Inside

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a unique configuration for Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics component, yet the CPU provides enough headroom to make settings and resolution choices critical for a smooth experience. The benchmark results show that this combo ranks in the 8th percentile of tested configurations, indicating that while the game runs, it does so with significant performance limitations that require careful tuning.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for this combination of Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B370 clearly indicates that the Low preset is the only reliable choice for playable performance across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 141 FPS average, which is more than double the 67 FPS achieved at the Ultra preset. This gap widens at higher resolutions, where the Low preset at 2560x1440 produces 101 FPS compared to just 48 FPS on Ultra, and at 3840x2160, the Low preset yields 64 FPS versus a barely playable 30 FPS on Ultra.

The Medium preset offers a viable middle ground only for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 1920x1080, Medium achieves 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS, making it a solid choice for those who want better visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. At 2560x1440, Medium drops to 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS, which is still acceptable for a puzzle platformer, but the margin for error becomes thinner. At 3840x2160, Medium produces 51 FPS with a minimum of 43 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS target most players prefer, so it is not recommended for 4K gaming.

The High preset is a compromise that only works at 1080p. It delivers 70 FPS at 1920x1080, which is playable but noticeably lower than Medium. At 2560x1440, High drops to 51 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it falls to 32 FPS, both of which are too low for a smooth experience. The Ultra preset is essentially unusable for this combo, as it produces 67 FPS at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p, and 30 FPS at 4K. Given that Inside is a puzzle platformer where precise timing matters, the data suggests that players should prioritize frame rate over visual quality.

For the best experience, the data points to Low settings at 1920x1080 as the optimal configuration, delivering 141 FPS with no reported minimum frame drops. If visual fidelity is a priority, Medium at 1920x1080 is the highest preset that maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS ensuring consistent performance during gameplay. At 2560x1440, Low is the only recommended preset, as the 101 FPS average provides enough headroom for the game's physics-based puzzles. The 4K resolution should be avoided entirely, as even the Low preset at 64 FPS is borderline, and the gap between Low and Medium (64 vs 51 FPS) shows that the GPU struggles to maintain fluid motion at this resolution.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration, and its specifications explain the measured performance patterns. The GPU features a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. Its FP32 performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs according to the benchmark data. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 confirms its entry-level positioning, with nearest rivals including the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, deltaPct -0.5) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, deltaPct -0.2).

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared" with system-dependent bandwidth, which means it relies on the CPU's memory controller rather than dedicated VRAM. This shared memory architecture is a significant factor in the performance drops observed at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset produces only 30 FPS, while dropping to Low settings yields 64 FPS, a 113% improvement that highlights how memory bandwidth constraints amplify at higher pixel counts. The GPU's 20 ROPs and 40 TMUs are sufficient for 2D side-scrolling environments, but the pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s become limiting factors at 4K resolutions.

The boost clock of 2400 MHz is relatively high for an integrated-class GPU, but the 25 W TDP and IGP slot width indicate this is designed for power efficiency rather than raw performance. The data shows that the GPU can handle 1080p gaming at Low settings with 141 FPS, but the frame rates drop precipitously as resolution increases. The lack of dedicated VRAM means the GPU competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, which explains why the gap between Low and Medium settings widens from 28 FPS at 1080p (141 vs 113) to 13 FPS at 4K (64 vs 51). For Inside, which features a dark, atmospheric art style, the GPU's limitations are most evident in the frame rate consistency rather than visual quality, as the Medium preset at 1440p shows a 12 FPS spread between minimum and maximum frames.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2654 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the bottom 8% of configurations. This ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's performance, as the CPU is a high-end desktop processor that sits in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. The combo's position reflects the significant mismatch between the processor's capability and the graphics card's limitations.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark performance include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (deltaPct -0.2), the AMD EPYC 4345P (deltaPct 0.3), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (deltaPct 0.7), all of which are within 1% of the i5-14600K's average benchmark score of 48618. This indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo's ranking. The GPU's nearest rivals are all legacy cards from the early 2010s, with the ATI Radeon HD 5770 being the closest match at 1190 points, which is only 0.5% higher than the Arc B370's score of 1184.

