Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer with deceptively simple visuals, but the benchmark data for the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 reveals a complex performance profile. The combination ranks 892nd out of 1671 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database, which is a notable position for a title with this art style. The measured FPS figures across resolutions and settings show that this pairing is rarely the limiting factor, with the data suggesting a system that can handle the game at high refresh rates even at demanding 4K resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, but the pattern is not uniform across all settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 312.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 148.2 FPS at 3840x2160, which is a decline of roughly 53%. This steep reduction indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is being pushed harder as pixel count increases, yet the absolute numbers remain so high that the experience is unaffected. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings shows a drop to 241.9 FPS, a 23% reduction, while the move from 1440p to 4K brings another 39% decrease. This scaling suggests the RTX 4060’s 8 GB of VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient even at 4K, but the rendering load is still significant.

At High settings, the scaling is more dramatic. The average FPS goes from 164.0 at 1080p to 120.8 at 1440p, a 26% drop, and then falls further to 77.0 at 4K, which is a 53% decrease from 1440p. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at High settings, as the increased shading and texture work scales directly with resolution. Conversely, at Ultra settings, the frame rates are lower overall—157.0 at 1080p, 115.6 at 1440p, and 74.2 at 4K—but the relative drops are similar, showing a consistent load on the graphics card. The data implies that for this game, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor; instead, the RTX 4060’s compute capabilities define the performance ceiling, especially as resolution increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060’s specifications directly explain the measured results. With a boost clock of 2460 MHz and 3072 shading units, the card delivers 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is ample for a 2D side-scroller with lighting effects. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is not exceptionally wide but is sufficient for the game’s texture loads. The data shows that at 1080p Medium settings, the card produces 267.7 FPS, demonstrating that it is nowhere near its limits. Even at 4K Ultra, the 74.2 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS target, suggesting that the GPU is not being fully stressed by this title.

The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 4060’s performance is consistent with its position in the database, ranking in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 23181 places it near the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, which scores 23321, a difference of -0.6%, and the Intel Arc B580, which scores 23021, a delta of 0.7%. This proximity to rivals suggests that the GPU’s raw compute power is the key factor, and the game’s results confirm this. The VRAM capacity is not a concern here, as the game’s simple art style does not require large frame buffers, so the 8 GB allocation is never stressed, even at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 120.8, which is a smooth experience for most displays.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to the AMD Radeon RX 6600M in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 23181, while the RX 6600M scores 23321, making the AMD card 0.6% faster in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 312.8, which is extremely high. This suggests that the GPU is not the limiting factor, and the Intel Core i3-12100F with its 4 cores and 8 threads can keep up with the frame generation.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations for Inside?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 892nd out of 1671 tested combos, placing it in the 53rd percentile of tested systems.

Q: Does the game’s performance scale well with resolution at Ultra settings?

A: The data shows a consistent decline from 157.0 FPS at 1080p to 115.6 FPS at 1440p and 74.2 FPS at 4K, indicating that the GPU load scales predictably with pixel count.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4060 than the GTX 780 Ti in average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4060 scores 23181, while the GTX 780 Ti scores 23338, meaning the older card is 0.7% higher in this metric, which is within statistical noise.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 892 out of 1671 places it in the middle of the database, which is a significant achievement for a game released in 2016. This position suggests that while the hardware is not top-tier, it outperforms many older or lower-end combinations. The CPU’s percentile of 72 versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13516, indicates that the i3-12100F is a capable processor, but its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, scores 13534, which is only 0.1% higher. Similarly, the GPU’s percentile of 66 shows it is competitive, but the ranking in this specific game is influenced by the game’s low graphical demands.

The data implies that the rank is more a reflection of the GPU’s mid-range status than any weakness in the pairing. For a puzzle platformer, the combination is overkill, as even the lowest frame rate measured—74.2 FPS at 4K Ultra—is comfortably playable. The rank of 892 suggests that many combos with higher-end GPUs achieve higher frame rates, but the absolute performance here is more than sufficient. This positioning means that users with this setup will not experience any performance-related issues, regardless of the resolution or settings chosen.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 312.8 FPS, Medium delivers 267.7 FPS, High yields 164.0 FPS, and Ultra drops to 157.0 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is minimal, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds little graphical fidelity for the performance cost. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 241.9 FPS at Low, 193.1 FPS at Medium, 120.8 FPS at High, and 115.6 FPS at Ultra. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly a 25-30% reduction in FPS, which aligns with the increase in pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU’s limits. Low settings average 148.2 FPS, Medium drops to 119.0 FPS, High falls to 77.0 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 74.2 FPS. The gap between Medium and High at 4K is notable, as it suggests that the High preset introduces effects that are costly at high resolutions. The data shows that even at 4K, the lowest average FPS is above 74, which is a playable threshold for most users. This breakdown indicates that the RTX 4060 can handle Inside at any resolution, but the optimal settings depend on whether the user prioritizes visual quality or maximum frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance between performance and visual quality. At 1080p, Medium delivers 267.7 FPS, which is nearly double the High preset’s 164.0 FPS, while the visual difference between Medium and High is likely negligible in a side-scrolling puzzle game. At 1440p, Medium produces 193.1 FPS, which is still far above the 120.8 FPS of High, and at 4K, Medium’s 119.0 FPS is a significant improvement over High’s 77.0 FPS. The data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot, as it maintains high frame rates without sacrificing the game’s atmospheric lighting effects.

For users with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors, the High preset is also viable, as it sustains over 115 FPS at 1440p and 164 FPS at 1080p. However, the Ultra preset offers no measurable benefit over High, with only a 7 FPS difference at 1080p and a 2.8 FPS difference at 4K, making it the least efficient choice. The Low preset is unnecessary for this hardware, as it pushes frame rates beyond 300 FPS at 1080p, which is beyond the refresh rate of most displays. Therefore, Medium is recommended for the best experience, with High being acceptable for those who prefer slightly enhanced shadows and effects.

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. Its benchmark scores show strong single-thread performance, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681. This is crucial for Inside, which is a game that relies heavily on physics and logic calculations that are often single-threaded. The CPU’s multi-threaded scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11912, are also solid, but the game’s performance is not dependent on them.

The data reveals that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 312.8 FPS is likely near the engine’s limit, and the CPU’s 4 cores are sufficient to feed the GPU. The CPU’s percentile of 72 versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13516, places it near the Intel Core i7-7700K, which scores 13280, a delta of 1.8%. This similarity suggests that the i3-12100F offers comparable gaming performance to older flagship processors, making it an ideal match for a mid-range GPU like the RTX 4060. The CPU’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support further ensure that data delivery is not a limiting factor, allowing the GPU to perform to its full potential.