Inside

Inside is a 2D puzzle-platformer from 2016, and its rendering demands are modest by modern standards. However, the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 reveals a configuration that is heavily skewed toward CPU-bound performance at lower resolutions, while the GPU becomes the defining factor at 4K. The data shows a system capable of extremely high frame rates, but the scaling patterns across settings and resolutions provide a clear picture of where each component’s limits lie.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. It belongs to the Core 14th Gen series, uses the Intel Socket 1700, and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its substantial thread count and high boost clock make it a formidable part for gaming, but Inside’s simple 2D scenes rarely stress a modern CPU to its breaking point. The benchmark results confirm this: the processor achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a single-core score of 2064, alongside a Geekbench single-core score of 2491.

In the context of Inside, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic, which this chip does with immense headroom. The measured FPS at 1080p Low is 309, a figure that strongly suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at that setting. Instead, the limiting factor is the GPU’s ability to rasterize the scene. The processor’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache contribute to low latency, but the game’s simplicity means that even a less capable CPU would likely produce similar results. The i5-14600K sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (avg score 48698, delta -0.2%) and the AMD EPYC 4345P (avg score 48470, delta 0.3%). These comparisons show that the i5-14600K is in the top tier of processors, but for Inside, this power is largely untapped.

The CPU’s integrated graphics, UHD Graphics 770, are irrelevant here since the system uses a discrete GPU, but the processor’s PCIe Gen 5 support with 16 lanes ensures no bandwidth limitation for the RX 9060. The 125W TDP and 10 nm process node are also notable, but the most relevant metric is the single-thread performance, which drives the game’s logic. With a PassMark single-thread score of 4270, the i5-14600K excels at the kind of rapid, serialized tasks that Inside’s physics and puzzle mechanics require. However, the frame rates at 1080p and 1440p indicate that the CPU is never the limiting component; the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are what dictate the final output.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the other half of this pairing, and it is the component that truly defines the experience in Inside. This GPU is based on the RDNA 4.0 architecture, specifically the Navi 44 chip, and features 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. It has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a boost clock of 2990 MHz, and a game clock of 2400 MHz. The memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. This is a mid-range card, sitting at the 59th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (avg score 16129, delta -0.7%) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (avg score 15852, delta 1%).

In Inside, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s distinctive dark, atmospheric environments. The 8 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for a 2016 title, even at 4K, as the texture sizes are modest. The measured FPS shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions: at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 66, while at 1080p Ultra it is 147. This scaling indicates that the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth are being fully utilized as resolution increases. The RX 9060’s 64 ROPs and 288 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the game’s 2D sprites and particle effects, but the 128-bit memory bus becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the fill rate demand increases fourfold compared to 1080p.

The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support is irrelevant for a game like Inside, which likely uses older APIs, but the card’s Vulkan 1.4 and OpenGL 4.6 support ensure compatibility. The passmark G3D score of 17631 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 3322 indicate that this is a capable card for its class, but the data shows that it cannot maintain the same frame rates at 4K as it does at lower resolutions. The GPU’s 132W TDP and dual-slot design are also notable, but the key takeaway is that the RX 9060 is the primary driver of the performance scaling seen in the measured FPS table.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 309 FPS, which drops to 222 FPS at 1440p Low and 140 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. The same trend holds for Medium settings: 247 FPS at 1080p, 178 FPS at 1440p, and 112 FPS at 4K, a 55% drop. For High settings, the numbers are 155 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K, a 55% reduction. Ultra settings follow suit with 147 FPS at 1080p, 106 FPS at 1440p, and 66 FPS at 4K, a 55% decrease.

This consistent 55% drop across all settings indicates a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, but the data shows a linear decline that correlates with pixel count. The RX 9060’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are the likely culprits, as the memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s must service a larger number of pixels at 4K. The fact that the FPS halves when going from 1080p to 4K (e.g., 309 to 140 at Low) suggests that the GPU’s fill rate is the bottleneck, not the CPU’s ability to issue draw calls.

