Inside

The pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti presents a stark contrast in capabilities. The CPU is a high-end 12th Gen desktop processor, while the GPU is a 2016-era entry-level card with 4 GB of VRAM. Benchmark results for Inside reveal a system constrained almost entirely by the graphics card, where the CPU’s substantial headroom remains largely untapped.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates drop significantly, indicating that the GTX 1050 Ti is the limiting component. At 1080p with High settings, the system averages 54 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 39 FPS, a 27.8% reduction. At 4K, the average falls further to 25 FPS, which is just 46.3% of the 1080p performance.

This scaling behavior is a textbook example of a GPU-bound scenario. The i7-12700KF is not the bottleneck; the GTX 1050 Ti’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are. The data shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings also widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (109 FPS) and Ultra (52 FPS) is 57 FPS. At 4K, the same settings gap is only 26 FPS (49 FPS vs 23 FPS). This compression of the settings spread at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is running out of raw shading and texturing capacity, making the additional work from higher presets less impactful on the final frame rate.

GPU Role

The GTX 1050 Ti’s specifications directly explain its performance ceiling. With 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, the card is physically limited in how many pixels it can process. Its boost clock of 1392 MHz and 2.138 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are modest figures that align with its 25th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 112.1 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a likely contributor to the frame rate drops at 4K, where memory pressure is highest.

The data indicates that the GPU’s performance characteristics are the primary driver of the measured results. For instance, the 4K Medium preset shows an average of 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS. This variability suggests the card is working at its limit, with occasional dips in frame pacing. The GPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Radeon R5 M330 and the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, with the GTX 1050 Ti scoring 0.6% and 1% higher respectively. These are all low-tier parts, confirming the GPU’s position in the performance hierarchy.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested combinations for Inside, this specific setup ranks 3653 out of 3716 combos. This places it in the bottom 1.7% of all tested systems, which is a striking result for a system containing a powerful 12-core CPU. The ranking underscores how profoundly the GPU drags down the overall gaming experience.

The combo rank reflects the actual measured FPS, not the potential of the CPU. The i7-12700KF’s average benchmark score is 35365, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T (0.1% slower) and the Intel Core i5-13600T (0.2% faster). This CPU is a top-tier performer, but the data from Inside shows its capabilities are irrelevant when paired with a GPU that has a 25th percentile ranking. The bottleneck is absolute; the GPU is the sole determinant of the frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 109 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 and a maximum of 100, showing a playable range. High settings average 54 FPS, while Ultra drops to 52 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the GPU can still provide a smooth experience on lower presets, but the jump from Medium to High costs 33 FPS, indicating a steep performance cliff.

At 2560x1440, the impact of resolution is evident. Low settings average 78 FPS, which is still fluid. Medium settings average 62 FPS (min 53, max 72), which is the most balanced option at this resolution. High settings fall to 39 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 37 FPS. The data suggests that 1440p is only viable with Low or Medium presets for a consistently smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the GTX 1050 Ti is clearly out of its depth. Low settings average 49 FPS, which is borderline playable. Medium averages 39 FPS (min 33, max 45), showing significant frame dips. High settings average 25 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. None of the 4K presets provide a consistently smooth experience, with even Low settings struggling to maintain 60 FPS.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Inside with this hardware?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system can achieve an average above 100 FPS (109 FPS on Low). At 2560x1440, the maximum average is 78 FPS on Low, and at 3840x2160, the maximum average is 49 FPS on Low. Therefore, 1080p is the only resolution that allows for high refresh rate performance.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700T, scores 35403, which is 0.1% higher. Another close rival, the Intel Core i5-13600T, scores 35305, which is 0.2% lower. The data shows the i7-12700KF is statistically tied with these parts in overall CPU performance.

*Q: Is the GTX 1050 Ti capable of playing Inside at 4K?*

A: The measured data indicates it is not capable of a smooth experience. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 49 on Low settings. The Medium preset averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS. High and Ultra presets average 25 and 23 FPS respectively, which are below playable thresholds.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 109 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 52 FPS. This represents a 57 FPS difference, meaning the Ultra preset delivers only 47.7% of the performance of the Low preset. The data suggests the GPU’s limited shading units are the cause of this large drop.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its performance rivals?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has an average benchmark score of 4193. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R5 M330, scores 4170, which is 0.6% lower. Another rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, scores 4151, which is 1% lower. All of these are low-tier GPUs, reinforcing the GTX 1050 Ti’s position in the 25th percentile.

Q: Does the CPU’s high core count help in this game?

A: No. The benchmark results for Inside show a system that is fully GPU-bound. The i7-12700KF has 12 cores and 20 threads, but the measured FPS is limited by the GTX 1050 Ti’s compute and memory bandwidth. The CPU’s potential is irrelevant when the GPU cannot deliver enough frames.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for Inside with this hardware depends heavily on the target resolution. For a 1920x1080 display, the Medium preset is the best choice. It averages 87 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and has a minimum of 74 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. While Low averages 109 FPS, Medium provides a better visual quality with a still-excellent frame rate. High and Ultra presets, at 54 and 52 FPS respectively, are playable but do not offer a significant visual advantage over Medium to justify the 33 FPS loss.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the only reasonable option for a smooth experience, averaging 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS. Low averages 78 FPS, but the visual fidelity is compromised. High and Ultra are not recommended, as they average 39 and 37 FPS respectively, which can cause noticeable stuttering. For 3840x2160, the data suggests that no preset provides a fully satisfactory experience. Low settings average 49 FPS, which is the only option that approaches playability. Medium averages 39 FPS, which is borderline, but the minimum of 33 FPS makes it risky for consistent gameplay. High and Ultra are not viable, averaging 25 and 23 FPS respectively. In summary, the best experience is at 1080p with Medium settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a high-end processor with 12 cores (based on the Alder Lake architecture) and 20 threads, featuring a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It has 25 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its synthetic benchmark scores are impressive, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28838 and a single-core score of 4071. The CPU ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35365.

However, in the context of Inside, the CPU’s role is almost entirely passive. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU limitation. The frame rates scale with resolution and settings in a manner consistent with a GPU bottleneck. The i7-12700KF is capable of handling far more complex workloads, but the GTX 1050 Ti’s 75 W TDP and 2.138 TFLOPS of compute power are the definitive constraints. The data implies that this CPU is vastly overqualified for this gaming scenario, and its performance headroom is left completely unused. The game’s puzzle-platformer nature likely does not require the multi-threaded capabilities this CPU offers, making it a non-factor in the final results.