Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016, and this combination of an Intel Core i3-12100F and an AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT delivers overwhelming performance at every resolution tested. The benchmark data shows that this system is not merely playable but operates far beyond the 60 FPS threshold, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays even at maximum settings. The analysis below breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and how this specific hardware pairing compares to other tested configurations.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which produces an average of 60.9 FPS. This is a marginal but clear pass over the playable threshold. The High preset at this resolution yields 63.1 FPS, which is also above 60 FPS, but Ultra is the highest visual quality option available and still clears the bar, albeit narrowly. Medium and Low presets at 4K deliver 101.9 FPS and 125.5 FPS respectively, showing substantial headroom if the user prefers higher refresh rates over maximum fidelity.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the best setting that remains at or above 60 FPS is also Ultra, but with significantly more margin — the average frame rate at Ultra is 99.1 FPS. This is a comfortable performance envelope, nearly double the playable threshold. The High preset at this resolution reaches 104.2 FPS, while Medium and Low hit 164 FPS and 202.8 FPS respectively, indicating that even the most demanding settings leave ample performance for smooth gameplay.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the best setting is again Ultra, with an average of 133.8 FPS. This is more than double the 60 FPS threshold, meaning the system is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions or simply has enormous headroom. The High preset at 1080p produces 140.3 FPS, Medium delivers 225.8 FPS, and Low reaches 281.5 FPS. Every preset at every resolution tested clears the 60 FPS line, but Ultra is the recommended choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing frame rate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that this game is far more sensitive to resolution scaling than to preset scaling, which suggests the GPU plays the dominant role in determining frame rates. Looking at the scaling from 1080p to 1440p on the Ultra preset, the average frame rate drops from 133.8 FPS to 99.1 FPS, a reduction of approximately 26%. Moving from 1440p to 4K on Ultra, the frame rate falls from 99.1 FPS to 60.9 FPS, a reduction of roughly 39%. This progressive degradation with increasing resolution is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance — the rendering load grows with pixel count, and the RX 6600 XT is the limiting factor.

Conversely, the CPU’s role is evident when examining preset scaling at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium increases the average from 281.5 FPS to 225.8 FPS, and from Medium to High it drops to 140.3 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 1080p is relatively small (140.3 FPS to 133.8 FPS), which implies that the CPU has sufficient single-threaded performance to feed the GPU even at high frame rates. The Intel Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, shows a single-thread score of 893 in 3dmark and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674, which are strong figures for a budget processor.

At 4K, the preset scaling tells a different story. The difference between Low (125.5 FPS) and Medium (101.9 FPS) is about 19%, and between Medium and High (63.1 FPS) it is about 38%. This steep drop-off at higher presets and higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck — the CPU has more than enough capacity to process game logic and draw calls, but the GPU cannot keep up with the increased shading and texture work. For this game, users should prioritize GPU settings over CPU-related tweaks, as the data shows the CPU is rarely the constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 281.5 FPS
• Medium: Average 225.8 FPS
• High: Average 140.3 FPS
• Ultra: Average 133.8 FPS

At 1080p, the system is clearly over-provisioned. Even the most demanding Ultra preset nearly triples the 60 FPS threshold. The step from Low to Medium is a 20% performance reduction, while the step from Medium to High is a 38% reduction — the largest single drop in the preset ladder. The difference between High and Ultra is only 4.6%, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds minimal additional GPU load over High at this resolution.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 202.8 FPS
• Medium: Average 164.0 FPS
• High: Average 104.2 FPS
• Ultra: Average 99.1 FPS

At 1440p, the pattern is similar but with lower absolute numbers. Low and Medium both remain far above 60 FPS, while High and Ultra hover near the 100 FPS mark. The relative drop from Medium to High is 36%, which is consistent with the 1080p behavior and indicates that the High preset introduces significant visual effects that tax the GPU. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to 4.9% at this resolution, mirroring the 1080p result.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 125.5 FPS
• Medium: Average 101.9 FPS
• High: Average 63.1 FPS
• Ultra: Average 60.9 FPS

