Inside

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K and the AMD Radeon RX 570 presents a classic study in bottleneck dynamics for Inside. This 2016 puzzle platformer is not particularly demanding on modern hardware, yet the data reveals that the legacy Polaris GPU is the definitive constraint, with the high-end 14th Gen processor effectively idle in the wings. The benchmark results show a system where frame rates are dictated almost entirely by graphics settings and resolution, with the CPU's substantial headroom never becoming a limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates demonstrate an aggressive scaling curve that points squarely at the GPU as the performance ceiling. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 63.1 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same preset, the average drops to 48.4 FPS, a significant reduction. The jump to 4K (3840x2160) on Ultra is harsher still, yielding just 29.1 FPS. This indicates that the RX 570's 4 GB GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus are being saturated by the increased pixel count, forcing the GPU to work exponentially harder.

The scaling pattern is more revealing when we look at the lower settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 132.5 FPS, which is a figure that suggests the CPU could push even higher if the GPU allowed. However, the GPU’s limits emerge at 1440p Low, where the average falls to 97.7 FPS. At 4K Low, the frame rate plummets to 63.6 FPS, a 52% drop from the 1080p Low result. This shows that even with the most forgiving graphical settings, the Radeon RX 570 cannot maintain high refresh rates at higher resolutions. The data suggests that this is a GPU-bound scenario across the board; the i5-14600K, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, is never the limiting component.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific combination in the 1600th position out of 1671 tested combos for Inside. This ranking, which places it in the bottom 5% of all tested systems, is a stark indicator of the GPU's age. The RX 570, which sits at the 74th percentile among all GPUs, is a competent card for esports titles but is not designed for the demands of modern gaming at high resolutions. In contrast, the i5-14600K is a top-tier processor, ranking in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49166. This places it incredibly close to rivals like the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which has an average score of 49062 (a 0.2% difference), and the Intel Core i5-14600KF, which scores 49367 (a -0.4% difference).

The massive disparity between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's lower one explains the combo's poor rank. The system is essentially a supercomputer paired with a mid-range graphics card from a previous generation. While the CPU has the raw power of a 5.3 GHz boost clock and a 24 MB L3 cache, the GPU’s 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 32 ROPs are the bottleneck. The benchmark results indicate that the system's overall performance is heavily weighted down by the graphics card, making this a lopsided pairing for a game like Inside.

FAQ

Q: Why is the 4K Ultra performance so low compared to 1080p Low?

A: The frame rate drops from 132.5 FPS at 1080p Low to 29.1 FPS at 4K Ultra. This is because the AMD Radeon RX 570’s 4 GB memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are overwhelmed by the 8.3 million pixels at 4K, especially with high-detail textures and effects, making the GPU the definitive limiting factor.

Q: Is this system better for 1080p or 1440p gaming?

A: For this game, 1080p is clearly the sweet spot. The data shows playable averages at 1080p across all settings, from 132.5 FPS on Low to 63.1 FPS on Ultra. At 1440p, performance is more variable, with the High preset averaging 46.8 FPS, which is below the smooth 60 FPS threshold, though Low and Medium remain playable.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 49166. This is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062, a 0.2% difference) and the Intel Core i5-14600KF (49367, a -0.4% difference). The data shows they are all within 1% of each other, with the Xeon Gold 5318H trailing by 1%.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a consistent 60 FPS at 1920x1080?

A: The Medium preset at 1080p delivers an average of 106.3 FPS, providing a significant margin above 60 FPS. The High preset also clears this hurdle with 66.3 FPS, making either a viable choice for a smooth experience, though Medium offers more headroom for demanding scenes.

Q: Is the 4 GB VRAM on the RX 570 a problem for this game?

A: The benchmark data suggests it is a constraint at higher resolutions. While the card manages 63.6 FPS at 4K Low, performance drops sharply with increased settings, hitting 51.1 FPS on Medium and 29.7 FPS on High. This indicates the memory capacity and bandwidth are insufficient for high-fidelity 4K rendering.

Q: How does this combo's in-game rank compare to its individual parts?

A: The combo ranks 1600th out of 1671 in Inside, which is very poor. However, the CPU is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. This shows the overall system rank is dragged down by the GPU, which cannot leverage the CPU's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities across three resolutions and four presets. At 1920x1080, the system is most comfortable. The Low preset achieves an average of 132.5 FPS, while Medium drops to 106.3 FPS. High settings still manage a solid 66.3 FPS, and Ultra brings the average down to 63.1 FPS. This resolution is clearly where the RX 570 can flex its muscles, providing smooth performance across the board.

Moving to 2560x1440, the strain becomes evident. The Low preset averages 97.7 FPS, a respectable number, but Medium falls to 76.9 FPS. The High preset drops to 46.8 FPS, which is noticeably less smooth, and Ultra yields 48.4 FPS. The performance here is inconsistent, with the GPU’s pixel throughput becoming the primary bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the RX 570 struggles. The Low preset is the only playable option, with an average of 63.6 FPS. Medium drops to 51.1 FPS, while High and Ultra fall to 29.7 FPS and 29.1 FPS, respectively. This data confirms that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo at higher detail levels, as the frame rates fall well below the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combination is found at 1920x1080. The Medium preset is the best balance, delivering an average of 106.3 FPS. This provides a high frame rate that ensures responsive and fluid gameplay, with a significant buffer above 60 FPS to accommodate any minor frame drops. While the High preset also achieves a playable 66.3 FPS, the Medium preset offers a more comfortable performance margin without a substantial visual penalty in a game with a muted, atmospheric art style.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the only recommendation, as it is the sole setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS at 97.7 FPS. The Medium preset at 76.9 FPS is also acceptable, but the performance headroom is smaller. At 4K, the Low preset at 63.6 FPS is the only playable option, but the visual compromises are significant. The data strongly suggests that this hardware combination is best suited for 1080p gaming, where the CPU's power can be effectively utilized to ensure a stable and high frame rate, even if the GPU's age prevents it from pushing higher resolutions.