Inside

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination delivers a smooth experience in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer that is far from demanding by modern standards. The measured data shows this pairing is capable of high frame rates even at 4K, with performance scaling that clearly indicates where the system's limits lie. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, examining the roles of the GPU and CPU, and provides practical recommendations based strictly on the benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 148 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 106 FPS, a 28% reduction, and then to 4K it falls further to 67 FPS, which is 55% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline is the signature of a system where the graphics card is the primary performance limiter.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the frame rate goes from 296 FPS at 1080p, to 213 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 134 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly the same (around 55%) regardless of the quality preset. This uniformity is significant. It means that the workload increase from raising resolution is hitting the GPU equally hard at every settings level, which is expected for a game like this that does not have heavy CPU simulation logic.

The fact that 4K Ultra still manages an average of 64 FPS, while 4K High produces 67 FPS, shows that the resolution itself is the dominant factor. The difference between High and Ultra at the same resolution is small, suggesting that the GPU's raw pixel pushing capability is the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between 1080p and 1440p, but the data clearly shows a linear relationship between pixel count and performance. This is a GPU-limited scenario across the board.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the star of this show, and its specifications explain the observed scaling. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. For a game released in 2016, this memory configuration is more than sufficient for the textures and assets used, which is why there are no apparent stutters or minimum FPS drops at higher resolutions in the measured data.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a base of 2317 MHz and a boost of 2572 MHz. These high clocks, combined with 2560 shading units, allow the card to maintain high fill rates, which is crucial for a 2D side-scroller with detailed environments. The pixel rate is 82.30 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 205.8 GTexel/s. These numbers directly translate to the card's ability to render the game's dark, atmospheric scenes efficiently.

The benchmark results for the RTX 5050 place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035. Its nearest rivals in the database are the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (scoring 21153, which is 0.6% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (scoring 20713, which is 1.6% lower). This places the RTX 5050 in a competitive mid-range tier. The data shows that while it is not a top-tier card, it has ample power for a game like Inside. The 4K High average of 67 FPS reflects its capability, as many modern games would struggle to hit that mark at such a high resolution.

It is important to note that the card's 8 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor here. The game's release date from 2016 means its texture sizes are modest, and the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (64 FPS) does not indicate any memory-related performance cliff. The GPU's role is entirely about rasterization speed, and it performs admirably.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. For a puzzle platformer like Inside, the CPU's job is relatively simple: handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The game's 2D nature means the CPU is not burdened with complex 3D scene management.

The CPU's benchmark scores are robust. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055. Its Geekbench multi-core score is 11268, with a single-core score of 2058. These numbers place the i5-14400F in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, which is a strong showing. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (avg score 32233, 0.1% higher) and the Intel Core i9-11900 (avg score 32226, 0.2% higher), confirming its position as a high-performing mainstream chip.

However, in the context of Inside, the CPU is not the bottleneck. The measured FPS scaling is entirely consistent with a GPU limit. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system hits 296 FPS. This high frame rate is achieved without any reported minimum FPS issues, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU fast enough. If the CPU were a problem, we would see the 1080p and 1440p results converging, as the GPU would have spare capacity that the CPU could not fill.

The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and high single-thread performance (Passmark single-thread score of 3701) are more than adequate for the game's engine. The data indicates that the i5-14400F is providing a stable platform, allowing the RTX 5050 to perform to its full potential. The system is not CPU-bound at any tested resolution, which is the ideal scenario for a gaming build.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Inside, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1719 out of 2887 total combinations. This places it in the 40th percentile of all tested systems. While this might sound low, it is important to interpret this number correctly. The rank is based on average FPS across all settings and resolutions, and many of the combos ranked above it likely feature much more expensive, high-end GPUs.

The rank of 1719 does not mean this is a poor combination. It simply indicates that Inside is an easy game to run, and the top 1000 combos likely include processors like the Core i9 series or GPUs like the RTX 5080, which will push frame rates to absurd levels. The i5-14400F's own percentile ranking of 83rd for CPUs and the RTX 5050's 66th percentile for GPUs show that both components are well above average, but they are not at the absolute top.

The combo's rank is more a reflection of the game's low requirements than a demerit on the hardware. For a modern AAA title, this same combo would likely rank much higher relative to other systems, as the GPU and CPU would be more evenly matched with the workload. Here, the data shows that the system is comfortably in the upper half of all tested machines, which is a solid result for a mid-range build.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system is massively overqualified. Low settings produce an average of 296 FPS, which is likely far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. Medium settings deliver 237 FPS (with a minimum of 201 FPS and a maximum of 272 FPS), while High settings yield 148 FPS. Ultra settings still manage a very smooth 141 FPS. The consistent 237 FPS at Medium with a minimum of 201 FPS shows excellent frame pacing, with no major dips.

At 2560x1440, performance remains excellent. Low settings average 213 FPS, Medium settings average 170 FPS (minimum 145, maximum 196), and High settings average 106 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 101 FPS. The 1440p Medium result is particularly interesting, as the 145 FPS minimum still provides a highly responsive experience. The gap between High and Ultra at this resolution is only 5 FPS (106 vs. 101), which suggests that the Ultra preset is adding minimal visual fidelity for a slight performance cost.

At 3840x2160, the system finally shows some strain, but it remains playable. Low settings average 134 FPS, Medium settings average 107 FPS (minimum 91, maximum 123), and High settings average 67 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 64 FPS. The 4K Medium result is the sweet spot for a high-resolution experience, as the 91 FPS minimum is still above the standard 60 FPS target. The 4K High and Ultra results are both above 60 FPS, but only just, making them viable for players who prioritize visual quality over headroom.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to a clear recommendation for the best experience. For players with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, the Ultra preset is the obvious choice. At 1080p, Ultra averages 141 FPS, and at 1440p, it averages 101 FPS. Both are well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the difference between High and Ultra is minimal (7 FPS at 1080p, 5 FPS at 1440p). The multi-core CPU performance is more than enough to handle the extra draw calls, so there is no reason to compromise on quality.

For 4K users, the recommendation is more nuanced. The Medium preset at 4K delivers an average of 107 FPS with a minimum of 91 FPS. This is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance headroom. The High preset at 67 FPS and Ultra at 64 FPS are both playable, but they leave little margin for demanding scenes. The data shows that Medium at 4K offers a 60% improvement in average FPS over High (107 vs. 67), while the visual difference in a game like Inside is likely to be subtle given its art style.

The conclusion is that the RTX 5050 is powerful enough to run Inside at maximum settings on 1080p and 1440p, but 4K requires a slight step down to Medium to ensure a consistently smooth experience. The system is clearly GPU-bound at 4K, so lowering the resolution is the only way to gain significant performance. For a game of this genre, the Medium preset at 4K (107 FPS) provides an ideal combination of sharpness and fluidity, making it the recommended configuration for high-resolution displays.