Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016 that places unusual demands on hardware, and the measured data for the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570 reveals a component dynamic worth examining. The benchmark results show a system that is clearly capable of delivering smooth gameplay, but the margins between settings and resolutions indicate where the performance ceiling sits, and the data suggests that the graphics card is the primary driver of frame rates in this title.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The frame rate progression across resolutions is steep, and the pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 68.7 FPS, but moving to 1440p drops that to 47.6 FPS, a reduction of roughly 31%. The jump to 4K High yields 30.7 FPS, which represents a further 35% decline from the 1440p figure. This scaling is not linear, and the increasingly large penalties at higher resolutions point directly at the Radeon RX 570 as the limiting factor.

The data becomes even more telling when comparing the Low settings across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 134.5 FPS, which falls to 94.7 FPS at 1440p and then to 62.5 FPS at 4K. The fact that even the lowest graphical preset cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K suggests that pixel throughput is the bottleneck, not the CPU. If the processor were the constraint, we would expect the frame rates to plateau regardless of resolution, but the consistent drops with every pixel increase confirm that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are being saturated.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and High settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and High is 65.8 FPS, but at 4K, that gap shrinks to 31.8 FPS. This compression indicates that at lower resolutions, the GPU has spare capacity that gets consumed by additional graphical effects, while at 4K, the sheer pixel count dominates and leaves less headroom for settings to matter. The data implies that for a smooth 4K experience, users would need to significantly lower expectations, as even Medium settings only reach 52.2 FPS.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 570 features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In a game like Inside, which relies on atmospheric rendering and subtle lighting effects, the memory subsystem plays a critical role in maintaining consistent frame times. The 4 GB capacity is sufficient for the 1080p and 1440p results, but the 4K data suggests that the card’s memory bandwidth is being stretched, as frame rates drop below 40 FPS on all presets except Low.

The GPU’s clock speeds are modest by modern standards, with a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. These frequencies, combined with the 2048 shading units, produce a peak FP32 throughput of 5.095 TFLOPS. For a puzzle platformer, this level of compute is generally ample, but the measured results show that the card’s raw throughput is insufficient for 4K Ultra, which averages just 30.1 FPS. The card operates at a 74th percentile ranking among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 30158 places it statistically tied with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, though those rivals are in different performance tiers in practice.

The texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s are the specs that matter most for this game’s visual style. Inside uses a side-scrolling perspective with detailed environments, and the data shows that the card’s pixel fill rate becomes the limiting factor at 4K, where even High settings only produce 30.7 FPS. The 150 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest a card built for mainstream systems, and the results align with that positioning.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 1574 out of 1671 tested combos in Inside. This places the system in the bottom 6% of all configurations, which is a surprising result given the game’s modest system requirements. The low ranking suggests that the benchmark database includes many faster GPU and CPU pairings that can push frame rates much higher, even though this particular combo delivers playable performance at most settings.

The CPU’s percentile ranking of 50 among all processors is middling, while the GPU’s 74th percentile is notably better. This disparity implies that the GPU is the stronger component in this pairing, but the overall combo rank indicates that neither part is exceptional for this title. The nearest rivals for the CPU include the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i3-1125G4, both with average scores within 0.2% of the i5-9400, showing that the processor is competitive with newer budget options. However, the combo’s rank of 1574 reveals that the system as a whole is outclassed by a vast majority of tested hardware, meaning that for Inside specifically, most other combinations deliver higher frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1080p, the data shows a clear hierarchy across presets. Low settings average 134.5 FPS, Medium drops to 110.9 FPS, High falls to 68.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 63.8 FPS. The step from High to Ultra is small at just 4.9 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds little visual benefit for the performance cost. The 1080p results are all above 60 FPS, making this resolution fully playable on any preset.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain respectable but begin to show strain. Low settings produce 94.7 FPS, Medium delivers 78.3 FPS, High manages 47.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 45.8 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is substantial at 30.7 FPS, indicating that the High preset introduces effects that heavily tax the GPU. At 1440p, users would need to stick with Medium or lower to maintain smooth frame rates.

At 4K, the system struggles to maintain playable performance. Low settings average 62.5 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold, but Medium drops to 52.2 FPS, High falls to 30.7 FPS, and Ultra sits at 30.1 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is negligible at 0.6 FPS, meaning that the Ultra preset offers no practical advantage at this resolution. The 4K data confirms that this combo is only viable for Low settings if users demand high frame rates.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides six cores and six threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This configuration is more than adequate for a puzzle platformer, and the benchmark results support that conclusion. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 scores of 7969 multi-core and 1125 single-core place it in the 50th percentile, and its nearest rivals show that it is statistically tied with the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i3-1125G4, differing by only 0.2% in average score.

The fact that frame rates scale directly with resolution and settings, rather than plateauing at a CPU-bound limit, indicates that the i5-9400 is not the bottleneck in this system. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work to do, the CPU allows the system to reach 134.5 FPS, which is well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. The 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput for the game’s streaming needs.

The CPU’s 65 W TDP and Coffee Lake architecture are dated, but for a game like Inside, the processor’s capabilities are never fully stressed. The data implies that users could pair this CPU with a more powerful GPU and see significant frame rate improvements, as the i5-9400 has headroom to feed faster graphics cards. However, in this specific combo, the CPU’s role is supportive rather than dominant.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where all presets exceed 60 FPS, with Low at 134.5 FPS and Ultra at 63.8 FPS. At 1440p, only Low and Medium stay above 60 FPS, while 4K requires Low settings to reach 62.5 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-10305 and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-1125G4. It is also 0.4% higher than the Intel Xeon E-2134 and 0.6% lower than the Intel Core i7-8809G.

Q: Is the GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: Yes, the frame rate drops from 134.5 FPS at 1080p Low to 62.5 FPS at 4K Low, indicating that the GPU is saturated by pixel count. The CPU’s performance remains constant across resolutions, confirming the GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the difference between High and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, High averages 68.7 FPS and Ultra averages 63.8 FPS, a difference of 4.9 FPS. At 4K, the gap shrinks to 0.6 FPS, with High at 30.7 FPS and Ultra at 30.1 FPS, making Ultra hardly worth the performance cost.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1574 out of 1671 tested combinations in Inside, placing it in the bottom 6% of all configurations, despite delivering playable frame rates at most settings.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s and a memory clock of 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective).

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this combo, the data points to 1080p as the optimal resolution, where every preset delivers playable frame rates. If visual fidelity is the priority, High settings at 1080p offer 68.7 FPS, which is smooth enough for a puzzle platformer and leaves a small margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra at 1080p drops to 63.8 FPS, and the negligible visual difference from High does not justify the performance loss.

At 1440p, the recommended preset is Medium, which averages 78.3 FPS and provides a good balance between quality and smoothness. High at 1440p falls to 47.6 FPS, which may cause noticeable judder in a game that relies on precise timing. For users with a 1440p display, Medium is the sweet spot, and Low remains an option for those seeking higher refresh rates at 94.7 FPS.

At 4K, the only viable preset is Low, which achieves 62.5 FPS, just above the 60 FPS mark. Medium at 4K drops to 52.2 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a game that benefits from consistent frame pacing. High and Ultra at 4K both fall below 31 FPS, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p Medium as a secondary option for users who prioritize resolution over frame rate.