Inside

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a game that is far more forgiving on hardware than its atmospheric presentation suggests. The data reveals a combination that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher settings, yet so fast that it can push past 300 FPS at 1080p with minimal settings. This pairing ranks in the 44th percentile of all tested combos for this title, with a rank of 1615 out of 2887, indicating that while it is not the absolute top-tier configuration, it provides a flawless experience for the vast majority of displays. The benchmark results show a system capable of handling the game at maximum fidelity on high-refresh-rate monitors, with the primary performance variable being the resolution and preset you choose.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K in Inside is dramatic and reveals a clear shift in the bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 309 FPS. When the resolution is increased to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 222, and at 3840x2160, it falls further to 140 FPS. This pattern shows that even at 4K with Low settings, the system maintains a high frame rate, but the scaling is not linear. The drop from 1080p to 1440p represents a significant 28% reduction in performance, while the move from 1440p to 4K yields another 37% reduction.

This scaling behavior indicates that at Low settings, the game is heavily dependent on the CPU and its ability to feed frames, but the GPU begins to take on more responsibility as the pixel count increases. However, the story changes when we look at the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 147. Moving to 1440p Ultra, it drops to 106 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it lands at 66 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K here is a 55% reduction, which is more pronounced than the Low preset's reduction, suggesting that the GPU is the limiting factor at the highest fidelity settings. The data shows that the RX 9060's 8 GB of VRAM and its compute capabilities are sufficient for the game's demands, but the rendering load at 4K Ultra is what ultimately caps performance.

The 4K Medium result, with an average of 112 FPS and a minimum of 95 FPS, highlights the sweet spot for high-resolution play. This suggests that the game's visual effects scaling from Medium to Ultra has a disproportionate impact on performance. The jump from Medium to Ultra at 4K drops the average FPS by 46, while the jump from Low to Medium increases performance by 28 FPS from the Low baseline. This indicates that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are particularly taxing on the GPU, making it the primary limiting component at that setting.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combo in Inside?*

A: The highest average frame rate recorded in the data is 309 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This shows the combo's immense headroom for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Inside?*

A: Yes, it is more than capable. The data shows an average of 70 FPS at 4K High and 66 FPS at 4K Ultra. While the Ultra preset is not a locked 60 FPS in all scenarios, the High preset provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. For a perfectly stable experience, the Medium preset at 4K delivers an excellent 112 FPS average with a minimum of 95 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 9060's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 16014, placing it just 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129. It is also 1% ahead of both the AMD Radeon R9 370X and the AMD Radeon RX 7700, which score 15862 and 15852, respectively.

*Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this GPU in Inside?*

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at higher settings. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a significant performance drop, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. For instance, at Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 147 at 1080p to 66 at 4K, a clear sign of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's strength is evident in the high frame rates at Low settings, where it can push 309 FPS at 1080p.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The data includes a minimum FPS measurement only for the Medium preset at each resolution. The lowest of these is 95 FPS at 3840x2160, indicating that even in demanding scenes at 4K Medium, the system stays well above smooth gameplay thresholds.

Q: How does the CPU's performance rank among all processors?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has a percentile rank of 84, meaning it outperforms 84% of all CPUs in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score is 35287, which is nearly identical to its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-13600T, which has an average score of 35305, a difference of only -0.1%.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 plays a pivotal role in determining the frame rate ceiling at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU's memory configuration consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. This is sufficient for Inside's visual style, which uses a muted color palette and simple textures but relies on dynamic lighting and shadow effects. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor, as even at 4K Ultra, the game runs at an average of 66 FPS without any reported stuttering or texture pop-in.

The GPU's clock speeds are a key indicator of its performance. It has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. The high boost clock is particularly relevant for a game like Inside, which can have lighter scenes where the GPU can boost to its maximum frequency. The data shows that the GPU is capable of handling the game's physics and rendering demands, with a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s. These specifications translate to the observed 70 FPS average at 4K High, proving that the GPU has the raw throughput to drive the game at high resolutions.

The GPU's position relative to its rivals reinforces its capability. With a percentile rank of 59 against all GPUs, it sits in the mid-to-upper tier. Its average benchmark score of 16014 is within 1% of the scores of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 7700. This suggests that in Inside, the RX 9060 should deliver similar performance to these cards, and the measured FPS data confirms that it provides a high-refresh-rate experience at 1440p and a solid 4K experience. The GPU's architecture, RDNA 4.0, is built on a 4 nm process, which contributes to its efficiency, allowing it to maintain high clock speeds while staying within a 132 W TDP.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a comprehensive look at the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset achieves an average of 309 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset delivers 247 FPS, with a minimum of 210 and a maximum of 284, showing excellent frame pacing. The High preset drops to 155 FPS, and the Ultra preset caps the 1080p results at 147 FPS. This demonstrates that even at the highest settings, the combo is capable of driving a 144Hz monitor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive, though the GPU begins to feel the increased pixel load. The Low preset averages 222 FPS, which is still a phenomenal result for a 1440p panel. The Medium preset averages 178 FPS, with a minimum of 151 and a maximum of 204, ensuring a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate 1440p displays. The High preset drops to 111 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 106 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1440p Ultra is still very playable, but it is here that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as the drop from High to Ultra is minimal compared to the drop from Medium to High.

At 3840x2160, the resolution scaling becomes most apparent. The Low preset averages 140 FPS, which is a playable and smooth result for 4K. The Medium preset yields an average of 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 FPS, making it the best choice for a locked 4K experience. The High preset drops to 70 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced games like Inside, but it may not be ideal for those sensitive to frame rate fluctuations. The Ultra preset averages 66 FPS, which is the lowest score in the dataset, but it still provides a mostly smooth experience. The data clearly shows that the Medium preset at 4K is the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance, offering a 46 FPS advantage over the High preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 holds a rank of 1615 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the 44th percentile of all configurations, meaning it outperforms 44% of the systems tested. This ranking is a reflection of the GPU's mid-range standing rather than the CPU's prowess. The i7-12700K is a high-end processor, with a benchmark percentile of 84, but the RX 9060's percentile of 59 holds the combo back from the top tiers.

Looking at the GPU's rivals, the RX 9060 scores 16014, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's score of 16129. This suggests that the combo's ranking would be similar if paired with that competing GPU. The CPU's nearest rivals are all within a narrow performance band. The Intel Core i5-13600T has an average score of 35305, which is just 0.1% higher than the i7-12700K's 35287. This indicates that the CPU is not a differentiating factor in the combo's overall rank. The rank is, therefore, almost entirely determined by the GPU's performance class.

The data implies that while this combo is not at the top of the charts, it is in a strong position for mainstream gaming. The 44th percentile ranking is not a judgment of the experience's quality, but rather a measure of raw performance against other configurations. Given that the combo delivers over 60 FPS at 4K Ultra and over 100 FPS at 1440p Ultra, the rank reflects that many other systems are faster, but few offer a better balance of price and performance for this title. The high CPU rank ensures that there is no bottleneck, allowing the GPU to perform to its full potential, which is a key factor in its respectable overall position.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend entirely on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation. The combo achieves an average of 147 FPS, which is more than sufficient for a 144Hz monitor. There is no need to lower the settings, as the visual fidelity of Ultra is worth the minor performance reduction compared to High, which only gains 8 FPS. For those with a 240Hz display, the Medium preset at 247 FPS is the best choice, as it offers a significant jump in frame rate while still maintaining a high level of visual quality.

For 1440p users, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 178 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming, and it has a minimum FPS of 151, ensuring no noticeable drops. The Ultra preset, at 106 FPS, is also a viable option for those who prioritize image quality over maximum frame rate, as it still provides a smooth experience on a 100Hz or 120Hz monitor. The High preset is less compelling, as it offers only a 5 FPS advantage over Ultra at the cost of visual fidelity.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the definitive recommendation. It provides an average of 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS, which is a flawless experience for a 60Hz or 100Hz display. The High preset, at 70 FPS, is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset, at 66 FPS, is not recommended for 4K, as the performance drop from Medium is too severe to justify the incremental visual improvements. The data shows that Medium at 4K is the most efficient setting, offering a 46 FPS improvement over High while still looking excellent. For all resolutions, the Low preset is unnecessary for this combo, as its performance is so high that you can always afford to use Medium or higher.