Inside

The Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 124th out of 1671 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the top 7.4% of all configurations in the database. This is a commanding result for a 2016 puzzle platformer, indicating that this pairing delivers elite performance headroom. The data shows the combo is not merely sufficient but overwhelmingly capable, with the primary bottleneck shifting entirely to the GPU only at the most demanding settings, while the CPU remains virtually unchallenged throughout.

How This Combo Ranks

With a rank of 124 out of 1671 tested combos, this system sits in the 92.6th percentile of all configurations measured for Inside. The ranking reflects the combined strength of a high-end 14th-gen Intel processor and a current-generation NVIDIA GPU. The i9-14900K alone holds a 97th percentile position against all CPUs in the database, while the RTX 5070 sits at the 83rd percentile against all GPUs. In this specific game, the combo outperforms the vast majority of systems, though the top 123 combos likely leverage even more powerful graphics solutions that push frame rates beyond what the RTX 5070 can achieve at 4K Ultra settings. The data suggests this rank is driven more by the GPU than the CPU, as Inside is not a heavily threaded title, but the i9-14900K’s single-core strength ensures no CPU-related frame dips occur.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, translating to 28 Gbps effective, while the GPU core operates between a 2325 MHz base and 2512 MHz boost clock. In Inside, these specifications translate to massive frame rates, but the GPU’s role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and settings rise. At 1080p Low, the GPU produces 430.1 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 109.8 FPS — a 74.5% reduction. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 5070’s 80 ROPs and 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are the limiting factors at 4K Ultra, whereas at lower resolutions the GPU has ample headroom. The 12 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for Inside, as the game’s visual complexity is modest, and the measured data shows no memory-related stutters or min-FPS anomalies.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 245.4 FPS, which drops to 178.5 FPS at 1440p (a 27.3% decrease) and further to 111.5 FPS at 4K (a 37.5% decrease from 1440p). The scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings shows a 54.6% total frame rate reduction. At Low settings, the drop is steeper: from 430.1 FPS at 1080p to 357.4 FPS at 1440p and 227 FPS at 4K, a 47.2% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This pattern indicates that at Low settings, the CPU begins to play a larger role, as the frame rates exceed 350 FPS where the i9-14900K’s 6.00 GHz boost clock helps maintain high throughput. At Ultra settings, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with frame rates dropping from 233.3 FPS at 1080p to 172.4 FPS at 1440p and 109.8 FPS at 4K — a 52.9% drop from 1080p to 4K. The data shows that resolution scaling has a larger impact at lower settings, suggesting the GPU’s pixel throughput is the limiting factor, while at higher settings, the rendering load increases disproportionately.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo overkill for Inside at 1080p?*

A: Yes. At 1080p Low, the system produces 430.1 FPS, and even at Ultra it manages 233.3 FPS. These figures far exceed the refresh rates of most monitors, indicating the hardware is significantly underutilized at this resolution.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between settings at 4K?

A: The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 117.2 FPS, with Low achieving 227 FPS and Ultra dropping to 109.8 FPS. This represents a 51.6% performance penalty for maxing out graphical fidelity.

*Q: How does the CPU's single-core performance affect Inside?*

A: The i9-14900K scores 7040 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4697 in Passmark single-thread. These strong results ensure that the CPU never becomes a bottleneck, even at 1080p Low where the GPU pushes 430.1 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 5070's 12 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Yes. Inside is a puzzle platformer with modest texture requirements, and the measured FPS shows no signs of VRAM limitation. The 672.0 GB/s bandwidth is more than adequate for the game's data throughput.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1440p High?

A: The measured average is 178.5 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on 1440p monitors. This makes 1440p High an excellent target for smooth gameplay.

Q: Does the combo rank higher in CPU or GPU benchmarks?

A: The CPU ranks in the 97th percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 83rd percentile against all GPUs. In the game-specific ranking of 124th out of 1671, the combo benefits more from the CPU's elite standing, but the GPU's performance is still well above average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 430.1 FPS, Medium reaches 398.2 FPS, High achieves 245.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 233.3 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is substantial at 152.8 FPS, indicating a significant increase in rendering complexity at the High preset. At 2560x1440, the numbers scale down proportionally: Low hits 357.4 FPS, Medium 285.3 FPS, High 178.5 FPS, and Ultra 172.4 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is only 6.1 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns for the highest preset. At 3840x2160, the GPU workload becomes more pronounced: Low achieves 227 FPS, Medium 180.7 FPS, High 111.5 FPS, and Ultra 109.8 FPS. The 4K data shows a clear break between Medium and High, with a 69.2 FPS drop, indicating that High settings introduce effects that heavily tax the GPU’s 80 ROPs. Across all resolutions, the Ultra preset consistently delivers frame rates above 100 FPS, ensuring playability even at maximum settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. Its 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample fast memory for game data. In Inside, the CPU’s role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The benchmark results show a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 49872 and a single-core score of 7040, indicating exceptional both-threaded and single-threaded performance. The Passmark single-thread score of 4697 confirms that the processor handles lightly threaded workloads with ease. Given that Inside is a puzzle platformer with relatively simple AI and physics, the i9-14900K’s 24 cores are largely underutilized, but the high boost clock ensures that the game's primary thread runs without any hiccups. The CPU’s 125 W TDP and support for DDR5 memory further contribute to consistent frame delivery, as evidenced by the high FPS at 1080p Low where CPU overhead is most apparent.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the High preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, delivering 178.5 FPS. This is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate displays and leaves headroom for any background tasks. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset at 180.7 FPS is the optimal choice, as it provides a 69.2 FPS advantage over High while maintaining a visually rich experience. At 1080p, the High preset at 245.4 FPS is recommended over Ultra, as the 12.1 FPS difference between the two is negligible in real-world terms, but High likely reduces some GPU-intensive effects that do not meaningfully improve the game’s minimalist art style. Avoid the Low preset at any resolution, as the frame rate gains (e.g., 184.7 FPS more than High at 1080p) are unnecessary and come at the cost of visual quality. The Ultra preset is only advisable for players with 4K 120 Hz displays, as it hits 109.8 FPS, which is borderline for that refresh rate. Overall, the combo is so powerful that players can prioritize visual quality without sacrificing playability, with the data showing no scenario where the system drops below 100 FPS.