Inside

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER delivers an exceptionally high-performance experience in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings are far beyond the thresholds for smooth gameplay, indicating that this combination is heavily overqualified for the title’s graphical demands. The data reveals that the primary bottleneck shifts from the GPU at lower resolutions to a more balanced load at 4K, but in no scenario does the hardware struggle to maintain fluid motion.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 illustrates a classic pattern of GPU-bound workload intensification. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 271 FPS, which drops to 195 FPS at 1440p and further to 123 FPS at 4K. This represents a 54.6% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a substantial decline that clearly indicates the rendering load is scaling with pixel count. The trend is consistent across all settings presets, though the magnitude of the drop varies.

For the Low preset, the scaling is even more dramatic: 430 FPS at 1080p falls to 385 FPS at 1440p and then to 245 FPS at 4K. The 4K figure is only 57% of the 1080p performance, showing that even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the sheer pixel throughput at 4K imposes a heavy burden on the GPU. Conversely, the Ultra preset shows the smallest relative drop, from 258 FPS at 1080p to 186 FPS at 1440p and 117 FPS at 4K. This suggests that at Ultra settings, the fixed-cost CPU and geometry work becomes a larger proportion of the frame time, mitigating the relative impact of resolution scaling.

The data implies that the limiting component at 1080p is the CPU, as the frame rates are so high that the GPU is not fully saturated. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor, as evidenced by the steeper performance decline. However, the absolute numbers remain so high that even the lowest 4K result (117 FPS on Ultra) is far above display refresh rates. For a game like Inside, which is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer with relatively simple geometry, this hardware combination is effectively never constrained by the GPU until reaching 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER achieves a combo rank of 190 out of 3716 tested combinations for Inside. This places the combo in the top 5.1% of all tested configurations, which is a stellar result for a game that is not typically considered a hardware stress test. The high rank is a direct consequence of the CPU’s exceptional single-thread performance and the GPU’s substantial rasterization power, both of which are leveraged effectively by the game’s engine.

The rank of 190 indicates that while this combo is elite, it is not the absolute top performer. Combos with newer or more expensive GPUs, such as those from the GeForce 50 series, likely occupy the higher echelons of the ranking. Nevertheless, for a 2016 title, the performance headroom offered by this pairing is immense. The data shows that the i9-14900K alone sits in the 95th percentile against all CPUs, and the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is in the 76th percentile against all GPUs, meaning both components are top-tier, and their combination yields a synergistic result that places it among the best.

The competitive positioning is further clarified by the CPU’s nearest rivals. The Intel Core i9-14900KF, which is virtually identical in performance with an average score 0.3% lower, would yield a nearly identical combo rank. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, which is 1.7% ahead in average CPU score, might push the combo slightly higher in the rankings. Conversely, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (0.6% lower) and AMD EPYC 7413 (1.2% lower) would likely result in a marginally lower rank. For the GPU, the nearest rivals are all NVIDIA prosumer or workstation cards, such as the Quadro M5000 and TITAN RTX, which are within 1.9% of the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s average score, but none of them are designed for gaming workloads in the same manner.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a high-end Ada Lovelace architecture GPU built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s. The GPU’s boost clock is rated at 2610 MHz, with a base clock of 2340 MHz. These specifications are more than sufficient for Inside, which is a visually simple game by modern standards, but the data shows they are still heavily utilized at higher resolutions.

The 16 GB VRAM pool is far beyond what Inside requires, as the game’s textures and geometry are modest. This means there is no risk of VRAM capacity limiting performance, even at 4K Ultra. The memory bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s is also ample for the game’s data streaming needs. The GPU’s raw compute power, measured at 44.10 TFLOPS FP32, is the primary driver of the high frame rates observed. At 1080p, the GPU is likely not the bottleneck, as the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them, but at 4K, the GPU’s pixel fill rate and shading capacity become the determining factor.

