer picture of its standing. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS has an average score of 19047, which is a 0% delta from the i5-12400F’s 19039. The Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056, a -0.1% delta, meaning it is essentially tied. The Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982, a 0.3% delta, and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979, also a 0.3% delta. These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, showing the i5-12400F is exactly average for its performance class. It is neither a standout nor a laggard; it is a reliable, mainstream processor.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are all ancient or very low-end parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX has an average score of 1463, which is a 1.3% delta from the Arc B390’s 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, a 1.5% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, a 2.5% delta, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, a 2.7% delta. The Arc B390 is only slightly faster than these decade-old graphics chips, which underscores its position at the very bottom of the performance spectrum. This GPU is not designed for demanding gaming, and the benchmark results for Inside confirm that.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This is a modern, capable CPU for gaming, as evidenced by its benchmark scores. In Cinebench R23, it scores 12380 in multi-core and 1680 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 9472 multi-core and 1964 single-core. These numbers indicate a processor that can handle any game’s logic, physics, and AI without breaking a sweat.

For Inside, which is a 2D platformer, the CPU demands are minimal. The game’s puzzles and physics are not computationally intensive, so the i5-12400F is likely running at a fraction of its capacity. The data shows the CPU’s 3DMark scores: 909 in single-thread, 1699 in 2-thread, 3067 in 4-thread, 4779 in 8-thread, and 5895 in 16-thread tests. These scores scale well with thread count, but the game does not need that many threads. The PassMark scores further illustrate the CPU’s strength: 3481 in single-thread, 19433 in multi-thread, 59995 in integer math, and 46759 in floating-point math.

The CPU’s role in this combo is to provide a stable foundation that never becomes the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the game hits 156 FPS average, which is well above any refresh rate common on monitors. The CPU is not holding back this result. Even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 34, the bottleneck is almost certainly the GPU, not the CPU. The CPU’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for game data, and its support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory means it can work with a wide range of system configurations.

The key question is whether the CPU could deliver higher FPS if paired with a stronger GPU. Given its single-thread score of 1680 in Cinebench R23, it is more than capable of pushing high frame rates in a light game like Inside. The data suggests the CPU is not the constraint; the GPU is. This is a classic case of a balanced mid-range CPU paired with a very low-end GPU, where the CPU’s potential is untapped.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is a Graphics-M chip based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. It has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its memory is system shared, meaning it uses the system’s RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, and its bandwidth is system dependent.

The GPU’s only benchmark score is 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This is a low score, placing it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, 1.3% delta), GeForce 800M (score 1460, 1.5% delta), GT 625 OEM (score 1446, 2.5% delta), and GT 710 (score 1443, 2.7% delta). These are all extremely old or low-end parts, so the Arc B390 is effectively at the bottom of the GPU hierarchy.

In Inside, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s 2D visuals, which include lighting effects, shadows, and particle systems. The game is not demanding by modern standards, but at higher resolutions and settings, the GPU struggles. At 1080p Low, the GPU can manage 156 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 74 FPS. At 4K Low, it’s 70 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 34 FPS. The pattern is clear: the GPU’s fill rate and compute power are insufficient for high settings at high resolutions.

The GPU’s 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate are low, and its 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 performance is modest. The system-shared memory means there is no dedicated VRAM, which can cause performance issues if the system RAM is slow or insufficient. The data shows that at Medium settings, the GPU can maintain playable frame rates: 125 FPS at 1080p, 90 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K. This suggests that the GPU is best utilized with medium settings, where it balances load and performance.

The GPU’s low percentile rank (9th) is a warning sign for any demanding game, but Inside is forgiving enough that it can still provide a smooth experience if settings are managed. The ray tracing cores are present, but Inside does not use ray tracing, so they are irrelevant here. The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support is also unused in this game, which is based on older rendering techniques.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how the combo performs across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the game runs at 156 FPS on Low, 125 FPS on Medium, 78 FPS on High, and 74 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting has a minimum FPS of 106 and a maximum of 144, indicating a stable frame rate with some variance. The High and Ultra settings have no min/max data, but the averages are smooth enough for a platformer.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low runs at 112 FPS, Medium at 90 FPS, High at 56 FPS, and Ultra at 53 FPS. The Medium setting shows a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103, which is still a playable range. The jump from Low to Medium is a 22 FPS drop, while the jump from Medium to High is 34 FPS, showing that High settings impose a heavy cost on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution, the performance is much lower. Low runs at 70 FPS, Medium at 56 FPS (with min 48 and max 65), High at 35 FPS, and Ultra at 34 FPS. The Low setting is the only one that approaches smooth gameplay, while Medium is borderline. High and Ultra are below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel stuttery, especially during fast-paced sections.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the GPU’s performance scales poorly with resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 156 FPS, which is excellent. At 4K Ultra, it delivers 34 FPS, which is unplayable for many. The Medium setting is the sweet spot, as it provides the best balance of visual quality and frame rate across all resolutions. The FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 25-30% for all settings, and from 1440p to 4K, it’s another 35-40% drop.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Inside?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the best resolution. At Low settings, it achieves 156 FPS average, and at Medium, it achieves 125 FPS. Even at Ultra, it maintains 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target. Higher resolutions like 1440p and 4K show significant drops, especially at High and Ultra settings.

