Inside

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer, achieving frame rates that far exceed display refresh rates even at 4K Ultra settings. The benchmark data shows this combination ranks in the top 8% of all tested configurations, with the GPU clearly becoming the primary bottleneck only at the highest resolution and quality presets. The measured results indicate that players can expect a perfectly smooth experience at any settings level, with the most demanding 4K Ultra preset still averaging well above 100 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 236.3. This is a very high frame rate, indicating the combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is more than capable of handling the game's demands at this resolution.

Q: How does the performance at 4K High compare to 4K Ultra?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset achieves an average of 112.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 104.5 FPS. The difference of 8.3 FPS shows that the jump from High to Ultra at 4K has a relatively small impact on performance, keeping the game well within a smooth playable range.

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

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. For example, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 428.1, but at 4K Low, it drops to 222. This significant drop indicates that the rendering load on the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU's 24 cores and 32 threads provide ample headroom.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 428.1, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This demonstrates the immense performance ceiling of the i9-14900K and RX 7900 XT when the graphical load is minimized.

Q: How well does this combo rank compared to all other tested combinations?

A: The combo rank in game is 133 out of 1671 tested combinations. This places it in the 92nd percentile, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of other CPU and GPU pairings tested for Inside.

Q: Is there any scenario in the data where the frame rate drops below 100 FPS?

A: No. The lowest average FPS recorded in the measured data is 104.5, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. All other tested resolution and settings combinations produce an average FPS above 100.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the primary driver of graphical performance in Inside. Its 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth, ensures that texture data and frame buffers are handled with massive headroom, even at 4K resolution. The GPU's boost clock of 2394 MHz and game clock of 2025 MHz are high enough to push the 5376 shading units and 192 ROPs to deliver the high frame rates seen in the data.

The benchmark results clearly show the GPU's influence. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial, moving from 428.1 FPS down to 236.3 FPS. This scaling of performance with settings is a direct result of the GPU's workload increasing with more complex shading and effects. However, at 4K, the GPU's limits become more apparent. The drop from 176.3 FPS at Medium to 104.5 FPS at Ultra at 3840x2160 shows that the RX 7900 XT is working significantly harder to fill the larger frame buffer, even though the game is not graphically demanding by modern standards. The data indicates that while the GPU is powerful, it is the component that defines the performance ceiling at the highest resolution and quality settings tested.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a consistent and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, which highlights the shift in system bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 428.1 at 1080p to 356.2 at 1440p, and finally to 222 at 4K. This represents a 48% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a substantial decline that is characteristic of GPU-bound performance.

This trend is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The average FPS falls from 236.3 at 1080p to 170.2 at 1440p, and then to 104.5 at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a 39% drop, which is significant. This data strongly suggests that the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the limiting component as resolution increases. The Intel Core i9-14900K, with its high boost clock of 6.00 GHz, is delivering frames faster than the GPU can render them at higher resolutions. The system transitions from a state where both components are highly capable at 1080p to one where the GPU's rendering throughput is the sole constraint at 4K, particularly with higher quality presets that demand more from the graphics hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 428.1, which climbs to 397.5 on Medium and settles at 244.7 on High. The Ultra preset still maintains an average of 236.3 FPS. The small difference between High and Ultra (8.4 FPS) suggests that the Ultra preset's additional effects are not particularly taxing at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains very high. The Low preset averages 356.2 FPS, Medium drops to 283.7 FPS, and High achieves 178.2 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 170.2 FPS. The scaling from Medium to High at this resolution is more pronounced, showing a 37% decrease, indicating the GPU is starting to work harder.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 222 FPS, Medium drops to 176.3 FPS, and High falls to 112.8 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 104.5 FPS. The most demanding configuration, 4K Ultra, is the only one to dip near the 100 FPS mark, though it still remains comfortably above it. This breakdown confirms that the system is capable of running Inside at maximum settings with high frame rates at 4K, but the performance headroom narrows considerably compared to lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination holds a combo rank in game of 133 out of 1671 tested combos. This places the pairing in the top 8% of all configurations tested for Inside, indicating a very strong result. The rank reflects the system's ability to maintain high average frame rates across all tested settings and resolutions.

This ranking is consistent with the individual component performance. The CPU's average benchmark score of 79824 places it in the 97th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7413, having an average score of 80041, a delta of -0.3%. The GPU, while having a lower percentile ranking of 82, still performs competently. Its average benchmark score of 38358 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile, which has a delta of 0%. The high combo rank suggests that for this specific game, the synergy between the powerful CPU and the capable GPU results in a system that excels, outperforming many combinations that might have higher individual component scores.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend on the user's display and preference for frame rate headroom. For users with a 1080p display, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as it delivers an average of 236.3 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of any standard monitor. The High preset at 244.7 FPS offers no meaningful advantage, so the visual quality of Ultra is recommended without any performance concern.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset remains the best option, averaging 170.2 FPS. This is still exceptionally smooth and provides the best visual experience. The High preset, at 178.2 FPS, offers a marginal performance increase that would not be perceptible, so the enhanced visual fidelity of Ultra is preferable.

For 4K displays, the choice is more nuanced. The Ultra preset, at 104.5 FPS, is perfectly playable and offers the maximum visual quality. However, if a user prioritizes a higher frame rate buffer for future titles or a smoother experience on a high-refresh-rate 4K monitor, the High preset at 112.8 FPS or even Medium at 176.3 FPS provides substantial performance gains. Given that the game is a 2D puzzle platformer, the visual differences between High and Ultra may be subtle, so the High preset at 4K offers an excellent balance of performance and quality, ensuring the system never drops below the 100 FPS threshold.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K, with its 24 cores and 32 threads, provides a massive amount of processing power that ensures the CPU is never a bottleneck in Inside. Its boost clock of 6.00 GHz and base clock of 3.20 GHz deliver exceptional single-threaded performance, which is crucial for game logic, physics, and draw calls. The benchmark data shows the CPU's strength, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 49872 and a single-core score of 7040.

The data indicates that the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to keep it saturated. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS of 428.1 suggests the CPU is able to process frames as fast as the GPU can render them. The fact that the FPS scales down significantly as resolution increases confirms that the CPU is not the limiting factor; the i9-14900K has ample headroom. Its high performance in data compression (792694 in Passmark) and integer math (210622 in Passmark) further illustrates its capability to handle complex calculations without issue. In a game like Inside, which is not heavily threaded, the i9-14900K's high clock speeds are more beneficial than its core count, ensuring that the game's primary thread runs efficiently and never holds back the graphics card.