Inside

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT pairing in Inside demonstrates a clear case of GPU-bound performance at higher resolutions, but the data also reveals subtle CPU limitations at 1080p. The i5-9400 brings six physical cores and six threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, which is more than adequate for a puzzle platformer. Its average benchmark score of 2305 places it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals like the Intel Core i3-10305 scoring 0.2% higher and the Intel Core i7-8809G scoring 0.6% lower. These margins are negligible for gaming, confirming that this processor is not a bottleneck in this title. The Coffee Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process, provides 9 MB of shared L3 cache, which is sufficient for the game's modest thread demands. While the CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 shows its general capability, the real story in Inside is how the frame rate scales with graphical settings, not with core count.

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

The six-core, six-thread configuration of the i5-9400 is a strong match for Inside's engine. The game is not heavily threaded, so the absence of hyper-threading does not penalize performance. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 223.2 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. This suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU can feed frames quickly enough to let the GPU stretch its legs. However, the gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is notable: 223.2 FPS versus 166.7 FPS, a difference of 56.5 FPS. This delta is primarily due to GPU workload scaling with settings, not CPU limitations.

The i5-9400's boost clock of 4.10 GHz is crucial for maintaining high minimum frame rates in scenes with many physics objects or dynamic lighting, typical of puzzle platformers. The benchmark data shows no signs of CPU stutter, as the average FPS figures are consistently high across all resolution and settings combinations. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-9400 is statistically tied with the Intel Core i3-10305 (0.2% delta) and the Intel Xeon E-2134 (0.4% delta), meaning any of these CPUs would deliver identical gameplay experience in Inside. The processor's 65 W TDP and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for this game's data streaming requirements. In essence, the CPU role here is to stay out of the way, and the data confirms it does so effectively, with the frame rate scaling almost entirely with GPU settings rather than CPU clock variations.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the frame rate behavior across the measured rows. With 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, the GPU provides 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is far more than Inside requires even at 4K. The GPU's base clock of 2150 MHz and boost clock of 2600 MHz (with a game clock of 2495 MHz) allow it to render the game's side-scrolling environments with ease. The benchmark scores reinforce this: the GPU sits in the 79th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 35327. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600M, scores 0.2% lower, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 1.3% higher, indicating the RX 6750 XT is a high-tier performer.

In practical terms, the GPU's 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs handle pixel throughput at 166.4 GPixel/s, which directly translates to the high frame rates observed. At 4K Ultra, the combo still manages 76.1 FPS, showing that even the most demanding preset is playable. The GPU's 13.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is ample for the game's shader complexity. The VRAM capacity is never stressed; even at 4K Ultra, the game likely uses a fraction of the 12 GB available, so memory pressure is a non-issue. The data shows that dropping from Ultra to High at 4K only yields a 7 FPS improvement (83.1 vs 76.1), while dropping to Medium yields 126.7 FPS and Low yields 158 FPS. This steep scaling curve indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, but it is so powerful that even the most punishing settings remain fluid.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, the High preset at 1440p is the sweet spot, delivering 129 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves headroom for VRR displays. At 4K, High preset produces 83.1 FPS, which is still excellent for a puzzle platformer, but the jump to Medium at 4K (126.7 FPS) suggests that if you prioritize smoothness over shadows and textures, Medium is a better trade-off. The Ultra preset at any resolution is the most demanding, yielding 166.7 FPS at 1080p, 121.3 FPS at 1440p, and 76.1 FPS at 4K. Given that Inside is a dark, atmospheric game, the visual difference between High and Ultra is often subtle, so High is the recommended choice for most users.

At 1080p, the Low preset hits 223.2 FPS, which is overkill for any display, while Medium at 206.6 FPS is more sensible if you want a slight visual upgrade without sacrificing performance. The measured rows show that the gap between Low and Medium at 1080p is only 16.6 FPS (223.2 vs 206.6), while the gap between Medium and High is 33.2 FPS (206.6 vs 173.4). This indicates diminishing returns; High at 1080p (173.4 FPS) is still far above playable, but Medium offers a better performance-per-visual ratio. For 4K users, the choice is clearer: High at 83.1 FPS is the highest preset that stays above 80 FPS, making it the optimal preset for 4K displays. Ultra at 4K drops to 76.1 FPS, which is still playable but not worth the visual gains for most.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 76.1 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay, though it is the lowest frame rate recorded in the dataset.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo to hit 200+ FPS?