The low combo rank is consistent with the measured FPS data across all resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces 30 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. Even at 1080p Low, the 141 FPS average is respectable, but the overall ranking suggests that many other CPU/GPU combinations achieve higher frame rates at higher settings. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming at medium-to-low settings, and its rank of 2654 out of 2887 reflects that it is not competitive with modern gaming systems, even for a game released in 2016.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of how this combo performs across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results: Low settings produce 141 FPS average, Medium produces 113 FPS (with a minimum of 96 and a maximum of 130), High produces 70 FPS, and Ultra produces 67 FPS. The progression from Low to Medium shows a 28 FPS drop, while the transition from High to Ultra is minimal at only 3 FPS, suggesting that the High and Ultra presets are similarly demanding on this GPU.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down significantly. Low settings yield 101 FPS, Medium produces 81 FPS (with a minimum of 69 and a maximum of 93), High drops to 51 FPS, and Ultra falls to 48 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 20 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 3 FPS, mirroring the pattern seen at 1080p. The minimum frame rate of 69 FPS at Medium settings indicates that even this preset can experience occasional dips, but they remain within playable territory.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings produce 64 FPS, Medium produces 51 FPS (with a minimum of 43 and a maximum of 59), High drops to 32 FPS, and Ultra falls to 30 FPS. The 4K resolution shows the most dramatic drop-off, with High and Ultra both dipping below 35 FPS, making them effectively unplayable for a game that requires responsive controls. The minimum frame rate of 43 FPS at Medium settings at 4K highlights the GPU's inability to maintain consistent performance at this resolution.

The data reveals that the combo's sweet spot is 1080p, where all presets except Ultra maintain at least 70 FPS. At 1440p, only Low and Medium exceed 60 FPS, and at 4K, only Low achieves over 60 FPS. The largest relative improvement from settings changes occurs at 4K, where moving from Ultra (30 FPS) to Low (64 FPS) more than doubles the frame rate, indicating that resolution scaling has a greater impact on this GPU than settings adjustments.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU/GPU pairing in Inside?*

A: The measured data shows that Low settings at 1920x1080 delivers the highest average FPS at 141, while Medium at 1920x1080 provides 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS. These are the only configurations that consistently maintain frame rates well above 60 FPS.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Inside?*

A: At 3840x2160, the combo produces 64 FPS on Low settings, 51 FPS on Medium, 32 FPS on High, and 30 FPS on Ultra. Only Low settings approach playable frame rates, and the minimum FPS of 43 at Medium suggests that 4K gaming is not recommended with this hardware.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, deltaPct -0.2) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, deltaPct -0.5). It is slightly ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, deltaPct 1.4).

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600K bottlenecking the GPU in this game?

A: No, the CPU's average benchmark score of 48618 places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals are within 1% of its performance. The GPU, which ranks in the 5th percentile, is clearly the limiting factor in this combo's performance.

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

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 101 FPS while Ultra produces 48 FPS, a difference of 53 FPS. This represents a 110% improvement when switching from Ultra to Low, demonstrating the significant impact of settings on this GPU.

Q: Does the Medium preset provide smooth gameplay at any resolution?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS, which is smooth. At 2560x1440, Medium produces 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS, which is also playable. At 3840x2160, Medium drops to 51 FPS with a minimum of 43 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering.

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. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a single-core score of 2064, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Inside, a puzzle platformer that is not typically CPU-intensive, the i5-14600K provides ample processing power. The game's 2D side-scrolling nature means that the CPU's 14 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for the physics calculations and game logic, even at 1080p where the GPU is producing 141 FPS. The CPU's boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures that single-threaded performance is not a bottleneck, as evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 2491 and Passmark single-thread score of 4270.

The CPU's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, along with its dual-channel memory bus, allows for flexible system configuration. While the GPU's shared memory architecture means that system memory bandwidth affects graphics performance, the CPU's 24 MB of L3 cache helps mitigate some of the latency associated with shared memory. The data shows that the CPU's performance is not the limiting factor at any resolution, as the frame rate differences between settings presets are consistent with GPU-bound behavior rather than CPU limitations.

The CPU's 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a mainstream desktop part, and its unlockable multiplier allows for overclocking, though the GPU's constraints mean that additional CPU performance would not translate to higher frame rates in this specific game. The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark performance, including the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and AMD EPYC 4345P, all fall within 1% of its average score, confirming that the i5-14600K is a well-rounded processor that is not the weak link in this combo. For Inside, the CPU's role is to provide consistent frame pacing and ensure that the GPU is fully utilized, which it does effectively given the measured results across all resolutions and settings.