Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that places minimal stress on modern hardware, and the measured results for the Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 reflect that. The data shows a configuration that is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions but still delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested settings, making it a strong match for the game’s demanding physics-based puzzles and atmospheric rendering.

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

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, running on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, and it boosts up to 4.90 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The processor features a hybrid design with performance and efficiency cores, though the FACT PACK does not specify the exact core distribution. Its cache layout includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 20 MB L3 cache. This CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration and connects via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes.

For a game like Inside, which is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer with relatively simple geometry and physics, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. Benchmark results confirm this: the processor scores 3,302 points in Cinebench R23 single-core and 23,391 points in multi-core, placing it in the 79th percentile among all CPUs. The single-threaded performance is particularly relevant, as older games often rely heavily on one or two threads for game logic and physics. The 3DMark scores show strong scaling from 1,016 points in single-thread to 7,956 points in 16-thread tests, indicating that even if Inside were to utilize multiple cores for background tasks, this CPU has ample headroom.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU does not appear to bottleneck at any resolution. At 1080p Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 309 FPS, which is far beyond what the game’s engine likely needs. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is under maximum load, the average FPS of 66 suggests the CPU is still feeding the GPU adequately. The processor’s 10 cores and 16 threads are overkill for this title, but they ensure consistent frame pacing and prevent any potential stutter from physics calculations or asset streaming. The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K, AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE, AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, all of which have average benchmark scores within 0.3% of this chip, confirming that its performance is well-balanced for gaming workloads.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 247, with a minimum of 210 FPS and a maximum of 284 FPS. This indicates a very smooth experience with minimal frame dips.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The CPU scores 3,302 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 23,391 in multi-core, representing a roughly 7x scaling. In 3DMark, the single-thread score is 1,016, while the 16-thread score is 7,956, showing a similar scaling pattern that suggests the processor can handle both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads efficiently.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more likely to be the bottleneck in this game?

A: Based on the resolution scaling, the GPU is the primary limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the frame rate is 309 FPS, but dropping to 4K Low reduces it to 140 FPS, a 55% decrease. This pattern indicates that the GPU cannot maintain the same performance at higher resolutions, while the CPU has enough headroom to drive the game at all tested settings.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested hardware combinations?

A: The combination of Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1,615 out of 2,887 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the upper-middle portion of the rankings, which is expected given the game’s low system requirements.

Q: How does the GPU’s benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 16,014, which is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti’s score of 16,129. It is also 1% higher than the AMD Radeon R9 370X and AMD Radeon RX 7700, and 2.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for the Medium preset at each resolution?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 210. At 1440p Medium, it is 151. At 4K Medium, it is 95. These minimum values show that the frame rate remains playable even during demanding scenes, with a consistent drop as resolution increases.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 309 FPS at 1080p to 222 FPS at 1440p, a 28% decrease, and further to 140 FPS at 4K, a 55% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This steep drop indicates that the GPU is struggling to fill the increasing number of pixels, while the CPU’s workload remains relatively constant.

At Medium settings, the same trend is visible: 247 FPS at 1080p, 178 FPS at 1440p, and 112 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 28% and 55% respectively, matching the Low settings pattern. This consistency suggests that the GPU’s rendering pipeline is the bottleneck, as the CPU is able to maintain the same level of performance regardless of resolution. At High settings, the frame rates are 155 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K, with drops of 28% and 55%. The Ultra preset shows 147 FPS, 106 FPS, and 66 FPS, respectively, with similar percentage decreases.

