Inside

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers an exceptionally strong experience in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer. The benchmark data shows this combination is capable of obliterating even the most demanding settings at 4K, with the primary bottleneck shifting from the GPU to the CPU only at the lowest presets and resolutions. The measured results indicate that this is a system built for maximum frame rates and ultimate smoothness in this title.

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. While Inside is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer that is not traditionally considered a multi-threaded workload, the CPU’s sheer single-core strength, evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 2569 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2160, ensures that the game’s logic, physics, and rendering commands are processed with minimal latency. The data shows that this processor sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69355, placing it in a statistical dead heat with rivals like the AMD EPYC 9115 (deltaPct of 0.1) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (deltaPct of -0.2).

In the context of Inside, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 333 FPS, a figure that is far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors and heavily dependent on the CPU's ability to push frames as fast as possible. The processor's high boost clock of 5.60 GHz is instrumental here, as it provides the rapid, single-threaded response required for such high frame generation. The CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache also plays a role in keeping frequently accessed game data on hand, reducing the need to fetch from memory. While the GPU is often the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings, the i7-14700K ensures it is never starved for data, allowing the RTX 4060 to operate at its full potential, particularly evident in the high average FPS figures across all tested configurations.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the best performance I can expect from this CPU and GPU combo in Inside?*

A: The highest average frame rate recorded in the measured data is 333 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Inside?*

A: Yes, it handles 4K exceptionally well. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system maintains an average of 72 FPS, which is above the standard 60 FPS target. Dropping to High settings at 4K increases the average to 75 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its closest rivals in terms of raw performance?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score is 17639, placing it in the 61st percentile. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, has a near-identical score of 17666, representing a deltaPct of -0.2, indicating the 4060 is slightly behind that specific card but virtually tied in overall compute.

Q: Does the i7-14700K processor bottleneck the RTX 4060 in this game?

A: At lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is the primary driver of performance. For example, at 1920x1080 Low, the frame rate is 333 FPS, which is double the 4K Low result of 150 FPS. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is working near its limit to generate frames, but the overall performance is so high that it is not a practical concern.

Q: What is the difference in frame rate between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset yields an average of 120 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields an average of 114 FPS. The difference is only 6 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset is very efficiently optimized for this hardware.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for the components in this combo?

A: The launch MSRP for the Intel Core i7-14700K is $409, and the launch MSRP for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is 299 USD.

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

The measured FPS data suggests that the "High" preset offers the most balanced experience for this hardware, but the "Ultra" preset is also a compelling choice. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers a smooth 167 FPS average, while Ultra delivers 159 FPS. The 8 FPS difference is negligible for most users, so the visual uplift of Ultra would be preferred. At 2560x1440, the High preset hits 120 FPS average, and Ultra hits 114 FPS average. Again, the performance cost of Ultra is minimal. The most significant drop occurs when moving from High to Ultra at 4K, where the average FPS goes from 75 down to 72, a difference of only 3 FPS.

Given that the Ultra preset is only 2-7% slower than High across all resolutions, and the minimum average FPS on Ultra is 72 FPS at 4K, the recommendation is clear. For users with a 60Hz display, the Ultra preset is the best choice at any resolution, as it provides a flawless experience with maximum visual fidelity. For users with a 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitor, the High preset at 1080p or 1440p is the optimal choice, as it provides ample headroom above the refresh rate, with 167 and 120 FPS respectively. The Medium preset, which shows 266 FPS at 1080p and 192 FPS at 1440p, serves as a fallback for those seeking the absolute highest frame rates, but the visual compromise is not necessary given the strength of the hardware. The Low preset, which pushes frame rates to 333 FPS at 1080p, is only relevant for competitive play or esports contexts, which are not applicable to a puzzle platformer like Inside.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks at 1863 out of 3716 tested combos in Inside. This places the system in the 50th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it is exactly in the middle of the pack. It is crucial to contextualize this ranking: the ranking is not a measure of absolute performance, but rather a comparison against all other CPU/GPU pairings in the database. Given that Inside is not a graphically demanding title, many older and less powerful GPUs can also achieve high frame rates, which compresses the field and prevents high-end modern parts from rising to the top of the list.

The data shows that this combo is a "tier above" the entry-level segment, but it is not a top-tier performer in the ranking because the game is so easily run. The ranking of 1863 indicates that there are many other combos that can deliver a similar, playable experience. However, the absolute frame rates achieved by this combo are extremely high, and the ranking does not reflect the fact that this system is capable of running the game at maximum settings with frame rates exceeding 70 FPS at 4K. The ranking is a relative metric, and the absolute performance is what matters most for the user experience. This system is firmly in the upper half of all tested systems, and its performance is more than sufficient for a flawless experience in this title.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 333 FPS at 1080p to 239 FPS at 1440p, a 28% decrease, and then to 150 FPS at 4K, a further 37% decrease from 1440p. This significant drop, especially from 1440p to 4K, indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The RTX 4060, with its 8 GB of memory and 128-bit bus, is being tasked with rendering more pixels, and its performance scaling is directly tied to this workload.

At Ultra settings, the drop is less severe in percentage terms. The average FPS goes from 159 at 1080p to 114 at 1440p (a 28% drop) and then to 72 at 4K (a 37% drop from 1440p). This pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU, with its high clock speed and strong single-core performance, is able to keep up with the game's logic at all resolutions, but the GPU's fillrate and memory bandwidth are stretched as resolution increases. The data at 4K Ultra, showing a 72 FPS average, proves that the GPU is still capable of hitting playable frame rates, but the scaling curve shows it is working much harder. The fact that the frame rate does not halve when the pixel count quadruples (from 1080p to 4K) suggests that the CPU is still contributing to the frame generation process, but the GPU is the dominant factor in determining the final frame rate at higher resolutions.

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

The following is a comprehensive breakdown of the measured average FPS, with minimum and maximum values where available, for each resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080:

• Low: 333 FPS average.
• Medium: 266 FPS average, with a minimum of 226 FPS and a maximum of 306 FPS.
• High: 167 FPS average.
• Ultra: 159 FPS average.

2560x1440:

• Low: 239 FPS average.
• Medium: 192 FPS average, with a minimum of 163 FPS and a maximum of 220 FPS.
• High: 120 FPS average.
• Ultra: 114 FPS average.

3840x2160:

• Low: 150 FPS average.
• Medium: 120 FPS average, with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS.
• High: 75 FPS average.
• Ultra: 72 FPS average.

The data reveals that the Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, indicating a measurable variance in frame times. Across all resolutions, the gap between High and Ultra is consistently small, typically between 5-8 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset is well-optimized and does not impose a significant performance penalty. The Low preset offers the highest frame rates, but the jump from Low to Medium is substantial, often a 25-30% decrease in FPS, which highlights the cost of enabling more advanced graphical effects. Overall, the system maintains a minimum average of 72 FPS across all tested configurations, ensuring a smooth and responsive experience in Inside regardless of the chosen settings.