Inside

The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti pairing delivers a remarkably fluid experience in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that proves far less demanding than modern AAA titles. The benchmark data reveals a system capable of pushing very high frame rates even at 4K, with the CPU and GPU playing distinct but complementary roles depending on resolution and settings.

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

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz boosts up to 4.60 GHz, and it carries a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 20 MB L3 pool. This is a modern desktop part released in January 2023, and its benchmark scores reflect strong all-around performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21279 and a single-core score of 3004.

In the context of Inside, the CPU's role is significant but not dominant. The game's physics and logic are not heavily multithreaded, so the i5-13400F's single-thread performance becomes the more relevant metric. The 3DMark single-thread score of 960 and Geekbench single-core score of 2301 indicate solid per-core capability. However, the data suggests that even at 1080p Low settings, where the CPU would typically be the limiting factor, the system achieves 315.2 FPS. This is far beyond the refresh rate of standard displays, implying the CPU is never a bottleneck in this title.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the i5-13400F's average benchmark score of 25236 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-13620H (25201, deltaPct 0.1), the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25365, deltaPct -0.5), and the AMD EPYC 9474F (25103, deltaPct 0.5). The data shows these processors are effectively interchangeable for this workload. The CPU's 82nd percentile ranking among all CPUs further underscores that it is a high-end part, but Inside's modest CPU demands mean that even a significantly weaker processor would likely deliver similar frame rates. The real question is whether the GPU can keep up, and the measured FPS data indicates the GTX 1080 Ti is the component that determines the final output.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is a Pascal architecture GPU with 11 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 352-bit bus, providing 484.4 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1481 MHz with a boost of 1582 MHz, and memory runs at 1376 MHz (11 Gbps effective). The GPU has 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 88 ROPs. Its FP32 compute is rated at 11.34 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The launch MSRP is 699 USD.

In Inside, the GTX 1080 Ti's performance scales predictably with resolution and settings. The most telling data point is at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 66.2. This is the lowest measured result, and it indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at maximum settings and high resolution. The 11 GB VRAM is ample for this game, as Inside's visual style is minimalist and does not require large texture pools. The memory bandwidth of 484.4 GB/s is more than sufficient to feed the GPU's shading units.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 19402 places it at the 61st percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 (19405, deltaPct 0), AMD Radeon Pro 560X (19426, deltaPct -0.1), and NVIDIA Tesla K40m (19519, deltaPct -0.6). These comparisons show that while the GTX 1080 Ti is not a top-tier card by modern standards, it remains capable. The measured FPS data confirms this: at 1080p High, it produces 156.5 FPS, and at 1440p High, it achieves 113.9 FPS. The performance cliff appears between High and Ultra settings, where the FPS drops by roughly 10-15%, suggesting that the extra visual fidelity at Ultra comes at a measurable cost. This is a classic GPU-bound scenario where the graphics card's fill rate and pixel throughput determine the ceiling.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, it can. At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 72.7, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 66.2 FPS, which is still playable but less comfortable.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: The data shows that 1440p is the sweet spot. At 1440p High, the average FPS is 113.9, providing a high refresh rate experience without the GPU being overworked. At 1080p High, the FPS jumps to 156.5, but the visual improvement from 1440p is generally more noticeable than the extra frame rate.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from High to Ultra settings?

A: The loss varies by resolution. At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 156.5 to 148.7, a decrease of roughly 5%. At 1440p, it drops from 113.9 to 108.9, also about 4%. At 4K, the drop is more severe, falling from 72.7 to 66.2, a decline of about 9%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting component. Evidence for this comes from the scaling patterns: at 1080p Low, the FPS is 315.2, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 148.7. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across settings.

Q: Does the GTX 1080 Ti's 11 GB VRAM cause any issues?

A: No, the data shows no VRAM-related performance stutters or drops. The frame rates are consistently high, indicating that the 11 GB allocation is never exceeded in Inside, even at 4K Ultra.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations?