At 4K, the system begins to approach the limits of the RX 6600 XT. Low and Medium remain comfortably above 60 FPS, but High dips to just 63.1 FPS, and Ultra barely clears the threshold at 60.9 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is 38%, and from High to Ultra is a mere 3.5% — the smallest preset-to-preset delta in the entire dataset. This suggests that the High and Ultra presets are nearly identical in GPU load at 4K, and the system is running at the edge of its rendering capability.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the measured average frame rate is 60.9 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS playable threshold. It is a close call, but it clears the bar.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system to play Inside?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 at Ultra provides 99.1 FPS, which offers both high visual quality and a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average is 133.8 FPS, which is better for high-refresh-rate monitors but uses more CPU headroom.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, while the CPU’s single-thread performance is sufficient to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. The i3-12100F also shows a 3dmark single-thread score of 893 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674, indicating strong per-core performance.

Q: How does the RX 6600 XT compare to its nearest rivals in this context?

A: The RX 6600 XT has an average benchmark score of 24442, which is 1.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (24170) and 0.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 (24277). It is 0.8% lower than the Intel Arc A350M (24647). These differences are negligible for Inside, as all would likely perform similarly.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p on High settings?

A: The measured average at 2560x1440 with the High preset is 104.2 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a smooth experience.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using at 1080p?

A: Yes. The average frame rate at 1080p Ultra is 133.8 FPS, which is only 4.6% lower than High (140.3 FPS). The visual quality improvement from High to Ultra likely justifies the small performance cost.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core 3 N355 with an average score of 13492 (0% delta), the Intel Core 5 120UL at 13594 (-0.7%), and the Intel Core i7-1250U at 13351 (1.1% higher). The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, which is 0.3% lower than the i3-12100F. Any of these processors would deliver nearly identical performance in Inside, given the game’s low CPU demands.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT achieves an average benchmark score of 24442, ranking in the 70th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 (24277, 0.7% lower), the Intel Arc A350M (24647, 0.8% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (24236, 0.8% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (24170, 1.1% lower). In practice, all of these GPUs would produce similar frame rates in Inside, with differences well within the margin of error for this title. The RTX 2080 SUPER and GTX 780 Ti are older architectures, but their raw compute performance is close enough to the RX 6600 XT that the game’s frame rates would be nearly indistinguishable.

The Verdict

This system can absolutely run Inside, and it does so with exceptional headroom. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears the 60 FPS threshold, with the lowest average being 133.8 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, the same is true — even the Ultra preset maintains an average of 99.1 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset just barely passes with an average of 60.9 FPS, while High (63.1 FPS) and Medium (101.9 FPS) also remain playable.

The verdict by resolution is straightforward: all three tested resolutions — 1080p, 1440p, and 4K — have the Ultra preset listed as playable. For users with a 4K display, the system can run the game at maximum settings, but there is almost no margin for error; any additional background load or driver overhead could push the frame rate below 60 FPS. For 1440p and 1080p users, the system offers substantial performance reserves, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors or for users who prefer to cap frame rates to reduce power consumption.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT combination ranks 2494 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside. This places the system in the lower-middle tier of all configurations tested, which is an interesting result given the high frame rates measured. The ranking reflects that many other combinations — likely those with higher-end GPUs or newer CPUs — achieve even higher frame rates, particularly at 4K where the RX 6600 XT is the limiting factor.

However, the ranking should be interpreted with context. The 33rd percentile position (2494/3716) does not indicate poor performance; it simply means that a majority of tested combos have more raw power. For a game like Inside, which is not visually demanding by modern standards, the practical difference between rank 2494 and rank 1000 is likely imperceptible, as all of these systems far exceed the 60 FPS target at common resolutions. The data shows that this combo is more than sufficient for a smooth experience, and the rank primarily reflects the GPU’s mid-range positioning relative to the broader database of tested hardware.