Inside

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers an exceptionally smooth experience in Inside, a puzzle platformer that is far more demanding on the GPU than the CPU at higher resolutions. The data shows that while the 1080p results are excellent, the performance curve reveals a system that is primarily GPU-limited, with the CPU providing a stable foundation that rarely becomes the bottleneck. This combination ranks in the 1311th position out of 1671 tested combos, indicating that while it is not at the top of the charts, it offers a very capable and consistent performance profile for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K demonstrates a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves 135 FPS, which drops to 98.3 FPS at 1440p and further to 62.4 FPS at 4K. This represents a 53.8% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a steep drop that strongly indicates the Arc B580 is the limiting component as pixel count increases.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced at lower settings. With Low settings, the frame rate falls from 223.8 FPS at 1080p to 192 FPS at 1440p, and then to 120.9 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is still substantially higher than the 4K High result of 62.4 FPS, showing that the GPU has significant headroom when graphical load is lightened. However, the fact that even at Low settings the 4K frame rate is less than 55% of the 1080p figure confirms that the rendering resolution is the dominant factor.

This pattern suggests that the game engine is not heavily dependent on CPU thread scheduling for this workload. The i5-9400’s six cores are sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, but as the resolution climbs, the GPU’s fill rate and shading capacity become the primary constraints. The 4K Ultra result of 58.4 FPS is the lowest measured, and while it is still playable, it shows that the Arc B580 is working near its limit to maintain fluid motion at this extreme resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. In the context of Inside, which is not a multi-threaded benchmark, the CPU’s single-core performance is more relevant than its multi-core capabilities. The data supports this: the CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score is 1125, which is modest compared to modern parts, but the game still achieves 223.8 FPS at 1080p Low settings.

This high frame rate at the lowest resolution indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at 1080p. The 6 threads are more than adequate for the game’s logic and physics, allowing the Arc B580 to operate without being starved for data. The CPU’s 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide sufficient bandwidth for the game’s level streaming.

The processor’s performance percentile is 50, placing it in the middle of all CPUs tested, but its nearest rivals show that it is closely matched with other mid-range parts. The Intel Core i3-10305 is a mere 0.2% faster, and the Intel Core i7-8809G is 0.6% faster, while the Intel Xeon E-2134 is 0.4% slower. This tight clustering suggests that the i5-9400 is a solid, average performer that will not hold back a mid-range GPU in a light game like Inside.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined ranking of this CPU and GPU setup is 1311 out of 1671 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 22% of all configurations. This rank reflects the fact that the i5-9400 is an older, end-of-life processor that has been surpassed by newer generations, while the Arc B580 is a newer GPU that performs well in isolation. The combination is not a top-tier pairing, but the measured frame rates in Inside are consistently high.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 23021 is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon 760M and 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA P106-100, but 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. The CPU’s average score of 2305 is similarly close to its rivals. This implies that the combo’s low rank is more a function of the CPU’s age and the sheer number of newer combos in the database than a reflection of poor real-world performance in this specific game.

For a puzzle platformer, the combination’s rank is less critical than its actual frame rates. The data shows that even at 4K High, the combo delivers 62.4 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1440p, all settings except Ultra exceed 90 FPS, and at 1080p, even the most demanding Ultra preset achieves 129.3 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B580 in this game?

A: No. The CPU’s six cores and boost clock of 4.10 GHz are sufficient to drive the GPU to 223.8 FPS at 1080p Low, and performance scales smoothly with resolution, indicating the GPU is the limiting component.

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: Yes. The measured 4K High average is 62.4 FPS, and 4K Medium is 97.3 FPS, both of which are above the 60 FPS threshold. 4K Low is 120.9 FPS, while 4K Ultra is 58.4 FPS, which is just below 60.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in raw compute?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon 760M, 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA P106-100, and 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile. It is 0.7% lower than the desktop RTX 4060.

Q: Is the CPU’s performance close to other mid-range processors?

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

Q: What is the best resolution for a locked 60 FPS experience?

A: At 4K, High settings yield 62.4 FPS, and Medium yields 97.3 FPS. At 1440p, High yields 98.3 FPS and Ultra yields 92.1 FPS, both comfortably above 60 FPS. At 1080p, even Ultra achieves 129.3 FPS.

Q: Does the game’s low thread count favor the CPU’s single-core performance?

A: The CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score is 1125, and the game runs at 223.8 FPS at 1080p Low, showing that single-core performance is adequate for the game’s demands.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base and boost clocks are both 2670 MHz, and it has 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. These specifications directly influence the frame rates seen in Inside.

The GPU’s 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is ample for a puzzle platformer, and the data confirms that the card has significant headroom at 1080p. At 1080p Medium, the combo hits 207.6 FPS, which is only slightly below the Low preset’s 223.8 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is not fully saturated until the resolution increases. The 12 GB VRAM is more than enough for this game’s textures, even at 4K Ultra, which explains why there is no sudden drop due to memory overflow.

The GPU’s percentile rank is 66, placing it in the upper third of all GPUs tested, and its average benchmark score of 23021 is competitive with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, which scores 23181. The performance delta of -0.7% against the RTX 4060 is negligible in real-world terms. The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3068 further indicates that it is a capable DirectX 12 performer, which is relevant for a game released after the DX12 era.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 4K, Medium delivers 97.3 FPS, which is 35.9% higher than High’s 62.4 FPS and 66.6% higher than Ultra’s 58.4 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium at 4K is only a 19.6% reduction in frame rate, from 120.9 to 97.3, while the jump from Medium to High is a 35.9% reduction, indicating that Medium is the sweet spot.

At 1440p, Medium achieves 152.7 FPS, which is 55% higher than High’s 98.3 FPS and 65.8% higher than Ultra’s 92.1 FPS. At 1080p, Medium hits 207.6 FPS, which is 53.6% higher than High’s 135 FPS and 60.5% higher than Ultra’s 129.3 FPS. The Low preset is only marginally faster than Medium at 1080p (223.8 vs. 207.6), so the visual upgrade from Low to Medium is almost free.

For players targeting a locked 60 FPS, the High preset at 4K is sufficient at 62.4 FPS, but Medium provides a more comfortable margin. For 1440p displays, High is recommended for the visual uplift, as it still exceeds 90 FPS. For 1080p, Ultra is playable at 129.3 FPS, but Medium offers a 60% higher frame rate with likely near-identical visual fidelity in a game with simple art.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 223.8 FPS, Medium averages 207.6 FPS, High averages 135 FPS, and Ultra averages 129.3 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is only 5.7 FPS, suggesting that Ultra is not significantly more demanding than High at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain excellent. Low averages 192 FPS, Medium averages 152.7 FPS, High averages 98.3 FPS, and Ultra averages 92.1 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is 54.4 FPS, which is the largest single-preset jump at this resolution, indicating that High introduces a significant graphical load.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low averages 120.9 FPS, Medium averages 97.3 FPS, High averages 62.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 58.4 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only setting that falls below 60 FPS, and the gap between Medium and High is 34.9 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 4 FPS.

The data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: the Low and Medium presets provide a wide performance cushion, while High and Ultra bring the frame rate down to more moderate levels. The 1080p Low result of 223.8 FPS is the highest measured, and the 4K Ultra result of 58.4 FPS is the lowest, demonstrating the full range of this combo’s capabilities. The min and max FPS values are not provided, but the average figures alone are sufficient to characterize the performance as smooth and consistent for this puzzle platformer.