Inside

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer. The benchmark data shows this combination ranks in the 59th percentile (678 out of 1671 tested combos) for this specific game, indicating that while the hardware is potent, the game's modest graphical demands allow even lower-tier components to achieve high frame rates. The measured FPS across all resolutions and settings remains well above playable thresholds, with the lowest average being 81 FPS at 4K Ultra settings.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 316.6, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This suggests the game is remarkably lightweight at lower settings, even at 1080p.

Q: How does the RTX 3070's average benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 28238, which is 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (score 27985). It is also 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (score 27956).

Q: What is the CPU's multi-threaded performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F scores 11912 points in the Cinebench R23 multicore test. This demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability for a quad-core processor, especially considering its 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Does the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings widen at higher resolutions?

A: Yes. At 1080p, the gap between Low (316.6 FPS) and Ultra (177.8 FPS) is 138.8 FPS. At 4K, the gap between Low (171 FPS) and Ultra (81 FPS) is 90 FPS. While the absolute gap narrows at 4K, the percentage drop from Low to Ultra is larger at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth and how might it affect 4K performance?

A: The RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The data shows 4K performance is strong (86.9 FPS on High), indicating the memory subsystem is sufficient for this game's textures and assets.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The i3-12100F scores 893 in 3DMark single-thread test. Its average benchmark score (13516) is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (13534), showing competitive single-core strength.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the dominant component in this pairing for Inside. With a boost clock of 1725 MHz and 5888 shading units, the GPU provides substantial raw compute power. The benchmark results confirm the GPU's capability, as even at 4K Ultra settings, the combo maintains an average of 81 FPS. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth appears more than adequate for this title, as evidenced by the smooth performance at all tested resolutions.

The RTX 3070's architecture, based on the GA104 chip with 17,400 million transistors, delivers 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This compute headroom explains why the GPU is rarely the bottleneck in Inside, a game with relatively simple geometry and lighting effects. The data shows that the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution, with the 4K High setting (86.9 FPS) being roughly 54% slower than the 1080p High setting (189.1 FPS). This scaling pattern indicates the GPU is being utilized effectively without hitting any memory or bandwidth walls.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 72 versus all GPUs suggests it sits comfortably in the upper mid-range tier. Its average benchmark score of 28238 places it slightly above the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (0.9% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (1% higher). For Inside, the RTX 3070's capabilities are leveraged fully, as shown by the high frame rates across all settings. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support and 46 RT cores are not required by this game, but they ensure future compatibility.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals distinct scaling patterns across resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, ranging from 177.8 FPS (Ultra) to 316.6 FPS (Low). Moving to 1440p, the frame rates drop by approximately 27-32% depending on settings. For example, High settings drop from 189.1 FPS at 1080p to 138.6 FPS at 1440p, a 26.7% reduction. At 4K, the drop becomes more pronounced, with High settings falling to 86.9 FPS, a 54% reduction from 1080p.

This scaling behavior suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU may be partially limiting performance, as the frame rates are so high that the i3-12100F's 4 cores and 8 threads could struggle to feed the GPU fast enough. The fact that Low settings at 1080p hit 316.6 FPS, while the RTX 3070 is capable of much higher frame rates in less CPU-bound scenarios, supports this hypothesis. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as evidenced by the more linear scaling between settings.

The resolution scaling data implies that Inside is not particularly demanding on the GPU, allowing the RTX 3070 to shine even at 4K. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 90 FPS (171 vs 81), which is a 52.6% reduction. This is a smaller percentage drop than at 1080p, where the gap is 138.8 FPS (316.6 vs 177.8), a 43.8% reduction. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting factor, while at 1080p, other components or game engine limitations may cap the maximum achievable frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 678 out of 1671 tested combinations for Inside, placing it in the 59th percentile. This ranking is noteworthy because the individual components are strong performers in their respective categories. The CPU ranks in the 72nd percentile versus all CPUs, and the GPU also ranks in the 72nd percentile versus all GPUs. The combo ranking being lower than either component's individual percentile suggests that the game's low system requirements mean many lower-tier combos can achieve similar frame rates.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 13516 places it 0.1% below the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX and 0.4% above the Intel Core i7-1250U. The GPU's average benchmark score of 28238 places it 0.9% above the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and 1% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti. Despite these solid individual scores, the combo's ranking is middling, indicating that for Inside, the hardware is overkill. The game's 2016 release date means it was designed for much older hardware, so the RTX 3070's power is not fully utilized.

