Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016, and the benchmark data for this specific combination—the Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT—reveals a system that is heavily skewed toward CPU performance. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and settings tell a clear story about where the bottleneck lies and what this hardware can deliver for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is significant, but the pattern is not linear, revealing how the workload shifts. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 295 FPS at 1920x1080 to 212 FPS at 2560x1440, then down to 133 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 28% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 37% drop when stepping up to 4K. The halving of performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings suggests that even at the lowest graphical load, the GPU is beginning to feel the pressure of the higher pixel count.

The scaling becomes more dramatic at higher quality presets. With High settings, the frame rate drops from 147 FPS at 1080p to 106 FPS at 1440p, and then to 67 FPS at 4K. This is a steeper decline percentage-wise, with the 4K figure being less than half of the 1080p result. At Ultra settings, the trend continues, with 140 FPS at 1080p, 101 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. The fact that Ultra and High settings produce nearly identical results at 4K—67 FPS versus 63 FPS—suggests that the GPU is fully saturated at that resolution, and the additional graphical effects from the Ultra preset are causing a minimal extra load.

What does this imply about the limiting component? At 1080p, the extremely high frame rates—approaching 300 FPS on Low—indicate that the Intel Core i9-14900K is doing the heavy lifting, easily feeding frames to the GPU. The RX 7600 XT is not the primary constraint at this resolution. However, as resolution increases, the pixel fill rate demands on the GPU grow, and the scaling shows a classic transition. The data implies that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K, where even the lowest settings can only reach 133 FPS, a figure that is still high but far from the CPU-limited ceiling seen at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Inside, this pairing of the Core i9-14900K and RX 7600 XT holds a rank of 2301 out of 3716 total combos. This places it in the lower half of tested systems, which is a curious result given the high-end nature of the CPU. The percentile data for the individual components helps explain this. The CPU is in the 95th percentile when compared to all other CPUs, indicating top-tier processing power. The GPU, however, sits in only the 60th percentile of all GPUs, marking it as a mid-range performer.

This rank suggests that for a game like Inside, which is not known for being graphically intensive, the overall system performance is dragged down by the GPU's relative standing. The combo's rank is not a reflection of poor performance—the FPS numbers are quite high—but it shows that many other tested configurations with more powerful GPUs achieve higher average scores. The deltaPct values from the CPU's nearest rivals show it is extremely close to its direct competitor, the Intel Core i9-14900KF, with a negligible -0.3% difference in average benchmark score. This indicates that the CPU's performance is not a differentiator in this ranking; the variance comes from the GPU.

The GPU's nearest rivals list includes the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, which has an average score 0.7% higher than the RX 7600 XT. This tight grouping around the RX 7600 XT's performance level suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck holding this combo back from a higher rank. A system with a more powerful GPU in the 90th percentile or above would likely place significantly higher in the rankings, regardless of the CPU. The data clearly shows that in the context of all tested systems, this particular CPU-GPU pairing is unbalanced for Inside, with the CPU's immense power not being fully utilized due to the GPU's mid-range capabilities.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The core clocks are listed with a base of 1980 MHz, a game clock of 2470 MHz, and a boost clock of 2755 MHz. These specifications position the card as a capable 1080p and 1440p performer, which aligns with the measured FPS results.

In Inside, the GPU's role becomes more critical as resolution increases. The 16 GB VRAM is ample for this game, which is from 2016 and likely does not have high memory demands. The data does not show any memory-related performance dips, such as stutters or severe frame drops, even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is 63. The 128-bit memory bus and the resulting bandwidth appear sufficient for the game's texture and geometry load.

