Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016, and the measured data for the Intel Core i5-9400 + AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB combination shows a system that is thoroughly overpowered for the title. The benchmark results indicate that this pair delivers exceptional frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, placing the combo in the 2226th position out of 3716 tested combinations, which is a solid mid-pack ranking for a game that is nearly a decade old. The data suggests that users will be limited by their display's refresh rate far sooner than by this hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking finding in the measured FPS data is how well the RX 9060 XT handles 4K resolution. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the system averages 77 FPS, which is already a playable and smooth experience. Dropping to 2560x1440 at High settings increases the average to 122 FPS, a 58% improvement over the 4K result. Moving further down to 1920x1080 at High settings yields an average of 170 FPS, which is a 121% improvement over the 4K baseline. This scaling pattern indicates that while the GPU is the primary scaling factor as resolution increases, the game is so lightweight that even at 4K, the GPU is not being pushed to its limits.

The scaling from 1440p to 1080p is more modest than the jump from 4K to 1440p, suggesting that the system begins to hit a CPU or engine-level ceiling at lower resolutions. At Low settings, the frame rates are 222 FPS at 1080p, 199 FPS at 1440p, and 154 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is only 23 FPS, while the difference between 1440p and 4K is 45 FPS. This suggests that at 1080p, the i5-9400's six cores and six threads are becoming the limiting factor, as the GPU has ample headroom to render more frames but the CPU cannot feed it fast enough.

At Medium settings, the system shows its most consistent scaling. The 1080p result averages 205 FPS with a minimum of 174 FPS and a maximum of 235 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 183 FPS with a range of 156 to 211 FPS. The 4K Medium result averages 123 FPS with a range of 105 to 142 FPS. The frame time consistency, as indicated by the min/max values, shows that the system maintains a narrow band of performance, which is typical for a game with simple geometry and physics. The overall trend confirms that resolution scaling is smooth and predictable, with no sudden cliff drops.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor from the Coffee Lake Refresh generation, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. In the context of Inside, this CPU is more than sufficient. The game's puzzle platformer nature means it relies heavily on single-threaded performance for game logic and physics, and the i5-9400's single-core Cinebench R23 score of 935 points reflects a capable processor for this workload. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system hits 222 FPS, which is likely near the practical limit of what this CPU can push in this engine.

The CPU's benchmark scores put it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores a near-identical 2259 (0.2% faster), and the Intel Core i3-10305, which scores 2264 (0.4% faster). These comparisons show that the i5-9400 is a solid mid-range performer, but it is not a high-end part. In Inside, this translates to a situation where the CPU can easily maintain 60 FPS at any resolution, but it may struggle to push beyond 200 FPS at 1080p when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

The six threads are adequate for this game, as Inside does not utilize heavily multi-threaded workloads. The multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 6629 points indicates that the CPU has enough raw throughput for background tasks, but the game itself will primarily rely on the boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the system averages 73 FPS, which is a clear sign that the GPU is the limiting factor at that resolution, as the CPU is likely idling. Conversely, at 1080p Low, the 222 FPS average suggests the CPU is working harder to keep up with the GPU's frame output.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is the star of this show. With a boost clock of 3130 MHz and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 322.3 GB/s of bandwidth, this GPU is designed for high-refresh-rate gaming. In Inside, the GPU's role is to render simple 2D side-scrolling environments with minimal shading complexity. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4093 places it in the 24th percentile of all GPUs, which might sound low, but it is important to note that this is a modern GPU competing against a database of all GPUs, including much faster cards.

The nearest rivals to the RX 9060 XT in the database are the Intel HD Graphics 630 (0.4% faster), the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (1.4% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M (1.5% faster). These are all entry-level or integrated graphics solutions, which shows that the RX 9060 XT's raw compute performance in synthetic benchmarks is not its strong suit, but its architecture is highly efficient for the games it targets. In Inside, the GPU's 64 ROPs and 128 TMUs are more than enough to handle the game's pixel fill rate requirements, even at 4K.

The 8 GB of VRAM is ample for this game, as Inside's texture memory usage is minimal compared to modern AAA titles. The GPU's memory clock of 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective) provides enough bandwidth to avoid any memory bottlenecks, even at 4K Ultra settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the system maintains 73 FPS, which confirms the GPU's ability to handle the increased pixel count without significant frame drops. The fact that the RX 9060 XT can push 222 FPS at 1080p Low shows that its 25.64 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is not the limiting factor in this game; rather, the CPU or engine overhead is.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K 60 FPS?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 77 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings, and 73 FPS at Ultra settings. Both results comfortably exceed the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Inside with this hardware?

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 at Medium settings provides an excellent balance, with an average of 183 FPS and a minimum of 156 FPS. This ensures a smooth experience on any high-refresh-rate monitor.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to its closest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2254 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, 0.2% faster) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, 0.4% slower). It is effectively a performance tie among these parts.

Q: Is the RX 9060 XT's 8 GB VRAM enough for Inside?

A: Yes. The game's measured FPS at 4K Ultra (73 FPS) shows no signs of VRAM limitations. The 8 GB capacity is more than sufficient for this game's texture and geometry data.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 170 FPS. This is a high enough frame rate to take full advantage of most 144Hz monitors.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: At 1080p, the CPU becomes the limiting factor, as shown by the smaller FPS gains when lowering settings from High to Low (170 to 222 FPS). At 4K, the GPU is the primary limiter, as the frame rate drops more significantly with higher settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 222 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 205 FPS, with a minimum of 174 FPS and a maximum of 235 FPS. High settings average 170 FPS, and Ultra settings average 162 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 60 FPS, which is significant but still leaves all settings well above 144 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. Low settings average 199 FPS. Medium settings average 183 FPS, with a minimum of 156 FPS and a maximum of 211 FPS. High settings average 122 FPS, and Ultra settings average 117 FPS. The drop from Medium to High at 1440p is a steep 61 FPS, indicating that High settings introduce a notable increase in rendering complexity.

At 3840x2160, the system still delivers playable frame rates across all settings. Low settings average 154 FPS. Medium settings average 123 FPS, with a minimum of 105 FPS and a maximum of 142 FPS. High settings average 77 FPS, and Ultra settings average 73 FPS. The jump from Medium to High at 4K is 46 FPS, showing that High settings are significantly more demanding than Medium at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p users, Ultra settings are the obvious choice, as the system still averages 162 FPS. This provides the best visual quality without sacrificing high refresh rate performance. If you have a 240Hz monitor, Medium settings at 205 FPS might be preferable, as the visual difference between Medium and Ultra in a puzzle platformer is often negligible.

For 1440p, Medium settings are the recommended sweet spot. The 183 FPS average is smooth, and the minimum of 156 FPS ensures no noticeable stutters. High settings at 122 FPS are acceptable for 120Hz displays, but the 61 FPS drop from Medium to High suggests that High's added effects are not worth the performance cost. Low settings at 199 FPS are unnecessary unless you are chasing maximum frame rates.

For 4K, the choice is between High and Ultra, as both exceed 60 FPS. High settings at 77 FPS provide a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, while Ultra at 73 FPS offers the maximum visual fidelity. The 4 FPS difference between them is minimal, so Ultra is recommended for the best experience. Medium settings at 123 FPS are also viable for 120Hz 4K displays, but the visual downgrade from High is more noticeable at this resolution. The data suggests that the best overall experience for most users will be 1440p Medium or 4K High, depending on display capabilities.