Inside

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1317 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the upper third of all systems evaluated. This is a strong result for a 2016 puzzle platformer, where the combination of a 20-core, 28-thread Raptor Lake CPU and an Ampere-based GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory proves more than sufficient. The data shows this combo delivers playable frame rates at every resolution and preset tested, with the weakest result still holding at 81 FPS average under 4K Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's position at rank 1317 out of 3716 means it outperforms roughly 65% of all tested hardware pairings for Inside. This percentile placement is driven by both components sitting well above average in their respective fields: the CPU ranks in the 91st percentile against all processors, while the GPU sits in the 61st percentile against all graphics cards. The gap between these two percentile figures is telling — the processor is far more exceptional relative to its market than the graphics card, yet the game's modest requirements mean the GPU never becomes a limiting factor.

Benchmark results indicate the CPU's multi-threaded strength is substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 19620. Single-thread performance is equally robust at 4958 in Cinebench R23 and 2429 in Geekbench, which matters for a game like Inside that relies on consistent frame pacing rather than massive parallel workloads. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 22214 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3162 confirm it handles the game's 2.5D rendering with considerable headroom.

Within the measured FPS data, the combo shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1920x1080, the average frame rate ranges from 180 FPS at Ultra to 378 FPS at Low. Moving to 2560x1440, those figures drop to 129 FPS at Ultra and 272 FPS at Low. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset still manages 81 FPS, while Low reaches 171 FPS. This consistency across resolutions indicates the system is never bottlenecked by either component at playable settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Inside at 4K resolution?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, all four tested presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) achieve average frame rates above 60 FPS, with the lowest being 81 FPS at Ultra settings.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 129 FPS, which is the highest quality setting that maintains a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings at this resolution reach 217 FPS average, while High sits at 136 FPS.

Q: How much performance drops when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls from 180 FPS at 1920x1080 to 129 FPS at 2560x1440, then to 81 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K at the highest preset, though all remain playable.

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

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary scaling factor across resolutions, as FPS drops proportionally with pixel count. However, the CPU's 91st percentile ranking versus the GPU's 61st percentile indicates the processor has more relative headroom, so the GPU becomes the bottleneck first.

Q: Does the game support high refresh rate monitors?

A: At 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset averages 180 FPS, and Low settings reach 378 FPS. This makes the combo suitable for 144Hz or 240Hz displays at 1080p, though 4K Ultra at 81 FPS is better suited to 60Hz panels.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates at Medium settings?

A: Measured minimums at Medium preset are 257 FPS at 1080p, 185 FPS at 1440p, and 116 FPS at 4K. These are the only presets with recorded min/max values, indicating the system maintains consistent frame delivery.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals that the GPU is the dominant factor for Inside. At 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures the GPU is fully utilized, producing 378 FPS at Low settings. When resolution increases to 1440p, that Low-preset figure drops to 272 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 171 FPS. This pattern — roughly a 28% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and another 37% from 1440p to 4K — closely matches the pixel count increases, confirming GPU-bound behavior.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 300 FPS. At 1080p Low, the system produces 378 FPS, which requires the processor to feed the GPU with enough draw calls and physics updates. The i7-14700F's 5.40 GHz boost clock and 4958 Cinebench R23 single-core score provide the necessary throughput to sustain these extreme frame rates without becoming the limiting factor.

Preset scaling further illustrates this dynamic. At 4K, moving from Low to Ultra reduces average FPS from 171 to 81, a 53% drop. At 1080p, the same preset change reduces FPS from 378 to 180, also a 52% drop. The consistent proportional reduction across resolutions indicates that graphical settings affect the GPU workload uniformly, with the CPU maintaining sufficient headroom even at the highest frame rates.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, benchmark data places the i7-14700F's average score of 53620 within 1% of several comparable processors. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X scores 53288, a 0.6% delta, making it the closest consumer alternative with similar multi-threaded capabilities. The Intel Xeon 6505P achieves 53701 (-0.2% delta) and the Xeon Phi 7290 scores 53469 (0.3% delta), though these are enterprise parts. The AMD EPYC 7313P at 53206 (0.8% delta) rounds out the near-identical performance tier. Any of these would deliver indistinguishable frame rates in Inside given the game's modest CPU demands.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3070's average benchmark score of 17208 is closely matched by the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT at 17083 (0.7% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 at 17037 (1% delta). The AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019 (1.1% delta), while the NVIDIA Tesla K40c is slightly faster at 17468 (-1.5% delta). For gaming specifically, the RX 7600 XT is the most relevant alternative, though its 8 GB VRAM and similar compute performance would yield nearly identical results in Inside. The GTX 690 and HD 7970M are older architectures that may lack modern driver optimizations, despite similar raw benchmark numbers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low averages 378 FPS, Medium averages 302 FPS with a minimum of 257 FPS and maximum of 347 FPS, High averages 189 FPS, and Ultra averages 180 FPS. Even the most demanding preset at this resolution maintains a 3x margin over the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, frame rates remain well above playable levels. Low averages 272 FPS, Medium averages 217 FPS with a minimum of 185 FPS and maximum of 250 FPS, High averages 136 FPS, and Ultra averages 129 FPS. The 1440p results show a consistent ~28% reduction from 1080p across all presets, matching the increased pixel workload.

At 3840x2160, the system still clears 60 FPS comfortably. Low averages 171 FPS, Medium averages 136 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS and maximum of 157 FPS, High averages 85 FPS, and Ultra averages 81 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that even the highest preset maintains a 21 FPS cushion above the playability threshold, though the gap narrows considerably compared to lower resolutions.

The Verdict

This PC can run Inside at every resolution and preset combination tested, according to the verdict data. At 3840x2160, all four presets are marked playable, with Ultra achieving 81 FPS average. The 2560x1440 resolution shows all presets playable as well, with Ultra at 129 FPS. At 1920x1080, every preset clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin, with Ultra at 180 FPS.

The playability threshold of 60 FPS is never threatened. Even the worst-case scenario — 4K Ultra — delivers 81 FPS, which is 35% above the threshold. This means users can enable maximum graphical settings at any resolution without compromising smooth gameplay. The system has substantial headroom for future titles or heavier scenes, though the data only covers Inside specifically.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering 180 FPS average. This is the highest quality setting available and still provides triple-digit frame rates, making it ideal for high refresh rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, Ultra remains the optimal preset with 129 FPS average. The quality improvement over High (136 FPS) is marginal in performance cost, so the maximum settings are recommended.

At 3840x2160, Ultra is also the best setting, averaging 81 FPS. While this falls short of the 100+ FPS seen at lower resolutions, it comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold and delivers the full visual experience the game offers.