Inside

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far less demanding than modern AAA titles. Benchmark results show this combination is capable of pushing frame rates well beyond the territory of high-refresh-rate displays at every tested setting, making the GPU the primary performance driver while the quad-core CPU provides ample headroom for this workload. The data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound, with performance scaling directly with resolution and graphical fidelity.

Settings Recommendations

For a game like Inside, which features a restrained visual palette and minimal real-time effects, the choice of settings is about balancing visual polish against the already massive frame rate headroom. The measured data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the combo averages 91.6 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. However, the most compelling experience is found at 1440p with High settings, which delivers a 150.6 FPS average. This setting represents the sweet spot, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining a frame rate that is nearly double what most displays can show.

At 1080p, the High preset achieves a 207.9 FPS average, which is more than sufficient for even the fastest competitive gaming panels. Choosing Ultra at 1080p drops the average to 196.1 FPS, a marginal 5.7% decrease that provides diminishing returns for the added visual load. Conversely, the Low preset at 1080p yields a 313.8 FPS average, but this setting strips away the game's atmospheric lighting and shadow detail, which are crucial to its moody presentation. For the best overall experience, the data supports using High settings at 1440p, as it provides a substantial visual upgrade from Low and Medium while still delivering a frame rate (150.6 FPS) that is 64% higher than the 4K High result. The Ultra preset, while playable, offers the smallest performance margin relative to High, with only a 5.9% difference at 1440p, making High the more efficient choice.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Inside?*

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 313.8 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

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

A: Yes, benchmark results indicate that at 3840x2160, the combo delivers a 94.1 FPS average on High settings and a 91.6 FPS average on Ultra, both of which are well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1440p to 4K?

A: On High settings, the average frame rate drops from 150.6 FPS at 2560x1440 to 94.1 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 37.5% reduction in performance.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this game?

A: No, the data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor. The Intel Core i3-12100F has a boost clock of 4.30 GHz and scores 1681 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is more than adequate for a game like Inside where frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings, indicating GPU dependency.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 313.8 FPS on Low to 196.1 FPS on Ultra. This is a 37.5% decrease, showing that the Ultra preset places a significant load on the RX 7800 XT.

Q: How does the combo's performance rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 551st out of 1671 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the top 33% of all systems tested for this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU-bound nature of this configuration in Inside. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 207.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 150.6 FPS at 2560x1440, a 27.6% reduction, and then to 94.1 FPS at 3840x2160, a further 37.5% reduction from the 1440p result. This pattern is consistent across all settings, with the Ultra preset showing a similar trajectory: 196.1 FPS at 1080p, 141.8 FPS at 1440p, and 91.6 FPS at 4K.

This scaling behavior points directly to the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT as the primary performance arbiter. The RX 7800 XT features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s, which is sufficient to handle the increased pixel throughput at higher resolutions. The consistent frame rate drops correlate with the increased pixel count, indicating that the GPU's shading units and ROPs are being saturated, while the CPU continues to feed frames without issue. The fact that the 1080p to 1440p drop is smaller than the 1440p to 4K drop suggests that the GPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions, but the 4K workload begins to stress its 3840 shading units and 96 ROPs, resulting in a more pronounced impact on performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo posts its highest raw numbers. Low settings yield a 313.8 FPS average, which climbs to 292.6 FPS on Medium. High settings deliver a 207.9 FPS average, while Ultra produces 196.1 FPS. The difference between Medium and High is substantial at 84.7 FPS, indicating a major jump in graphical complexity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. Low settings average 282.1 FPS, Medium achieves 236.7 FPS, High drops to 150.6 FPS, and Ultra reaches 141.8 FPS. The gap between Medium and High widens to 86.1 FPS, suggesting that the High preset introduces effects that are particularly taxing on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, performance is still very playable. Low settings average 185.5 FPS, Medium drops to 151.7 FPS, High settles at 94.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 91.6 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is steepest at High settings, where the frame rate falls by 56.5 FPS, while the Low preset only loses 96.6 FPS, showing that the lower settings are less resolution-sensitive.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ranks 551st out of 1671 tested combos for Inside. This placement in the 67th percentile of all systems is notable, given that the CPU is a budget-oriented quad-core part. The high ranking is almost entirely attributable to the RX 7800 XT, which sits in the 76th percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score of 32619. In contrast, the CPU is in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13516.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD FirePro S9300 X2, which is 0.2% slower, and the NVIDIA P104-100, which is 0.4% faster. This indicates that the RX 7800 XT is performing in a very tight competitive band for its class. The CPU's closest rival, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, has an average score that is 0.1% higher, while the Intel Core i7-7700K is 1.8% slower. This data suggests that while the CPU holds its own, it is the GPU that boosts this combo to a top-third ranking in Inside.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It has a 12 MB shared L3 cache and a TDP of 58 W. In Inside, the CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame delivery, and the benchmark data suggests it does so without becoming a bottleneck. The game's puzzle-platformer design does not require high thread counts, and the i3's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681, is sufficient.

The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals shows it is a competent part. It is 0.1% slower than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX in average benchmark score, but 1.8% faster than the Intel Core i7-7700K. The fact that frame rates in Inside scale so predictably with resolution and settings, rather than plateauing, indicates that the CPU is able to feed the GPU with enough data at all times. The 4.30 GHz boost clock ensures that the game's primary logic thread has ample processing power, preventing any CPU-induced frame pacing issues.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 32 chip. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2430 MHz, with a game clock of 2124 MHz. Its 3840 shading units and 96 ROPs are directly responsible for the high pixel throughput observed in Inside.

The GPU's performance is the clear driver of the system's ranking. With a percentile of 76 vs all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 32619, it is a high-end part that excels in this game's workload. The measured frame rates show that even at 4K Ultra, the GPU can sustain an average of 91.6 FPS, which confirms its raw compute power. The 16 GB VRAM is far more than Inside requires, ensuring there is no memory capacity bottleneck, while the 624.1 GB/s bandwidth allows for efficient data transfer at high resolutions. The GPU's performance is closely matched by rivals like the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 (0.2% slower) and NVIDIA P104-100 (0.4% faster), but its combination of high clock speeds and ample VRAM makes it ideally suited for pushing frame rates in this title.