Inside

Inside is a 2D puzzle-platformer from 2016, and the measured results for the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT combination show a system that is dramatically overqualified for the task. The data indicates this pairing delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested configurations, with the primary bottleneck shifting from the GPU to the CPU only at the lowest settings and resolutions. This analysis breaks down the specific roles of the processor and graphics card, how resolution scaling affects performance, and which settings provide the optimal experience based on the measured FPS data.

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

The Intel Core i7-14700KF 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 the context of Inside, a game with relatively simple scene geometry and physics, this processor's immense multi-threaded capability—evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44,167 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 21,462—is largely untapped. The game's workload is far more dependent on single-thread performance, where this CPU also excels, posting a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,235 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4,480. This robust single-core strength ensures that the game's primary logic thread is never a limiting factor.

The data suggests that the CPU's high clock speeds are more relevant to Inside's performance than its core count. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 353 FPS, which is a scenario where frame generation is primarily CPU-bound. The processor's ability to maintain high instructions-per-clock and boost up to 5.60 GHz allows it to feed the GPU with draw calls and game state updates at an extremely rapid pace. When comparing to its nearest rivals in the database, the i7-14700KF holds a slight edge; it is 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 0.9% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, while trailing the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1%. These minimal deltas confirm that in a game like Inside, all modern high-end CPUs are effectively at parity, and the i7-14700KF's performance is more than sufficient to avoid being a bottleneck.

The processor's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache are also beneficial for maintaining smooth frame pacing in a side-scrolling game where assets are frequently loaded and discarded as the player moves through the environment. The benchmark results show that even in the most demanding tested scenario—4K Ultra—the system still manages 76 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not struggling to keep up with the GPU's render workload. Furthermore, the CPU's percentile rank of 94 out of all CPUs in the database supports the conclusion that it is a top-tier part, and for a game with Inside's modest requirements, it provides a massive performance headroom that ensures the GPU is the only component that determines the final frame rate at higher visual fidelity settings.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 22 chip, is the primary driver of visual fidelity in this system. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. For Inside, this memory configuration is far beyond what is necessary, as the game's 2D art style and moderate texture sizes do not heavily tax VRAM capacity. The GPU's boost clock of 2600 MHz and game clock of 2495 MHz contribute to its raw compute throughput of 13.31 TFLOPS, which is more than adequate to render the game's lighting and particle effects at high frame rates.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its position in the market. It holds a percentile rank of 71 against all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 26,011 places it in a tight cluster with its nearest rivals. It is 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M395X and 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile, according to the deltaPct values. This indicates that while the RX 6750 XT is not a flagship card, it is a solid mid-to-high-range performer. In the context of Inside, this translates to the ability to easily maintain high frame rates at 1440p and 4K, as evidenced by the measured data: at 1440p Ultra, it delivers 121 FPS, and at 4K High, it delivers 80 FPS.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced as settings increase. The transition from Low to Ultra settings at any resolution results in a significant drop in FPS, which is the GPU taking on more work. For instance, at 1080p, the frame rate falls from 353 FPS on Low to 168 FPS on Ultra. This scaling shows that the RX 6750 XT is the component that scales the visual load, while the CPU remains largely idle in comparison. With 40 ray accelerators and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, the card is technically capable of advanced effects, though Inside's aesthetic does not heavily rely on ray tracing. The 12 GB VRAM buffer ensures that there are no memory-related frame hitches, even at 4K Ultra, where the game logic and rendering demands are highest.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear trend: as resolution increases, frame rates drop, but the system remains comfortably playable at all tested settings. At Low settings, the frame rate scales from 353 FPS at 1080p, to 254 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 160 FPS at 4K. This represents a 54.7% drop from 1080p to 4K, which is a substantial decrease but leaves the game running far above any display's refresh rate. This pattern indicates that at Low settings, the system is heavily CPU-bound, as the GPU is not being stressed enough to become the primary limiter; the frame rate is more dependent on the CPU's ability to process the game logic and issue draw calls.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher settings, where the GPU's workload increases. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 177 FPS at 1080p to 127 FPS at 1440p, a 28.2% decrease, and then to 80 FPS at 4K, a 37.0% decrease from 1440p. This non-linear scaling suggests that at 4K High, the GPU is beginning to become the limiting factor, as the pixel fill rate and shading requirements double with the resolution increase. The trend is even clearer at Ultra settings, where the frame rate goes from 168 FPS at 1080p to 121 FPS at 1440p, and then to 76 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 37.2%, indicating a growing GPU bottleneck as the resolution approaches 4K.

