Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016 that presents a unique stress profile for modern hardware. Benchmarked with an Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, the data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher settings but surprisingly capable at the CPU level. The measured FPS values across three resolutions and four quality presets show a game that is far from demanding by current standards, yet the performance ceiling is still dictated by the interaction between this specific quad-core processor and the flagship-class graphics card. The following analysis breaks down how each component contributes to the observed results and what the numbers imply about system balance.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 893 in 3dmark_single_thread and 1674 in cinebench_r23_singlecore, which are strong single-core results for a budget-oriented chip. Its multi-threaded performance, while lower than higher-tier parts, is still respectable: a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 11860 and a geekbench_multicore score of 7252. The processor sits at the 68th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13494. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-9500 (deltaPct 0.3) and Intel Core 3 N355 (deltaPct 0), are statistically equivalent in aggregate performance.

For a 2016 puzzle platformer, the CPU demands are minimal, and the data supports this. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 315 FPS, suggesting that the i3-12100F is not a bottleneck here. The single-thread performance is critical for older game engines, and the 893 3dmark_single_thread score indicates enough headroom to push high frame rates. However, the 4-core/8-thread configuration might limit performance in more modern, thread-hungry titles, but for Inside, the benchmark results show that the CPU is more than sufficient. The L3 cache is 12 MB shared, which helps with data locality, but the game’s simple geometry and physics likely do not stress this. The processor’s 58W TDP and 10 nm process node are irrelevant to gameplay but indicate efficiency; the data shows no thermal throttling artifacts in the measured FPS, as frame rates remain consistent across runs.

The key insight from the CPU data is that the i3-12100F punches above its weight in this game. Its cinebench_r15_singlecore score of 168 and passmark_single_thread score of 3444 are modest, yet they are sufficient to maintain 315 FPS at 1080p Low. This suggests that Inside is not CPU-limited at any resolution tested, as even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 126, which is still far above playable thresholds. The processor’s 3dmark_4_threads score of 2859 shows that it can handle multi-threaded workloads, but the game likely uses only a few threads, making the i3-12100F’s strong per-core performance the deciding factor.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a behemoth with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2505 MHz, and it packs 9728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The GPU’s raw compute power is evident in its passmark_g3d score of 34457 and 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 6567, placing it at the 86th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 54247. Its nearest rivals, such as the RTX 4080 SUPER (deltaPct 0.1) and AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (deltaPct -1.1), are nearly identical in aggregate performance, meaning the RTX 4080 is at the top of its class.

For Inside, the GPU is the primary driver of frame rate differences across settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 126, while at 4K Low, it jumps to 242 FPS. This 116 FPS gap is directly attributable to the graphics card’s ability to handle increased shading and texture loads. The 16 GB VRAM is overkill for this game, as even 4K Ultra likely uses less than 4 GB, but the memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s ensures that texture streaming at high resolutions is never a bottleneck. The RTX 4080’s 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 performance is more than enough to render the game’s simple 2.5D environments at extreme frame rates.

The GPU’s role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. At 1440p High, the average FPS is 211, while at 1080p High, it is 242 FPS, a 31 FPS difference that scales with pixel count. This indicates that the RTX 4080 is the limiting factor at 4K, but not at 1080p or 1440p, where the CPU could theoretically cap performance. However, the data shows the GPU still has headroom, as even at 1080p Low, the system only hits 315 FPS, which is below what the GPU could theoretically output. This suggests that while the GPU is powerful, the game engine’s draw call overhead or the CPU’s per-thread limits may cap the maximum frame rate. The RTX 4080’s passmark_directx_11 score of 314 and directx_12 score of 132 are moderate, but they are high enough for a game that relies on older APIs.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K across all settings, but the magnitude of the drop varies significantly. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 242 (1080p) to 211 (1440p) to 133 (4K), representing a 45% decrease from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the drop is from 315 FPS to 282 FPS to 242 FPS, a 23% decrease. This differential scaling reveals that at higher settings, the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck, while at lower settings, the system is more balanced.

At 1080p Low, the 315 FPS average suggests that the i3-12100F is nearing its limit, as the GPU could likely push higher. The 4K Low result of 242 FPS is still high, but the 73 FPS drop from 1080p indicates that the RTX 4080 is starting to feel the pixel load. In contrast, at Ultra settings, the 1080p average is 238 FPS, and 4K drops to 126 FPS, a 47% decrease. This is a more significant drop, which confirms that Ultra settings introduce shader complexity that scales with resolution, hitting the GPU harder.

The data implies that the system is CPU-limited at 1080p Low (315 FPS is likely near the engine’s cap) and GPU-limited at 4K Ultra (126 FPS is far from the CPU’s limit). At 1440p, the system is mostly GPU-bound, as the FPS values at each setting are proportionally between the 1080p and 4K results. For example, 1440p Medium averages 260 FPS, while 1080p Medium is 291 FPS and 4K Medium is 212 FPS. This linear scaling suggests that the RTX 4080’s memory bandwidth and compute units are the primary factors, with the CPU providing a consistent baseline. The 2560x1440 Medium run also shows min/max FPS of 221 and 299, indicating smooth frame delivery without major stutters.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are: Low 315, Medium 291 (min 247, max 334), High 242, and Ultra 238. The gap between Low and Ultra is 77 FPS, which is substantial but not unexpected for a game where Ultra likely adds post-processing effects. At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 282, Medium 260 (min 221, max 299), High 211, and Ultra 201. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 10-13% across settings, which is modest and indicates that the GPU handles the extra pixels efficiently. At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 242, Medium 212 (min 181, max 244), High 133, and Ultra 126. The 4K High and Ultra results are significantly lower than 1440p, with a 37% drop from 1440p High to 4K High.

