Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer with modest visual demands, and the pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 produces an exceptionally high-performing combination. The measured frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings presets are consistently high, often exceeding the refresh rates of typical high-end monitors. The data indicates that this system is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while at 1080p the processor’s capabilities become more relevant, though still resulting in triple-digit frame rates. This analysis breaks down the measured performance metrics, contextualizes the combo’s standing against other tested configurations, and provides actionable settings guidance based on the empirical data.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate behavior across resolutions reveals a classic scaling pattern, with the most significant drops occurring when moving from 1440p to 4K. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 263.4 FPS at 1920x1080 to 233.7 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 29.7 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 3840x2160 is more severe, with the average dropping by 87.3 FPS to 146.4 FPS. This steep decline at 4K strongly suggests that the rendering load is shifting decisively onto the GPU, as the pixel count more than doubles from 1440p to 4K.

Examining the Low preset provides a clearer view of the CPU’s headroom. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 339.2 FPS, which drops to 304.4 FPS at 1440p and then to 259.8 FPS at 4K. The relatively modest decline from 1080p to 1440p (34.8 FPS) compared to the 1440p to 4K drop (44.6 FPS) indicates that even at lower settings, the GPU remains a significant factor. However, the fact that 1080p Low exceeds 300 FPS shows the i5-14400F is capable of feeding the RTX 4090 at very high rates, with its 10 cores and 16 threads proving sufficient for this game’s demands.

The Ultra preset exhibits the largest absolute scaling penalty. At 1080p, the system averages 258 FPS; at 1440p, that drops to 223.2 FPS; and at 4K, it falls to 137.9 FPS. This represents a 120.1 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K Ultra, which is the widest margin of any preset. This shows that the additional visual effects and shading complexity at Ultra settings place a heavy burden on the GPU’s shading units and memory bandwidth. The RTX 4090’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are clearly being utilized, yet the frame rate still capitulates under the combined stress of 4K resolution and maximum settings.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is partially limited by the CPU’s single-thread performance, as evidenced by the relatively small differences between presets. For instance, at 1080p, the gap between Low (339.2 FPS) and Ultra (258 FPS) is 81.2 FPS, whereas at 4K, the same preset gap is 121.9 FPS. This widening gap at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU becomes the primary limiting component as resolution increases, while the CPU’s role diminishes.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks at position 99 out of 1,671 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the top 6% of all configurations, which is an exceptional result for a game with relatively modest system requirements. The high rank is attributable to the RTX 4090’s sheer rendering power, which is among the most capable GPUs in the database, rather than the CPU’s raw computational strength.

To contextualize the processor’s contribution, the i5-14400F holds an 88th percentile ranking among all CPUs based on its average benchmark score. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-12800H, which has a nearly identical average score (32,513 vs. 32,508), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, which is just 0.2% ahead. The AMD Ryzen 7 250 and Intel Core i7-13705H are both 0.2% behind. This clustering indicates that the i5-14400F’s performance is competitive with these mobile and desktop parts, though none of them approach the RTX 4090’s dominance.

The GPU’s own benchmark standing further clarifies the combo’s high rank. The RTX 4090 sits in the 91st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66,473. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (0.4% lower score) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (0.9% lower), which are professional-grade cards not typically used for gaming. This suggests that the RTX 4090’s gaming performance is unmatched by most consumer hardware, making it the primary driver of the combo’s 99th-place ranking in this specific title.

The combination of a top-tier GPU with a mid-range to upper-mid-range CPU results in a system that excels in a game like Inside, which is not heavily threaded. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any tested resolution, as the GPU consistently delivers frame rates well above 100 FPS even at 4K Ultra. This ranking demonstrates that for this particular game, GPU investment yields the most significant performance returns, while the CPU’s role is secondary but still adequate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the measured performance. The GPU features a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, which are high frequencies that contribute to its 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power. The 16,384 shading units and 512 texture mapping units provide substantial parallel processing capability, allowing for high fill rates across all settings.

Memory configuration is critical for 4K performance. The RTX 4090 comes equipped with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz, which translates to 21 Gbps effective. This bandwidth is sufficient to feed the GPU’s cores at 4K resolution without causing a memory bottleneck, as evidenced by the 146.4 FPS average at 4K High. In comparison, a GPU with less bandwidth would likely see more significant frame rate drops at this resolution.