These scaling patterns point to a system where the CPU is the dominant performance limiter at lower resolutions and settings, but the GPU takes over as the bottleneck at higher resolutions and graphical presets. The fact that the system can still achieve 76 FPS at 4K Ultra confirms the balance of this pairing for a game like Inside. The data shows that the i7-14700KF's high single-thread performance ensures that even at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is maximized, the CPU does not cap the output prematurely. Conversely, the RX 6750 XT's compute resources are sufficient to handle the increased resolution scaling without a catastrophic frame rate collapse, allowing the game to remain fluid even at 4K with maxed-out settings.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware combination depend on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the High preset is the recommended choice, delivering an average of 177 FPS. This provides a substantial frame rate cushion above 144 Hz monitors while still offering a visually rich experience. While Low settings yield a higher 353 FPS, the visual fidelity loss is not worth the extra frames, as High is already far above the threshold for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings at 1080p drop to 168 FPS, which is still excellent, but the performance delta from High is minimal, and the visual difference in a game like Inside is likely negligible.

For 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance, with an average of 203 FPS and a minimum of 173 FPS. This ensures that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate does not dip below 144 Hz, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming. High settings at 1440p still produce a very smooth 127 FPS, which is playable on 120 Hz displays, but the Medium preset's higher frame rate and lower variance make it the safer choice for competitive or action-heavy sequences. At 4K, the High preset is the recommended setting, providing 80 FPS. This is smooth for a game of this genre, and it maintains a higher visual quality than Medium (128 FPS) or Low (160 FPS) while staying above 60 FPS. Ultra at 4K drops to 76 FPS, which is playable, but the performance gain from High to Ultra is not justified by the slight visual upgrade, making High the best overall experience for 4K displays.

The data suggests that the system is capable of running the game at maximum settings at 1080p and 1440p without issue, but the Medium and High presets offer the best frame rate stability for higher resolutions. The measured minimum FPS data for Medium settings shows tight frame pacing, with a minimum of 240 FPS at 1080p and 109 FPS at 4K, indicating no severe stutters. This makes the Medium preset a great fallback if the user prioritizes frame rate consistency over absolute visual fidelity.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows that the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT combination achieves an average of 76 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: What is the highest frame rate this combination can achieve?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 353 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck for this game?

A: The data indicates the CPU is the primary limiter at lower resolutions and settings, as shown by the 353 FPS at 1080p Low. At higher resolutions like 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as the frame rate drops to 76 FPS.

Q: How does the i7-14700KF compare to other CPUs in the database?

A: The i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70,163, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 0.9% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, but 1% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K.

Q: How much VRAM does the RX 6750 XT have, and is it enough for this game?

A: The RX 6750 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory. This is more than sufficient for Inside, as the game does not heavily utilize VRAM, allowing for smooth performance even at 4K.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU?

A: The launch MSRP of the Intel Core i7-14700KF is $384.

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

The following data is directly from the measured benchmarks for the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS 353.
• Medium: Average FPS 283, Minimum FPS 240, Maximum FPS 325.
• High: Average FPS 177.
• Ultra: Average FPS 168.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS 254.
• Medium: Average FPS 203, Minimum FPS 173, Maximum FPS 234.
• High: Average FPS 127.
• Ultra: Average FPS 121.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS 160.
• Medium: Average FPS 128, Minimum FPS 109, Maximum FPS 147.
• High: Average FPS 80.
• Ultra: Average FPS 76.

This breakdown confirms that the system delivers a playable experience across all tested configurations. The only settings with measured minimum FPS data are the Medium presets, which show that even at 4K, the frame rate does not drop below 109 FPS. The combination ranks 1529 out of 3716 tested combos for this game, placing it in the upper half of systems, which is a strong result given the game's age and the hardware's capabilities.