Inside

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across resolutions reveal a clear pattern: this combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is heavily GPU-limited in Inside, but only at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average frame rate is 169.9 FPS. Moving up to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the average to 120.4 FPS, a reduction of approximately 29%. The step to 3840x2160 yields 78.8 FPS, which is another 35% drop from the 1440p result. This scaling behavior is consistent with a workload where the graphics card is the primary bottleneck; as pixel count increases, the GPU must work proportionally harder.

The data suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this title. At 1080p Low settings, the combination produces 314.8 FPS. This extremely high frame rate indicates that the processor can feed the GPU far more frames than the graphics card can render. The fact that the i3-12100F, a 4-core, 8-thread part based on Alder Lake with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, can sustain such high output in this puzzle platformer confirms the game's relatively light CPU demands. The gap between the 1080p Low and 4K Low scores (314.8 FPS vs 156.8 FPS) is a 50% reduction, which is a larger proportional drop than seen at High settings.

This scaling pattern is informative. The frame rate reduction from 1440p to 4K is steeper than the reduction from 1080p to 1440p. This non-linear scaling is typical when the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading capacity become increasingly taxed at higher resolutions. The 128-bit memory bus and 322.3 GB/s of bandwidth on the RX 9060 XT are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but begin to show strain at 4K. Ultimately, the benchmark results indicate that users with high-refresh-rate 1080p or 1440p monitors will see the most benefit from this pairing, while 4K gaming is viable but with a more significant performance penalty.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB plays the dominant role in determining the frame rates observed in these benchmark results. The GPU features a base clock of 1700 MHz and a boost clock of 3130 MHz, with a game clock of 2530 MHz. These high clock speeds, combined with 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs, provide the raw throughput necessary for the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions. The card's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is sufficient for Inside, a game not known for massive texture requirements, allowing it to operate without memory capacity limitations at any of the tested settings.

The GPU's performance is also reflected in its pixel rate of 200.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 400.6 GTexel/s. These figures support the notion that the card is well-equipped for a 2D side-scrolling puzzle platformer, which relies more heavily on fill rate and texture sampling than on complex geometry. The FP32 performance of 25.64 TFLOPS provides ample compute power for the game's lighting and post-processing effects. As settings increase from Low to Ultra, the GPU's workload scales, and the frame rates adjust accordingly. For example, at 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 314.8 at Low to 276.1 at Medium, then to 169.9 at High, and finally to 165.9 at Ultra. This progression shows that the most significant performance hit occurs when moving from Medium to High settings.

The GPU is the clear bottleneck in this configuration, especially at 1080p where the CPU is not challenged. The benchmark results show that the GPU's performance ceiling is the determining factor for the final frame rate. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which is relevant for modern rendering techniques, though Inside's art style may not fully utilize these features. The 150 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a power-efficient card that can be comfortably paired with the 58 W TDP processor, making this a balanced overall system in terms of power requirements.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is ranked 813 out of 1671 tested combos in the database for Inside. This places the combo in the middle of the pack, which is a notable position given the individual components' characteristics. The GPU has a percentile rank of 50 among all GPUs, indicating it is an average performer in the broader market. The CPU, however, has a percentile rank of 72 among all CPUs, showing it is above average in general processing power.

The combo's mid-pack ranking suggests that while the GPU is capable, there are many other combinations in the database that produce higher frame rates in this game. The i3-12100F's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which is only 0.1% faster, and the Intel Core i7-7700K, which is 1.8% faster. These comparisons show that the CPU is performing at a level comparable to much more expensive processors in synthetic tests. However, in this game, the GPU limits overall performance, and the rank reflects that.

The data indicates that the combo's ranking is driven more by the GPU's mid-tier standing than the CPU's above-average performance. If the system were paired with a higher-end GPU, the rank would likely improve significantly, as the CPU has headroom to support faster graphics cards. The 813th position out of 1671 combos means that roughly half of all tested combinations perform better in Inside, which is a fair assessment of this mid-range pairing. The measured data confirms that this is a solid, balanced 1080p and 1440p gaming setup, but it is not at the top tier for this particular game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. Starting at 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo delivers exceptional frame rates. At Low settings, the average FPS is 314.8. This is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor. Medium settings yield 276.1 FPS, High settings produce 169.9 FPS, and Ultra settings give 165.9 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is minimal, with only a 4 FPS gap, suggesting that the Ultra preset offers minimal visual benefit for the performance cost.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. Low settings produce 247 FPS, Medium settings yield 198.9 FPS, and High settings drop to 120.4 FPS. Ultra settings result in 119.9 FPS, again showing a very small difference from High settings. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a substantial performance hit, with High settings dropping by about 49.5 FPS. This is expected as the GPU must render more pixels.

At 3840x2160, the pressure on the GPU is evident. Low settings produce 156.8 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings yield 124 FPS, High settings drop to 78.8 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 76.7 FPS. The 4K results show that the combo can handle the game at 4K with reduced settings, but achieving high refresh rates at 4K is not possible. The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, the frame rate drops, and the impact of settings presets becomes more pronounced. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 149 FPS, while at 4K it is 80.1 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average frame rate is 314.8 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 2560x1440 with High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo produces an average frame rate of 120.4 FPS, which is suitable for smooth gameplay on a 120Hz monitor.

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB in this game?

A: The data suggests no. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 314.8 FPS, indicating that the CPU can feed the GPU far more frames than it can render, making the GPU the primary bottleneck.

*Q: What is the rank of this combo among all tested combinations in the database for Inside?*

A: This combo is ranked 813 out of 1671 total tested combos, placing it in the middle of the pack.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between High and Ultra settings at 3840x2160?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset yields 78.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 76.7 FPS, a difference of only 2.1 FPS.

Q: Does the combo support modern graphics APIs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p monitor, the High preset is an excellent choice, delivering 169.9 FPS. This is well above the 144Hz threshold and offers a good balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 1080p provides only a marginal increase in visual fidelity over High, as evidenced by the mere 4 FPS difference (165.9 FPS vs 169.9 FPS), so it is not worth the slight performance loss. For those seeking the absolute highest frame rates on a 240Hz or 360Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 276.1 FPS is a better option than Low, as it offers higher visual quality while still maintaining excellent performance.

For 1440p users, the High preset at 120.4 FPS is the recommended choice for a balance of quality and smoothness, especially for users with a 120Hz or 144Hz display. The Medium preset at 198.9 FPS is a strong alternative for those who prefer higher frame rates over visual detail. The Ultra preset at 119.9 FPS is nearly identical to High in performance, so there is no reason to choose it over High. At 4K, the situation changes. The High preset at 78.8 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth on high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset at 124 FPS is a better choice for 4K gaming, as it provides a significant performance boost over High while still offering good visual quality. The Low preset at 156.8 FPS is the best option for those who prioritize frame rate above all else at 4K.

In summary, the data suggests that the High preset is the sweet spot for 1080p and 1440p gaming, while the Medium preset is more appropriate for 4K. The Ultra preset offers no meaningful performance advantage over High in this game, making it a poor choice for this combination of hardware. The Low preset is only recommended for users with very high refresh rate displays who want to maximize FPS.