Inside

Inside is not a demanding title by modern standards, but the benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the Intel Arc B390 reveals a configuration that is surprisingly sensitive to both resolution and quality presets. The measured frame rates show a clear pattern: this integrated graphics solution is the primary bottleneck, and the gap between Low and Ultra settings is substantial across all tested resolutions. At 1080p, the combo delivers playable performance, but pushing to 4K High results in a sub-30 FPS experience, indicating that the Arc B390's limited compute resources are quickly overwhelmed. The data suggests that while the CPU is more than capable, the GPU dictates the experience almost entirely.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all quality presets, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component in this pairing. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 156 at 1920x1080 to 112 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 28.2%. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average drops to 70 FPS, which represents a 55.1% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling is not linear, but it is severe enough to show that the GPU is running out of pixel throughput headroom.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend. The average FPS at 1080p is 125, dropping to 90 at 1440p and 56 at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 4K here is 55.2%, almost identical to the Low preset's scaling. This consistency suggests that the bottleneck is purely fill-rate and shading related, rather than a sudden cache or bandwidth cliff. The High preset follows the pattern: 78 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is 55.1%, again matching the other presets.

Ultra settings are the most punishing. The average FPS at 1080p is 74, which drops to 53 at 1440p and 34 at 4K. The 4K figure is barely above a slideshow, and the scaling from 1080p shows a 54.1% reduction. Interestingly, the absolute difference between High and Ultra at 4K is just 1 FPS (35 vs 34), indicating that the GPU is so saturated that the extra visual fidelity costs almost nothing in terms of performance headroom because it has none to give. The data clearly shows that resolution scaling is the dominant factor, and the CPU is not contributing to any frame rate limits at these settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores are solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 and a single-core score of 3302. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7956 and single-thread score of 1016 further indicate a robust processor that is unlikely to be a bottleneck in a game like Inside, which is a 2D puzzle platformer with limited physics simulation.

The CPU's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 79, and its average benchmark score of 27799 places it in close competition with rivals like the Intel Core i9-10900K, which sits at 27872 with a deltaPct of -0.3%, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which has a score of 27896 and a deltaPct of -0.3%. This means the i5-12600KF is performing essentially on par with those higher-tier chips in synthetic tests. For a game like Inside, which is not heavily threaded, the single-core performance is more relevant, and the 3DMark single-thread score of 1016 is adequate for the game's logic.

Given the measured FPS data, the CPU's role is passive. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is working hardest relative to its capabilities, the average FPS of 156 is high, but it is still not hitting a ceiling that would indicate CPU limitation. The fact that the FPS scales down consistently with resolution suggests that the CPU is delivering frames faster than the GPU can render them, even at the lowest settings. The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are sufficient for the game's data requirements, and the benchmark results show no signs of a CPU-side constraint.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its raw compute is listed at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32, which is modest for a modern GPU. The memory is system shared, meaning bandwidth is system dependent, and the bus width is also system shared. This is a critical detail, as the GPU relies on the same memory subsystem as the CPU, which can limit performance in bandwidth-sensitive scenarios.

The GPU's benchmark presence is thin, with only one recorded score: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result of 1482. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, which is very low. Its nearest rivals in the database are NVIDIA's GT 520MX (score 1463, deltaPct 1.3%), GeForce 800M (score 1460, deltaPct 1.5%), GT 625 OEM (score 1446, deltaPct 2.5%), and GT 710 (score 1443, deltaPct 2.7%). The Arc B390 is only slightly ahead of these legacy parts, which are all entry-level integrated or low-end discrete GPUs from over a decade ago.

This context explains the measured FPS data. The GPU is the bottleneck in every scenario. The 4K High preset's 35 FPS average is a direct result of the Arc B390's limited pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. The GPU's 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate are simply not enough to handle 4K resolution with high-quality effects. The fact that it manages 70 FPS at 4K Low shows that when settings are reduced, the GPU can keep up with the pixel count, but the moment quality settings increase, the fill rate is exhausted. The system shared memory is also a factor, as the GPU competes with the CPU for bandwidth, which can cause stutters even when average FPS is acceptable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the configuration is most playable. Low settings yield an average of 156 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience. Medium settings drop to 125 FPS, with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 144 FPS, showing some variance but still well within the bounds of smooth gameplay. High settings average 78 FPS, which is still playable, and Ultra settings average 74 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 1080p is small (4 FPS), suggesting diminishing returns on visual quality for the performance cost.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. Low settings average 112 FPS, which is still good, but Medium drops to 90 FPS (min 76, max 103). High settings average 56 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience, and Ultra drops to 53 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is just 3 FPS, again indicating that the GPU is saturated. The 1440p Medium preset is the best balance of visual quality and performance, with a 90 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the data shows a struggling GPU. Low settings average 70 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a high-refresh-rate display. Medium settings average 56 FPS (min 48, max 65), which is at the edge of acceptability. High settings average 35 FPS, and Ultra settings average 34 FPS. The 4K High and Ultra presets are effectively unplayable for a smooth experience, as the frame rates are below 36 FPS. The data shows that 4K is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the 70 FPS average is not particularly stable given the GPU's low performance ranking.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which yields an average of 70 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 56 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 35 FPS and 34 FPS respectively, making those presets unplayable.

Q: What is the best resolution for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1080p, the High preset averages 78 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 74 FPS, so both are above 60 FPS. At 1440p, the Medium preset averages 90 FPS, but the High preset drops to 56 FPS, so 1440p High is not a guaranteed 60 FPS experience.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), and 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM (1446). It is just 2.7% ahead of the GT 710 (1443).

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this game?

A: No. The benchmark data shows that frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, which indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's single-thread score of 1016 in 3DMark is more than sufficient for a game like Inside, and its performance is on par with the Intel Core i9-10900K.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low?

A: The average FPS drops from 156 at 1080p Low to 70 at 4K Low, a reduction of 55.1%. This shows the significant impact of pixel count on the Arc B390's performance.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset at any resolution?

A: At 1080p, Ultra averages 74 FPS, which is playable. At 1440p, Ultra averages 53 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, Ultra averages 34 FPS, which is not recommended. The visual gains over High are minimal, as the FPS difference is only 4 FPS at 1080p, 3 FPS at 1440p, and 1 FPS at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p displays, the High preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 78 FPS. While Ultra offers 74 FPS, the visual difference is negligible, and the extra 4 FPS from High provides a slightly larger buffer for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 125 FPS is also excellent if the user prefers higher frame rates over visual fidelity, but High is the sweet spot for a balanced experience.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is clearly the best recommendation. It averages 90 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS, which ensures a stable and smooth gameplay experience. The High preset drops to 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable judder. Ultra is not recommended at this resolution, as its 53 FPS average is only marginally better than High but with more visual complexity.

For 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, averaging 70 FPS. The Medium preset's 56 FPS average is playable but may have dips to 48 FPS, which can be distracting in a game that relies on precise timing. High and Ultra presets are not recommended at 4K, as their 35 FPS and 34 FPS averages, respectively, are too low for a consistent experience. The data shows that the Intel Arc B390 is fundamentally a 1080p-centric GPU, and users should prioritize resolution over quality settings at higher pixel counts.