The Medium preset is the only one with reported min and max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the min is 247 and max is 334, showing a 35% variance from average, which could indicate occasional CPU-related hitches. At 1440p Medium, the min is 221 and max is 299, a similar variance. At 4K Medium, the min is 181 and max is 244, with a tighter spread of 28% from the average. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU can cause frame time spikes, while at 4K, the GPU’s workload smooths out the frame pacing. The Ultra preset at 1080p (238 FPS) is nearly identical to High (242 FPS), implying that the extra settings in Ultra do not significantly increase GPU load at this resolution, but at 4K, the gap widens to 7 FPS (133 vs 126), showing that Ultra has a more pronounced effect at higher pixel counts.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 513th out of 3716 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the top 14% of all configurations. This rank is impressive given the CPU’s budget positioning, but it is not surprising because the game’s low system requirements allow the expensive GPU to dominate. The combo’s percentile is driven by the RTX 4080’s high average benchmark score of 54247, which is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU’s 68th percentile score is less influential.

Compared to other combos, the 513th rank suggests that many systems with more powerful CPUs (e.g., high-end i7 or Ryzen 7) but weaker GPUs might score lower in this game. The data implies that Inside rewards GPU investment more than CPU investment, as the frame rates at 4K Ultra are still high enough to be playable on a 120 Hz monitor, while the CPU’s 4 cores do not cause any visible bottleneck. The nearest GPU rivals, such as the RTX 4080 SUPER (deltaPct 0.1), would likely produce a similar rank, while a combo with a slower GPU like the RTX 4070 would rank lower. The CPU’s nearest rivals, like the Core i5-9500 (deltaPct 0.3), would not change the rank significantly, as the game is not CPU-bound at the tested settings.

The rank of 513 out of 3716 also indicates that there are 3203 combos that perform worse, which reflects the RTX 4080’s raw power. However, the data shows that this combo is not the top performer, meaning that some combinations with faster CPUs (e.g., Core i9-13900K) and the same GPU might achieve higher frame rates at 1080p Low, where the CPU is the limiting factor. In Inside, the combo’s rank is a reflection of the GPU’s dominance, but the CPU’s modest single-thread score prevents it from reaching the top 100.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average FPS is 260, with a minimum of 221 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay on a 144 Hz monitor. The 1440p High preset at 211 FPS is also viable, but the 49 FPS difference between Medium and High at this resolution suggests that Medium provides a more consistent frame rate without a significant visual downgrade. At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 238 FPS is the best choice for those with high refresh rate displays, as it is only 4 FPS slower than High and offers the maximum visual fidelity.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset at 212 FPS is the recommended option, as it is significantly faster than High (133 FPS) and Ultra (126 FPS), while still maintaining a high level of detail. The 4K Medium min FPS of 181 ensures no stutters, making it ideal for a smooth experience. The Low preset at any resolution is unnecessary, as even the Ultra preset at 4K exceeds 120 FPS, and the visual improvements from Low to Medium are substantial. Based on the data, the system is capable of running the game at maximum settings at 1440p, but for 4K, dropping from Ultra to Medium yields a 68% performance increase, which is worthwhile for maintaining high frame rates.

The measured rows show that the GPU has enough headroom to handle the game’s physics and rendering, so users should prioritize refresh rate over resolution. A 1440p Medium or High setting is the sweet spot, as it provides frame rates above 200 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play, even though Inside is a single-player puzzle game. For a cinematic experience, 4K Ultra at 126 FPS is still excellent, but the data suggests that the Medium preset at 4K is more optimal for consistent frame pacing.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 in Inside?

A: The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 315 FPS, which is likely near the game engine’s cap, indicating that the CPU is the limiting factor at this resolution. However, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 126, which is far below the CPU’s limit, so the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The i3-12100F’s single-thread score of 1674 in cinebench_r23 suggests it is sufficient for this older game.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain over 200 FPS?

A: Based on the measured FPS, the system can maintain over 200 FPS at 2560x1440 on all presets (Low 282, Medium 260, High 211, Ultra 201). At 3840x2160, only Low (242 FPS) and Medium (212 FPS) exceed 200 FPS, while High and Ultra fall below 133 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080’s 16 GB VRAM affect performance in Inside?

A: The 16 GB GDDR6X VRAM is more than sufficient for Inside, as the game’s textures are not demanding. The memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s ensures that even at 4K Ultra, there is no texture streaming bottleneck. The data shows no significant frame drops that would indicate VRAM limitations.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide a meaningful improvement over High?

A: At 1080p, Ultra (238 FPS) is nearly identical to High (242 FPS), showing a negligible 4 FPS difference. At 1440p, the gap is 10 FPS (201 vs 211), and at 4K, it is 7 FPS (126 vs 133). The visual improvement is subjective, but the performance cost is minimal at lower resolutions, making Ultra viable.

Q: Is this combo ranked high compared to other systems?

A: The combo ranks 513th out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the top 14%. This is a strong rank, driven by the RTX 4080’s high performance, but the CPU’s lower single-thread score prevents it from being higher. The GPU’s nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, has a deltaPct of 0.1, suggesting similar performance.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at Medium settings?

A: The data includes min FPS only for Medium settings. At 1080p, the min is 247 FPS; at 1440p, the min is 221 FPS; and at 4K, the min is 181 FPS. These values indicate that the game maintains high frame rates without major stutters, even at 4K.