Inside

The Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT combination delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer. The data shows this pairing is heavily overqualified for the title, producing frame rates that far exceed display refresh rates across nearly every setting. Analysis of the measured frames indicates that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s substantial multi-threaded capacity ensures no bottleneck at lower settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This configuration places it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 70074. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, scores 70104, a delta of 0%, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scores 70420, putting the i7-14700K 0.5% behind. The processor’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 provide ample bandwidth for a game like Inside, which is not computationally demanding by modern standards.

In the context of this game, the CPU’s role is largely about maintaining high minimum frame rates and avoiding any potential stutter. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 409.5 FPS average, a figure that is almost certainly CPU-limited given the game’s age and simplicity. The i7-14700K’s single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2932 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6287, ensures that the game’s main thread has ample headroom. The 20 cores and 28 threads are largely idle during gameplay, but the high boost clock of 5.60 GHz is the key attribute here, allowing for rapid instruction processing that keeps the frame pipeline full.

The data suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution tested. Even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 88.9, the bottleneck is clearly the GPU. The processor’s PassMark multithread score of 52392 and Cinebench R20 multicore score of 18704 indicate raw computational power that is far beyond what Inside requires. For a game that primarily relies on a single core for game logic and physics, the i7-14700K’s strong single-core performance is the most relevant metric, and it delivers without issue.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is a RDNA 3.0 architecture GPU with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2430 MHz, with a game clock of 2124 MHz. This GPU sits in the 76th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32619. Its nearest rival, the AMD FirePro S9300 X2, scores 32540, a 0.2% difference, while the NVIDIA P104-100 scores 32747, putting the RX 7800 XT 0.4% behind. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for Inside, which has modest texture requirements even at 4K Ultra.

The GPU’s role becomes evident when examining the scaling across settings. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 409.5 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 196.1 FPS. This 213.4 FPS difference is attributable to the increased shading and texture work required by the Ultra preset. The RX 7800 XT’s 3840 shading units and 96 ROPs handle the game’s pixel shading effectively, but the frame rate drop indicates that the GPU is working harder. At 4K, the scaling is more pronounced: 187.7 FPS at Low versus 88.9 FPS at Ultra, a 98.8 FPS difference. This shows that resolution increases put significant pressure on the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth.

The 16 GB VRAM is never a limiting factor in this test, as Inside is a 2D side-scroller with relatively simple textures. The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility ensure that it can leverage modern APIs, though the game’s 2016 release date means it likely uses older DirectX 11 paths. The PassMark G3D score of 24176 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 4157 confirm the GPU’s overall capability, which is far above what this title demands.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of scaling from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 205.6 at 1080p to 147 at 1440p, and further to 96 at 4K. This represents a 53.4% reduction from 1080p to 4K. For Low settings, the drop is from 409.5 at 1080p to 294.2 at 1440p to 187.7 at 4K, a 54.2% reduction. Medium settings show a similar trend: 328.2 to 237.9 to 149, a 54.6% reduction. Ultra settings drop from 196.1 to 142.4 to 88.9, a 54.7% reduction.

The consistency of these percentage drops—all hovering around 54-55% from 1080p to 4K—indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component in this configuration. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU workload would stay constant. Instead, the linear scaling with pixel count suggests that the RX 7800 XT is being fully utilized at higher resolutions. The fact that 4K High (96 FPS) is still above 60 FPS shows that the GPU has headroom, but the scaling pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior.

At 1080p Low, the 409.5 FPS figure is likely near the CPU’s limit for this game, as the GPU is barely taxed. The jump from 1080p Low to 1440p Low (294.2 FPS) is a 28.2% drop, which is less than the 36% increase in pixel count, suggesting some CPU limitation is still present at 1440p Low. However, by 4K Low (187.7 FPS), the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. This analysis shows that for the best experience, users should select a resolution and settings combination that balances the GPU workload, as the CPU is never a concern.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ranks 444 out of 1671 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the top 26.6% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing given the game’s age and the fact that many combos may include newer, higher-end GPUs. The rank is influenced by the GPU’s 76th percentile standing, while the CPU’s 96th percentile ranking is far less impactful for this title.

The combo’s position in the rankings is notable because it outperforms a significant majority of systems. The data shows that the RX 7800 XT, despite being a mid-range GPU in the RX 7000 series, delivers frame rates that are competitive with higher-tier cards in this specific game. The i7-14700K, being a high-end desktop processor, ensures that no CPU-related frame drops occur. The 444th rank out of 1671 indicates that 1227 other combos are slower, which reflects the efficiency of this pairing for a puzzle platformer.

When compared to the nearest rival GPUs, the RX 7800 XT’s 0.2% delta over the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 and 0.7% over the AMD FirePro S10000 shows that it is closely matched with professional-grade cards from previous generations. However, in real-world gaming, the RX 7800 XT’s architecture and driver support provide an advantage that is not fully captured in synthetic benchmarks. The combo rank of 444 reflects this real-world performance, placing it well ahead of the median combo.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1080p, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average FPS of 409.5, which is the highest recorded in this test. Medium settings yield 328.2 FPS, High settings yield 205.6 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 196.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 81.3 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 9.5 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset adds minimal visual benefits for the performance cost.

At 1440p, the frame rates remain high but show a noticeable drop from 1080p. Low settings average 294.2 FPS, Medium averages 237.9 FPS, High averages 147 FPS, and Ultra averages 142.4 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra narrows to 4.6 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset is more demanding at this resolution. The 1440p numbers are still well above 144 Hz, making them suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 4K, the performance is still playable but begins to approach lower thresholds. Low settings average 187.7 FPS, Medium averages 149 FPS, High averages 96 FPS, and Ultra averages 88.9 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 7.1 FPS, which is the smallest absolute difference among all resolutions. The 4K Low figure of 187.7 FPS is still above 144 Hz, but the 4K Ultra figure of 88.9 FPS falls below 100 FPS, indicating that the GPU is being pushed harder.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the High preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 147 FPS. This is ideal for a 144 Hz monitor, providing smooth gameplay without the marginal visual improvements of the Ultra preset. The 4.6 FPS difference between High and Ultra at this resolution is negligible, so choosing High saves GPU resources without a perceptible quality loss.

For 4K users, the Medium preset at 149 FPS is the optimal choice, as it provides a smooth experience on a 144 Hz display. The High preset at 96 FPS is also acceptable for a 60 Hz or 120 Hz monitor, but the Medium preset offers a significant 53 FPS advantage over High while maintaining good visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 88.9 FPS should be avoided on 4K displays unless a 60 Hz refresh rate is the target, as the visual difference between Ultra and High is minimal in a game like Inside.

For 1080p users, the High preset at 205.6 FPS is the sweet spot, as it exceeds the refresh rate of most gaming monitors (240 Hz) while providing excellent visual quality. The Ultra preset at 196.1 FPS is only 9.5 FPS lower, so users with 240 Hz displays can opt for Ultra without sacrificing smoothness. The Low preset at 409.5 FPS is unnecessary for typical use, as it offers no visual benefits and is only useful for competitive play or benchmarking. The data clearly shows that the High preset is the recommended default across all resolutions, with Medium as a strong alternative for 4K users prioritizing frame rate.