Inside

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a performance profile in Inside that is heavily dictated by the graphics settings selected, with frame rates ranging from a highly playable 66 FPS at 4K Ultra to a staggering 309 FPS at 1080p Low. The measured data reveals a component pairing that scales predictably with resolution, but the relationship between settings and frame rate is not linear, offering distinct tiers of performance that cater to different display capabilities and user preferences.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and clearly indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 9060 becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases, while the Intel Core i5-14600KF provides ample headroom at lower resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 155 FPS at 1920x1080 to 111 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 44 FPS, and then further to 70 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a cumulative drop of 85 FPS from 1080p to 4K. This pattern suggests that each step up in resolution imposes a significant load on the GPU, with the 4K resolution nearly halving the performance seen at 1080p.

The scaling at Low settings is even more pronounced in absolute terms, with the average frame rate dropping from 309 FPS at 1080p to 222 FPS at 1440p and finally to 140 FPS at 4K. The 169 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings underscores that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU’s 14 cores and 20 threads are unlikely to be stressed by a puzzle platformer at these lower graphical demands. At Medium settings, the frame rates are 247 FPS, 178 FPS, and 112 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively, showing a similar proportional decline.

The data implies that for users targeting 4K, the RX 9060’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus are stretched, as the 70 FPS at High settings is the only 4K result above 60 FPS, and it drops to 66 FPS at Ultra. Conversely, at 1080p, the frame rates are so high across all settings that the CPU’s performance is likely the ceiling, not the GPU. The benchmark results indicate that the RX 9060 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card for this title, but 4K gaming requires a careful selection of settings to maintain smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60+ FPS average?

A: All tested resolutions — 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160 — produce average frame rates above 60 FPS at every settings preset. The lowest recorded average is 66 FPS at 4K Ultra, while even the most demanding 4K High setting yields 70 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its closest rival in overall GPU benchmarks?

A: The RX 9060’s average benchmark score is 16014, which is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti’s score of 16129. It also sits 1% higher than both the AMD Radeon R9 370X and the AMD Radeon RX 7700, and 2.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600KF a strong performer relative to other CPUs?

A: The CPU holds a 90th percentile ranking among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49394. This is 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, but 0.8% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 222 FPS on Low settings to 106 FPS on Ultra settings, a significant 116 FPS decrease that highlights the impact of graphical fidelity on performance.

Q: Does the RX 9060’s 8 GB VRAM appear to be a limiting factor in this game?

A: The measured data shows playable frame rates at all settings, including 4K Ultra, suggesting that 8 GB is sufficient for Inside at these tested configurations. However, the 4K results are the lowest, with 70 FPS at High and 66 FPS at Ultra, indicating the GPU’s memory bandwidth and capacity are near their limits at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1615th out of 2887 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the upper half of all systems tested.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060’s specifications directly explain its performance scaling in Inside. The GPU is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a Navi 44 chip, and it operates at a base clock of 1700 MHz with a boost clock of 2990 MHz, while the game clock is set at 2400 MHz. These clock speeds, combined with 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs, allow for a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s, which are crucial for rendering the game’s atmospheric visuals at high resolutions.

