Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that, on paper, should be trivial for a modern flagship GPU like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 paired with an Intel Core i5-9400. The benchmark data, however, reveals a more nuanced story about where the performance ceiling lies, showing that even a highly capable GPU can be constrained by an aging CPU at lower resolutions. The measured frames per second (FPS) across three resolutions and four quality presets provide a clear picture of a system that is powerful enough to max out this title, yet exhibits scaling patterns that point directly at the processor as the limiting factor in specific scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data from 1080p to 4K shows a classic pattern of a CPU-bound system transitioning to a GPU-bound one. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 222 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low, the score drops to 199 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low, it falls to 170 FPS. This is a relatively shallow curve; the 52 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K suggests that the CPU is hitting its limit early on, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs at the lower resolution. The i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, is likely the bottleneck here, as the RTX 5080 is capable of far more than 222 FPS in a game of this visual complexity.

The scaling pattern shifts when we look at the High and Ultra presets. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 171, which drops to 153 at 1440p and then to 131 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 10.5%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is about 14.4%. This indicates that as the graphical load increases, the GPU begins to take on a more significant role, and the system moves away from being purely CPU-limited. The Ultra preset shows a similar trend, with 168 FPS at 1080p, 150 FPS at 1440p, and 129 FPS at 4K, reinforcing that the higher the settings, the more the RTX 5080's workload dictates the final frame rate.

The data implies that at 1080p Low, the system is leaving performance on the table. The difference between 222 FPS at Low and 171 FPS at High at the same resolution is a 51 FPS gap, which is substantial. This gap narrows at 4K, where Low produces 170 FPS and High produces 131 FPS. This convergence at higher resolutions is the hallmark of a GPU bottleneck; the RTX 5080's rendering work at 4K is so heavy that the CPU's speed becomes less relevant. The fact that the 4K Low preset (170 FPS) is nearly identical to the 1080p High preset (171 FPS) is a strong indicator that the CPU is the common denominator in both scenarios, capping the maximum achievable frame rate.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 bottlenecking the RTX 5080 in Inside?

A: Yes, the data strongly suggests this is the case, particularly at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system produces 222 FPS, but at 4K Low, it still manages 170 FPS. This relatively small drop in FPS when the pixel count quadruples indicates that the CPU is limiting the frame rate at 1080p, preventing the GPU from pushing higher numbers. The i5-9400's benchmark percentile of 47 versus all CPUs, and its 6-core/6-thread configuration, aligns with this interpretation.

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

A: The data shows that the system can handle 4K with all presets, but the experience is most consistent at 2560x1440. At this resolution, the average FPS ranges from 199 on Low to 150 on Ultra. The 3840x2160 Ultra preset yields 129 FPS, which is still playable, but the 1440p High preset at 153 FPS offers a smoother experience with high visual fidelity, suggesting a better balance between the CPU and GPU workloads.

Q: How much performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the difference is 54 FPS. The Low preset averages 222 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 168 FPS. This is a 24% reduction in frame rate from the lowest to the highest quality setting, showing that the graphical features in Ultra have a measurable cost, even at the lowest resolution tested.

Q: Does the RTX 5080's 16 GB of VRAM make a difference in this game?

A: The fact pack does not include VRAM usage data, so it is impossible to quantify the impact of the 16 GB memory pool. However, given that the game was released in 2016, it is highly unlikely that any preset at any resolution approaches the 16 GB limit, meaning the VRAM capacity is not a performance constraint in this specific title.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1784 out of 3716 tested combinations for this game. This places it in the 48th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while it is capable of high frame rates, there are many other CPU-GPU pairings that achieve higher performance in Inside. This ranking is likely due to the CPU's age, as the RTX 5080 is a top-tier GPU.

Q: Is the i5-9400's boost clock relevant for this game?

A: The i5-9400 has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The benchmark results, which show high FPS but also signs of CPU limitation, imply that the processor is likely running at its boost clock during gameplay. The fact that the 1080p Low preset (222 FPS) is not significantly higher than the 4K Low preset (170 FPS) suggests that the CPU is hitting a performance wall, regardless of the clock speed.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this hardware depend on the user's priority for frame rate versus visual quality. The data shows that the Medium preset offers a strong compromise across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium averages 205 FPS, which is only 17 FPS lower than Low but provides better visual fidelity. At 1440p, Medium averages 183 FPS, a comfortable margin above the 153 FPS of High. Even at 4K, Medium achieves 157 FPS, which is significantly higher than the 131 FPS of High and the 129 FPS of Ultra.

For users with a 144Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the clear choice, as the 183 FPS average (with a minimum of 156 FPS) will keep the experience smooth. The High preset at 1440p, averaging 153 FPS, also exceeds the 144Hz refresh rate, but the extra overhead from Medium provides more headroom for demanding scenes. At 4K, the Medium preset's 157 FPS average is exceptional, and it is the recommended choice for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming, as it offers a 26 FPS advantage over High while likely maintaining a similar visual presentation in this stylized game.

