Inside

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i7-12700K sits in a tightly packed performance cluster. Its average benchmark score of 35287 places it within 0.4% of four nearby processors. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, a 0.1% advantage over the i7-12700K, while the Intel Core i7-12700KF scores 35365, also 0.2% ahead. The Intel Core i7-13700T records 35403, 0.3% higher, and the Intel Core 5 213PE reaches 35428, 0.4% higher. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming terms. A user moving from any of these processors to another would see no meaningful frame rate shift in Inside, as the game is not CPU-bound at the tested settings.

For the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 580 posts an average benchmark score of 12928, placing it at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals are similarly matched. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile scores 12940, 0.1% above the RX 580. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER records 12986, a 0.4% lead. The AMD Radeon 740M scores 12870, 0.5% behind, and the AMD FirePro W5100 scores 12847, 0.6% behind. These four alternatives bracket the RX 580 within a single percentage point, meaning any of them would produce nearly identical frame rates in Inside.

The practical takeaway from the database is this: the CPU is overqualified for the task, and the GPU is the limiting factor. The i7-12700K ranks in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with a multithread score of 34404 in PassMark and a single-thread score of 4013. The RX 580, by contrast, ranks in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. In a puzzle platformer like Inside, the frame rate is dictated almost entirely by the graphics card, so swapping the i7-12700K for any of its nearest rivals would not change the experience. Swapping the RX 580 for the GTX 1660 SUPER would also not change the experience, given the 0.4% score gap.

Best Settings per Resolution

The recorded data includes four settings tiers at each of three resolutions. The playable threshold is 60 frames per second. At 1920x1080, every settings tier clears that bar. Low runs at 150.1 FPS, Medium at 121.5 FPS, High at 72.4 FPS, and Ultra at 74 FPS. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves 74 FPS. Notably, Ultra runs slightly faster than High at this resolution, a pattern worth flagging for users who chase maximum visual quality.

At 2560x1440, Low produces 108.9 FPS and Medium produces 88.5 FPS. High drops to 53 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra falls to 51.6 FPS. The best settings choice is Medium, delivering 88.5 FPS. Users who prefer High or Ultra will need to accept a sub-60 experience, with 53 FPS and 51.6 FPS respectively.

At 3840x2160, the picture tightens considerably. Low is the only preset that clears 60 FPS, hitting 65.4 FPS. Medium falls to 55 FPS, High to 31.9 FPS, and Ultra to 33.4 FPS. The best settings choice is Low at 65.4 FPS. Interestingly, High and Ultra both land in the low 30s, while Medium holds at 55 FPS, suggesting a steep quality curve between Medium and High at this resolution.

The data shows a consistent pattern: Inside is not a demanding game at 1080p, but 4K pushes the RX 580 near its limits. At 4K, the gap between Low and Medium is only about 10 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is nearly 23 FPS, indicating a heavy cost for the High preset's additional effects.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals that the GPU is the dominant factor in Inside across all resolutions, with the CPU contributing little to frame rate variance. The i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor with a PassMark multithread score of 34404 and a single-thread score of 4013, putting it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. The RX 580, with a PassMark G3D score of 8813, sits in the 53rd percentile. The massive gap in relative standing means the CPU is never the bottleneck in this game.

The scaling between resolutions confirms the GPU-bound nature. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo produces 150.1 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 108.9 FPS, a 27% reduction. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 65.4 FPS, another 40% reduction. These drops track closely with pixel count, which is the signature of a GPU-limited workload. A CPU-limited scenario would show far less scaling across resolutions.

The preset scaling at a fixed resolution reinforces the same conclusion. At 2560x1440, the frame rate goes from 108.9 FPS on Low to 88.5 FPS on Medium to 53 FPS on High. That 56 FPS swing from Low to High is far too large for a CPU to explain; it is the GPU's shading units, texture units, and memory bandwidth absorbing the load. The RX 580 has 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, with 256.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The High preset at 1440p demands more from these resources than the card can deliver at 60 FPS.