The memory subsystem, while modest by modern standards, is sufficient for this title. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, which is a key factor in the frame rate drops seen at 4K. The data shows that the RX 9060’s performance at 4K Ultra is 66 FPS, which is only 4 FPS lower than the 70 FPS at 4K High, suggesting that the GPU is hitting a memory bandwidth wall rather than a compute limit. In contrast, at 1080p Low, the 309 FPS result demonstrates that the GPU has ample headroom when the memory and shading requirements are reduced.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning, with a percentile rank of 59 among all GPUs and an average score of 16014. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, scores nearly identically at 16129, which is a 0.7% difference. This competitive positioning means that in Inside, the RX 9060’s performance is expected to be similar to that of the RTX 3060 Ti, and the measured frame rates confirm that it is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, while 4K requires compromises in settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 309 FPS on Low, 247 FPS on Medium, 155 FPS on High, and 147 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset also recorded a minimum of 210 FPS and a maximum of 284 FPS, showing a stable performance window. This resolution sees the highest frame rates, with even the Ultra preset surpassing the 144 FPS mark, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 222 FPS on Low, 178 FPS on Medium, 111 FPS on High, and 106 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum and maximum are 151 FPS and 204 FPS, respectively. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with an average reduction of approximately 30% across all presets. The 1440p results remain highly playable, with even the Ultra preset maintaining an average above 100 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates decrease significantly: 140 FPS on Low, 112 FPS on Medium, 70 FPS on High, and 66 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset recorded a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS, which is the only 4K data point with min/max values. This resolution shows a stark contrast between the Low and Ultra presets, with a 74 FPS difference, but all results are above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The data indicates that 4K gaming is viable with this combo, but the user must accept lower settings to achieve higher frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance for this combo, particularly at higher resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 247 FPS, which is 108 FPS lower than Low but still far above any display’s refresh rate, while providing better visual fidelity. At 1440p, Medium’s 178 FPS is a strong result, and the recorded minimum of 151 FPS ensures no noticeable stutters. The Medium preset at 4K yields 112 FPS, which is a 60% improvement over High’s 70 FPS and a 70% improvement over Ultra’s 66 FPS, making it the clear choice for 4K users.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset is the obvious choice, especially at 1080p and 1440p where it achieves 309 FPS and 222 FPS, respectively. However, the data suggests that the visual downgrade is unnecessary for most users, as the Medium preset’s frame rates are already exceptionally high. The High preset is a middle ground, but its performance at 4K (70 FPS) is only marginally better than Ultra (66 FPS), making it a less attractive option than Medium, which offers a 42 FPS advantage over High at 4K.

The Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K, as it provides the lowest average frame rate of 66 FPS, which, while playable, offers no significant advantage over High and a substantial disadvantage compared to Medium. At 1080p and 1440p, Ultra is a viable option for users with high-refresh-rate displays, as it maintains averages of 147 FPS and 106 FPS, respectively. The benchmark results indicate that Medium is the sweet spot for this game and GPU combination, offering a 112 FPS average at 4K and exceeding 170 FPS at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a high-end desktop processor that provides more than enough computational power for Inside, a game that is not typically demanding on the CPU. With 14 cores and 20 threads, the processor has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, which allows it to handle any single-threaded or multi-threaded workload the game presents. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and a single-core score of 4594, indicating strong performance across the board.

The CPU’s role in this game is likely to be secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling. At 1080p Low, the 309 FPS result suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with data at very high rates, but the GPU is still the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The processor’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 further contribute to its ability to maintain high frame rates without becoming a limiting factor.

The CPU’s 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49394, places it in the top tier of processors. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, scores 0.3% lower, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 scores 0.8% higher. This performance level means that in Inside, the CPU is unlikely to be the cause of any frame rate drops, and the measured results confirm that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance, especially at 1440p and 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 1615th out of 2887 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the 56th percentile of all systems. This ranking is a reflection of the GPU’s mid-range performance, as the CPU is a top-tier component. The combo’s rank is not surprising given that the RX 9060’s average benchmark score of 16014 is in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, and its performance is closely matched by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 0.7% higher.

The data suggests that this combo is positioned for smooth 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it excels, but it falls behind more powerful combinations at 4K. The 1615th rank indicates that there are 1272 tested combos that perform better in this specific game, likely featuring higher-end GPUs with more VRAM and bandwidth. However, the combo’s performance in Inside is more than adequate for the game’s requirements, as evidenced by the fact that even the lowest measured average frame rate (66 FPS at 4K Ultra) is above the 60 FPS target.

The ranking also reflects the balance of the pairing. While the CPU is a strong performer, ranking in the 90th percentile, the GPU’s more modest 59th percentile ranking pulls the overall combo down. This is a classic example of a CPU that has more headroom than the GPU can utilize in a graphically intensive title. For users with this combo, the data implies that upgrading the GPU would yield a more significant improvement in Inside’s frame rates than upgrading the CPU, as the current GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions above 1080p.