Inside

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Inside, with the data showing that the game is far more dependent on GPU settings than on resolution. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher settings, while the CPU provides more than enough headroom to avoid becoming a limiting factor at any tested configuration. This combo ranks in the 939th position out of 1671 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database, a position that reflects the GTX 1080 Ti's age rather than any deficiency in the processor.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows that resolution scaling in Inside is dramatic but predictable, with the most significant performance drops occurring between 1440p and 4K. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 319.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 229.4 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 28% that indicates the GPU is still comfortably ahead of the workload. Moving to 3840x2160 at Low settings yields 145.4 FPS, which is a 37% drop from the 1440p figure—a steep decline that signals the GPU's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are beginning to strain under the 4K pixel count.

The pattern intensifies at Ultra settings, where the frame rate decreases from 149.4 FPS at 1080p to 109.7 FPS at 1440p, and then plunges to 67.6 FPS at 4K. This final drop of 38% between 1440p and 4K is the largest relative penalty in the entire dataset, highlighting that the GTX 1080 Ti's 11 GB of GDDR5X memory and 484.4 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at the extreme resolution with maximum quality. The scaling between Medium and High settings is more modest, with 4K performance at 111.8 FPS and 73.2 FPS respectively, suggesting that the game's visual complexity at these presets does not fully saturate the GPU's resources until Ultra is selected.

The data clearly indicates that resolution is the primary factor limiting performance in this combination, not the CPU. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 319.7 FPS, which is nearly three times the 4K Ultra result, and even at 1440p High the frame rate remains above 112 FPS. This wide spread of results demonstrates that the i7-12700KF is never the bottleneck; instead, the GTX 1080 Ti's rendering capabilities dictate the ceiling, with the 4K Ultra result of 67.6 FPS representing the most demanding scenario the combo can handle without dipping below playable thresholds.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is the decisive component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the performance pattern observed across resolutions. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1481 MHz and a boost clock of 1582 MHz, built on the 16 nm Pascal architecture with 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 88 raster output units. These figures translate to a pixel rate of 139.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 354.4 GTexel/s, which are directly responsible for the frame rate differences seen between Low and Ultra presets at each resolution.

The 11 GB memory capacity and 352-bit bus width provide a bandwidth of 484.4 GB/s, a figure that proves adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset achieves only 67.6 FPS, while the Low preset reaches 145.4 FPS—a difference of 115% that underscores how much the memory subsystem and shading units are taxed by higher quality settings. The GPU's FP32 performance of 11.34 TFLOPS and its DirectX 12 (12_1) support are more than sufficient for a 2016 puzzle platformer, yet the data shows that even this older title can stress the card when pushed to 4K with maximum details.

The GPU's benchmark scores further contextualize its role: it achieves 18600 in Passmark G3D and 83108 in Geekbench Vulkan, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 with a deltaPct of 0 and the TITAN Xp at 1.1% faster, which suggests that the GTX 1080 Ti remains competitive with much newer mid-range cards despite being end-of-life. In Inside, the GPU's clock speeds and memory bandwidth are the primary drivers of the measured FPS, with the 4K Ultra result of 67.6 FPS representing the hard ceiling for this combination.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, running at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its benchmark results are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28979 and a single-core score of 4091, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. The processor's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide ample bandwidth for any game workload, and the data from Inside confirms that this CPU is never the limiting factor in the tested configurations.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core i5-14400 with a deltaPct of 0.1% and the Intel Core i9-12900HX at 0.2% faster, indicating that the i7-12700KF sits at the very top of its performance class. In Inside, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with frame data, and the measured FPS values show that even at 1080p Low—where the system reaches 319.7 FPS—the processor keeps up without creating a bottleneck. The single-threaded performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2526 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3984, is particularly relevant for a puzzle platformer that relies on physics and game logic, though the frame rates suggest the game is not CPU-intensive.

The lack of min FPS data in the measured rows makes it impossible to assess frame time consistency, but the average FPS figures across all settings and resolutions indicate that the CPU's 20 threads and 5.00 GHz boost clock provide more than sufficient headroom. At 4K Ultra, where the GPU is clearly the constraint at 67.6 FPS, the CPU is likely operating well below its maximum capacity, and the same is true at 1080p Medium where 253.5 FPS is achieved. The processor's Passmark multithread score of 34092 and 3DMark max threads score of 9983 confirm that it can handle far more demanding scenarios than Inside presents.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti ranks 939th out of 1671 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the 44th percentile of all system pairings. This ranking is notably lower than the individual component percentiles—the CPU at 89th and the GPU at 61st—which indicates that the GPU's age is holding back an otherwise powerful processor. The ranking reflects the fact that the GTX 1080 Ti, while still capable, cannot fully utilize the i7-12700KF's potential in this game, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU's 11 GB memory and 484.4 GB/s bandwidth become limiting.

Comparisons with other combos in the database show that this pairing is competitive with systems featuring newer mid-range GPUs. The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780, has an identical average benchmark score with a deltaPct of 0, while the TITAN Xp is 1.1% faster, suggesting that the GTX 1080 Ti sits in a performance tier that has not advanced significantly in the database's rankings. The CPU's rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-14400, are only 0.1% different in average score, meaning that any performance differences in Inside are almost entirely attributable to the GPU.

The combo's rank of 939 out of 1671 means that roughly 44% of all tested systems perform better in this game, which is a reasonable position for a GPU released in 2017 paired with a CPU from 2021. The data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield significant improvements, as the CPU has substantial headroom—evidenced by its ability to drive 319.7 FPS at 1080p Low, a result that is limited by the GPU's rendering capabilities rather than the processor's throughput.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves 319.7 FPS, while Medium reaches 253.5 FPS, High produces 156.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 149.4 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is only 4.8%, suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional effects have a minimal impact at this resolution, with the GPU's pixel rate of 139.2 GPixel/s being more than sufficient to handle the workload.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease proportionally but remain highly playable. Low settings yield 229.4 FPS, Medium produces 180.8 FPS, High achieves 112.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 109.7 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra narrows to 2.7%, reinforcing the pattern that the Ultra preset is not significantly more demanding than High at this resolution. The 4K results show the most dramatic variation: Low settings achieve 145.4 FPS, Medium produces 111.8 FPS, High reaches 73.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 67.6 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra at 4K is 7.6%, which is the largest relative penalty between these two presets across all resolutions, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Across all resolutions, the Low preset consistently delivers the highest frame rates, with 1080p Low being 120% faster than 4K Ultra. The Medium preset offers a balanced experience, with 4K Medium at 111.8 FPS remaining above the 100 FPS threshold, while High and Ultra at 4K fall below 75 FPS. The data shows that the system is capable of running Inside at 4K with playable frame rates on Medium settings, but for the smoothest experience, 1080p or 1440p with High or Ultra settings is recommended.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Inside?*

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 at High settings delivers 112.7 FPS, which balances visual quality with performance. At 1920x1080, all settings exceed 149 FPS, while 4K only exceeds 100 FPS on Low or Medium presets.

Q: How does the GTX 1080 Ti's memory affect 4K performance?

A: The GPU's 11 GB of GDDR5X memory with 484.4 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 3840x2160, the Ultra preset drops to 67.6 FPS, indicating that the memory subsystem becomes a bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: Is the i7-12700KF a bottleneck in this game?

A: No. The CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads with a 5.00 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient, as evidenced by the 319.7 FPS at 1080p Low, which is limited by the GPU rather than the processor.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra settings?

A: The difference varies by resolution: at 1080p, High produces 156.5 FPS and Ultra 149.4 FPS (a 4.8% gap), at 1440p the gap is 2.7% (112.7 vs 109.7 FPS), and at 4K it is 7.6% (73.2 vs 67.6 FPS).

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 939th out of 1671 combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier. The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 61st percentile, highlighting the GPU as the weaker component.

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

A: Yes, but only at Low (145.4 FPS) or Medium (111.8 FPS) settings. High and Ultra at 4K fall to 73.2 FPS and 67.6 FPS, respectively, which may be acceptable but are not ideal for a smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1440p is the recommended configuration, delivering 180.8 FPS while still providing a significant visual upgrade over Low settings. This combination takes advantage of the GPU's capabilities without pushing it to the point of diminishing returns, and the frame rate is well above any playability threshold.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 319.7 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors and ensures absolutely no frame drops. However, given that the High preset at 1080p still achieves 156.5 FPS, this is a better choice for those with 144Hz displays, as it offers substantially better visuals with only a 51% reduction in frame rate compared to Low.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 111.8 FPS is the only viable option for maintaining high performance, as High and Ultra drop to 73.2 FPS and 67.6 FPS, respectively, which may introduce noticeable stutter on displays with variable refresh rates. The Ultra preset at 1440p provides 109.7 FPS, which is nearly identical to 4K Medium, but with better visual fidelity due to the higher quality settings at a lower resolution. Overall, the data indicates that the system performs best when the GPU is not overburdened, making 1440p Medium or High the sweet spot for this combination.