At 4K, the CPU's irrelevance becomes even clearer. The frame rate at High is 31.9 FPS and at Ultra is 33.4 FPS, both far below the 60 FPS threshold. Even a significantly faster CPU would not rescue these settings, because the RX 580 is already maxed out. The i7-12700K's 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and Geekbench single-core score of 2308 are more than sufficient for the game's logic and physics, which are simple for a puzzle platformer.

For users with this combo, the upgrade path is clear: replace the GPU before touching the CPU. The i7-12700K has headroom for far more powerful graphics cards, and Inside would benefit immediately from any GPU that scores higher than the RX 580's 12928 average. The CPU's 3DMark max-thread score of 9979 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784 indicate it can handle much heavier workloads than this game presents.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Inside? Yes, but only at specific settings depending on the resolution. The verdict by resolution is straightforward.

At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold at all four presets. The best settings are Ultra, which runs at 74 FPS. This is the ideal way to play the game with this hardware, as it delivers both maximum visual quality and a frame rate well above the playable bar.

At 2560x1440, the system clears 60 FPS on Low at 108.9 FPS and Medium at 88.5 FPS. High and Ultra fall short at 53 FPS and 51.6 FPS respectively. The best settings are Medium at 88.5 FPS, offering a strong balance of visual fidelity and smooth motion. Users who insist on High or Ultra will need to tolerate sub-60 frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the system clears 60 FPS only on Low at 65.4 FPS. Medium drops to 55 FPS, High to 31.9 FPS, and Ultra to 33.4 FPS. The best settings are Low at 65.4 FPS. This is a playable but visually reduced experience, and the frame rate is only 5.4 FPS above the threshold, leaving little margin for demanding scenes.

The overall assessment: this combo is well suited for 1080p gaming and acceptable for 1440p at Medium settings. At 4K, it is limited to Low settings. The game's art style, a dark 2.5D side-scroller, is visually striking even at lower presets, but the data does not support playing at High or Ultra beyond 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1920x1080 with this combo?

A: Ultra, which runs at 74 FPS, the highest preset that stays at or above the 60 FPS threshold. All four presets clear 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: Can this PC run Inside at 2560x1440 on High settings?

A: No. High settings at 2560x1440 produce 53 FPS, below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium is the best playable option at 88.5 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K or the AMD Radeon RX 580 the limiting factor in this game?

A: The RX 580 is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 53rd percentile. Frame rates scale heavily with resolution and graphics presets, which indicates GPU-bound performance.

Q: What GPU is most similar in performance to the AMD Radeon RX 580?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the closest rival, with an average score of 12986 versus the RX 580's 12928, a 0.4% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is also close at 12940.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Low settings?

A: 65.4 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium runs at 55 FPS, High at 31.9 FPS, and Ultra at 33.4 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Inside?

A: It ranks 3377 out of 3716 combos in the database, placing it in the lower portion of tested hardware for this specific game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and the AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 3377 out of 3716 tested combos in the database for Inside. That places it in the 9th percentile of tested systems, meaning roughly 339 other combos sit below it. This ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU. The RX 580's 53rd percentile standing among all GPUs holds the combo back, while the i7-12700K's 84th percentile CPU ranking does little to boost the overall position in a game that is GPU-bound.

The ranking makes sense when compared to the measured frame rates. At 1080p Ultra, the combo manages 74 FPS, which is respectable but not exceptional. Many combos in the database pair faster GPUs with similar or weaker CPUs and achieve significantly higher frame rates. At 4K, the combo falls to 65.4 FPS on Low, and most other combos in the upper portion of the rankings would handle 4K at higher presets.

The data suggests that this combo is a mismatch for Inside if the goal is high-refresh or high-resolution gaming. The CPU is capable of far more, but the GPU caps the experience. Users with this pairing should target 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium, as those are the settings where the hardware delivers a smooth experience. Pushing toward 4K or higher presets will result in frame rates below the 60 FPS threshold, and the combo's rank of 3377 out of 3716 reflects that limitation. The i7-12700K has the headroom to support a much stronger GPU, and upgrading the graphics card would move this combo up the rankings substantially.