Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that, on the surface, does not appear to be a demanding title. However, the measured FPS data for the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 reveals a complex scaling pattern that highlights the distinct roles of the CPU and GPU depending on the resolution and settings. This analysis walks through the benchmark results step by step, interpreting the frame rates to identify the limiting component in various scenarios and assessing the overall performance of this combination against the broader database.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a dramatic shift in performance scaling as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 309 FPS at 1080p to 222 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 140 FPS at 4K. This represents a 55% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all presets, but the percentage drop is most pronounced at the higher settings. For instance, at the High preset, performance goes from 155 FPS at 1080p to 111 FPS at 1440p (a 28% drop) and then to 70 FPS at 4K (a 55% drop from 1080p). At the Ultra preset, the figures are 147 FPS at 1080p, 106 FPS at 1440p, and 66 FPS at 4K.

These numbers indicate that the game’s rendering load scales heavily with resolution, which is typical for a title that is primarily GPU-bound. The fact that the frame rate nearly halves when moving from 1080p to 4K suggests that the AMD Radeon RX 9060’s pixel throughput is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The GPU’s specifications support this interpretation, as it has a 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, which may become a bottleneck when pushing the higher pixel counts of 4K. The data shows that at 4K, even the Low preset only reaches 140 FPS, which is still playable but is a significant drop from the 309 FPS seen at 1080p Low.

The scaling behavior indicates that at 1080p, the system is likely not fully GPU-limited, as the frame rates are extremely high across all presets. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to achieve these high numbers. However, as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows, and the frame rates converge to a level that is more indicative of the GPU’s raw performance. The data shows that the gap between the Low and Ultra presets narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (309 FPS) and Ultra (147 FPS) is 162 FPS. At 4K, that gap shrinks to 74 FPS (140 FPS vs 66 FPS), demonstrating that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores are exceptionally high, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and a single-core score of 2116. The CPU’s percentile rank of 89 out of 100 indicates it is among the top performers in the database. In the context of Inside, the CPU appears to be more than sufficient, as the data does not show any signs of a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions.

At 1080p Low, the system achieves 309 FPS, which is likely near the game’s engine limit or the point where the GPU becomes the limiting factor even at this low resolution. The CPU’s high single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1136, is crucial for a puzzle platformer that may have physics or logic calculations that are not heavily multithreaded. The data shows that the CPU’s performance is not a limiting factor in this game, as the frame rates are consistently high even at 4K. The CPU’s multi-core capabilities, such as a PassMark multithread score of 45887, are more than adequate for the game’s demands, which likely do not scale well beyond a few threads.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, with average benchmark scores that are nearly identical (46971 and 47022, respectively, versus 46881 for the i7-13700K). The delta percentages are minimal (-0.2% and -0.3%), indicating that the CPU’s performance is essentially on par with these competitors. This means that swapping the CPU for one of these rivals would likely have no measurable impact on the frame rates in Inside, as the GPU is the primary driver of the observed performance differences.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate is 309 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 66 FPS, which is the lowest recorded average in the dataset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the frame rates range from 106 FPS (Ultra) to 222 FPS (Low). The significant variance across presets indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU is capable of supporting the high frame rates seen at Low settings.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only minimum FPS values recorded are for the Medium preset at all three resolutions: 95 FPS at 4K, 151 FPS at 1440p, and 210 FPS at 1080p.

Q: Does the combo maintain playable frame rates at all tested settings?

A: Yes, all measured average frame rates are above 60 FPS. The lowest average is 66 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered playable.

Q: How does the GPU’s benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, which is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129) and 1% higher than the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862).

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 9060 has a rank of 1615 out of 2887 total combinations for Inside. This places it in the 56th percentile of all tested combos. This ranking is relatively middle-of-the-pack, which is surprising given the high performance of both components in isolation. The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU ranks in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU results in a system that is not optimized for this game’s workload, which appears to be heavily GPU-dependent.

