Inside

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Inside, with the benchmark data showing that the primary constraint shifts from the GPU at high resolutions to the CPU at 1080p. Across all tested settings and resolutions, the combo never falls below 57.3 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay for a puzzle platformer where frame timing is critical. The data indicates that the Arc B580’s 12 GB VRAM and 2670 MHz clock are more than sufficient for this title, while the i7-14700K’s 20 cores and 28 threads provide ample headroom, especially at lower resolutions where the frame rate nearly triples.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average frame rate is 269.8 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This represents a massive performance ceiling that far exceeds the needs of a 60 Hz or even 144 Hz display.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 57.3 FPS, just below the 60 FPS target. For a locked 60 FPS experience at 4K, the High preset is required, which delivers exactly 60.0 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-core performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-14700K’s average benchmark score of 70074 is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which scores 70104 (0% delta). It also outperforms the AMD EPYC 9115 (69887, +0.3%) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (70420, -0.5%), placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and how does it affect 4K performance?

A: The Arc B580 features a 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth over a 192-bit bus with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory. This bandwidth is sufficient for 4K High (60.0 FPS) but becomes a limiting factor at Ultra (57.3 FPS), where the extra memory pressure reduces performance by 4.5% compared to High.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The CPU becomes the limiting component at 1080p. The data shows a scaling pattern from 214.9 FPS at Medium to 269.8 FPS at Low, indicating that the GPU is not fully utilized at lower settings, leaving the i7-14700K’s 5.60 GHz boost clock to drive the frame rate.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1295th out of 1671 tested combinations in Inside. This places it in the lower-mid tier of the database, reflecting that while it handles the game well, there are many faster configurations for this specific title.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580’s specifications are more than adequate for Inside, a game that does not heavily tax modern GPUs. The GPU’s 2560 shading units and 80 ROPs, combined with a base clock of 2670 MHz, provide the raw throughput needed for high frame rates. The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 456.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures that even at 4K Ultra, the VRAM capacity is not exhausted, though the 57.3 FPS result suggests memory bandwidth is the limiting factor at that extreme preset.

The GPU’s performance profile is evident in the measured data. At 1080p Low, the Arc B580 achieves 269.8 FPS, but as resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the frame rate drops to 195.3 and 121.2 FPS respectively at the same Low settings. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions, with the 2670 MHz clock and memory bandwidth working in tandem. In the context of its benchmark rivals, the Arc B580’s average score of 23021 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon 760M (22999, +0.1%) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (23181, -0.7%), placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

At 4K High, the GPU delivers exactly 60.0 FPS, which is a critical threshold for smooth gameplay. However, moving to Ultra drops the average to 57.3 FPS, a 4.5% reduction that pushes the experience below the 60 FPS target. This suggests that the Arc B580’s 80 ROPs and 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are just shy of handling the most demanding settings at 4K without compromise.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear transition in the limiting component. At 1080p, the i7-14700K’s 5.60 GHz boost clock and 20 cores are the primary constraint, as evidenced by the 269.8 FPS at Low settings. This is a 24.7% improvement over Medium (214.9 FPS), indicating that the GPU is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions. The CPU’s 28 threads and 33 MB of shared L3 cache provide enough processing power to push frame rates well beyond what most displays can show.

Moving to 1440p, the GPU begins to take over as the limiting factor. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 269.8 FPS at 1080p to 195.3 FPS, a 27.6% decrease. This scaling is more pronounced at higher settings: High drops from 135.1 FPS at 1080p to 98.3 FPS at 1440p (27.2% decrease), while Ultra drops from 126.7 to 90.9 FPS (28.3% decrease). The consistency of these percentage drops suggests that the Arc B580’s memory bandwidth and shading units are now the primary constraint.

