Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer with modest visual demands, and the measured frame rates for the Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB reflect a configuration that is heavily overqualified for the title. The data shows a system capable of delivering extremely high refresh rates at every tested setting, with the primary bottleneck shifting from the CPU at lower resolutions to the GPU as pixel count increases. The following analysis breaks down the scaling behavior, component roles, and optimal settings based strictly on the measured results.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, but the shape of that curve reveals a system that transitions from a CPU-bound state at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound state at higher ones. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 341.3 FPS at 1920x1080 to 248.5 FPS at 2560x1440, a 27.2% reduction, and then drops further to 154.8 FPS at 3840x2160, another 37.7% reduction from the 1440p figure. This steep decline indicates that the rendering load is growing faster than the pixel count, which is typical for a GPU that is finally being pushed past its comfort zone.

For High settings, the scaling is more linear. The 173.6 FPS at 1080p drops to 121.7 FPS at 1440p, a 29.9% decrease, and then to 80.7 FPS at 4K, a 33.7% decrease from 1440p. The consistency of these percentage drops suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor across all three resolutions at High preset, but the absolute values remain high enough to avoid any perception of stutter. The Ultra preset shows a similar pattern: 160.6 FPS at 1080p, 114.4 FPS at 1440p, and 75 FPS at 4K, with the 4K figure representing a 53.3% drop from 1080p.

The key insight is that the 1080p to 1440p transition at Low settings only costs 27.2% performance, while the same resolution step at Ultra costs 28.8%. This near-identical relative penalty implies that the CPU is not the limiting factor even at 1080p Low, where 341.3 FPS is achieved. If the processor were the constraint, the frame rate would plateau or drop more slowly as resolution increases. Instead, the data shows a consistent GPU-driven scaling, meaning the i7-14700F with its 20 cores and 5.40 GHz boost clock has ample headroom to feed the Radeon RX 9060 XT at all tested settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is the primary performance driver in this configuration, and its specifications align with the observed scaling behavior. The GPU features a boost clock of 3130 MHz and a game clock of 2530 MHz, with 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 322.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for a game like Inside that does not demand high-resolution textures or complex geometry.

The measured results show that the GPU’s performance ceiling is reached at 4K Ultra, where the average frame rate drops to 75 FPS. This is the only scenario where the system falls below the 80 FPS threshold, and it indicates that the 8 GB memory capacity is not the limiting factor. Instead, the raw compute throughput of 25.64 TFLOPS FP32 is the constraint at 4K Ultra. The texture rate of 400.6 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 200.3 GPixel/s are more than adequate for the game’s stylized visuals, but the sheer number of pixels at 3840x2160 overwhelms the GPU’s ability to maintain the higher frame rates seen at lower resolutions.

The memory clock of 2518 MHz, which translates to 20.1 Gbps effective, is a notable strength. The bandwidth of 322.3 GB/s is a mid-range figure, but it does not appear to cause any bandwidth-related stalls in the measured data. The frame rate drop from 1440p High at 121.7 FPS to 4K High at 80.7 FPS is a 33.7% reduction, which is proportionally consistent with the increase in pixel count (from 3.7 million to 8.3 million pixels, a 124% increase). This suggests that the GPU is compute-bound rather than memory-bound, as a bandwidth limitation would typically produce a more severe frame rate collapse at 4K.

The GPU’s percentile ranking of 50 against all GPUs places it in the middle of the pack, which is consistent with its performance in this game. The lack of a benchmark score or nearest rivals in the data pack means that direct comparisons are not available, but the measured FPS values speak for themselves. At 1080p High, the 173.6 FPS average is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate display, and even at 4K High, the 80.7 FPS average is playable for a puzzle platformer where precise timing is not critical.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, based on the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003. The Geekbench multi-core score of 16571 and single-core score of 2711 further underscore its capabilities. The processor’s percentile ranking of 94 against all CPUs indicates that it outperforms the vast majority of available processors.

In the context of Inside, the CPU’s role is minimal but not negligible. The game is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer with a 2D perspective, which means that the rendering workload is significantly lighter than a 3D open-world title. The measured frame rates at 1080p Low of 341.3 FPS and 1440p Low of 248.5 FPS demonstrate that the CPU can easily keep up with the GPU’s output at lower settings. The 20 cores and 28 threads are far more than what this game requires, and the single-core performance is the more relevant metric for frame pacing.

The nearest rivals for the i7-14700F are the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, which has an average score 0.6% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, which is 1.1% higher. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 is 1.2% lower in score, and the AMD EPYC 7313P is 1.7% lower. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming, especially for a title like Inside where the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. The processor’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per core L2 cache provide ample data locality for the game’s assets, and the dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 ensures that memory bandwidth is not a constraint.

The data shows that the CPU does not limit performance at any resolution or setting tested. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent across all presets, which would not be the case if the CPU were the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the 75 FPS average is likely GPU-bound, as the CPU has plenty of headroom to process the game’s logic and physics. The i7-14700F’s launch MSRP of $359 positions it as a high-end desktop processor, and its performance in this game is more than sufficient for the task.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achieved with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The highest average frame rate is 341.3 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: The average frame rate at 4K Ultra is 75 FPS, which is 53.3% lower than the 160.6 FPS at 1080p Ultra.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p High settings?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor, as the frame rate of 121.7 FPS at 1440p High is 29.9% lower than the 173.6 FPS at 1080p High, indicating GPU-bound scaling.

Q: What is the processor’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443.

Q: Does the 8 GB GPU memory capacity cause any performance issues in this game?

A: No, the measured frame rates do not indicate memory-related stutters. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 322.3 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for Inside at all tested settings.

Q: What is the GPU’s boost clock speed?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB has a boost clock of 3130 MHz.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the High preset at 2560x1440 offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The average frame rate of 121.7 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the visual improvement over Medium settings is significant for a game with a strong atmospheric art style. The 4K High preset at 80.7 FPS is also viable for players with a 4K display, as the frame rate remains above 75 FPS and the game’s slow-paced puzzle mechanics do not demand high refresh rates.

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, the 1080p Low preset at 341.3 FPS is the clear choice, but this is unnecessary for a game that does not feature competitive multiplayer. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 272.5 FPS, which is still far beyond any display’s refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces 160.6 FPS, which is excellent, but the marginal visual gains over High are not worth the 7.5% performance drop. At 4K, the Ultra preset at 75 FPS is playable, but the High preset at 80.7 FPS offers a higher frame rate with likely imperceptible visual differences.

The data suggests that the High preset is the sweet spot across all resolutions. At 1440p High, the 121.7 FPS average is nearly double the 4K High figure, making it the recommended choice for most users. The 4K High setting is acceptable for those who prioritize resolution, but the 1440p High configuration provides a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS minimum. The Low and Medium presets are only recommended for users with 4K displays who cannot tolerate any frame rate drops, as the 154.8 FPS at 4K Low and 123.6 FPS at 4K Medium are both smooth, but the visual compromise is substantial for a game that relies heavily on atmosphere and lighting.