The fact that the frame rate halves when moving from 1080p to 4K across all settings is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload is independent of resolution. Instead, the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are being taxed, and the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on the RX 9060 is sufficient for this game, but the 128-bit bus width and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth limit its ability to handle 4K textures efficiently. The data shows that Inside is not a demanding title, but the scaling confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint, especially at higher resolutions where pixel count increases exponentially.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. Starting at 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the game runs at an average of 309 FPS on Low settings. This is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset, demonstrating that the CPU and GPU combination can easily handle the game’s minimal demands at this resolution. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 247 FPS, with a minimum of 210 FPS and a maximum of 284 FPS. The High preset yields 155 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces 147 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 8 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds minimal visual enhancements while slightly increasing GPU load.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low settings average 222 FPS, Medium averages 178 FPS with a minimum of 151 and maximum of 204, High averages 111 FPS, and Ultra averages 106 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to 5 FPS at this resolution, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as pixel count increases. The minimum FPS values for Medium at 1440p are 151, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution, performance drops significantly. Low settings average 140 FPS, Medium averages 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 and maximum of 128, High averages 70 FPS, and Ultra averages 66 FPS. The minimum FPS of 95 at Medium settings is still playable, but the High and Ultra presets fall below 75 FPS, which may be noticeable on high-refresh-rate monitors. The data shows a clear trend: the GPU’s performance scales linearly with pixel count, and at 4K, the RX 9060 is pushed to its limits, especially on higher settings presets.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is based on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip, manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. It contains 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units, with 28 ray tracing cores. The GPU’s TDP is 132 W, and it requires a 300 W power supply, connecting via PCIe 5.0 x16.

For Inside, the GPU’s specifications are more than adequate. The game’s art style uses muted colors and simple shading, which does not heavily tax the shading units or texture units. The 8 GB of VRAM is ample for the game’s assets, even at 4K, as the game was released in 2016 and does not feature high-resolution textures. The GPU’s benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning: it scores 17,631 in Passmark G3D and 3,322 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 59th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores slightly higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700, which scores nearly identically.

The GPU’s performance in Inside is dominated by its fill rate and memory bandwidth. At 1080p, the GPU is not the bottleneck, as the frame rates exceed 300 FPS on Low settings. However, at 4K, the GPU’s 64 ROPs and 128-bit memory bus become limiting factors, causing the frame rate to drop below 70 FPS on High and Ultra presets. The boost clock of 2990 MHz helps maintain performance in lighter scenes, but the memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The data shows that the GPU is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming in this title, but 4K requires reducing settings to Medium or Low to maintain playable frame rates.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, all presets deliver excellent performance, with even the Ultra preset averaging 147 FPS. For users with a 60 Hz monitor, the High preset at 155 FPS provides a comfortable margin, while the Medium preset at 247 FPS is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The Ultra preset offers only a marginal improvement over High (8 FPS difference) and may not justify the additional GPU load, especially if the visual differences are subtle.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 178 FPS is the best balance of performance and visual quality. The High preset at 111 FPS is still smooth, but the Ultra preset at 106 FPS shows diminishing returns. For users prioritizing frame rate, the Low preset at 222 FPS is excessive for this game, as the visual downgrade is unlikely to be noticeable given the game’s art style. The Medium preset provides a minimum FPS of 151, ensuring no noticeable stutter.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 112 FPS is the recommended choice, as it maintains a minimum FPS of 95, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 70 FPS is playable but may experience occasional dips, while the Ultra preset at 66 FPS is borderline. The Low preset at 140 FPS is the safest option for a locked 60 FPS experience, but the visual quality may be lower than intended. Overall, the Medium preset across all resolutions provides a consistent experience, with frame rates ranging from 112 FPS at 4K to 247 FPS at 1080p, and it is the best choice for most users.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1,615 out of 2,887 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the 56th percentile. This ranking is lower than what the raw FPS numbers might suggest, as Inside is a game with very low system requirements, meaning even modest hardware can achieve high frame rates. The rank reflects the relative performance of this combo compared to all other tested combinations, and the fact that it sits in the middle of the pack indicates that many other configurations, likely with more powerful GPUs or CPUs, can push even higher frame rates in this undemanding title.

The CPU’s percentile of 79 versus the GPU’s percentile of 59 suggests that the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card when compared to their respective peers. This imbalance is confirmed by the resolution scaling data, which shows the GPU becoming the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The combo’s rank of 1,615 is likely influenced by the GPU’s mid-range positioning, as many other combos may pair similar CPUs with higher-end GPUs to achieve better performance in this game.

Despite the mid-pack ranking, the measured FPS data shows that this combo delivers a highly playable experience at all resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the minimum FPS across all presets is 147, and at 1440p, the minimum is 106. Even at 4K, the lowest average FPS is 66, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. The rank of 1,615 out of 2,887 is therefore a reflection of the hardware’s relative standing, not its absolute capability in this specific game. The combo is well-balanced for mainstream gaming, and Inside runs exceptionally well on it, with the only caveat being that 4K Ultra settings will push the GPU to its limits.