A: This combination ranks 942 out of 1671 tested combos for Inside. This is slightly above the median, reflecting that while the GPU is older, the CPU is modern, and the game is not very demanding.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti ranks 942 out of 1671 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all configurations tested. The ranking is influenced by the GTX 1080 Ti's age; newer GPUs with higher memory bandwidth and more shading units would naturally score higher. However, the i5-13400F's modern architecture and high single-thread score help boost the combo above systems paired with older or weaker CPUs.

The data shows that this combo performs exceptionally well in absolute terms, but the rank reflects the competitive landscape. The GTX 1080 Ti's average benchmark score of 19402 is only 1.1% higher than the NVIDIA TITAN Xp (19184, deltaPct 1.1), which is a direct predecessor, but it is also 0.6% lower than the Tesla K40m (19519, deltaPct -0.6). This suggests that the GPU is close to parity with its immediate peers. The combo's rank of 942/1671 indicates that while it is not a top-tier performer, it sits comfortably in the top 60% of all tested systems, which is a strong result for a game released in 2016.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in Inside covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of performance scaling.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 315.2 FPS, Medium yields 252.1 FPS, High achieves 156.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 148.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 63.1 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is only 7.8 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are: Low at 229.7, Medium at 182.1, High at 113.9, and Ultra at 108.9. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with a reduction of approximately 27% from Low to Low, 28% from Medium to Medium, 27% from High to High, and 27% from Ultra to Ultra. This uniform scaling suggests that the GPU is handling the additional pixel count efficiently.

At 3840x2160, the performance is: Low at 145.6 FPS, Medium at 116.3 FPS, High at 72.7 FPS, and Ultra at 66.2 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced, with reductions of 37% for Low, 36% for Medium, 36% for High, and 39% for Ultra. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is working closer to its limits, particularly at High and Ultra settings where the frame rates approach the 60 FPS threshold.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution. For 1080p displays, High settings at 156.5 FPS provide an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, especially for a puzzle platformer where smooth motion is critical. Ultra settings at 148.7 FPS offer only a marginal visual improvement for a 5% FPS loss, making High the more efficient choice.

For 1440p, High settings at 113.9 FPS are similarly recommended. This provides a high refresh rate experience that exceeds the capabilities of most 60 Hz monitors. Medium settings at 182.1 FPS would be preferable for competitive play or use with a high refresh rate display, but the visual fidelity of High is worth the frame rate trade-off for a game like Inside, which relies on atmospheric lighting and shadow.

For 4K, High settings at 72.7 FPS are the only viable option for a comfortable experience. Ultra settings at 66.2 FPS are playable but leave less headroom for frame time spikes. Low settings at 145.6 FPS are unnecessary, as the visual style of Inside benefits from higher quality settings. The data clearly shows that High is the best all-around preset for this combo across all resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important characteristics of this combo's bottleneck. From 1080p High (156.5 FPS) to 1440p High (113.9 FPS), the frame rate drops by 42.6 FPS, a 27% reduction. From 1440p High to 4K High (72.7 FPS), the drop is 41.2 FPS, a 36% reduction. This non-linear scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is becoming increasingly saturated as resolution increases.

At 1080p Low, the FPS is 315.2, which is extraordinarily high and suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution. The fact that 1080p Low is more than double 1440p Low (229.7 FPS) indicates that the GPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions. However, the gap narrows at higher settings: 1080p Ultra (148.7 FPS) is only 1.37 times faster than 4K Ultra (66.2 FPS). This convergence suggests that the GPU's fill rate is the primary constraint at higher resolutions and settings.

The data implies that the GTX 1080 Ti is the limiting component in this pairing, especially at 4K. The i5-13400F's performance is more than sufficient to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low. For users with a 4K display, the choice between High and Ultra settings is a trade-off between 72.7 FPS and 66.2 FPS, which is a 9% difference. This suggests that the GPU is running near its maximum output at 4K, and further optimization would require reducing resolution or accepting lower settings.