The rank of 1615 suggests that while the combo is capable of delivering high frame rates, there are many other combinations in the database that achieve higher performance in this specific title. This is likely due to the GPU’s relatively lower performance compared to other options. The data shows that the GPU’s nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti, has a slightly higher average score, which could translate to a few more FPS in certain scenarios. However, the ranking also indicates that this combo is far from the bottom, and it outperforms 44% of all tested combinations, which is a respectable result given the GPU’s mid-range positioning.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is based on the RDNA 4.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2990 MHz, and it has a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s. The GPU’s benchmark scores, such as a PassMark G3D score of 17631, place it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. In the context of Inside, the GPU’s role is to handle the rendering workload, which scales directly with resolution and settings.

The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of the frame rate differences between resolutions. At 1080p Low, the GPU is able to produce 309 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 66 FPS. This 78% reduction in performance is a clear indication that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The GPU’s 8 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for this game, as it was released in 2016 and does not have high memory requirements. However, the 128-bit memory bus may be a constraint at 4K, where the higher pixel count requires more memory bandwidth to maintain high frame rates.

The GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which has a slightly higher average benchmark score (16129 vs 16014, a 0.7% difference). This suggests that the RX 9060 is slightly less powerful than the RTX 3060 Ti in general, but the performance difference is minimal. In practice, this could mean a few frames per second difference in Inside, but the measured FPS data shows that the RX 9060 is still capable of delivering smooth gameplay at all tested settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 155 FPS (High), 309 FPS (Low), 247 FPS (Medium), and 147 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset also has a recorded minimum of 210 FPS and a maximum of 284 FPS, indicating a fairly stable frame rate. At this resolution, the frame rates are exceptionally high, suggesting that the system is not fully utilizing the GPU’s potential, and the CPU is likely keeping up with the demands.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates drop to 111 FPS (High), 222 FPS (Low), 178 FPS (Medium), and 106 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset shows a minimum of 151 FPS and a maximum of 204 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, with the Low preset dropping from 309 to 222 FPS (a 28% reduction), and the High preset dropping from 155 to 111 FPS (a 28% reduction as well). This consistent percentage drop across presets indicates that the GPU is becoming a more significant factor as the pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 70 FPS (High), 140 FPS (Low), 112 FPS (Medium), and 66 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset shows a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS. The 4K Low preset is the only one that remains above 120 FPS, while the High and Ultra presets both drop below 70 FPS. This data clearly shows that 4K is the most demanding resolution, and the combo’s performance is significantly lower than at lower resolutions. The frame rates at 4K are still playable, but they are approaching the lower limit of what would be considered a smooth experience for a puzzle platformer.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s resolution and performance priorities. At 1920x1080, all settings presets provide an average frame rate above 140 FPS, which is more than sufficient for a smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 1080p achieves 147 FPS, which is only slightly lower than the High preset at 155 FPS. Given that the difference between High and Ultra is minimal (8 FPS), choosing Ultra at 1080p is a viable option for the best visual quality without a significant performance penalty.

At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves 111 FPS, which is a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset drops to 106 FPS, which is still smooth but offers diminishing returns in visual fidelity over High. For a more fluid experience, the Medium preset at 178 FPS is an excellent choice, as it provides a significant frame rate boost (67 FPS higher than High) while likely maintaining acceptable visual quality. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering frame rates well above 144 Hz for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Ultra preset provides an average of 66 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold but may not be ideal for all users. The High preset at 70 FPS is slightly better, but the difference is minimal. For a more consistent experience at 4K, the Medium preset at 112 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a substantial frame rate increase (42 FPS over High) while still offering a high level of visual detail. The Low preset at 140 FPS is also an option for those who prioritize maximum frame rate, but the visual compromise may not be worth it for a game like Inside, which relies on atmospheric visuals. Overall, the Medium preset at 4K offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, ensuring a smooth and immersive experience.