Inside

The Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. Across all tested settings and resolutions, the average FPS never drops below the 100 FPS threshold, indicating that this pairing is overwhelmingly overqualified for the game's demands. The data shows a system that is GPU-bound at higher resolutions but becomes increasingly CPU-limited at 1080p, particularly with lower graphical presets.

Resolution Scaling

The performance delta between 1080p and 4K is stark and reveals a classic bottleneck shift. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 243.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 177.6 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 66.2 FPS, and then further down to 109.9 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 55% performance loss from 1080p to 4K, which is a substantial scaling penalty. The gap between 1440p and 4K is 67.7 FPS, nearly identical to the 1080p-to-1440p gap, showing a consistent linear decline as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern changes dramatically when looking at the Ultra preset. Here, the frame rate drops from 236.8 FPS at 1080p to 170 FPS at 1440p, and then to 108.2 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is only 45.7% of the 1080p figure, suggesting that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are being heavily taxed by the highest settings. Interestingly, the Low preset shows a different characteristic: 319 FPS at 1080p, 283.7 FPS at 1440p, and 225.7 FPS at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K is just 29.2%, which is far less severe than the High or Ultra presets, implying that at Low settings the CPU becomes the primary limiter even at 4K.

GPU Role

The RTX 5070's specifications align with the observed 4K performance. With 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, the GPU delivers 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for Inside's modest texture and geometry demands. The boost clock of 2512 MHz and 6144 shading units provide the raw compute power necessary for the high frame rates seen at 1440p and 4K. The data indicates that the GPU is fully engaged at 4K Ultra, producing 108.2 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay.

The GPU's 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs contribute to the pixel and texture fill rates of 201.0 GPixel/s and 482.3 GTexel/s, respectively. These figures explain why the High preset at 4K achieves 109.9 FPS; the GPU's texture and pixel processing capabilities are not yet saturated. However, the jump from Medium (177.6 FPS) to High (109.9 FPS) at 4K represents a 38% performance hit, indicating that the High preset introduces effects that significantly increase the GPU's workload. The RTX 5070's 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is clearly more than enough for this title, as evidenced by the fact that even at 4K Ultra, the frame rate does not dip below 108 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of 1671 tested combinations, this specific pairing of the i5-12400F and RTX 5070 ranks 342nd for Inside. This places it in the top 20.5% of all tested combos, which is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank is likely held back by the CPU's performance ceiling rather than the GPU's capabilities. The RTX 5070's average benchmark score of 41687 places it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which scores 41441, a delta of 0.6%.

The CPU, with an average benchmark score of 19221, sits at the 77th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS at 19364, which is 0.7% faster. The i5-12400F's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, provide sufficient single-thread performance for most games, but the 1080p Low result of 319 FPS suggests this is near the CPU's practical limit for this engine. If the rank were purely GPU-determined, the combo would likely sit higher, given that the GPU's percentile rank is 6 points higher than the CPU's.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 108.2 FPS at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate monitors?

A: For a 144Hz or 240Hz display, 2560x1440 with the High preset provides 177.6 FPS, while the Low preset delivers 283.7 FPS. At 1920x1080, the High preset achieves 243.8 FPS, which is suitable for most high-refresh displays.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The limiting factor shifts with settings. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is the bottleneck, as indicated by the large frame rate drop from 1440p. At 1080p Low (319 FPS), the CPU is likely the limiter, as the frame rate is extremely high and approaching the core's threading limits.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5070 scores 41687 in average benchmarks, which is 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090's score of 41441. This makes the two cards nearly identical in raw compute performance.

Q: Will the 12 GB of VRAM be an issue for this game?

A: No. Inside is a 2D puzzle platformer with low texture memory requirements. The 12 GB of GDDR7 memory is far more than what the game can utilize, even at 4K Ultra.

Q: What is the performance gap between High and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: The gap is minimal. The High preset averages 109.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 108.2 FPS, a difference of only 1.7 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the Ultra preset offers no meaningful benefit over High for this title. At 4K, the difference between High (109.9 FPS) and Ultra (108.2 FPS) is negligible, while at 1440p, the gap is 7.6 FPS (177.6 vs 170 FPS). The performance cost of Ultra is not justified by the visual return, given that the frame rates are already high. The Medium preset provides a significant jump in performance—177.6 FPS at 4K and 264.9 FPS at 1440p—but the visual quality reduction from High is likely noticeable in this atmospheric game.

Therefore, the High preset is the optimal choice for a balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 4K High, the system produces 109.9 FPS, which is ideal for a 100Hz or 120Hz display. For users with 144Hz monitors, dropping to 1440p High yields 177.6 FPS, providing ample headroom. The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play, where the 319 FPS at 1080p could theoretically reduce input latency, but this is unnecessary for a single-player puzzle game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F's specifications are a key factor in understanding the high frame rates. With 6 cores and 12 threads, and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, the CPU provides strong single-thread performance, which is crucial for game logic and draw call submission. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332 and multi-core score of 16518 indicate solid performance for a mainstream desktop part. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache helps with game asset streaming.

The data shows that the CPU is not a significant bottleneck until the GPU is underutilized. At 1080p Low, the GPU is producing 319 FPS, but the CPU's architectural limits appear to cap the frame rate around this level. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 3481 is high, but the engine's reliance on a few primary threads becomes apparent at these extreme frame rates. In contrast, at 4K Ultra, the CPU has ample headroom, as the GPU's rendering time becomes the dominant factor. The CPU's 65W TDP and Alder Lake architecture provide efficient performance, ensuring it can sustain high clocks without thermal throttling during extended sessions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all presets. The Low preset achieves an average of 319 FPS, the Medium preset hits 292.4 FPS, and the High preset produces 243.8 FPS. The Ultra preset is the slowest at this resolution, with an average of 236.8 FPS, which is still remarkably high.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high. The Low preset averages 283.7 FPS, the Medium preset reaches 264.9 FPS, and the High preset delivers 177.6 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 170 FPS, showing a modest drop from the High preset.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its workload. The Low preset still averages 225.7 FPS, the Medium preset produces 177.6 FPS, and the High preset drops to 109.9 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 108.2 FPS. Across all resolutions, the gap between High and Ultra is consistently small, confirming that the Ultra preset offers diminishing returns. The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low and Medium presets are GPU-light and CPU-bound, while High and Ultra presets increase GPU load significantly, particularly at 4K.