The min and max FPS data, available only for Medium settings, provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from 210 to 284 FPS, a variance of 74 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 151 to 204 FPS, a variance of 53 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 95 to 128 FPS, a variance of 33 FPS. This narrowing variance at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU is being pushed to its limits, as frame times become more consistent when the workload is uniform. The CPU, with its high single-thread performance, is not causing stutters or frame drops; the GPU is simply running out of throughput at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS table provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1080p, all presets are playable, with Low hitting 309 FPS, Medium at 247 FPS, High at 155 FPS, and Ultra at 147 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 8 FPS, suggesting that Ultra is the better choice for 1080p owners who want maximum visual fidelity without a significant performance penalty. The data shows that the GPU can handle the Ultra preset at 1080p with room to spare, as 147 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1440p, the situation changes slightly. Low delivers 222 FPS, Medium 178 FPS, High 111 FPS, and Ultra 106 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to just 5 FPS, making Ultra the recommended preset for 1440p as well. However, the drop from Medium to High is significant (67 FPS), which suggests that the Medium preset might be a better choice for players with high-refresh-rate monitors who prioritize frame rates over visual details. But for a game like Inside, which is a slow-paced puzzle platformer, the visual richness of Ultra at 106 FPS is still a smooth experience.

At 4K, the recommendations change dramatically. Low delivers 140 FPS, Medium 112 FPS, High 70 FPS, and Ultra 66 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is just above the 60 FPS target, but the difference between High and Ultra is minimal (4 FPS). Given that the game’s art style is dark and atmospheric, the visual difference between High and Ultra is likely negligible, so High is the recommended preset for 4K to maintain a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 112 FPS is also viable, but the jump from Medium to High (42 FPS) is steep, indicating that High is the sweet spot for 4K. The data suggests that the RX 9060 is capable of 4K gaming, but only with careful settings management.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 1615th out of 2887 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the 44th percentile, meaning that 44% of tested configurations perform worse, and 56% perform better. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the high frame rates measured, but it likely reflects the fact that Inside is an older game that does not require a top-tier CPU, and many older or lower-end GPUs can achieve similar results. The combo’s rank is dragged down by the GPU’s mid-range status, as the RX 9060 sits at the 59th percentile among all GPUs.

The ranking suggests that while this combo is capable of excellent performance in Inside, it is not exceptional compared to other tested systems. The RX 9060’s nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti, has a similar average score (16129 vs 16014), so the performance delta is minimal. The CPU’s high percentile (90th) does little to improve the combo’s rank, as the game is GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The data indicates that a system with a weaker CPU but a stronger GPU would likely rank higher in Inside, as the game’s CPU demands are minimal. However, for a balanced system that can handle other, more demanding titles, this combo offers a solid foundation.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Inside?

A: The data shows that 1080p provides the highest frame rates across all settings, with Ultra achieving 147 FPS. 1440p is also excellent, with Ultra at 106 FPS. 4K is playable, but only at High settings (70 FPS) to maintain a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest rival in terms of performance?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, while its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, has a score of 16129. This represents a delta of -0.7%, meaning the RX 9060 is slightly slower on average, but the difference is negligible in practice.

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

A: The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at resolutions above 1080p. The frame rate drops by 55% from 1080p to 4K across all settings, indicating that the RX 9060’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. At 1080p, the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the 309 FPS at Low settings demonstrates.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only min FPS values provided are for Medium settings. At 4K Medium, the min FPS is 95, at 1440p Medium it is 151, and at 1080p Medium it is 210. These figures indicate that the system never drops below 95 FPS in the tested configurations.

Q: How does the i5-14600K’s single-thread performance affect the game?

A: The i5-14600K has a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2491. This high single-thread performance ensures that the game’s logic and physics run efficiently, but it does not impact the frame rates, which are primarily GPU-bound.

Q: Is 8 GB of VRAM sufficient for Inside at 4K?

A: The data shows that 8 GB is sufficient, as the game achieves 70 FPS at 4K High and 66 FPS at 4K Ultra. The texture sizes in this 2016 title are modest, so the VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is presented below, organized by resolution and settings preset. All values are average FPS unless otherwise noted.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 309 FPS
• Medium: 247 FPS (min 210, max 284)
• High: 155 FPS
• Ultra: 147 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 222 FPS
• Medium: 178 FPS (min 151, max 204)
• High: 111 FPS
• Ultra: 106 FPS

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 140 FPS
• Medium: 112 FPS (min 95, max 128)
• High: 70 FPS
• Ultra: 66 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: the frame rate scales linearly with resolution, with a 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K at every settings level. The Medium preset is the only one with min and max FPS data, which reveals a narrowing variance as resolution increases. At 1080p Medium, the range is 74 FPS, at 1440p Medium it is 53 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 33 FPS. This suggests that the GPU’s workload becomes more uniform at higher resolutions, leading to more consistent frame times. The High and Ultra presets show a smaller performance gap than Low to Medium, indicating that the GPU’s resources are more efficiently utilized at higher quality settings. For players seeking a locked 60 FPS experience, the 4K High preset is the safest choice, while 1080p and 1440p offer ample headroom for high-refresh-rate displays.