Inside

The Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT combination delivers a masterclass in high-refresh-rate gaming for Inside, a title whose minimalist aesthetic belies its demanding rendering loads. The measured data shows a configuration that is rarely, if ever, the bottleneck, providing frame rates that far exceed the requirements of typical displays. This analysis breaks down the performance characteristics, scaling behavior, and optimal settings for this pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is remarkably linear and moderate, revealing a system that is well-balanced but slightly leaning on the CPU at lower resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 178.3 FPS at 1920x1080 to 125.9 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 52.4 FPS. Moving to 4K (3840x2160) brings the average down to 79.1 FPS, which is a further drop of 46.8 FPS from the 1440p result. This pattern suggests that while the GPU is increasingly loaded at higher resolutions, the processor has enough headroom to keep feeding it data, preventing any severe cliff-edge drops.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings shows a total performance loss of 99.2 FPS, or roughly 55.6% of the 1080p figure. This indicates a healthy scaling curve where the game is becoming more GPU-bound as resolution increases, but the CPU is not holding the system back. At 4K, the 79.1 FPS average is still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring a smooth experience even on UHD displays.

However, the story changes dramatically when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves a staggering 339.1 FPS. This high frame rate points to a CPU-limited scenario, as the GPU is not being taxed heavily at this resolution and settings level. The scaling from 1080p Low to 1440p Low (255.8 FPS) shows a drop of 83.3 FPS, and then a further decline to 161.1 FPS at 4K Low. The 4K Low result is still incredibly high, proving that even with minimal GPU load, the i5-14400F is capable of pushing an immense number of frames.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts based on resolution and settings. At 1080p and Low presets, the Intel Core i5-14400F is the primary constraint, capping the frame rate. As resolution increases to 4K, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT becomes the more significant factor, though it still manages to deliver excellent performance. The 4K Ultra setting, with an average of 73.5 FPS, shows the GPU is working its hardest, but the combination still manages to keep the experience fluid.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the workhorse for this title, and its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus proves more than sufficient for Inside's demands. The memory operates at 2250 MHz with an effective data rate of 18 Gbps, yielding a total bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is ample for the game's art style, which uses high-resolution textures and dynamic lighting, ensuring that texture streaming is never a source of stutter.

The GPU's clock speeds are a key factor in its performance. The base clock is 2150 MHz, with a game clock of 2495 MHz and a boost clock of 2600 MHz. These high frequencies, combined with 2560 shading units and 160 texture mapping units, allow the card to process the game's visual effects with ease. The 64 raster operations units (ROPs) handle the final pixel output, and their efficiency is reflected in the high frame rates across all resolution and settings combinations.

The GPU's performance relative to its peers is noteworthy. In the database, the RX 6750 XT has a percentile rank of 79 among all GPUs, indicating it outperforms the majority of its contemporaries. Its average benchmark score of 35327 places it in close competition with the AMD Radeon RX 5600M, which scores 35264 (a delta of 0.2%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, which scores 35787 (a delta of -1.3%). This data confirms that the RX 6750 XT is a formidable card, capable of delivering frame rates that are competitive with much newer and more expensive options.

The GPU's role is further clarified by the measured FPS data. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, with the frame rate dropping to 73.5 FPS. This is a significant decrease from the 128.2 FPS seen at 4K Medium, highlighting the substantial cost of the Ultra preset's additional visual effects. The card's architecture, RDNA 2.0, handles these workloads efficiently, but the data shows that the Ultra preset demands a level of pixel throughput that challenges even this capable GPU at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of all tested combinations, the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT pairing holds a strong position. The combo is ranked 744th out of 1671 total combinations, placing it in the top 44.5% of all systems tested. This rank confirms the balance between the CPU and GPU; neither component is so weak that it drags down the overall performance of the other.

This ranking is particularly impressive given the age of the components. The CPU, from the Core 14th Gen series, and the GPU, from the Radeon RX 6000 series, were both launched in early 2024 and 2022 respectively. Their ability to still rank in the top half of all combinations in 2024 speaks volumes about their raw processing power and the efficient nature of Inside's engine.

The CPU itself is a powerhouse, with an average benchmark score of 32508 and a percentile rank of 88 against all CPUs. This places it in the top 12% of all processors, with its nearest rivals being the Intel Core i7-12800H (32513, delta 0%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (32446, delta 0.2%). The GPU's percentile rank of 79 is slightly lower, suggesting that the GPU is the component that prevents this combo from ranking even higher. If the pairing had a more powerful GPU, its rank would likely be significantly better.

The combo's position is a clear indicator that it is a high-performance pairing for this specific game. It is not a budget-oriented setup that struggles to maintain playable frame rates; rather, it is a system that excels, offering performance that is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1440p and even 4K gaming at high detail settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets, allowing for precise recommendations based on display resolution and refresh rate. For users with 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is the optimal choice. The average frame rate of 165.8 FPS at 1080p Ultra is exceptionally high, providing a buttery-smooth experience that will maximize the potential of any 144Hz or 165Hz monitor. There is no reason to lower the settings at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset yields an average frame rate well above 144 FPS.

For 1440p users, the Ultra preset becomes a more nuanced choice. The average frame rate of 120.7 FPS at 1440p Ultra is still excellent, but it falls just short of the 144 FPS mark that many gamers target. For those with a 144Hz monitor, dropping to the High preset is advisable, as it yields a 125.9 FPS average, a modest increase that might help maintain a locked frame rate. However, for users with a 120Hz display, the Ultra preset is perfectly suitable, as the 120.7 FPS average is right at the display's refresh rate limit.

At 4K, the High preset is the sweet spot. The 79.1 FPS average at 4K High is a significant jump from the 73.5 FPS seen at Ultra, and it is much more likely to provide a consistent experience on a 60Hz or 120Hz display. The Medium preset (128.2 FPS) is also viable, but the visual fidelity loss from High is not worth the extra frame rate for a slower-paced puzzle platformer like Inside. The Low preset, while offering high frame rates, should be avoided on 4K displays as it diminishes the game's atmospheric lighting and shadow quality, which are central to its mood. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, High at 4K is the recommended setting.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate this combo can achieve at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate is achieved at 1080p Low settings, where the system reaches 339.1 FPS. This indicates a CPU-bound scenario, as the GPU is not the limiting factor at this low resolution and preset.

*Q: Is the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT able to handle 4K gaming in Inside?*

A: Yes, the data shows it is more than capable. At 4K High settings, the average frame rate is 79.1 FPS. Even at 4K Ultra, it maintains a playable 73.5 FPS average, showing that the 12 GB of GDDR6 memory is sufficient for this title.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-14400F compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-12800H?

A: The two processors are virtually identical in average benchmark score. The i5-14400F has an average score of 32508, while the i7-12800H has a score of 32513, resulting in a performance delta of 0%. This indicates they offer nearly equivalent multi-threaded performance.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The drop from High to Ultra at 2560x1440 is relatively small. The High preset yields an average of 125.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 120.7 FPS. This is a difference of only 5.2 FPS, suggesting the Ultra preset is not disproportionately demanding at this resolution.

Q: Does the GPU's performance fall behind its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080?

A: The data indicates the RX 6750 XT is slightly behind the RTX 3080. The RX 6750 XT has an average benchmark score of 35327, while the RTX 3080 scores 35787, representing a delta of -1.3%. The RTX 3080 is marginally faster in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: Is the combo's ranking in the 744th position out of 1671 considered good?

A: Yes, the ranking places the combo in the top 44.5% of all tested combinations. This is a strong position, indicating that the pairing delivers above-average performance for Inside relative to the entire database of tested hardware.