Inside

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT delivers a performance profile in Inside that is defined by extreme CPU headroom and a GPU that becomes the decisive factor only at the highest resolutions. The combo ranks 2725th out of 3716 tested combinations, placing it in the lower third of all systems tested for this title. This ranking, however, is misleading for lower resolutions; the data indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the system is capable of frame rates that far exceed the demands of the game, while the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and RDNA 1.0 architecture limit ultimate performance at 4K Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2725 out of 3716 tested combos places it in the 27th percentile of all systems tested for Inside. This relatively low position is not a reflection of poor component quality, but rather a symptom of the game's low system requirements and the specific bottleneck characteristics of this pairing. The CPU is a top-tier performer, ranking in the 94th percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 59th percentile against all GPUs. This discrepancy suggests that the combo's overall rank is dragged down by the GPU's mid-range standing.

Benchmark results indicate that the i7-14700KF is a massive overmatch for the RX 5700 XT in this game. The CPU's average benchmark score is 70163, placing it 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. In contrast, the GPU's average benchmark score is 16361, which is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and 0.9% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2. This data suggests that the system's rank is constrained by the GPU's performance class, as the CPU is capable of feeding far more frames than the GPU can render at higher settings.

The measured FPS data confirms this analysis. At 1080p Low, the system produces 275 FPS, which is over 4 times the refresh rate of a standard 60Hz monitor. Even at 4K High, the system manages 62 FPS, which is playable. The low rank is therefore a statistical artifact of a benchmark database that includes many systems with more balanced, high-end GPU pairings. In practice, this combo ranks poorly because the CPU is overkill for the GPU, but the actual gameplay experience is smooth across most settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture using a 7 nm process at TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1605 MHz, with a boost clock of 1905 MHz and a game clock of 1755 MHz. These specifications place the GPU in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 16361 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M.

For Inside, the GPU's role is critical only at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game, as it is a 2016 title with modest texture requirements. The GPU's 9.754 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is more than adequate for the game's simple geometry and lighting, but the data shows that it becomes the limiting factor at 4K.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks shows a mixed profile. Its Passmark G3D score is 16277, while its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2134. These scores indicate that the GPU is a solid mid-range performer, but it is not in the same league as the CPU. When paired with the i7-14700KF, the GPU is the clear bottleneck at 4K, but at 1080p and 1440p, the system is likely CPU-limited only in the sense that the CPU is capable of much more than the GPU can deliver.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a predictable pattern of GPU-bound performance at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system produces 275 FPS. This drops to 198 FPS at 1440p Low and 124 FPS at 4K Low, representing a 28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 37% drop from 1440p to 4K. This scaling indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at Low settings, as the frame rate drops are proportional to the increase in pixel count.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar. The system produces 220 FPS at 1080p, 158 FPS at 1440p, and 99 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28%, and the drop from 1440p to 4K is 37%. This consistent scaling suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at Medium settings across all resolutions, as the CPU has enough headroom to maintain high frame rates.

At High settings, the scaling becomes more pronounced. The system produces 137 FPS at 1080p, 99 FPS at 1440p, and 62 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28%, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 37%. This pattern continues at Ultra settings, where the system produces 131 FPS at 1080p, 94 FPS at 1440p, and 59 FPS at 4K. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions above 1080p, with the 4K Ultra setting pushing the GPU to its limits.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of the system's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. On Low settings, the average FPS is 275. This drops to 220 FPS on Medium, with a minimum of 187 FPS and a maximum of 253 FPS. On High settings, the average FPS is 137, and on Ultra, it is 131. These numbers indicate that the system is well above the playable threshold at 1080p, even on the most demanding preset.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU's increasing load. Low settings produce 198 FPS on average. Medium settings produce 158 FPS, with a minimum of 134 FPS and a maximum of 182 FPS. High settings average 99 FPS, and Ultra settings average 94 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across all settings, suggesting that the GPU is scaling as expected with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the system's performance becomes more variable. Low settings produce 124 FPS on average, which is still very playable. Medium settings produce 99 FPS, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. High settings average 62 FPS, and Ultra settings average 59 FPS. The data shows that 4K Ultra is the only configuration that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only setting where the GPU is clearly struggling to keep up with the CPU's capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, the system is capable of running Ultra settings at 131 FPS, which is well above the playable threshold. There is no reason to lower settings at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset provides a smooth experience. The data shows that the difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is only 6 FPS, making Ultra the clear choice for visual quality.

At 1440p, the system can also run Ultra settings at 94 FPS, which is above 60 FPS and suitable for most monitors. However, if a higher refresh rate is desired, dropping to High settings yields 99 FPS, a marginal 5 FPS improvement. Medium settings provide 158 FPS, but the visual quality loss is significant. The data suggests that High or Ultra is the best choice at 1440p, with the choice depending on whether the user prioritizes frame rate or visual fidelity.

At 4K, the system's performance becomes more constrained. Ultra settings produce 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold. High settings produce 62 FPS, which is above the threshold but still close to the limit. Medium settings provide 99 FPS, which is a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 4K, Medium settings are the recommended choice, as they provide a significant frame rate boost over High and Ultra while still maintaining a good visual quality. Low settings at 4K produce 124 FPS, but the visual quality is likely too poor for this game's aesthetic.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, and its benchmark scores are exceptional. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 44167, and its single-core score is 6235. These scores place the CPU in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 70163 is 1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K.

For Inside, the CPU's role is largely passive. The game is a 2D puzzle platformer with simple physics and AI, so it does not heavily utilize multi-core processors. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution or setting, as the frame rates are consistently high across all configurations. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would be most likely to bottleneck, the system produces 275 FPS, indicating that the CPU has significant headroom.

The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as Passmark's integer math score of 183056 and floating-point math score of 134393, confirms its capability. However, these scores are irrelevant to Inside, which is a GPU-bound title at higher resolutions. The CPU's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 2578, ensures that it can handle the game's main thread without issue. In this pairing, the CPU is a future-proofing investment, as it will not be the bottleneck in this game or likely in more demanding titles that require higher GPU performance.