The GPU’s architecture, Ada Lovelace on a 5 nm process from TSMC, includes 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores. While Inside does not utilize ray tracing, the presence of these cores does not hurt performance. The 176 ROPs ensure that pixel output remains high, with a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s, which is more than adequate for the game’s 2D side-scrolling visuals. The 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate also ensures that texture-heavy scenes do not cause stutters.

The measured data shows that the GPU’s performance scales predictably with settings. At 4K, the difference between Low (259.8 FPS) and Medium (235.2 FPS) is 24.6 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High (146.4 FPS) is a much larger 88.8 FPS. This indicates that the High preset introduces significant additional GPU work compared to Medium, likely in the form of more advanced lighting or shadow effects. The Ultra preset (137.9 FPS) is only 8.5 FPS slower than High, suggesting diminishing returns at the highest settings. This pattern is consistent across all resolutions, confirming that the GPU’s architecture and memory subsystem are the key determinants of frame rates in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured average frame rates provides a comprehensive view of the system’s performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 339.2 FPS. Medium follows at 314.5 FPS, High at 263.4 FPS, and Ultra at 258 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 81.2 FPS, which is substantial but still leaves the Ultra preset comfortably above 240 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 304.4 FPS (Low), 282.5 FPS (Medium), 233.7 FPS (High), and 223.2 FPS (Ultra). The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most pronounced at the High preset, where the average falls by 29.7 FPS. The Ultra preset sees a 34.8 FPS reduction, while Low and Medium see smaller drops of 34.8 FPS and 32 FPS, respectively. These figures indicate that 1440p is still well within the system’s comfort zone, with all presets exceeding 220 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance landscape changes more dramatically. The Low preset averages 259.8 FPS, Medium drops to 235.2 FPS, High falls to 146.4 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 137.9 FPS. The most notable observation is the large gap between Medium and High at 4K, which is 88.8 FPS. This suggests that the High preset enables a specific rendering feature that disproportionately impacts performance at this resolution. The Ultra preset is only 8.5 FPS slower than High, indicating that the additional settings in Ultra are relatively lightweight compared to the jump from Medium to High.

The data also shows that the system never drops below 137.9 FPS in any tested configuration, which is remarkable for a game running at 4K. The highest recorded average is 339.2 FPS at 1080p Low, demonstrating that the system can easily push beyond 300 FPS when resolution and settings are lowered. For users targeting 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors, even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset provides sufficient headroom, while 1080p and 1440p users can achieve frame rates well above 200 FPS regardless of settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo?

A: The highest measured average is 339.2 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the system averages 137.9 FPS, which is the lowest measured performance but still comfortably above 120 FPS.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops significantly from 1440p to 4K. At 1080p, the CPU’s performance is more relevant, but the system still exceeds 258 FPS at Ultra.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 304.4 FPS, while Ultra averages 223.2 FPS, resulting in an 81.2 FPS difference.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: This combination ranks 99th out of 1,671 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the top 6% of all systems.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and size?

A: The RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 384-bit bus and a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience for users with high-refresh-rate displays. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 314.5 FPS, which is only 24.7 FPS slower than Low but provides noticeably better visual quality. At 1440p Medium, the average is 282.5 FPS, still well above 240 Hz refresh rates. Even at 4K Medium, the 235.2 FPS average is exceptional, making this preset the most versatile choice across all resolutions.

For users prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, the Ultra preset remains viable. At 1080p, it delivers 258 FPS, which is sufficient for 240 Hz monitors. At 1440p, the 223.2 FPS average still exceeds most high-refresh displays. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 137.9 FPS, which is still smooth but may not fully utilize a 144 Hz monitor’s potential. The High preset offers a middle ground, with 146.4 FPS at 4K, but its performance is nearly identical to Ultra at 1080p (263.4 FPS vs. 258 FPS) and 1440p (233.7 FPS vs. 223.2 FPS), making Ultra the better choice when visual quality is the goal.

The Low preset is only recommended for users seeking maximum frame rates, particularly for competitive or high-refresh esports scenarios. At 1080p Low, the 339.2 FPS average is the highest measured, but the visual compromises are significant. Given that the Medium preset provides a 24.7 FPS reduction at 1080p and a 22.7 FPS reduction at 1440p, the visual fidelity gain is worth the minor performance cost. At 4K, the Low preset’s 259.8 FPS is still very high, but the Medium preset’s 235.2 FPS offers better image quality for only a 24.6 FPS penalty. The data strongly supports Medium as the default recommendation, with Ultra for those who prioritize graphics over raw frame rates.