Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer that scales unusually well across resolutions and settings with the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B570 pairing. The measured FPS data reveals a component balance that shifts dramatically depending on where you set the quality bar. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 222 FPS average, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 52 FPS, indicating that the game's demands transition from a GPU-bound scenario at high resolutions to a scenario where the CPU's six threads can still keep up without becoming the primary bottleneck. The data suggests this particular combination is capable of delivering smooth gameplay across the board, but the experience is heavily influenced by the preset and resolution chosen.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, but the pattern is not linear. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 120 at 1080p to 86 at 1440p, then to 54 at 4K. That represents a 28% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 37% reduction from 1440p to 4K. This indicates that the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting component as resolution increases, since the GPU must render more pixels, and its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily at 4K. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 6 threads at a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, is not the constraint here; otherwise, the scaling would be more flat.

At Low settings, the pattern tells a different story. The average FPS goes from 222 at 1080p to 172 at 1440p, a 23% drop, and then to 108 at 4K, a 37% drop from 1440p. The 4K Low result of 108 FPS is still highly playable, but the diminishing returns suggest that the GPU's raw throughput—11.52 TFLOPS FP32 and a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s—is being saturated. The gap between High and Low at 4K is substantial: 54 FPS versus 108 FPS, a 100% difference. This implies that the game's High preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive at 4K, likely related to shading and texture work that the Arc B570's 2304 shading units must process.

Medium settings at 4K hit 87 FPS average, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. The spread between min and max is 26 FPS, which is tighter than what you might expect from a GPU under load. This suggests that the game is not causing wild frame time spikes, but rather a steady workload. The 1440p Medium result of 138 FPS, with a min of 117 FPS, shows that the combo can push well beyond 60 FPS at this resolution without breaking a sweat. The resolution scaling curve indicates that 1440p is the sweet spot where the GPU and CPU are balanced, while 4K requires a careful choice of settings to maintain fluidity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in game is 2358 out of 2887 tested combinations. That places it in the lower half of all configs tested for Inside, which is surprising given the high FPS numbers. This rank is relative to other combos in the database, and it suggests that many other CPUs and GPUs paired together produce higher average scores in this specific game. The Intel Core i5-9400 has a percentile of 47 versus all CPUs, meaning it sits just below the median in general CPU performance. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259 with a delta of -0.2%, making the i5-9400 effectively tied with it. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is 0.4% behind, and the Intel Core i3-10305 is 0.4% ahead. These are marginal differences, so the CPU is not the reason for the low combo rank.

The Intel Arc B570, on the other hand, has a percentile of 65 versus all GPUs, placing it above the median. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20534 with a delta of 0.1%, meaning the Arc B570 is essentially equivalent. The Intel Arc A750 is 0.1% behind, and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X is 0.5% behind. So the GPU is a solid mid-to-upper tier performer. The low combo rank likely stems from the fact that Inside is not a demanding game, so even modest hardware can achieve high frame rates, and the ranking is based on a synthetic average that may not reflect the actual gameplay experience. The data shows that this combo is capable of exceeding 200 FPS at 1080p Low, but the rank suggests other combos with faster CPUs and GPUs can push even higher, possibly exceeding 300 FPS at lower settings.

The rank of 2358 out of 2887 is in the 18th percentile of combos, which is low, but the measured FPS numbers are not. This discrepancy highlights that the ranking system is based on a broader set of tests, and Inside is just one game. The CPU's 6 cores and 6 threads may limit performance in other titles, but for this puzzle platformer, it is sufficient. The GPU's 18 ray tracing cores and Xe2-HPG architecture are not heavily utilized in a 2D side-scroller, so the combo's strengths are not fully showcased here.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience per the measured rows, the Medium preset at 1440p stands out. It delivers 138 FPS average with a minimum of 117 FPS, ensuring no drops below 60 FPS. This is a strong balance between visual quality and performance. At 1080p, Medium hits 192 FPS average with a minimum of 163 FPS, which is excellent for high refresh rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 114 FPS, which is still smooth, but the jump from Medium to Ultra only adds 18 FPS in the opposite direction—actually, Ultra is 78 FPS lower than Medium at 1080p, so the cost is not justified for the visual gain.

At 4K, Medium is the only preset that maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, with 87 FPS average. High and Ultra fall to 54 FPS and 52 FPS, respectively, which are borderline for smooth gameplay. Low at 4K hits 108 FPS, but the visual downgrade is significant. The data suggests that Medium is the optimal preset across all resolutions, as it provides the best trade-off between fidelity and frame rate. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 74, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating no stutter. At 1440p High, the average is 86 FPS, but the lack of a minimum FPS figure means we cannot confirm frame pacing, whereas Medium has a documented minimum.