At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck. The Low setting drops to 121.2 FPS, a 37.9% decrease from 1440p, while High drops to 60.0 FPS (39.0% decrease) and Ultra to 57.3 FPS (37.0% decrease). This pattern indicates that the 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is insufficient to maintain the same level of performance at 4K, but the 12 GB VRAM capacity ensures that no settings are completely unplayable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 269.8 FPS, Medium drops to 214.9 FPS, High achieves 135.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 126.7 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is only 6.2%, suggesting that the higher preset adds minimal visual fidelity for a small performance cost. All 1080p results are far above the refresh rate of any standard monitor, making this resolution overkill for the game’s requirements.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU’s increasing workload. Low delivers 195.3 FPS, Medium 155.4 FPS, High 98.3 FPS, and Ultra 90.9 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 7.5%, slightly larger than at 1080p, indicating that the Arc B580’s 80 ROPs are becoming a factor at this resolution. Even the Ultra result at 90.9 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1440p a viable option for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more constrained. Low achieves 121.2 FPS, Medium 96.1 FPS, High 60.0 FPS, and Ultra 57.3 FPS. The High preset is the only one that maintains a locked 60 FPS, while Ultra falls just short. The scaling from Low to Medium is a 20.7% drop, from Medium to High a 37.6% drop, and from High to Ultra a 4.5% drop. This suggests that the High to Ultra transition is where the memory bandwidth limit is hit, with the 456.0 GB/s bandwidth unable to sustain higher frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1295th out of 1671 tested combinations in Inside, placing it in the 22.5th percentile of all configurations. This rank reflects that while the system is fully capable of playing the game smoothly, there are many faster combos in the database. The ranking is likely driven by the Arc B580’s mid-tier position (66th percentile of GPUs) rather than the CPU, which sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-14700KF (avg score 70104, 0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (70420, -0.5%), showing that the i7-14700K is competitive with the fastest processors. However, the GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (23181, -0.7%) and the AMD Radeon 760M (22999, +0.1%), indicating that the Arc B580 is performance-equivalent to these mid-range options. For Inside, this means the system is balanced but not top-tier, with the CPU capable of much higher frame rates if paired with a faster GPU.

The rank of 1295 out of 1671 suggests that for a puzzle platformer, this combo is more than sufficient, but for users seeking maximum frame rates at 4K Ultra, other configurations would rank higher. The data shows that the system’s performance is consistent with its component tier, with no unexpected bottlenecks or advantages.

CPU Role

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. In Inside, the CPU’s role is primarily to ensure that frame rates are not constrained by processing power, especially at lower resolutions. The 1080p results, which reach up to 269.8 FPS at Low settings, demonstrate that the CPU can sustain very high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample memory for the game’s physics and logic calculations. The benchmark results show that the CPU’s single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core score of 2932) is strong enough to handle the game’s main thread, while the multi-thread performance (Geekbench multicore score of 18896) ensures that any background tasks do not interfere with gameplay.

In the context of its rivals, the i7-14700K’s average benchmark score of 70074 is nearly identical to the i7-14700KF (70104) and slightly higher than the AMD EPYC 9115 (69887). This places it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is one of the fastest processors available. For Inside, this means that the CPU is never the limiting factor, even at 1080p Low where the frame rate is at its highest. The data shows that the CPU’s 5.60 GHz boost clock is the key enabler for the extreme frame rates seen at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the optimal choice. This configuration delivers an average of 98.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience on most displays. The High preset at 1440p offers a 7.5% performance improvement over Ultra (90.9 FPS) with minimal visual differences, making it the recommended setting for most users.

If 4K is the target resolution, the High preset is the only option that maintains a locked 60.0 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 57.3 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering on a 60 Hz display. For users with high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, the Medium preset at 214.9 FPS offers a good mix of visual quality and performance, while the Low preset at 269.8 FPS is best for competitive play or maximizing frame rate.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset is also viable at 90.9 FPS, but the High preset offers a better experience for most users. The data shows that the performance difference between High and Ultra is consistent across resolutions (6.2% at 1080p, 7.5% at 1440p, 4.5% at 4K), suggesting that the Ultra preset does not provide a significant visual upgrade for the performance cost. For the best experience, the High preset is recommended at all resolutions, with Medium as a fallback for those seeking higher frame rates.