Inside

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination delivers an exceptional experience in Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016 that is not particularly demanding by modern standards. The measured frame rates are uniformly high across all tested resolutions and settings, with the lowest average recorded being 105.8 FPS at 4K Ultra. This indicates the pairing is overwhelmingly capable of running the game at maximum fluidity, making the GPU the primary bottleneck only at the most demanding settings, while the CPU's high single-thread performance allows it to dominate at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, which is typical for a game of this genre. At 1080p with Low settings, the setup produces 367.7 FPS, which is a massive 63% higher than the 4K Low result of 222.8 FPS. This substantial gap reveals that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-limited; the graphics card has ample headroom, and the processor's performance dictates the frame ceiling. The scaling from 1080p Low to 1440p Low shows a drop to 324.6 FPS, a 12% reduction, which still leaves the system in a CPU-bound state.

Moving to High settings, the pattern shifts. At 1080p High, the average is 247.1 FPS, dropping to 178.1 FPS at 1440p High, and further to 113.1 FPS at 4K High. This represents a 28% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a 54% decrease from 1080p to 4K. The increasingly steep drop-off as resolution climbs indicates the load is transitioning to the GPU. The Radeon RX 7900 XT, with its 20 GB of GDDR6 memory and 800.0 GB/s bandwidth, is being tasked more heavily, yet still delivers playable frame rates well above 100 FPS at 4K.

The Ultra preset tells a similar story. The frame rates are 235 FPS at 1080p, 168.2 FPS at 1440p, and 105.8 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 4K Ultra is 129.2 FPS, proving that the GPU is the limiting component at this highest quality level. Interestingly, the gap between 1440p and 4K Ultra (62.4 FPS) is nearly as large as the gap between 1080p and 1440p (66.8 FPS), suggesting the GPU's compute resources are the primary constraint at these higher resolutions. Overall, the data indicates that for this specific title, the processor is the bottleneck at 1080p and lower settings, while the graphics card becomes the decisive factor when resolution and visual fidelity are maximized.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Inside?*

A: The highest measured average is 367.7 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the combo delivers an average of 105.8 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience above the 100 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p. For instance, the frame rate difference between Low (367.7 FPS) and Medium (340.1 FPS) settings is relatively small, indicating the processor is hitting its performance ceiling before the GPU can be fully utilized.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset yields 178.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 168.2 FPS. The performance cost of moving from High to Ultra is approximately 10 FPS.

Q: Does increasing resolution from 1440p to 4K have a significant impact on performance?

A: Yes, the impact is significant. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 178.1 FPS at 1440p to 113.1 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 65 FPS.

Q: Is this combo ranked highly among all tested systems for this game?

A: Yes. The combo ranks 211 out of 1671 tested combinations, placing it in the top 13% of all systems evaluated for Inside.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. Its specifications include a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. While the game Inside is not heavily multithreaded, the processor's strong single-thread performance is crucial for maintaining high frame rates. The benchmark data supports this, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4091.

In this game, the CPU's influence is most evident at 1080p and with lower graphical presets. The system achieves 367.7 FPS at 1080p Low, a figure that is constrained by the processor's ability to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The fact that the frame rate does not scale linearly with resolution at these lower settings confirms the CPU is the primary driver. The processor's high boost clock of 5.00 GHz allows it to excel in this scenario, pushing frame rates far beyond what the GPU alone would dictate at higher resolutions.

The processor's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory also contribute to its overall responsiveness, though specific memory bandwidth figures are not provided. Relative to other CPUs in the database, the i7-12700KF sits in the 89th percentile. Its average benchmark score of 35355 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14400, which scores 35336, a delta of only 0.1%. This indicates that for this game, the CPU has ample headroom and is not a limiting factor when compared to other modern processors.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT achieves a combo rank of 211 out of 1671 tested combinations for Inside. This places the system in the top 12.6% of all configurations evaluated, a strong showing that reflects its high performance in this title. The GPU itself is a significant contributor, ranking in the 82nd percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 38358.

The GPU's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile, which has an average score of 38349, a negligible delta of 0%. This suggests that the RX 7900 XT's raw compute power is on par with a top-tier mobile GPU, making it more than sufficient for a 2D puzzle platformer. The CPU's rank of 211 overall is also respectable, and when paired, the two components create a system that can easily handle the game's demands.

The high frame rates observed in the measured data align with this ranking. A rank of 211 out of 1671 means that only 210 other system configurations produce higher average frame rates in this specific game. Given that Inside is not a graphically intensive title, the limiting factors are often CPU single-thread speed and memory latency. The i7-12700KF's performance, evidenced by its large cache and high boost clocks, helps secure this top-tier placement.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on the user's display resolution and preference for visual fidelity. For users with a 1080p monitor, the Ultra preset is the clear choice. The system achieves 235 FPS at this setting, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate display and provides the highest level of graphical detail. The jump from High to Ultra costs only 12.1 FPS (from 247.1 to 235), making it a worthwhile trade-off for maximum visual quality.

At 1440p, the recommendations are similarly straightforward. The Ultra preset delivers 168.2 FPS, which is still exceptionally high and suitable for most high-refresh-rate monitors. However, users seeking the absolute highest frame rates could opt for the High preset, which yields 178.1 FPS, a gain of 10 FPS. The visual difference between High and Ultra in a game like Inside is often minimal, so the High preset offers a slight performance advantage without a significant quality loss.

For 4K gaming, the Ultra preset remains viable, with an average of 105.8 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS standard and smooth enough for most displays. If a user wants to ensure a higher frame rate buffer for a 120Hz or 144Hz 4K display, the High preset at 113.1 FPS would be the better option. The Low preset at 4K (222.8 FPS) is not recommended, as the visual degradation would be substantial for a relatively minor performance gain over Medium (179.3 FPS) or High. In summary, the Ultra preset is recommended for 1080p and 1440p users, while 4K users should choose between High and Ultra based on their refresh rate preference.