A: 1080p with Low settings is the only configuration that breaks 220 FPS, hitting 223.2 FPS. At 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 199.2 FPS, just shy of the 200 FPS mark.

Q: How does the RX 6750 XT compare to the RTX 3080 in this game?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, the RTX 3080 scores 1.3% higher than the RX 6750 XT. In Inside, this translates to a negligible frame rate difference, as both GPUs are far above playable thresholds.

Q: Is the i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RX 6750 XT?

A: The data suggests no. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 223.2 FPS, and the CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, scores only 0.2% higher in general benchmarks. The frame rates scale predictably with GPU settings, indicating the CPU is not limiting.

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

A: High preset at 2560x1440 yields 129 FPS, while Ultra yields 121.3 FPS. The difference is 7.7 FPS, making High the more efficient choice for minimal visual loss.

Q: Does dropping from 1080p to 4K halve the frame rate?

A: Not exactly. At High settings, 1080p gives 173.4 FPS and 4K gives 83.1 FPS, which is a 52% reduction. At Ultra settings, 1080p gives 166.7 FPS and 4K gives 76.1 FPS, a 54% reduction.

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

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals that the RX 6750 XT is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions, while the CPU remains capable throughout. At High settings, the transition from 1920x1080 (173.4 FPS) to 2560x1440 (129 FPS) represents a 25.6% drop, and then to 3840x2160 (83.1 FPS) a further 35.6% drop from 1440p. This cumulative 52% reduction from 1080p to 4K is expected for a GPU-heavy game. The trend is similar at Ultra settings: 166.7 FPS at 1080p, 121.3 FPS at 1440p, and 76.1 FPS at 4K, a 54% total reduction.

The fact that the frame rate at 1080p Low (223.2 FPS) is only 29% higher than 1080p High (173.4 FPS) suggests that even at 1080p, the GPU is doing significant work. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the Low preset would show a much larger jump. The scaling pattern indicates a well-balanced system: the CPU can push frame rates above 200 FPS at low loads, but the GPU's rendering load dominates at higher settings. The 4K Low result of 158 FPS is particularly telling—it shows that even at 4K, the GPU has enough headroom to produce high frame rates when visual effects are reduced. This confirms that the RX 6750 XT is not underpowered for this game; rather, the settings and resolution dictate the performance envelope.

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

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across settings are: Low at 223.2, Medium at 206.6, High at 173.4, and Ultra at 166.7. This represents a 25.3% performance penalty from Low to Ultra. The gap between Medium and High (33.2 FPS) is the largest single-step drop, indicating that High introduces significantly heavier graphical effects like enhanced lighting and shadows.

At 2560x1440, the results are: Low at 199.2, Medium at 185.5, High at 129, and Ultra at 121.3. The drop from Medium to High is 56.5 FPS, which is the steepest decline across all resolutions. This suggests that High at 1440p is where the GPU starts to feel the load of higher pixel counts combined with complex shaders. Low at 1440p still achieves nearly 200 FPS, showing the GPU's raw power.

At 3840x2160, the measured values are: Low at 158, Medium at 126.7, High at 83.1, and Ultra at 76.1. The difference between Low and Medium is 31.3 FPS, while Medium to High is 43.6 FPS, and High to Ultra is only 7 FPS. This last small delta indicates that Ultra adds minimal visual improvements over High at 4K, while costing 8.4% performance. The 4K Low result of 158 FPS is remarkable, proving that even at maximum resolution, this GPU can deliver high refresh rates when settings are reduced. The combo rank in this game is 1006 out of 1671 tested combinations, placing it in the top 60% of all systems, which is respectable given the game's age and the hardware's capabilities.