Q: Can this combo run Inside at 60 FPS in 4K?

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 70 FPS. At Medium, it drops to 56 FPS, which is below 60. At High and Ultra, it falls to 35 and 34 FPS respectively. Therefore, 60 FPS at 4K is only achievable with the lowest settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.3% of that score: the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047, 0% delta), Intel Core 3 201E (19056, -0.1% delta), Intel Core i5-1335U (18982, 0.3% delta), and AMD EPYC 7773X (18979, 0.3% delta). The CPU is effectively tied with all of them.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile?

A: The Intel Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% delta), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% delta), GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% delta), and GT 710 (1443, 2.7% delta).

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

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 156 FPS, which shows the CPU can handle high frame rates. As settings and resolution increase, FPS drops sharply, which is a GPU bottleneck. The CPU’s high benchmark scores (e.g., 1680 single-core in Cinebench R23) suggest it has plenty of headroom.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the combo delivers 125 FPS at 1080p (with min 106 and max 144), 90 FPS at 1440p (with min 76 and max 103), and 56 FPS at 4K (with min 48 and max 65). These are all playable, but 4K is borderline.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data points to Medium settings as the optimal choice for this combo. At 1080p Medium, the game runs at 125 FPS average, which is smooth and responsive. The min FPS of 106 ensures no major dips during gameplay. At 1440p Medium, it runs at 90 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS target. At 4K Medium, it runs at 56 FPS, which is close to 60 but may have occasional stutters.

Low settings offer the highest frame rates: 156 FPS at 1080p, 112 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K. If the player prioritizes frame rate over visual quality, Low is the best choice, especially for 4K. However, Low settings will reduce the game’s atmospheric lighting and shadow quality, which are important for a game like Inside.

High and Ultra settings are not recommended for this combo. At 1080p, High runs at 78 FPS and Ultra at 74 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. At 1440p, High drops to 56 FPS and Ultra to 53 FPS, which is below 60. At 4K, High and Ultra are 35 and 34 FPS, respectively, which is too low for a smooth experience. The visual improvement from Medium to High is not worth the 30-40% FPS loss.

The best experience per the measured rows is Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p. It provides a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. For 4K, Low is the only setting that delivers a consistently smooth frame rate. The data suggests that Medium is the default recommendation, with Low as a fallback for 4K or for players who want maximum FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the GPU’s limitations. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 156 at 1080p to 112 at 1440p (a 28% drop) and then to 70 at 4K (a 38% drop from 1440p). At Medium settings, it goes from 125 at 1080p to 90 at 1440p (a 28% drop) and then to 56 at 4K (a 38% drop). At High settings, it goes from 78 at 1080p to 56 at 1440p (a 28% drop) and then to 35 at 4K (a 38% drop). At Ultra settings, it goes from 74 at 1080p to 53 at 1440p (a 28% drop) and then to 34 at 4K (a 36% drop).

The consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate a purely resolution-bound GPU. The number of pixels quadruples from 1080p to 4K, and the FPS roughly halves, which is expected for a fill-rate-limited GPU. The Arc B390’s 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate is simply too low to handle 4K at high settings. The GPU’s system-shared memory also means that at higher resolutions, more system RAM is used, potentially increasing latency.

The scaling data implies that the combo is optimized for 1080p gaming. At 1080p, even Ultra settings achieve 74 FPS, which is smooth. At 1440p, Medium is the highest playable setting. At 4K, only Low is viable. The limiting component is unambiguously the GPU, as the CPU’s performance does not change with resolution. The i5-12400F’s 4.40 GHz boost clock and 6 cores are more than sufficient for any resolution, but the GPU cannot keep up with the increasing pixel count.

This resolution scaling behavior is typical of a low-end GPU. The data shows that players should stick to 1080p for the best experience, or drop to Low settings if they must use 4K. The combo is not suitable for high-resolution gaming, but for a puzzle platformer like Inside, 1080p Medium is perfectly adequate and provides a smooth, immersive experience.