Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle-platformer that doesn't demand current-generation hardware, yet the measured results for this pairing of an Intel Core i5-12600KF with an AMD Radeon RX 9070 reveal a configuration that utterly dominates the game's requirements. The data shows a system that delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, making it a prime example of overkill for this specific title. This analysis breaks down how the CPU and GPU each contribute to the results, how resolution scaling affects performance, and what this means for a practical gaming experience.

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, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, which provides substantial single-thread headroom. In a game like Inside, which is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer with relatively simple AI and physics, the CPU workload is typically light, but the raw speed of the i5-12600KF ensures that frame pacing is never a concern. The processor's benchmark scores reinforce this: it achieves a single-thread score of 1016 in 3DMark and a multi-thread score of 7956 in the 16-thread test, indicating strong performance across the board.

The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 20 MB L3 cache. This configuration is more than sufficient for the modest data sets of a 2D puzzle game, ensuring that the game's logic and asset streaming never stall. The i5-12600KF ranks in the 79th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27799. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores 27872 (0.3% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which scores 27896 (0.3% higher). The deltaPct values show that the i5-12600KF is within a negligible margin of these high-end alternatives, meaning that for Inside, any of these CPUs would perform identically.

In the measured FPS data for Inside, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 359 avg FPS, which is an extremely high number that suggests the game is running at a frame rate cap or is limited by the GPU's ability to draw frames that fast. Even at Ultra settings at 1080p, the system still manages 206 avg FPS, which is far beyond what a 60 Hz or even 144 Hz display needs. The data indicates that the i5-12600KF provides more than enough processing power to feed the RX 9070, and its performance headroom is effectively irrelevant for this title. The processor's 16 threads and high boost clock ensure that even if the game had unexpected CPU spikes, the i5-12600KF would handle them without dropping frames.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is a modern GPU based on the RDNA 4.0 architecture, featuring the Navi 48 chip manufactured on a 4 nm process. It comes with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock is 2520 MHz, with a game clock of 2070 MHz, and it has 3584 shading units and 128 ROPs. For a game like Inside, which has a minimalist art style with flat colors and simple lighting, the GPU is still the primary driver of frame rates, but it is nowhere near stressed. The RX 9070's 16 GB of VRAM is vastly more than Inside requires; the game's textures are small and the memory footprint is tiny, so there is zero risk of VRAM limiting performance.

The GPU's benchmark results show a PassMark G3D score of 25381 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290, placing it in the 69th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, which scores 24170 (1.2% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 6800S, which scores 24063 (0.8% higher). The RX 9070's average benchmark score is 23877, and the data shows it is a high-end card, but for Inside, its capabilities are massively underutilized. The GPU's pixel rate is 322.6 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 564.5 GTexel/s, which are far beyond what a side-scroller needs.

Looking at the measured FPS data, the RX 9070 is the component that determines the frame rate ceiling. At 1080p Low, the system hits 359 avg FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 206 avg FPS, showing that even at low resolutions, the GPU's workload scales with settings. The GPU's power is most evident at 4K Ultra, where it still manages 93 avg FPS, which is playable but shows a significant drop from lower settings. The RX 9070's 16 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth ensure that the game runs smoothly without any frame hitches due to texture loading, but for this title, the GPU is essentially overkill. The data suggests that the RX 9070 is capable of running Inside at max settings with substantial headroom, but the frame rates are so high that the experience is limited by the display's refresh rate rather than the hardware.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how performance scales across resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 359 at 1080p to 311 at 1440p and then to 196 at 4K. This represents a 13.4% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 37% drop from 1440p to 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a bottleneck as resolution increases, which is expected since the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K. However, even at 4K Low, the system maintains 196 avg FPS, which is extremely high and shows that the RX 9070 has plenty of headroom.

At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 331 at 1080p to 249 at 1440p and then to 157 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24.8%, and from 1440p to 4K is 37%. This pattern is similar to Low settings, but the absolute numbers are lower, showing that the increased shading and texture work is taxing the GPU more. At High settings, the FPS drops from 217 at 1080p to 156 at 1440p and then to 98 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28.1%, and from 1440p to 4K is 37.2%. This shows that as settings increase, the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor at each resolution step.

At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 206 at 1080p to 148 at 1440p and then to 93 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28.2%, and from 1440p to 4K is 37.2%. The pattern is very consistent across all settings, with roughly a 28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 37% drop from 1440p to 4K. This consistency indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution, as the frame rate scaling is purely tied to the GPU's rendering workload. The data strongly suggests that the RX 9070 is the limiting component at all resolutions, but it is so powerful that even at 4K Ultra, it maintains near 100 FPS. The i5-12600KF is clearly not holding the system back, as the FPS scaling is smooth and predictable with no sudden drops that would indicate CPU stalls.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the user's display refresh rate and preferred resolution. At 1080p, all settings provide playable frame rates, but the data shows that the Medium preset offers a good balance. The Medium preset at 1080p achieves 331 avg FPS with a minimum of 281 FPS, which is well above any display's refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 1080p achieves 206 avg FPS, which is still very high, but the jump from Medium to Ultra is not worth the performance cost for a game like Inside, where the visual differences are minimal due to the art style. The Low preset at 1080p achieves 359 avg FPS, but it sacrifices visual quality for no practical gain, as the Medium preset is already above 300 FPS.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is again the sweet spot, achieving 249 avg FPS with a minimum of 212 FPS. The High preset at 1440p achieves 156 avg FPS, which is still excellent for a 144 Hz display, but the Medium preset provides a higher frame rate headroom. The Ultra preset at 1440p achieves 148 avg FPS, which is close to High, but the Medium preset is the best choice for a consistent 240 Hz experience. At 4K, the situation changes. The Medium preset at 4K achieves 157 avg FPS with a minimum of 133 FPS, which is perfect for a 120 Hz or 144 Hz display. The High preset at 4K achieves 98 avg FPS, which is borderline for a 100 Hz display, and the Ultra preset at 4K achieves 93 avg FPS, which is slightly lower. For 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it provides the highest frame rate that is still visually pleasing, while the Low preset at 4K achieves 196 avg FPS but looks noticeably worse.

The data shows that the Medium preset provides the best experience across all resolutions, as it maintains high frame rates without the visual compromises of Low and without the performance hit of High or Ultra. For a game like Inside, which has a dark, atmospheric art style, the Medium preset likely retains the core visual identity while ensuring the game runs flawlessly. The Ultra preset offers only marginal visual improvements over High, and the performance drop is significant, so it is not recommended unless the user has a very high refresh rate display that can take advantage of the extra frames at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9070 ranks 892nd out of 3716 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the top 24% of all tested configurations, which is a solid ranking, but it is not at the very top. The ranking reflects the fact that Inside is not a demanding game, and many lower-end combos can achieve high frame rates, so the i5-12600KF and RX 9070 combo's raw power is not fully utilized. The rank of 892 indicates that there are 891 other combos that perform better in this game, likely due to higher-end GPUs or CPUs that can push frame rates even higher, but the difference is likely negligible in practice.

The combo's rank is influenced by the fact that Inside is a puzzle platformer with a low system requirement ceiling. The data shows that the combo achieves over 200 FPS at 1080p Ultra, which is already far beyond what most displays can show. Therefore, the rank of 892 is more a reflection of the game's simplicity rather than any deficiency in the hardware. In comparison to other combos, the i5-12600KF's nearest CPU rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, would likely produce similar or identical frame rates in Inside, as the CPU is not a bottleneck. The GPU's nearest rivals, like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, might be slightly slower, but the RX 9070's advantage in synthetic benchmarks does not translate to a meaningful advantage in a game that runs at over 200 FPS.

The combo's ranking of 892 out of 3716 confirms the hardware's capability, but it also highlights that for this specific game, the user could achieve a similar experience with a much less powerful system. The data shows that the combo is not the best for Inside, but it is more than adequate, and the ranking is likely influenced by combos that use high-refresh-rate monitors and can sustain frame rates above 300 FPS at all settings. For a practical user, this rank is irrelevant, as the combo delivers an exceptional experience that is limited only by the display's refresh rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Inside?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 359 at 1080p with Low settings. This is an extremely high frame rate that far exceeds the refresh rate of any standard gaming monitor.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12600KF a bottleneck for the AMD Radeon RX 9070 in this game?

A: No, the data shows that the i5-12600KF is not a bottleneck. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent across all settings, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor, and the CPU's performance is sufficient to keep up.

Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K Ultra with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, the combo achieves 93 avg FPS at 4K with Ultra settings. This is playable, but the Medium preset at 4K achieves 157 avg FPS, which is a better experience for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does the RX 9070 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 9070 has an average benchmark score of 23877, which is 1.2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER's score of 24170. In the context of Inside, this difference is negligible.

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

A: The Medium preset is the best choice, as it achieves 249 avg FPS with a minimum of 212 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above the 144 Hz refresh rate. The High and Ultra presets are also viable, but they offer lower frame rates.

Q: Does this combo's rank of 892 out of 3716 mean it is a poor performer?

A: No, the rank reflects the game's low system requirements, not the hardware's quality. The combo achieves over 200 FPS at 1080p Ultra, which is an excellent result, and the rank is simply an artifact of many other combos also achieving high frame rates in this undemanding title.