Inside

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti delivers an overwhelmingly positive experience in Inside, clearing the 60 FPS threshold with substantial headroom at every resolution and preset combination tested. This combo ranks in the 1127th position out of 3716 tested configurations, placing it in the upper third of all systems. The data indicates that this hardware is not merely adequate for the game; it is exceptionally well-suited, offering frame rates that make the puzzle-platformer’s atmospheric visuals run flawlessly. The only limitation is that the game itself is from 2016, and this modern hardware combination is effectively overpowered for its requirements, a fact reflected in the triple-digit frame rates seen even at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured performance data for Inside shows a consistent pattern of high average frame rates, with no minimum or maximum FPS values recorded for any configuration. At 1920x1080, the lowest average FPS observed was 190.4 at Ultra settings, while Low settings produced an average of 366.4 FPS. The Medium preset yielded 320.2 FPS, and High settings delivered 201.9 FPS. These figures indicate that the system has massive performance reserves at 1080p, with even the most demanding preset nearly tripling the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains remarkably high. The Ultra preset averaged 133.6 FPS, High settings produced 142.7 FPS, Medium delivered 229.3 FPS, and Low settings reached 284.4 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a predictable reduction in frame rates, but the system still maintains over double the 60 FPS target at the highest settings. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is substantial, with the Ultra preset delivering roughly 53% of the Low preset’s performance, indicating that the visual fidelity upgrades have a measurable cost.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3070 Ti and Core i7-12700KF continue to impress. Ultra settings averaged 84.6 FPS, which is the lowest figure across all tested configurations but still comfortably above the playable threshold. High settings produced 89.1 FPS, Medium reached 142.5 FPS, and Low settings achieved 179.2 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that this combo can handle the game at maximum detail without any compromise, though the relative performance drop from 1440p to 4K is noticeable. The data shows a 36.7% reduction in average FPS when moving from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra, a significant but expected scaling for a 4x pixel count increase.

Across all resolutions, the performance delta between Low and Ultra settings is consistent, suggesting that the game’s rendering features scale predictably with GPU load. The highest single score recorded is 366.4 FPS at 1080p Low, while the lowest playable score is 84.6 FPS at 4K Ultra. The absence of min or max FPS data means the analysis relies solely on averages, but the consistency of the results across multiple presets suggests stable frame pacing.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings for each resolution are defined as the most demanding preset that still maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold. For all three resolutions tested, the Ultra preset qualifies as the best setting, as the data shows it never drops below the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 84.6 FPS, making it the optimal choice for maximum visual quality. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset’s average dips below 100 FPS, but it still provides a 41% margin above the 60 FPS target. For users prioritizing a higher refresh rate at 4K, the High preset offers a modest 5.3% improvement in average FPS over Ultra, but the Ultra preset remains the best balance of fidelity and performance.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 133.6 FPS, which is more than double the playable threshold. This resolution offers the best combination of visual detail and performance headroom, allowing users to enable every graphical option without concern. The High preset at 142.7 FPS provides a slight edge for those with high-refresh-rate monitors, but the Ultra preset’s 133.6 FPS is already sufficient for most displays.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 190.4 FPS, which is exceptionally high and suitable for even the fastest gaming monitors. This resolution is the least demanding on the GPU, and the system delivers performance that is nearly three times the playable threshold. The data shows that at 1080p, the choice of preset has diminishing importance, as even the most demanding settings produce frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most standard displays.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-12700KF provide context for its CPU performance, with the average benchmark scores showing very tight clustering. The Intel Core i7-13700T has an average score of 35403, which is 0.1% lower than the i7-12700KF’s 35365 average. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, a 0.2% difference, while the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, a 0.2% difference in the other direction. The Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287, representing a 0.2% delta. These results indicate that systems using any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Inside, as the game is unlikely to be CPU-bound at the tested settings.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, the nearest GPU rivals show a similarly narrow performance band. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile has an average score of 29928, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 3070 Ti’s 29945 average. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095, a 0.5% difference, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783, a 0.5% delta. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433, representing a 1.6% difference. In practical terms, a system with any of these GPUs would deliver essentially the same experience in Inside, with frame rate differences of less than 2% across the board. This means that users with these alternative components can expect performance within a few frames of the measured results for the RTX 3070 Ti.

The Verdict

The verdict for this PC is clear: it can run Inside with exceptional performance at every resolution and preset tested. The verdictByResolution data confirms that all four settings presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080.

At 3840x2160, the system achieves a best average FPS of 84.6 at Ultra settings, which is 41% above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes 4K Ultra the recommended configuration, as it provides the highest visual fidelity while still maintaining a smooth experience. At 2560x1440, the best average FPS is 133.6 at Ultra settings, offering a 123% margin above the threshold. This resolution is the sweet spot for users who want high frame rates without sacrificing detail. At 1920x1080, the best average FPS is 190.4 at Ultra settings, which is a 217% margin above the threshold, making it ideal for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

The data shows no configuration that fails to meet the 60 FPS target, meaning the system has universal playability for this title. The only consideration is that the game’s 2016 release date means it is not graphically demanding by modern standards, and this hardware combination is overkill for its requirements. However, for users who want to run the game at maximum settings with no compromises, this combo delivers in every scenario.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in Inside, while the CPU provides ample headroom. The Core i7-12700KF, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, is unlikely to limit performance at any tested resolution. The CPU’s benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28838, indicate strong multi-threaded capability that is more than sufficient for a puzzle-platformer.

The GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the average FPS across all presets ranges from 190.4 to 366.4, with the GPU delivering massive performance. At 2560x1440, the range is 133.6 to 284.4, showing a clear performance drop as pixel count increases. At 3840x2160, the range narrows to 84.6 to 179.2, indicating that the GPU is working harder and the relative differences between presets become more significant. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings shows a 55.5% reduction in average FPS, from 190.4 to 84.6, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario.

The CPU’s influence is evident in the high frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 366.4 FPS, which is a demanding scenario for CPU single-thread performance. The Core i7-12700KF’s single-thread score of 4071 in Cinebench R23 suggests it can handle this load effectively. However, the game’s simple geometry and physics mean that even a weaker CPU would likely maintain high frame rates, making the GPU the clear limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data shows that upgrading the GPU would yield larger performance gains at 4K, while the CPU would remain sufficient at all tested settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for this specific CPU-GPU pairing in Inside is 1127 out of 3716 tested combinations, placing it in the 30th percentile of all systems. This is a strong result, though not exceptional, given that Inside is a lightweight title that does not heavily stress modern hardware. The rank reflects the fact that many other combinations, particularly those with more recent GPUs, can achieve similar or higher frame rates due to the game’s modest requirements.

The RTX 3070 Ti’s percentile ranking of 75 among all GPUs and the Core i7-12700KF’s percentile ranking of 85 among all CPUs suggest that this combo is well above average in raw performance. However, the game’s low demands mean that the combo rank is influenced more by the GPU’s capabilities than the CPU’s, as the title does not require extensive multi-threading. The measured FPS data shows that this combo outperforms the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin at all resolutions, which is the primary indicator of success. In the broader context of the benchmark database, this system would be considered high-performance, but its rank in Inside specifically reflects the game’s ease of running on modern hardware. The 3716 tested combos include many high-end systems, and the 1127 rank places this pairing in the upper third, which is a commendable result for a mid-range-to-high-end configuration from 2021.