Inside

The Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Inside, a puzzle platformer that is far more demanding on the GPU than on the processor. The benchmark data shows that even at 4K with Ultra settings, the system maintains an average of 92 FPS, while lower settings push the frame rate far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. The measured results indicate that this pairing is heavily GPU-bound across all tested resolutions, with the CPU rarely acting as a limiting factor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, the chip scores 19,784 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,850.5 in single-core, numbers that place it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. For a game like Inside, which is a 2.5D puzzle platformer with relatively modest physics and AI demands, the i7-12700K's single-thread performance is the most relevant asset. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043 and the 2-thread score of 2,065 suggest that the processor can easily handle the game's main thread.

The benchmark results for this combo reveal that the CPU is never the limiting factor. At 1080p High, the system achieves 214 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 203 FPS. The difference between these two presets is only 11 FPS, which is a much smaller drop than what occurs when the resolution is increased. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain relatively constant across resolutions at a given preset. Instead, the data shows a clear resolution-dependent scaling, indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint.

The i7-12700K's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core i5-13600T, Intel Core i7-12700KF, Intel Core i7-13700T, and Intel Core 5 213PE. The i7-12700K trails the i5-13600T by only 0.1% in average score, and it lags the i7-13700T by 0.3%. This tight grouping suggests that all four processors are within a fraction of a percent of each other in overall performance. For gaming, this means that any of these CPUs would likely deliver nearly identical frame rates in Inside, as the game does not require the full multithreaded throughput of the processor.

The passmark multithread score of 34,404 and the Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 12,229 show that the i7-12700K has substantial parallel processing capability, but this is simply not needed for Inside. The game's 2016 release date and its puzzle-platformer genre mean that the workload is primarily single-threaded, with some light multithreading for audio and physics. The 3DMark max-threads score of 9,979 indicates that the processor can scale well with additional threads, but the game rarely uses more than a few cores. As a result, the CPU contributes little to the performance differences observed across presets and resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is a high-end graphics card from the Radeon RX 6000 series, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 7 nm process. It has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1825 MHz and a boost clock of 2250 MHz, with a game clock of 2015 MHz. The card has 4,608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, and 128 ROPs, which are more than enough for a game like Inside. The GPU also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6, ensuring full compatibility with the game's rendering requirements.

The RX 6800 XT sits in the 85th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48,477. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile, Intel Arc A550M, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64. The RX 6800 XT outperforms the RTX A1000 Mobile by 1.5% but falls behind the Intel Arc A550M by 2.5% and the RTX 5070 Ti by 3%. This places the RX 6800 XT in a competitive position, though it is not the absolute top-tier card. For Inside, this level of performance is more than sufficient to achieve high frame rates at all settings.

The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM is a significant advantage, even though Inside is a relatively simple game in terms of texture detail. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 92 FPS, which is likely due to the GPU's rendering load rather than memory capacity. The card's 20.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 288.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are more than enough to handle the game's 2D side-scrolling perspective. The data shows that the RX 6800 XT is the component that determines the FPS scaling across both resolution and settings, as the CPU remains largely idle in comparison.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern: the average FPS drops as the resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p with High settings, the system averages 214 FPS. When the resolution is increased to 1440p, the average drops to 154 FPS, a reduction of 60 FPS or 28%. At 4K, the average further drops to 97 FPS, a reduction of 57 FPS from 1440p. This scaling is not linear, indicating that the GPU is being pushed harder at each higher resolution.

The scaling is even more pronounced at lower settings. At 1080p Low, the system averages 367 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 307 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 193 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 60 FPS, and the drop from 1440p to 4K is 114 FPS, which is steeper than the High settings scaling. This indicates that at Low settings, the GPU is working as hard as possible, and the frame rate is limited by the sheer number of pixels being rendered.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is more moderate. The 1080p Ultra average is 203 FPS, 1440p Ultra is 146 FPS, and 4K Ultra is 92 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 57 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 54 FPS. This nearly linear scaling with resolution is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. The fact that the FPS does not plateau at any resolution suggests that the RX 6800 XT is the sole limiting factor, and the i7-12700K is not constraining performance.