The Ultra preset, while offering the highest quality, does not provide a compelling enough performance benefit to justify the FPS loss. At 4K, the drop from High (131 FPS) to Ultra (129 FPS) is only 2 FPS, making Ultra the best option for 4K if one insists on maximum settings. However, at 1080p and 1440p, the gap between High and Ultra is also small (3 FPS at both resolutions), meaning that Ultra is a viable choice for those who want the absolute best image quality without a significant performance penalty. The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play or for users with 240Hz monitors, as it is the only preset that breaks the 200 FPS barrier at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 222 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium averages 205 FPS, with a minimum of 174 FPS and a maximum of 235 FPS. High averages 171 FPS, and Ultra averages 168 FPS. The tight grouping of High and Ultra at this resolution suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU has enough headroom to render both presets at nearly the same speed.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates begin to reflect the increased pixel count. Low averages 199 FPS, a 23 FPS drop from 1080p. Medium averages 183 FPS (min 156, max 211). High averages 153 FPS, and Ultra averages 150 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium narrows to 16 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra remains a consistent 3 FPS. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for this pairing, offering high FPS with a clear separation between presets.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes the dominant factor. Low averages 170 FPS, which is a 29 FPS drop from 1440p. Medium averages 157 FPS (min 133, max 181). High averages 131 FPS, and Ultra averages 129 FPS. The most notable observation is that the 4K Low preset (170 FPS) is nearly identical to the 1080p High preset (171 FPS), which strongly indicates that the CPU is preventing the GPU from reaching higher frame rates in the 1080p High scenario. The 4K Ultra preset still maintains a playable 129 FPS, showing that the RTX 5080 has ample power for this game even at maximum settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 1784 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which is surprising given the GPU's capabilities. The RTX 5080 alone has a percentile of 87 versus all GPUs, indicating it is a top-tier graphics card. The i5-9400, however, has a percentile of 47 versus all CPUs, which is below average.

The ranking suggests that the CPU is dragging down the overall performance of this pairing. The GPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, which has an average benchmark score 2.2% higher, and the AMD Radeon 8060S, which is 0.6% lower. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i3-10305 (0.4% lower average score) and the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% lower), are similarly performing processors. The fact that this combo sits in the 48th percentile (1784/3716) indicates that while it can play the game well, it is not an optimal pairing. Many other systems with more balanced CPUs achieve higher frame rates.

The data implies that if the RTX 5080 were paired with a more modern processor, the ranking would be substantially higher. The GPU's raw power is evident in the 4K results, but the CPU's limitations at lower resolutions prevent the system from reaching the top tier of tested combos. This is a classic case of a generation gap between a new GPU and an older CPU, where the CPU's architecture and thread count become the primary constraint in less demanding titles.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It has 9 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory. Its benchmark scores, such as 6629 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 in single-core, place it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a mid-range part by modern standards.

In Inside, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The data shows that the i5-9400 is a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The fact that the FPS at 1080p Low (222) is not significantly higher than at 4K Low (170) suggests that the CPU is hitting its maximum throughput limit. This is likely due to the game's single-threaded nature, which relies on a single core's performance. The i5-9400's single-core score of 935 in Cinebench R23 is respectable but not exceptional, and it appears to cap the frame rate around 220 FPS in this title.

The 6 threads are likely sufficient for this game, as it does not require extensive multi-threading. However, the clock speed and IPC (instructions per clock) of the Coffee Lake architecture are not enough to fully unlock the RTX 5080's potential. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s is also a potential limiting factor, although the game's data demands are likely low. The benchmark results indicate that the i5-9400 provides a solid, but not stellar, foundation for this GPU, and its age is the primary reason the combo does not rank higher.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is a flagship GPU based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, with 10752 shading units, 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, and a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. It has a boost clock of 2617 MHz and a TDP of 360 W. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, with a percentile of 87 versus all GPUs and an average score of 56083. It is significantly ahead of its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, which has a 2.2% lower average score.

In this game, the RTX 5080's role is to render the game's visuals. The 16 GB of VRAM is overkill for a 2016 title, and the GPU's raw compute power is more than sufficient to handle any preset. The data shows that the GPU is not the bottleneck in most scenarios, except at 4K Ultra where it still manages 129 FPS. The GPU's performance is so high that it is often waiting for the CPU to provide data, as seen in the 1080p results where the FPS does not scale with lower settings.

The GPU's 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is massive, and it is likely that the game's pixel shaders are not complex enough to utilize this power fully. The card's memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s ensures that it never runs out of memory bandwidth for this game's textures. The RTX 5080's performance in Inside is effectively capped by the CPU, as evidenced by the 4K Low preset (170 FPS) being nearly identical to the 1080p High preset (171 FPS). This indicates that the GPU has so much headroom that it can render both scenarios at the same speed, with the CPU being the common limiting factor.