For users with high refresh rate displays, 1080p Low at 222 FPS is the clear choice, but it sacrifices visual detail. The Medium preset at 1080p is a better recommendation for most, as it keeps the frame rate above 160 FPS. At 1440p, Low hits 172 FPS, but Medium at 138 FPS is more visually appealing. The data indicates that the GPU has headroom at lower resolutions, so enabling Medium or High is feasible without tanking performance. The Ultra preset is only recommended for users who prioritize visuals over frame rate, but the measured 114 FPS at 1080p and 82 FPS at 1440p are still playable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS across settings is as follows: Low averages 222 FPS, Medium averages 192 FPS with a minimum of 163 FPS and a maximum of 221 FPS, High averages 120 FPS, and Ultra averages 114 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 30 FPS, which is surprisingly small, suggesting that Medium adds features that are not too taxing. The gap between Medium and High is 72 FPS, indicating a significant jump in GPU load. The difference between High and Ultra is only 6 FPS, meaning Ultra is not much more demanding than High at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the numbers are: Low averages 172 FPS, Medium averages 138 FPS with a minimum of 117 FPS and a maximum of 159 FPS, High averages 86 FPS, and Ultra averages 82 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 34 FPS, and from Medium to High is 52 FPS. The margin between High and Ultra narrows to 4 FPS. This pattern shows that the GPU is becoming more of a bottleneck at 1440p, as the higher resolution increases the pixel count by 78% compared to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the measured FPS is: Low averages 108 FPS, Medium averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS, High averages 54 FPS, and Ultra averages 52 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 21 FPS, and between Medium and High is 33 FPS. High and Ultra are nearly identical, with only a 2 FPS difference. The 4K resolution quadruples the pixel count from 1080p, and the data shows that the GPU's 10 GB memory and 160-bit bus width are struggling to maintain high frame rates at the higher presets.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570's role in this game is primarily defined by its memory and clock specifications. The GPU has a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, which is constant, and a memory clock of 2375 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed. The 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In Inside, a game with a release date of 2016, the memory bandwidth is more than sufficient, as the textures are not overly complex. However, the resolution scaling shows that at 4K, the GPU's 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate becomes a limiting factor, as the number of pixels to fill quadruples.

The GPU's 2304 shading units and 144 texture mapping units handle the game's 2D rendering with ease, but the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K indicates that the shading units are fully utilized. The 80 ROPs are responsible for the final pixel output, and at 4K, they are processing 8.3 million pixels per frame, which explains why High and Ultra presets fall below 60 FPS. The GPU's 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 compute power is not heavily stressed, as Inside is not a compute-intensive title, but the fill rate is what matters.

The GPU's percentile of 65 versus all GPUs places it ahead of the median, and its nearest rival, the RTX 3070 Mobile, is only 0.1% different in average score. This indicates that the Arc B570 is a capable mid-range GPU. The 18 ray tracing cores are irrelevant for Inside, as the game does not use ray tracing, but they do not hinder performance. The memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s is generous for a 10 GB card, and it ensures that the GPU does not stall on texture reads, even at 4K. The measured data shows that at 4K Low, the GPU can still output 108 FPS, which suggests that the limiting factor at higher presets is not memory bandwidth but the shader and ROP throughput.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 192, with a minimum of 163 FPS and a maximum of 221 FPS.

Q: Is the combo able to maintain 60 FPS at 4K with any preset?

A: Yes, at 4K with Low settings, the average FPS is 108, and with Medium settings, it is 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS. High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 54 and 52 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its nearest rival in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, and its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, with a delta of -0.2%. This means they are effectively tied in performance.

Q: What is the GPU's role in limiting performance at higher resolutions?

A: The GPU's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and 80 ROPs become the limiting factor at 4K, as the number of pixels to render increases significantly. The data shows a steep FPS drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings, from 86 FPS to 54 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU bottleneck more in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as shown by the resolution scaling. At 1080p Low, the CPU can feed the GPU enough to reach 222 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU drops to 52 FPS, indicating it is saturated.

Q: What is the combo rank in game, and how does it relate to the measured FPS?

A: The combo rank is 2358 out of 2887 tested combos, which is in the lower half. Despite this, the measured FPS numbers are high, indicating that the rank is based on a broader average and that Inside is not a demanding title for this hardware.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400's role in this game is less about raw performance and more about maintaining a steady frame delivery. With 6 cores and 6 threads, it has no hyper-threading, but Inside is not a multi-threaded-heavy title. The base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz provide enough single-thread performance to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as 6629 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 935 in single-core, show it is a mid-range processor. Its percentile of 47 versus all CPUs means it is slightly below average, but for a 2D puzzle platformer, this is more than adequate.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s and dual-channel DDR4 support are sufficient for feeding the GPU with draw calls. In Inside, the frame rate at 1080p Low reaches 222 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game engine. The 6 threads handle the game's logic and physics without issue, and the lack of a minimum FPS figure at Low suggests that frame times are consistent. The nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-10710U with a delta of 0.3%, show that the i5-9400 is competitive with newer low-power parts, but the i5-9400's higher boost clock gives it an edge in single-threaded tasks.

The CPU's architecture, Coffee Lake on a 14 nm process, is older but still effective for this game. The 9 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency. The data shows that at 4K, the CPU does not become a bottleneck, as the FPS drops are consistent with GPU limitations. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would see similar FPS across resolutions, but the 222 FPS at 1080p Low versus 108 FPS at 4K Low indicates the GPU is doing the heavy lifting. The CPU's TDP of 65 W and socket 1151 make it a straightforward part, and for Inside, it provides a stable foundation without being the star of the show.