The ranking data suggests that users with this combo will have no performance issues in Inside, but they are unlikely to see a competitive advantage over users with less powerful hardware. The combo's rank of 678 out of 1671 means that 993 other combinations perform better, but this is likely due to higher-end CPUs that can push frame rates even higher at 1080p. For most users, the experience will be indistinguishable from higher-ranked combos, as the frame rates are already far above display refresh rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings average 316.6 FPS, Medium averages 289.3 FPS, High averages 189.1 FPS, and Ultra averages 177.8 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is modest (27.3 FPS difference), but the jump from Medium to High is substantial (100.2 FPS difference). This suggests that High settings introduce significant visual effects that impact performance, while Ultra adds only 11.3 FPS over High.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. Low settings average 269.9 FPS, Medium averages 214.5 FPS, High averages 138.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 128.5 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows an average reduction of about 27% across settings. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to 10.1 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset at 1440p is not significantly more demanding than High.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are still playable but noticeably lower. Low settings average 171 FPS, Medium averages 135.4 FPS, High averages 86.9 FPS, and Ultra averages 81 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 5.9 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional effects are minimal at this resolution. The 4K data shows that Low settings provide more than double the frame rate of Ultra settings, making Low an attractive option for competitive play or high refresh rate displays.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display and performance goals. For 1080p displays, High settings (189.1 FPS) offer an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, as the frame rate is well above the 144Hz refresh rate common on modern monitors. Ultra settings (177.8 FPS) provide only a marginal visual improvement over High for a 11.3 FPS cost, making it a less attractive option.

For 1440p users, High settings (138.6 FPS) provide a smooth experience on 144Hz displays, while Medium (214.5 FPS) is ideal for 240Hz monitors. Ultra settings (128.5 FPS) are still viable for 120Hz displays, but the performance gain from dropping to High is minimal. Low settings (269.9 FPS) are recommended only for users with 360Hz monitors or those seeking the absolute highest frame rates.

For 4K displays, the recommendation is more nuanced. High settings (86.9 FPS) deliver a smooth experience on 60Hz displays and are playable on 120Hz displays. Medium settings (135.4 FPS) provide a significant frame rate boost for 120Hz or 144Hz 4K monitors. Low settings (171 FPS) are the best choice for competitive play at 4K, though the visual quality reduction is noticeable. Ultra settings (81 FPS) are only recommended for users prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate, as the 5.9 FPS difference from High is negligible.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, plays a supporting role in Inside's performance. The CPU's base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz provide solid single-thread performance, which is crucial for game logic and physics. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and Geekbench single-core score of 2224 indicate strong per-core performance that can handle the game's processing demands.

The CPU's cache hierarchy, including 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache, ensures efficient data access for game assets. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11912 demonstrates that the CPU can handle multi-threaded workloads effectively, though Inside likely does not utilize all 8 threads optimally given its age. The CPU's PassMark multithread score of 14015 and physics score of 985 provide additional evidence of its capability.

The CPU's 58W TDP and 10nm process node (Alder Lake architecture) make it an efficient choice for gaming. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU may be the limiting factor, as frame rates cap around 316.6 FPS regardless of GPU capability. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's performance is sufficient to maintain high frame rates. The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking versus all CPUs indicates it is a capable processor for this game, though higher-end CPUs with more cores could potentially push frame rates higher at 1080p.