Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that places minimal stress on modern hardware, and the measured data for the Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT reflects this. The combination delivers frame rates that are extraordinarily high across all tested configurations, indicating that the game’s rendering demands are easily met by this mid-range pairing. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, the combo’s standing among tested systems, and the specific roles the CPU and GPU play in producing these results.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions but still maintains exceptional performance at higher ones. At 1080p High settings, the combo produces 194 FPS, which drops to 137.7 FPS at 1440p and further to 90.1 FPS at 4K. This represents a 53.5% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, which is a typical pattern for a game where pixel throughput becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting component, as the frame rate scales almost inversely with the total pixel count.

Looking at the Low settings tier, the scaling is even more pronounced. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 356.4 FPS, which drops to 274.6 FPS at 1440p and 173.7 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 4K drop here is 51.3%, indicating that even with minimal graphical load, the GPU’s pixel fill rate is the deciding factor. The fact that the system can push over 350 FPS at 1080p Low suggests that the CPU is far from being a constraint; the i5-12600KF’s single-thread performance is sufficient to feed the GPU at these extreme frame rates.

The Medium and Ultra settings follow similar trends. At Medium, the 1080p score of 307.6 FPS falls to 220.4 FPS at 1440p and 137.4 FPS at 4K. At Ultra, the 1080p score of 184.8 FPS falls to 133.5 FPS at 1440p and 82.3 FPS at 4K. The Ultra 4K result of 82.3 FPS is the lowest in the entire dataset, yet it still clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin. The scaling pattern across all settings indicates that the RX 7700 XT is the primary driver of performance, with the CPU providing ample headroom at every resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT achieves a rank of 601 out of 1671 combos for Inside. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU and GPU pairing. The percentile data for the individual components supports this positioning: the CPU ranks in the 84th percentile among all tested CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 73rd percentile among GPUs.

The combo’s rank is likely higher than the GPU’s percentile alone would suggest, which indicates that the game’s performance is more dependent on CPU capability than many other titles. The i5-12600KF’s strong single-thread score of 1016 in 3DMark and 3925 in Passmark single-thread tests allows it to push the GPU to its limits, especially at lower resolutions where the CPU’s role is more prominent. The nearest rival for the CPU, the Intel Core i9-10900K, has an average score of 27829, which is nearly identical to the i5-12600KF’s 27827, confirming that this processor punches well above its weight class.

The GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 with a delta of 0%, meaning they perform identically in aggregate benchmarks. The fact that this combo ranks 601st suggests that many of the 1671 tested combos feature higher-tier GPUs, but the i5-12600KF’s excellent multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its 23444 score in Cinebench R23 multi-core, helps it maintain a competitive position.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. With a boost clock of 2544 MHz and a game clock of 2171 MHz, the GPU is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming. The data shows that this GPU is more than capable of handling Inside’s modest graphical demands, as even the most demanding setting (Ultra at 4K) yields 82.3 FPS.

The GPU’s memory configuration is a key asset. While 12 GB might be considered modest for modern AAA titles, Inside is a 2D side-scrolling puzzle platformer with relatively simple textures and geometry. The 432.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient to feed the GPU’s 3456 shading units without creating a bottleneck. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 22547 places it in the 73rd percentile, which is respectable but not top-tier.

The GPU’s performance in the measured data is consistent with its theoretical capabilities. At 1080p, the GPU is able to push over 300 FPS at Low and Medium settings, indicating that the rendering pipeline is not being stressed. The fact that the 4K Ultra score of 82.3 FPS is only 42.4% of the 1080p Low score of 356.4 FPS shows that the GPU’s pixel fill rate is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 35.17 TFLOPS provides ample compute power for this game’s simple shading models.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset yields 356.4 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. Medium follows closely at 307.6 FPS, representing a 13.7% drop from Low. High produces 194 FPS, which is a significant 36.9% drop from Medium, suggesting that the High preset introduces more demanding effects. Ultra yields 184.8 FPS, which is only 4.7% lower than High, indicating that the jump from High to Ultra is relatively modest in this game.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. Low produces 274.6 FPS, which is 23% lower than the 1080p Low score. Medium delivers 220.4 FPS, a 19.7% drop from 1080p Medium. High yields 137.7 FPS, which is 29% lower than the 1080p High score. Ultra produces 133.5 FPS, a 28.5% drop from 1080p Ultra. The consistent percentage drops across settings at 1440p indicate that the GPU is scaling predictably with resolution.

At 4K, the performance is still more than adequate for smooth gameplay. Low produces 173.7 FPS, which is 36.7% lower than the 1440p Low score. Medium yields 137.4 FPS, a 37.6% drop from 1440p Medium. High delivers 90.1 FPS, a 34.6% drop from 1440p High. Ultra produces 82.3 FPS, a 38.4% drop from 1440p Ultra. The 4K results show that even at the highest resolution, the combo maintains frame rates well above the 60 FPS standard, with the lowest score being 82.3 FPS at Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its architecture, Alder Lake, combines performance and efficiency cores, though the game’s workload likely benefits most from the two performance cores’ high single-thread speed. The CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score of 1016 and Passmark single-thread score of 3925 are strong indicators of its ability to handle game logic and physics calculations efficiently.

The CPU’s multi-threaded performance is also impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23444 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 27575. However, for a game like Inside, which is not heavily threaded, the single-thread performance is more critical. The CPU’s 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that it is a top-tier performer for gaming workloads.

The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 356.4 FPS, which is close to the limit of what most displays can show. If the CPU were struggling, we would expect to see diminishing returns at lower resolutions, but the linear scaling from 1080p to 4K indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s L3 cache of 20 MB shared, along with 1.25 MB of L2 per core, provides ample cache for the game’s data, reducing memory latency and improving frame pacing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the High preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, yielding 137.7 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides smooth gameplay while maintaining a high level of graphical fidelity. For players with 4K displays, the High preset at 3840x2160 produces 90.1 FPS, which is still excellent and provides a highly playable experience without needing to compromise on settings.

For those seeking maximum smoothness on high-refresh-rate displays, the Medium preset at 1080p delivers 307.6 FPS, which is more than sufficient for 240 Hz monitors. However, the jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 36.9% of the frame rate, which is a significant trade-off for what is likely a modest visual improvement in a puzzle platformer. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 184.8 FPS, which is still very high, but the 4.7% difference between High and Ultra suggests that the extra performance cost is not warranted.

The Low preset, while capable of producing 356.4 FPS at 1080p, is likely unnecessary for most users, as the Medium preset provides a substantial visual upgrade with only a 13.7% performance penalty. At 4K, the Medium preset produces 137.4 FPS, which is an excellent result and represents the best value for 4K users who want to stay well above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 82.3 FPS, is the only setting that drops below 100 FPS, but it still provides a smooth experience and is viable for those who prioritize maximum visual quality.