Inside

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 presents a stark study in component imbalance within the puzzle platformer Inside. The data shows a configuration where a top-tier 14th Gen processor is constrained by an older Polaris-based graphics card, resulting in a performance profile that shifts dramatically based on resolution and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario that becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 150.9 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is doing the heavy lifting. However, scaling up to 1440p drops the average to 108.1 FPS, a 28.4% reduction, and at 4K the average falls to 69.2 FPS, representing a 54.1% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline indicates that the RX 580's rendering throughput is the limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

The trend intensifies with more demanding settings. At High settings, the 1080p average of 75.3 FPS drops to 54.1 FPS at 1440p (a 28.2% reduction) and further to 35.9 FPS at 4K (a 52.3% reduction). The Ultra preset shows a similar pattern: 71.5 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and 32.1 FPS at 4K. The consistent roughly 50% performance hit between 1080p and 4K across all settings confirms that pixel throughput, not CPU computation, is the bottleneck. The i7-14700KF, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is clearly not the constraint in this title.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580, built on the GCN 4.0 architecture with the Polaris 20 chip, operates at a base clock of 1257 MHz and a boost clock of 1340 MHz. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In Inside, a game with a relatively simple visual style, these specifications are adequate for 1080p gaming but struggle at higher resolutions. The GPU's 32 ROPs and 144 TMUs, paired with a pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s, appear to be the primary constraints, as evidenced by the FPS scaling.

The GPU's benchmark profile places it at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13559. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 and GTX 950, with delta percentages of 0% and 0.1%, respectively. This places the RX 580 in a performance tier that is several generations behind the CPU. The GPU's DirectX 12 score of 43 in Passmark is notably low, but the game still runs at playable framerates at 1080p. The data indicates that while the CPU is capable of delivering frame rates well above 150 FPS, the GPU caps the experience, particularly when settings are raised.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 1536th out of 1671 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, which is a surprisingly low position given the CPU's strength. The ranking reflects the significant drag imposed by the RX 580. The i7-14700KF itself sits at the 96th percentile among all CPUs, with a strong average benchmark score of 70104. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, show delta percentages of 0% and -0.4%, respectively, indicating the CPU is performing at the top of its class.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile ranking and the combo's low overall rank underscores the GPU bottleneck. This is a configuration where the processor is effectively wasted in this specific title at higher resolutions. The combo's performance is dictated almost entirely by the graphics card, which ranks at the 53rd percentile and has an average benchmark score of 13559. The data shows that while the CPU is a top-tier part, the GPU holds the system back to a level comparable to much older hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo in Inside is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. With Low settings, the average FPS is 150.9. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 121.1 FPS. High settings yield 75.3 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 71.5 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 19.8%, while the jump from High to Ultra is a modest 5.0%, indicating that the GPU is already struggling with the higher presets.

At 2560x1440, performance takes a significant hit. Low settings average 108.1 FPS, which is still playable. Medium settings drop to 86 FPS. High settings fall to 54.1 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 53 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at this resolution is minimal (1.1 FPS), suggesting that the GPU has reached its limit and additional settings have diminishing returns.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmed. Low settings average 69.2 FPS. Medium settings drop to 52.1 FPS. High settings sink to 35.9 FPS, and Ultra settings produce just 32.1 FPS. The 4K results are below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay on all settings except Low, making this resolution impractical for this combination. The data shows a clear pattern: the RX 580 can handle 1080p comfortably, manages 1440p with some compromises, but is not suitable for 4K gaming in this title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Inside?*

A: The data suggests 1080p is the optimal resolution. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 75.3 FPS on High and 71.5 FPS on Ultra, both of which are above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, High and Ultra settings drop to 54.1 FPS and 53 FPS, respectively, which are below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo averages 32.1 FPS. This is significantly below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. Even at Low settings, 4K only reaches 69.2 FPS, making it the only playable 4K preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559 and ranks at the 53rd percentile. In contrast, the i7-14700KF ranks at the 96th percentile among CPUs. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent drop of around 50%, which is characteristic of a GPU limitation.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rivals in raw performance?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, has a score of 13564, a delta of 0%. The GTX 950 scores 13549, showing a 0.1% delta. These scores are nearly identical, indicating the RX 580 is in the same performance class as these older NVIDIA cards.

*Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations in Inside?*

A: This combo ranks 1536th out of 1671 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, which is surprisingly low given the i7-14700KF's high individual performance. The ranking is dragged down by the RX 580's age and limited capability.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 79.4 FPS. The Low preset averages 150.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 71.5 FPS. This represents a 52.6% performance reduction from the lowest to the highest settings.