Inside

The Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX configuration delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far more demanding on the GPU than the CPU at higher resolutions. The measured frame rates across all settings and resolutions are extremely high, consistently exceeding 100 FPS even at 4K Ultra. This data suggests a combination where the GPU is the primary scaling factor as resolution increases, while the 20-core, 28-thread processor provides ample headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and clearly indicates the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 267.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 188.5 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 79 FPS, and then further to 121.9 FPS at 3840x2160. This progression shows a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern; the frame rate drop is nearly proportional to the increase in pixel count. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2711, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, where the bottleneck shifts almost entirely to the graphics card.

The scaling behavior is even more pronounced at the lower preset levels. At Low settings, the 1080p result is 390.6 FPS, which drops to 347.6 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 240.8 FPS at 4K. This steep decline at 4K, where the frame rate is nearly 40% lower than at 1440p, underscores the immense pixel throughput required by the 3840x2160 resolution. The RX 7900 XTX, with its 960.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, handles this load admirably, but the data clearly shows that resolution scaling is the dominant factor in frame rate variation, not the CPU.

The gap between 1440p and 4K is wider than the gap between 1080p and 1440p at every preset. For instance, at Medium settings, the 1440p score of 308.8 FPS drops to 192.2 FPS at 4K, a difference of 116.6 FPS, while the 1080p to 1440p difference is only 50.1 FPS. This non-linear scaling is a hallmark of a GPU that is increasingly overwhelmed by the pixel fill rate demands of 4K. The data suggests that for maximum frame rates, 1440p is the sweet spot, offering a massive performance uplift over 4K while still providing a high-resolution image.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the workhorse in this configuration, and its specifications directly explain the measured results. With a boost clock of 2498 MHz and 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, the card is built for high-resolution gaming. The 6144 shading units and 192 ROPs provide the raw compute and pixel processing power needed to maintain high frame rates even at 4K Ultra, where it still achieves an average of 111.6 FPS. The GPU's performance percentile of 85 versus all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 44019, place it firmly in the high-end tier, which is reflected in these results.

The GPU's role becomes more defined when examining the difference between Low and Ultra settings at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, the jump from Low (390.6 FPS) to Ultra (252.1 FPS) represents a 35% performance cost for the visual fidelity increase. At 4K, the same settings change sees the frame rate drop from 240.8 FPS to 111.6 FPS, a 54% reduction. This shows that the GPU's compute resources are heavily taxed by the combination of high resolution and high preset, making the Ultra preset at 4K a demanding scenario that still results in smooth, playable performance. The card's 61.39 TFLOPS FP32 performance is clearly being utilized to its fullest at these settings.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the RX 7900 XTX's average score is only 0.8% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile and 1.6% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro M6000. This marginal delta in synthetic benchmarks translates to the real-world performance seen here, where the card is able to maintain a consistent lead over the RTX 4070 Ti, which it exceeds by 2% in average benchmark score. The data indicates that the GPU is not a bottleneck at any tested setting, but rather the primary driver of the frame rate, with the CPU providing a stable platform.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the High preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1440p, High delivers 188.5 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay while providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, incurs a substantial performance penalty, dropping the 1440p frame rate to 181 FPS and the 4K frame rate to 111.6 FPS. For users with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, High is the recommended choice to fully utilize the display's capabilities.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point. It achieves 192.2 FPS, which is a 58% improvement over the Ultra preset's 111.6 FPS at the same resolution. This setting strikes an optimal balance between visual quality and performance, ensuring the frame rate stays well above the 100 FPS threshold. While Ultra is playable, the jump from Medium to Ultra results in a frame rate reduction of 80.6 FPS, which is a steep cost for diminishing returns. The Low preset, while offering the highest frame rates (240.8 FPS at 4K), is not recommended as it compromises the game's atmospheric visuals for performance that is already excellent at Medium.

At 1080p, the High preset (267.5 FPS) is more than adequate, and the Ultra preset (252.1 FPS) is also highly playable. The data suggests that the processor's high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5003) ensures no CPU limitation is encountered at this resolution. The best experience per the measured rows is achieved by prioritizing the High preset for 1440p and the Medium preset for 4K, as these configurations provide the most significant performance headroom without sacrificing the core visual experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 390.6 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset. At the High preset, the frame rate is 267.5 FPS.

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

A: At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the configuration produces an average frame rate of 111.6 FPS. This is a playable result, though it is the lowest measured score in the dataset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The frame rate drops significantly with resolution increases, while the CPU's performance, as indicated by its percentile of 94 versus all CPUs, is more than sufficient to keep up with the GPU's demands.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset yields 188.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 181 FPS. This is a difference of only 7.5 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset is a viable option at this resolution with a minimal performance cost.

Q: How does this GPU compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX has an average benchmark score of 44019, which is 2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti's average score of 44900. This indicates a slight performance advantage for the AMD card in general compute tasks.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Medium settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 240.8 FPS, while the Medium preset achieves 192.2 FPS. The transition to Medium costs 48.6 FPS but provides a substantial improvement in visual quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX ranks 114th out of 1671 tested combinations for Inside, placing it in the top 6.8% of all configurations in the database. This high ranking is a direct result of the synergy between the powerful 14th Gen processor and the top-tier RDNA 3.0 graphics card. The CPU's average benchmark score of 54097 is only 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, its closest rival, demonstrating that it offers flagship-level processing power. The GPU, similarly, performs within 2% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti in average score, but with a much higher memory capacity of 24 GB.

The rank of 114 is impressive given the sheer number of potential combinations. The data shows that this pairing is highly effective for a game like Inside, which benefits from both high single-thread performance for physics and logic, and massive GPU throughput for rendering. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking versus all CPUs ensures it is never a bottleneck, allowing the GPU to operate at its full potential. This is reflected in the measured frame rates, which are consistently above 100 FPS at 4K Ultra, a feat not achievable by lesser combinations.

In the context of the database, this combo sits comfortably in the upper echelon of performers. The deltaPct values for the CPU's rivals, such as the -1.1% difference with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, suggest that there is little to gain from alternative processors in this specific workload. The GPU's position, with a percentile of 85, further solidifies the overall system's high-end status. Ultimately, the data confirms that this is a premium configuration that delivers exceptional frame rates across all tested scenarios, justifying its high rank among the 1671 combinations.