The resolution scaling also shows that the game is not particularly demanding, as even the 4K Ultra average of 92 FPS is well above the 60 FPS typically targeted for a smooth experience. The 4K Low average of 193 FPS is more than three times the 60 FPS target, suggesting that the RX 6800 XT has significant headroom for this game. The data indicates that if a player were to use a high refresh rate monitor, the system could easily produce above 144 FPS at 1080p or 1440p with most settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows show that the Medium preset is the most balanced configuration for this game, offering the best combination of frame rate and image quality. At 1080p, the Medium preset averages 339 FPS, which is higher than the High preset's 214 FPS and the Ultra preset's 203 FPS. The Medium preset also has a minimum FPS of 288 and a maximum of 389, indicating that the frame time is stable. In contrast, the High and Ultra presets do not report minimum or maximum FPS values, making it difficult to assess their stability, but the average frame rates are lower.

At 1440p, the Medium preset averages 246 FPS, which is again the highest among the higher presets. The High preset averages 154 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 146 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p also has a minimum FPS of 209, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, the Medium preset averages 154 FPS, with a minimum of 131 FPS and a maximum of 178 FPS. This is notably higher than the High preset's 97 FPS and the Ultra preset's 92 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K is the only configuration that provides frame times below 16 ms, which is crucial for a smooth experience on a 60 Hz display.

The Low preset offers the highest frame rates, with 367 FPS at 1080p, 307 FPS at 1440p, and 193 FPS at 4K. However, the Low preset likely sacrifices a significant amount of visual quality, including shadows, textures, and anti-aliasing. For a puzzle platformer where the atmosphere and visual detail are important to the experience, the Low preset is not recommended. The Ultra preset, on the other hand, provides the most visually impressive experience, but the frame rate at 4K (92 FPS) is still adequate for most players. However, the Medium preset provides the best balance between visual fidelity and performance, making it the optimal choice across all resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K a bottleneck for the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT in Inside?

A: No. The benchmark data shows that the FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. The i7-12700K has a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,850.5 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043, which are more than sufficient for the game's light CPU workload.

Q: Can this combination run Inside at 4K with high refresh rates?

A: Yes. At 4K with the Medium preset, the system averages 154 FPS, and at High it averages 97 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset averages 92 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS. Therefore, a 4K 120 Hz display is fully supported, and a 4K 144 Hz display would be possible with lower settings.

Q: How does the RX 6800 XT compare to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, in this game?

A: The RX 6800 XT has an average benchmark score of 48,477, which is 3% lower than the RTX 5070 Ti's average score of 49,957. In this game, the RX 6800 XT is capable of delivering above 200 FPS at 1080p, so the 3% difference is unlikely to be noticeable in actual gameplay.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded in this benchmark?

A: The highest average FPS is 367 FPS, achieved at 1080p with the Low preset. The next highest is 339 FPS at 1080p with the Medium preset, which shows that the Medium preset is a high-performing option.

Q: Is the RX 6800 XT's VRAM capacity ever a limiting factor in Inside?

A: No. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory is far more than the game requires. Even at 4K with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 92, and there is no indication of memory-related stuttering that would occur if the VRAM were exhausted.

Q: Can the i7-12700K be overclocked, and would it affect the frame rate?

A: The i7-12700K has an unlocked multiplier, so it can be overclocked. However, since the CPU is not the bottleneck in this game, overclocking would have a negligible effect on the frame rates. The GPU is the limiting component, as shown by the FPS scaling across resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average FPS of 367 on Low settings, 339 on Medium, 214 on High, and 203 on Ultra. The Medium preset is the only one with a reported minimum and maximum, showing a minimum of 288 FPS and a maximum of 389 FPS. The Low and High presets do not have a reported minimum or maximum, but the average FPS values are all well above 200.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS is 307 on Low, 246 on Medium, 154 on High, and 146 on Ultra. The Medium preset again shows a minimum of 209 FPS and a maximum of 283 FPS. The High and Ultra presets have no min/max data, but the averages indicate a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 193 on Low, 154 on Medium, 97 on High, and 92 on Ultra. The Medium preset stands out with a minimum of 131 FPS and a maximum of 178 FPS, providing a stable frame time. The 4K High and Ultra presets have no min/max data, but the averages show that the system can handle 4K gaming comfortably.

The data indicates that the Medium preset offers the best balance between performance and visual quality, with the highest minimum FPS values across all resolutions. The 4K Medium preset, in particular, is a strong choice for a 4K display, as it provides a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS target. The 1080p and 1440p Medium presets are equally impressive, providing frame rates that are more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors.