Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that is anything but demanding on modern hardware, yet the benchmark data for the Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT reveals a fascinating profile of how this particular pairing scales across resolutions and settings. The game is not a stress test for high-end components; instead, it acts as a clear indicator of where the bottleneck lies in this system—and the results show a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions but surprisingly CPU-bound at the lowest settings.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It features 25 MB of shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 29,241 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,128 in single-core, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, scores just 0.3% higher on average, making the 12700K statistically identical in raw processing power.

For a game like Inside, which is a 2D side-scroller with a dark, atmospheric art style, the CPU’s 12 cores are largely overkill. The game’s physics and logic are simply not threaded to utilize 20 threads. The single-core performance matters more, and here the 12700K is strong—its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,128 is excellent. However, the measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p Low, the system hits 368.3 FPS, which is far beyond any display’s refresh rate. This indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher settings; the GPU takes over as the primary constraint.

The benchmark results suggest that the 12700K’s role is to provide a massive headroom so that the GPU never waits on the processor. In this game, the CPU’s 12 cores do not translate to a direct FPS advantage over a 6-core part, but they ensure that frame pacing remains stable and that the GPU is fed with data as fast as it can render. The data shows a single-threaded workload benefit, but the real story is that this CPU is over-provisioned for Inside, leaving all performance variance to the graphics card.

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

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p Ultra with this combo?

A: The benchmark records an average of 128.5 FPS at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings. This is the lowest 1440p result, but it still exceeds 120 FPS, indicating a very smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35,684, while its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, scores 35,802. The delta is -0.3%, meaning the Ryzen is essentially tied, with a negligible 0.3% lead over the Intel part.

Q: Is the GPU’s performance closer to a specific NVIDIA card?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT has an average benchmark score of 30,097. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 scores 30,109, resulting in a deltaPct of 0, meaning the two are statistically identical in average performance.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers an average of 174.1 FPS, while Ultra drops to 83.2 FPS. This represents a more than 2x reduction in frame rate, showing the massive GPU workload increase from enabling all visual effects.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top half of all tested configurations?

A: Yes. The combo rank is 602 out of 1,671 tested combos, which places it in the top 36% of all CPU and GPU pairings tested in this game.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K had a launch MSRP of $409. The GPU had a launch MSRP of 449 USD, but this detail is provided for reference only.

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

The FPS scaling across resolutions tells a clear story of GPU dominance. At 1080p Ultra, the system produces 181.2 FPS. Moving to 1440p Ultra, it drops to 128.5 FPS, a reduction of 52.7 FPS or about 29%. From 1440p to 4K Ultra, the frame rate falls further to 83.2 FPS, another 35% drop. This pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering resolution dictates the load on the graphics card.

At the Low preset, the scaling is even more dramatic. At 1080p Low, the system hits 368.3 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 274.1 FPS, and at 4K Low, it still manages 174.1 FPS. The fact that 4K Low (174.1 FPS) is nearly as fast as 1080p Ultra (181.2 FPS) is telling. It suggests that at Low settings, the GPU’s shading and texture units are not the bottleneck; instead, the fill rate and memory bandwidth become the limiting factors as resolution increases.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting component at any resolution above 1080p Low. The 12700K’s 12 cores and high boost clock provide more than enough headroom. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a near-linear relationship with pixel count, which is the signature of a GPU-limited workload. This means that for Inside, the RX 7700 XT is the component that determines playability, and the CPU is essentially a silent partner that never holds the system back.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of an Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 602nd out of 1,671 combos. This places it in the 64th percentile of all tested systems, meaning about 36% of configurations are faster. For a game as light as Inside, this rank is not a reflection of the hardware’s capability but rather the fact that many other higher-end GPUs (like the RTX 5070 Mobile, which scores 0.6% higher on average) are included in the database.

The rank of 602 is respectable but not top-tier. It suggests that while this combo is highly capable, there are many systems with more powerful graphics cards that push higher frame rates. However, given that the 12700K sits in the 89th percentile of CPUs and the RX 7700 XT is in the 73rd percentile of GPUs, the combination is well-balanced for gaming. The low rank in Inside is more a reflection of the game’s low requirements, which allow even mid-range GPUs to hit high frame rates, rather than any deficiency in this specific hardware.

The nearest GPU rival, the RTX 5060, has a 0% deltaPct, meaning it performs identically in aggregate benchmarks. This suggests that swapping the RX 7700 XT for an RTX 5060 would not significantly change the rank or the measured FPS in Inside. The combo’s rank is thus more dependent on the CPU side, where the 12700K’s 89th percentile standing ensures it does not drag down the pairing.

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

The measured FPS data is comprehensive, covering four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low 368.3 FPS, Medium 304.8 FPS, High 193.3 FPS, and Ultra 181.2 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is substantial, a 111.5 FPS drop, which indicates that the High preset introduces significant graphical effects that heavily tax the GPU.

At 2560x1440, the figures are: Low 274.1 FPS, Medium 220.3 FPS, High 136.5 FPS, and Ultra 128.5 FPS. The drop from Medium to High here is 83.8 FPS, again showing that High is a major step up in GPU load. The difference between High and Ultra is a smaller 8 FPS, suggesting that Ultra adds only minor effects over High.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low 174.1 FPS, Medium 139.4 FPS, High 88.6 FPS, and Ultra 83.2 FPS. The pattern holds: Medium to High is a large drop (50.8 FPS), while High to Ultra is a modest 5.4 FPS reduction. Across all resolutions, the Ultra preset is never more than 6% slower than High, while High is consistently 30-40% slower than Medium.

This breakdown shows that the RX 7700 XT handles 4K Ultra at 83.2 FPS, which is playable, but the sweet spot for high-refresh monitors is clearly at 1440p, where even Ultra exceeds 120 FPS. The data also reveals that the Low preset’s frame rates are so high (over 174 FPS even at 4K) that they are likely CPU-limited, as the GPU has very little work to do.

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

For a game like Inside, which is a cinematic puzzle platformer, the visual atmosphere is a key part of the experience. The measured data shows that the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 4K High, the system delivers 88.6 FPS, which is smooth for a slow-paced game. At 1440p High, it hits 136.5 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz monitor. The jump from High to Ultra only costs 5-6% of frame rate at any resolution, but the visual differences in a game with such a muted color palette are likely negligible.

However, for players with a 144Hz or 165Hz display, the Medium preset at 1440p provides 220.3 FPS, ensuring that the frame rate never dips below the refresh rate. The Medium preset is 61% faster than High at 1440p, and the visual downgrade is likely minimal given the game’s stylized art. At 1080p, Medium delivers 304.8 FPS, which is overkill for any monitor, but it ensures maximum responsiveness.

The Ultra preset is not recommended because it only offers a marginal improvement over High (181.2 vs 193.3 FPS at 1080p, for example) while demanding more from the GPU. The Low preset is only useful for extreme frame rate maximization, but it sacrifices the game’s shadow and lighting effects, which are crucial for the mood. Based on the data, the High preset at 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a 136.5 FPS average that balances visual fidelity with high refresh rates. For 4K, High at 88.6 FPS is playable, but Medium at 139.4 FPS is the better choice for smoother motion.