Inside

The Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a remarkably fluid experience in Inside, with the data showing that the GPU is the primary driver of performance scaling across resolutions and settings. This pairing ranks in the 895th position out of 1671 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database, which is a strong result for a puzzle platformer that is not typically demanding on modern hardware.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a versatile mid-range desktop part. In the context of Inside, a game that relies on physics-based puzzles and continuous rendering rather than massive simulation threads, the CPU's 12 threads are more than sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU. The benchmark data supports this: the CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and single-core score of 2332 indicate strong per-thread performance, which is critical for maintaining frame pacing in a game that must keep its atmospheric world responsive.

The CPU's 3DMark scores show a clear scaling pattern: 5895 for 16 threads, 4779 for 8 threads, and 3067 for 4 threads. This suggests that the processor's performance degrades gracefully as thread count drops, which is typical for a game like Inside that may only use a few cores for gameplay logic. The single-thread score of 909 in 3DMark and 3481 in PassMark single-thread tests further confirm that the i5-12400F has ample headroom for the game's primary logic thread. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400F is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-8700K (0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i5-1335U (0.3% delta), and it is 0.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS. This means the CPU is not a weak link; its performance profile is consistent with other capable mid-range processors that can feed a discrete GPU without issue in a title of this scope.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the decisive component in this pairing. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, it offers a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock of 2460 MHz and 3072 shading units provide a theoretical FP32 throughput of 15.11 TFLOPS. For Inside, which features a dark, minimalist aesthetic with limited texture complexity, the 8 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor at any tested resolution. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 19545 places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, showing it is a solid mid-range performer. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (0.6% behind) and the Intel Arc B580 (0.7% ahead), indicating that the RTX 4060 sits in a competitive performance band.

The benchmark results show that the RTX 4060 can push frame rates far beyond what a 60 Hz display needs, even at 4K. The GPU's ability to maintain high average FPS across all settings is the primary reason this combo ranks as well as it does. The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck only at the highest settings, where the pixel fill rate and shading load become significant. The GPU's 118.1 GPixel/s pixel rate and 236.2 GTexel/s texture rate are more than adequate for the game's 2D-style side-scrolling environments, which do not require complex geometry or high-resolution textures.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern that identifies the GPU as the limiting component at higher resolutions, while the CPU remains capable throughout. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 317 FPS, which drops to 238.4 FPS at 1440p and 152.6 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24.8% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 36% drop from 1440p to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings. For example, at High settings, the frame rate falls from 164.6 FPS at 1080p to 118.1 FPS at 1440p (a 28.2% drop) and then to 77.4 FPS at 4K (a 34.5% drop). This quadratic scaling is indicative of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering load increases with pixel count. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau at lower resolutions, where the frame rate would stop increasing despite lower rendering demands. The fact that FPS continues to rise dramatically from 4K to 1080p—nearly doubling in some cases—confirms that the RTX 4060 is the primary performance driver. The CPU's 12 threads and high boost clock are sufficient to keep up with the GPU's output, even at the highest frame rates recorded.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i5-12400F and RTX 4060 combination ranks 895th out of 1671 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the 53.6th percentile of all pairings. This is a strong showing for a mid-range setup, especially considering that the game is not particularly demanding. The rank suggests that this combo outperforms a significant portion of the database, which likely includes many older or lower-end CPUs and GPUs. The data indicates that the combo is well-balanced, with neither component dramatically outclassing the other in a way that would cause a significant bottleneck. The CPU's average benchmark score of 19221 and the GPU's average score of 23181 are both respectable, and their combined output places them in the upper half of the rankings. For a puzzle platformer, this rank is more than sufficient, as the game's frame rate at 4K High (77.4 FPS) is already above the threshold for smooth gameplay, and at 1080p Ultra (156.2 FPS) it provides a very high refresh rate experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 164.6 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the Intel Core i7-8700K?

A: The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19221, which is 0.1% higher than the Core i7-8700K's score of 19210, making them essentially equivalent in performance.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for 4K gaming in this title?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves 72.4 FPS, indicating that 8 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor for Inside.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 238.4 FPS on Low to 116.2 FPS on Ultra, a decrease of 122.2 FPS.

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 895th out of 1671 tested combos, which places it in the upper-middle portion of the database.

Q: What is the GPU's boost clock speed?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 has a boost clock of 2460 MHz.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 317 FPS on Low, 264.1 FPS on Medium, 164.6 FPS on High, and 156.2 FPS on Ultra. This shows a steep drop from Low to Medium (52.9 FPS difference), but a more gradual decline from Medium to High (99.5 FPS difference) and High to Ultra (8.4 FPS difference). At 2560x1440, the scores are 238.4 FPS on Low, 191.6 FPS on Medium, 118.1 FPS on High, and 116.2 FPS on Ultra. The pattern is similar, with a 46.8 FPS drop from Low to Medium and a 73.5 FPS drop from Medium to High, but only a 1.9 FPS drop from High to Ultra. At 3840x2160, the results are 152.6 FPS on Low, 118 FPS on Medium, 77.4 FPS on High, and 72.4 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 34.6 FPS, from Medium to High is 40.6 FPS, and from High to Ultra is only 5 FPS. This data consistently shows that the High to Ultra transition is the least demanding, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds minimal additional load over High, while the Low to Medium transition is more significant.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for most users. At 1080p, Medium delivers 264.1 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor, and it is only 52.9 FPS slower than Low but provides a noticeable visual upgrade. At 1440p, Medium achieves 191.6 FPS, which is still far above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a smooth experience on standard displays. At 4K, Medium drops to 118 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS target and provides a fluid experience. The High preset is also viable, with 164.6 FPS at 1080p, 118.1 FPS at 1440p, and 77.4 FPS at 4K, but it does not offer a substantial improvement over Medium for the frame rate cost. The Ultra preset is only recommended for users with 1080p displays that support refresh rates above 156 Hz, as it delivers 156.2 FPS at that resolution, but it falls below 120 FPS at 1440p and below 80 FPS at 4K. For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 4K (152.6 FPS) is a compelling option, as it maintains high fluidity while sacrificing visual fidelity. Ultimately, the data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot, offering frame rates that are at least 1.9x higher than the minimum requirement for smooth gameplay at all resolutions.