Inside

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. The data shows this combination handles the game’s modest graphical demands with significant headroom, though the performance ceiling varies sharply with preset selection. The measured FPS across resolutions reveals a system where the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher settings, while the CPU’s substantial multi-threaded capacity remains largely untapped by a title that does not heavily stress modern processors.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its benchmark results place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35,365. This places it in a tight cluster with rivals: it scores 0.1% below the Intel Core i7-13700T and 0.2% above the Intel Core i5-13600T, while matching the Intel Core i7-12700K within 0.2%. In synthetic tests, the processor demonstrates strong single-thread performance with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1,043 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,071, which is relevant for a game like Inside that relies on consistent frame pacing rather than massive parallel workloads.

The nature of Inside as a puzzle platformer means that CPU load is typically light. The game’s physics and logic are not demanding enough to engage all 20 threads of this processor. Even at 1080p with Low settings, where the CPU would theoretically have the most influence due to lower GPU load, the average FPS reaches 231. This high frame rate indicates that the i7-12700KF is not a bottleneck in this scenario; the processor’s 12 cores and 20 threads provide far more capacity than the game requires. The 3dmark_2_threads score of 2,065 and 3dmark_4_threads score of 4,011 suggest that even if the game were optimized for a handful of threads, the processor would still deliver ample performance. The data shows no scenario in the measured FPS table where the CPU limits the frame rate, as even the most demanding preset at 4K Ultra (50 FPS) is far below the processor’s capabilities.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. Based on the GP104 chip with 1,920 shading units, it has a base clock of 1,506 MHz and a boost clock of 1,683 MHz. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for Inside’s relatively simple textures and effects. The GPU’s average benchmark score is 9,780, placing it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro W5000 (0.2% higher score) and the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (0.5% higher), indicating that the GTX 1070 sits near the middle of the performance spectrum for its generation.

The GTX 1070’s 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 107.7 GPixel/s pixel rate are more than adequate for a game with Inside’s art style, which favors atmospheric lighting and silhouettes over dense geometry. However, the measured FPS shows how the GPU begins to struggle as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p High, the card averages 115 FPS, but at 4K High, this drops to 52 FPS. This scaling is directly tied to the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth, as the 256.3 GB/s bandwidth becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions. The GTX 1070’s 8 GB VRAM is not taxed by this title, as even at 4K Ultra the game does not appear to exceed the memory capacity, but the raw compute and memory bandwidth are what determine the final frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear pattern of degradation as resolution increases, with the GPU being the primary bottleneck at higher settings. At Low settings, the transition from 1080p to 1440p to 4K yields average FPS of 231, 166, and 104 respectively. This represents a 28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 37% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is more pronounced at High settings: 115 FPS at 1080p falls to 83 FPS at 1440p (a 28% drop) and then to 52 FPS at 4K (a 37% drop from 1440p). This consistent proportional decline indicates that the GTX 1070 is the limiting component, as the CPU’s performance does not change with resolution.

The Medium settings are the only rows with measured min and max FPS values, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the average is 184 FPS with a range of 157 to 212 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 133 FPS with a range of 113 to 153 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 83 FPS with a range of 71 to 96 FPS. The spread between min and max FPS remains relatively tight at each resolution, suggesting that the GPU maintains stable frame pacing even as the load increases. The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling: 110 FPS at 1080p, 79 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. This 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K Ultra demonstrates that the GTX 1070 is pushed to its limits at the highest settings, though the game remains playable.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K with smooth performance?*

A: Yes, but only at Medium or Low settings. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 83, while at 4K Low it rises to 104. The High and Ultra presets at 4K produce 52 and 50 FPS respectively, which are below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Which component limits performance in this game?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the limiting component. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as 28,838 in Cinebench R23 multicore, far exceed what Inside requires. The FPS scaling with resolution directly correlates with the GPU’s workload, confirming the graphics card as the bottleneck.

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gameplay?

A: At 1080p, all presets exceed 110 FPS on average. The High preset delivers 115 FPS, while Ultra provides 110 FPS. For the highest visual quality without sacrificing performance, Ultra is viable, but High offers a slight FPS advantage with minimal visual difference.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest rivals in this context?

A: The GTX 1070’s average benchmark score of 9,780 is 0.2% lower than the AMD FirePro W5000 and 0.5% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, but 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla M10 and 0.7% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla C2070. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming performance.

*Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Inside at maximum settings?*

A: Yes, the 8 GB of GDDR5 memory is more than enough. Even at 4K Ultra, the game does not appear to exceed this capacity, as the measured average FPS of 50 is still achievable, indicating the GPU is not running out of memory.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1440p with this combo?

A: At 1440p, the Low preset averages 166 FPS, Medium averages 133 FPS, High averages 83 FPS, and Ultra averages 79 FPS. All presets at this resolution are playable, with even the most demanding Ultra setting staying above 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 231 FPS, which is the maximum measured in the entire dataset. Medium settings produce 184 FPS with a minimum of 157 and maximum of 212 FPS. High settings average 115 FPS, while Ultra settings average 110 FPS. This resolution shows that the GTX 1070 has ample headroom at 1080p, with even the most demanding preset maintaining a frame rate well above what most displays can show.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases proportionally. Low settings average 166 FPS, a 28% reduction from 1080p. Medium settings average 133 FPS with a range of 113 to 153 FPS, maintaining smooth gameplay. High settings drop to 83 FPS, while Ultra settings average 79 FPS. The data at this resolution indicates that the GPU is still comfortably within its limits, as all presets remain above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become apparent. Low settings average 104 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 37% drop from 1440p. Medium settings average 83 FPS with a minimum of 71 and maximum of 96 FPS, showing that the frame rate can dip below 72 FPS under load. High settings average 52 FPS, and Ultra settings average 50 FPS, both of which fall below the 60 FPS threshold for ideal smoothness. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 21 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 31 FPS, indicating that the High preset imposes a significant additional load on the GPU.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that Medium settings offer the best balance between visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium provides 184 FPS, which is only 20% lower than Low but offers noticeably improved visuals. At 1440p, Medium delivers 133 FPS, maintaining a high refresh rate experience. Even at 4K, Medium achieves 83 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS, which is smooth enough for most players.

The High preset is a viable alternative at 1080p and 1440p, delivering 115 FPS and 83 FPS respectively. However, at 4K, High drops to 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset provides minimal visual benefit over High in a game with Inside’s stylistic art direction, yet it costs 5 FPS at 1080p, 4 FPS at 1440p, and 2 FPS at 4K compared to High. Given these marginal differences, Ultra is not recommended unless the player has a 60 Hz display and prioritizes the highest settings.

For players targeting 60 FPS at 4K, Medium is the only preset that consistently achieves this goal, with an average of 83 FPS. Low settings would provide even more headroom at 104 FPS, but the visual compromise may not be worth the additional frame rate. The data shows that Medium is the sweet spot for this configuration, offering a 60% improvement over High at 4K while maintaining a frame rate that exceeds the refresh rate of most standard monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of an Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 3,056 out of 3,716 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the lower 18% of all tested configurations. This ranking reflects the GTX 1070’s age and mid-range position in the GPU hierarchy, as the CPU is a high-end processor that is capable of far more demanding workloads. The GPU’s percentile of 47 (meaning it outperforms 47% of all GPUs) and the CPU’s percentile of 85 highlight the mismatch between the two components for this game.

The combo’s ranking is determined primarily by the GPU’s performance at higher resolutions and settings, where it falls short of more modern graphics cards. However, the data shows that this combination still delivers a perfectly playable experience for Inside at 1080p and 1440p, and even at 4K with Medium settings. The ranking is a reflection of the absolute performance ceiling rather than the playability of the game. In the context of the benchmark database, this combo sits near the bottom quartile, but for a puzzle platformer with modest requirements, the measured FPS indicates that the system is more than sufficient for the game’s intended experience. The CPU’s high benchmark scores are largely irrelevant to this title, as the game does not scale with multi-threaded performance, making the GPU the sole determinant of the final ranking.