The benchmark scores for the GPU show a Passmark G3D score of 17132, placing it in the 60th percentile. Its compute score is 8987, and its DirectX 12 score is 65. These figures are moderate, and the nearest rival data shows it is closely matched with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, which has a 0.7% higher average score. This close competition is reflected in the game's performance, where the RX 7600 XT delivers solid but not spectacular frame rates. The GPU's 22.57 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is sufficient for handling Inside's visual effects, but the scaling data suggests it is the primary constraint at 4K, where even Low settings cannot push past 133 FPS. The data implies that the GPU is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p but is not designed to dominate at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality settings. At 1920x1080, the results are consistently high. The Low preset achieves an average of 295 FPS, while Medium hits 236 FPS, with a minimum of 201 FPS and a maximum of 271 FPS. High settings yield 147 FPS, and Ultra delivers 140 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is minimal, at just 7 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional effects are not heavily taxing the GPU at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very playable. Low settings average 212 FPS, Medium averages 170 FPS with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS. High settings produce 106 FPS, and Ultra averages 101 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows further to 5 FPS. This resolution is where the RX 7600 XT starts to show its limits, but the Core i9-14900K still ensures high frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 133 FPS, Medium averages 107 FPS with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 123 FPS. High settings average 67 FPS, and Ultra averages 63 FPS. The most notable observation is the small difference between High and Ultra, which is only 4 FPS. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is fully saturated, and the difference between these two presets is negligible. The minimum FPS of 91 at 4K Medium shows that even with frame drops, the game remains smooth, but the average of 63 FPS at 4K Ultra is right at the edge of what is typically considered ideal for a 60 Hz display.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation, as it delivers an average of 140 FPS, which is only 7 FPS lower than High settings but offers the best visual quality. The system has enough headroom to run the game at its maximum settings without sacrificing smoothness.

For 2560x1440, the High preset is the best balance. It provides an average of 106 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 101 FPS, which is also excellent, but the 5 FPS difference does not justify the potential visual trade-offs if the player desires maximum frame rates. For players with 144 Hz monitors, the Medium preset at 1440p, with an average of 170 FPS, would be the better choice, as it ensures the frame rate stays above the refresh rate limit.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended setting. It averages 107 FPS, which is significantly higher than the 63-67 FPS seen on High and Ultra. While the High and Ultra presets are playable, they hover near the 60 FPS mark. The Medium preset offers a much smoother experience with a minimum FPS of 91, ensuring no noticeable stutters. If a player prioritizes visual fidelity over frame rate, the High preset is the better choice than Ultra, as it provides 4 more FPS on average with what is likely a minimal visual difference. The data clearly shows that at 4K, the user should avoid the Ultra preset and opt for Medium or High to maintain a consistent frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a 60 Hz display?

A: For a 60 Hz display, 3840x2160 at Medium settings is ideal, providing an average of 107 FPS with a minimum of 91 FPS. This ensures the frame rate stays well above the display's refresh rate. Alternatively, 2560x1440 at Ultra settings averages 101 FPS, which is also an excellent choice.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K the bottleneck in this system for Inside?

A: No. The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rates are extremely high (up to 295 FPS on Low), indicating the CPU is not a limiting factor. The bottleneck shifts to the GPU at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the significant FPS drop at 4K.

Q: How does the RX 7600 XT compare to its closest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score of 17083. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, has a score of 17208, which is 0.7% higher. This indicates they are very closely matched in overall performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 147 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 140 FPS. This is a difference of only 7 FPS, making the Ultra preset a worthwhile choice for better visuals without a significant performance penalty.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming for Inside?

A: Yes, it can. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 133 FPS, the Medium preset averages 107 FPS, and the High preset averages 67 FPS. All are playable, but for the smoothest experience, the Medium preset is recommended.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo in the test data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 91 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This shows that even in the most demanding scenario, the frame rate does not drop below a very smooth level.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. It has a substantial 36 MB of shared L3 cache and a TDP of 125 W. Its benchmark scores are formidable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Inside, this CPU is overqualified. The game is a puzzle platformer that does not require significant multi-threaded processing power. The CPU's role is to ensure that frame times are consistent and that the GPU is fed with data as fast as possible. The measured FPS at 1080p, particularly the 295 FPS average on Low settings, demonstrates that the CPU is capable of handling the game's logic and physics without breaking a sweat.

The data indicates that the CPU's performance is not a contributing factor to the system's overall rank of 2301, as its individual percentile is very high. The nearest rival data shows the Core i9-14900K is virtually identical in performance to the Core i9-14900KF, with a deltaPct of only -0.3%. This suggests that the CPU's power is largely untapped in this specific game, and the limiting factor is clearly the GPU. The combination of a top-tier CPU and a mid-range GPU creates a scenario where the CPU is waiting for the GPU to finish rendering frames, especially at higher resolutions. The high single-core performance of the CPU, as evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 2655, ensures that the game's main thread is never a bottleneck, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of frame rate at 4K.