Inside

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers overwhelming performance in Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016-07-06. The benchmark data, which is measured rather than estimated, shows this combination crushes the game at every resolution tested, from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. The lowest average FPS recorded in any configuration is 93.3 at 4K Ultra, which is still more than 50% above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is a case of extreme hardware overkill for a game that is not graphically demanding by modern standards, but the numbers paint a clear picture of what to expect.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination covers three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a complete picture of performance scaling.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings. The Low preset produces an average of 315.4 FPS, which is the highest number recorded in the entire dataset. Moving up to Medium, the average drops to 291.9 FPS, a reduction of roughly 7% from Low. High settings yield 217.6 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 209.2 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is about 106 FPS, indicating that the preset selection has a noticeable impact, but even the most demanding setting remains far beyond what any display can practically use.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains stellar but scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 282.8 FPS, while Medium delivers 254.9 FPS. High settings produce 160.2 FPS, and Ultra drops to 149.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is roughly 133 FPS, showing that the jump from Medium to High is particularly steep, costing about 95 FPS. Still, every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin, with the lowest result being 149.5 FPS at Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still excellent but begins to show the load of 4K rendering. The Low preset averages 199 FPS, while Medium delivers 157 FPS. High settings produce 98.2 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 93.3 FPS. The scaling from Medium to High is dramatic, a drop of nearly 59 FPS. Even at the most demanding 4K Ultra setting, the average of 93.3 FPS is comfortably above the playable threshold of 60 FPS. The data shows no min or max FPS values, so only averages are available, but the consistency across resolutions suggests stable performance.

The overall trend is clear: resolution scaling is significant, but preset scaling is even more pronounced. Moving from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra cuts the average from 209.2 FPS down to 93.3 FPS, a reduction of roughly 55%. The gap between Low and Ultra presets grows with resolution, from about a 106 FPS difference at 1080p to a 106 FPS difference at 4K as well, though the percentage impact is larger at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU in this combination provide context for what other hardware would behave similarly.

For the Intel Core i3-12100F, the average benchmark score is 13494, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. The closest alternatives are all within a narrow band of performance. The Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13492, a delta of 0%, meaning it is effectively identical in average performance. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, which is 0.3% slower. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, which is 0.7% faster. The Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, which is 1.1% slower. In practice, all four of these CPUs would deliver nearly indistinguishable frame rates in Inside, since even the largest delta of 1.1% would translate to only a few frames at most.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, the average benchmark score is 23172, also placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals are surprisingly close, all within 0.4% of the RTX 3080's score. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, which is 0.3% faster. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250, also 0.3% faster. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273, which is 0.4% faster. The AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276, also 0.4% faster. Despite the varied architectures and market positions of these cards, their average benchmark scores suggest they would all produce similar frame rates in Inside, though the RTX 3080's specific strengths may not align perfectly with this game's engine.

The practical takeaway is that if you swapped the i3-12100F for any of its listed rivals, or the RTX 3080 for any of its listed rivals, you would see almost no difference in Inside's performance. The game is not demanding enough to expose the small performance deltas between these components.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals which component matters more for Inside at each resolution, though the extreme performance levels make the analysis somewhat academic.

At 1920x1080, the CPU likely plays a more significant role relative to the GPU, because the low resolution reduces the GPU's workload. The frame rates are extremely high, with the Low preset hitting 315.4 FPS and Ultra at 209.2 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is about 106 FPS, which suggests that the preset changes are affecting the GPU's load. However, the i3-12100F's 4 cores and 8 threads, with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, should handle the game's logic easily. The fact that even the highest preset at 1080p stays above 200 FPS indicates that neither component is a bottleneck at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on more responsibility. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a clear drop: Ultra goes from 209.2 FPS to 149.5 FPS, a reduction of about 60 FPS. Low goes from 315.4 FPS to 282.8 FPS, a smaller drop of about 33 FPS. This pattern suggests that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor at higher presets, as the additional pixels require more graphics processing power. The CPU's role is likely diminishing, since the frame rates are still high enough that the GPU is not waiting on the CPU.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant component. The 4K resolution increases the pixel count by 4x compared to 1080p, and the frame rates reflect this. Ultra drops to 93.3 FPS, while Low stays at 199 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is about 106 FPS, which is similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are much lower. The i3-12100F's single-thread performance, as shown by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 893, is sufficient to keep up with the GPU at 4K, since the frame rates never drop below 60 FPS even at Ultra.

The scaling between resolutions shows that the GPU's performance is the primary factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU's impact is mostly felt at 1080p where frame rates exceed 200 FPS. For a game like Inside, which is a puzzle platformer with relatively simple graphics, the RTX 3080 provides far more capability than needed.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1034 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the 27.8th percentile of all combinations, meaning roughly 72% of tested combos perform better. This ranking might seem counterintuitive given the high frame rates, but it likely reflects the composition of the test database, which may include many high-end CPUs paired with even more powerful GPUs.

The rank of 1034 out of 3716 suggests that while this combo is well above average in absolute performance, there are many other configurations that achieve even higher frame rates in Inside. The 68th percentile scores for both the CPU and GPU indicate that neither component is top-tier, but their combination is still very capable. The ranking is a relative measure, so the fact that this combo clears 60 FPS at all settings and resolutions is more important than its exact position in the list.

The data shows that this combo sits comfortably in the upper-middle range of tested configurations. For a game as undemanding as Inside, the ranking is likely influenced more by the CPU's 4-core design than the GPU's performance, since other combos with more powerful CPUs might achieve higher frame rates even with slower GPUs.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Inside? Yes, without any question.

The verdict by resolution is clear: at 3840x2160, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with the best settings being Ultra at an average of 93.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 149.5 FPS. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 209.2 FPS.

Every single configuration tested clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by a substantial margin. The lowest result in the entire dataset is 93.3 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still 33.3 FPS above the threshold. This means you can run the game at maximum settings at any resolution and expect a smooth experience.

The practical advice is to simply set the game to Ultra at your native resolution. If you have a 4K display, you will get 93.3 FPS on average. If you have a 1440p display, you will get 149.5 FPS. If you have a 1080p display, you will get 209.2 FPS. There is no need to lower any settings for performance reasons, as even the most demanding preset is well above playable.

The only caveat is that the data shows no min or max FPS values, so there is no information about frame time consistency or stuttering. However, the high averages suggest that any drops would still stay above 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 209.2 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

*Q: Can this PC handle 4K gaming in Inside?*

A: Yes, at 3840x2160, all four presets are playable. The Ultra preset averages 93.3 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, which is within 1.1% of its closest rivals. The Intel Core 3 N355 is 0% different, the Intel Core i5-9500 is 0.3% slower, the Intel Core 5 120UL is 0.7% faster, and the Intel Core i7-1250U is 1.1% slower.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 282.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 149.5 FPS. This is a difference of approximately 133 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 3080's performance close to its nearest rivals?

A: Yes, the RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172. Its nearest rivals are within 0.4% of this score, including the NVIDIA P106-100 at 0.3% faster and the AMD Radeon RX 6600M at 0.4% faster.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 4K for this combo?

A: According to the verdict data, the best settings at 3840x2160 are Ultra, which achieves an average FPS of 93.3. All presets are playable at this resolution.