The benchmark results for the GPU show an average score of 31087, placing it in the 76th percentile of all GPUs. This is a solidly above-average score, though not in the top tier. The nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA TITAN RTX, which is 1.9% ahead, and the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell, which is 1.4% ahead. This suggests the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a capable performer, but it is not the absolute fastest GPU available. For Inside, the GPU’s role is to ensure that even at 4K Ultra, the frame rate does not dip below 117 FPS, which is an exceptional result.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces an average of 430 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. The Medium preset yields 397 FPS (min 337, max 456), while High delivers 271 FPS and Ultra drops to 258 FPS. The performance delta between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 172 FPS, indicating that the graphical settings have a significant impact on frame rates, even at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset still achieves a very high 385 FPS, while Medium produces 312 FPS (min 265, max 359). High settings yield 195 FPS, and Ultra drops to 186 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p for the Low preset is 45 FPS, while for the Ultra preset it is 72 FPS. This shows that the performance penalty for increasing resolution is more pronounced at higher settings, as the GPU is already working harder.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers 245 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth. The Medium preset produces 196 FPS (min 167, max 226), while High settings drop to 123 FPS. The Ultra preset yields the lowest recorded average of 117 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS standard. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a reduction of 140 FPS for Low, 116 FPS for Medium, 72 FPS for High, and 69 FPS for Ultra. This indicates that the GPU’s pixel processing capabilities are the primary constraint at 4K, particularly for the lower settings where the CPU is less of a factor.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that for a standard 60 Hz or 144 Hz display, the Ultra preset at 4K is the best choice, as it delivers 117 FPS, which is sufficient for any high-refresh-rate gaming. The visual quality improvements from High to Ultra are worthwhile, given that the performance cost is only 6 FPS at 4K. For users with 240 Hz monitors at 1440p, the Ultra preset at 186 FPS is the recommended option, as it provides a high level of detail while still exceeding the refresh rate.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 258 FPS is the best option, as it fully saturates most high-refresh-rate displays while maintaining the highest graphical fidelity. The Low preset at 430 FPS is unnecessary, as the frame rate is far beyond what any display can show, and the visual downgrade is not justified. The Medium preset at 397 FPS offers a good balance, but the Ultra preset’s 258 FPS is still more than enough for competitive play, and the visual improvements are noticeable.

For users who prioritize frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 4K (245 FPS) is a viable option, but the visual compromise is significant. The High preset at 4K (123 FPS) is a middle-ground option, but it offers no advantage over the Ultra preset in terms of smoothness, as both are well above 60 FPS. The data shows that the Ultra preset is the most balanced choice across all resolutions, providing the best visual experience without sacrificing playability.

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 36 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The CPU’s benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5. This places the CPU in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097.

For Inside, the CPU’s role is primarily to handle the game’s physics, AI, and scene management. The game is not heavily multithreaded, so the i9-14900K’s high single-core performance is more critical than its 32 threads. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the frame rates are so high that the GPU cannot keep up. The boost clock of 6.00 GHz ensures that the game’s main thread has access to extremely fast single-core performance, which is evident in the 430 FPS result at 1080p Low.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the Intel Core i9-14900KF (0.3% lower average score) and the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (0.6% lower). The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 1.7% ahead, but this difference is unlikely to translate into a meaningful FPS advantage in Inside, as the game is not CPU-bound at higher resolutions. The CPU’s 24 cores and 32 threads are overkill for this title, but they ensure that there is no CPU-related stuttering or frame pacing issues, even when background tasks are running.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K with High settings?

A: The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with High settings is 123 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 190th out of 3716 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the top 5.1% of all configurations.

Q: Is the 16 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Yes, the 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is far more than Inside requires, ensuring no VRAM capacity limits are reached.

Q: What is the highest recorded average frame rate for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate is 430 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: At which resolution does the GPU become the primary bottleneck?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drop from lower resolutions.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all tested CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097.