Inside

The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination delivers a remarkably fluid experience in Inside, a game whose minimalist aesthetic masks a demanding rendering load. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet still possesses enough CPU headroom to push frame rates well past the 300 FPS mark at 1080p. This pairing is not merely playable; it is exceptionally fast, with the primary challenge for users being the selection of settings that balance the GPU's raw power against the game's visual extremes.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, but the pattern reveals a classic shift in system bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 317.7 FPS, which falls to 175.1 FPS at 3840x2160 with the same settings. This represents a significant 44.9% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more data than it can process at lower resolutions. The scaling is not linear; the transition from 1440p to 4K is steeper than from 1080p to 1440p, which points to the GPU's pixel throughput becoming the limiting factor.

The data confirms that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-limited. High settings at 1080p yield 193.5 FPS, while at 1440p the same settings produce 141.1 FPS; this is a 27.1% drop. However, moving from 1440p High to 4K High results in a 39.7% drop to 85 FPS. This widening gap as resolution increases is the signature of a GPU bottleneck. The RX 7700 XT's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this game, but the rendering workload at 4K overwhelms the shading units, making the GPU the clear performance ceiling for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific processor and graphics card pairing holds the 652nd position out of 1671 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all possible configurations, which is a strong result for a mainstream desktop setup. The ranking indicates that while there are faster combinations, this system outperforms a majority of the tested hardware pairings in this specific game.

The GPU's individual standing further clarifies this position. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT sits at the 73rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 30097. Its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 with a score of 30109, a negligible 0% difference, and the AMD Radeon RX 570 at 30158, which is 0.2% slower. This suggests that the graphics card is not the component dragging the combo's rank down; rather, the i5-12400, which sits at the 77th percentile among CPUs, is a well-matched partner that ensures the GPU is adequately fed.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 provides the computational backbone for this pairing. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it operates at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This configuration is well-suited for a game like Inside, which does not heavily utilize multi-threaded workloads. The CPU's single-thread performance is more critical, and its 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2249 demonstrate strong per-core capability.

The CPU's performance in this context is reflected in its ability to push high frame rates at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low average of 317.7 FPS confirms the CPU's capability to process game logic and draw calls quickly. The i5-12400's benchmark scores, such as 15935 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5890 in 3dmark_max_threads, show it is not a bottleneck, even when the GPU is under less stress. Its nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i7-9700 and Intel Core i5-11600K, have average scores within 0.4% of the i5-12400, confirming that it is a solid mid-range performer that will not hold back the RX 7700 XT in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities across all settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. Low settings produce an average of 317.7 FPS, while Medium settings only slightly reduce this to 295.4 FPS. High settings run at 193.5 FPS, and Ultra, which appears to be the most demanding preset, averages 181.8 FPS. Every setting at this resolution is well above the refresh rate of even high-end monitors.

At 2560x1440, performance remains outstanding. The Low preset averages 273.9 FPS, and Medium drops to 221 FPS. High settings run at 141.1 FPS, while Ultra averages 131.8 FPS. These figures indicate that the RX 7700 XT is still not fully taxed at this resolution, as the frame rates are high enough to suggest that the CPU is still contributing to the performance ceiling.

Moving to 3840x2160 (4K), the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The Low preset averages 175.1 FPS, which is still very high, but the drop from 1080p is substantial. Medium averages 139.9 FPS, and High drops to 85 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that dips below 82 FPS, averaging 81.6 FPS. This is the point where the system's performance becomes contingent on the visual quality settings, as the GPU's compute units are fully saturated.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the engine that drives the visual output, and its specifications align with the performance data. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1435 MHz and a boost clock of 2544 MHz, with a game clock of 2171 MHz. It features 3456 shading units, 216 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units, which are the core components that process the game's visuals. Its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s.

The GPU's role as the bottleneck at 4K is clear when observing the performance scaling. The 27.1% drop from 1080p High to 1440p High is less severe than the 39.7% drop from 1440p High to 4K High. This acceleration in performance loss is a direct result of the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth being stretched beyond their comfort zone. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 22547 is a strong indicator of its overall capability, but the data shows that Inside at 4K Ultra is a heavy workload that requires a more powerful GPU to maintain 100+ FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience depends on the user's display and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p or 1440p monitor with a refresh rate up to 144 Hz, the Ultra preset is the clear choice. At 1080p, Ultra averages 181.8 FPS, which is well above 144 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra averages 131.8 FPS, which is close to the 144 Hz mark and provides a visually superior experience compared to High settings, which run at 141.1 FPS.

For 4K users, the recommendation is more nuanced. The High preset, averaging 85 FPS, is the best balance for a 60 Hz display, as it provides a substantial visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining a stable frame rate. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 81.6 FPS, is also playable on a 60 Hz screen but offers a marginal visual gain for a slight performance cost. For users with a high-refresh 4K monitor, the Medium preset, at 139.9 FPS, is the only way to approach 120+ FPS, but the visual compromise from High to Medium is noticeable. The Low preset is unnecessary at any resolution, as even the most demanding settings provide excellent performance.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 81.6 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is playable, especially on a 60 Hz display, but it is the only configuration where the system falls below 82 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main performance limit at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p. The frame rates are extremely high (317.7 FPS at Low settings), and the performance drop when moving to 1440p is less severe than the drop from 1440p to 4K, which shows the GPU becoming the bottleneck.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p 144 Hz monitor?

A: The Ultra preset is recommended, as it averages 131.8 FPS at 2560x1440. This is close to the 144 Hz refresh rate and provides the highest visual quality without a significant performance penalty compared to High, which runs at 141.1 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to its nearest rival GPU in benchmark scores?

A: The RX 7700 XT has an average benchmark score of 30097. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, scores 30109, a 0% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 570 scores 30158, which is 0.2% slower.

Q: Does the CPU's core count matter for this game?

A: The i5-12400 has 6 cores and 12 threads. The high frame rates at low resolutions suggest that single-thread performance is more important than core count for Inside, as the 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 is a strong result that helps maintain high FPS.

Q: Is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings significant at 1080p?

A: The data shows a difference of 11.7 FPS, with High averaging 193.5 FPS and Ultra averaging 181.8 FPS. Both are exceptionally smooth, so the visual improvements of Ultra are worth the minor performance cost.