Inside

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 presents a stark contrast in capability within the puzzle platformer Inside. The data shows a system where a high-end 12th Gen processor is paired with an entry-level graphics card from the previous generation. Benchmark results indicate that the GTX 1650 is overwhelmingly the limiting component, with the CPU’s substantial headroom remaining largely untapped.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario where performance scales dramatically with resolution. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 134 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops this to 97 FPS, a 27.6% reduction. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 61 FPS, representing a 54.5% drop from the 1080p figure. This significant scaling pattern is the hallmark of a graphics card that is saturated by the increasing pixel count.

The trend continues across other settings. At Medium, the frame rate goes from 107 FPS at 1080p to 77 FPS at 1440p, and then to 49 FPS at 4K. This consistent, steep decline with each resolution step confirms that the GTX 1650’s rendering throughput is the primary bottleneck. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, is not the constraint here; the workload is purely a function of the GPU’s pixel-pushing capabilities.

The gap between 1440p and 4K is particularly telling. At High settings, the drop from 48 FPS to 30 FPS is a 37.5% decrease. This non-linear scaling suggests the GPU's memory bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s and its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory are being heavily taxed at the higher resolution, causing a more pronounced performance collapse than the linear pixel count increase would suggest. The data indicates that 4K is simply beyond the comfortable reach of this GPU for sustained high frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a formidable processor with a 125 W TDP and boost clock up to 5.00 GHz. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a single-core score of 4071. However, in the context of Inside, this power is largely irrelevant. The game’s simple geometry and logic are not demanding on the CPU, and the measured frame rates are far below what this processor is capable of feeding.

The processor’s nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core i7-13700T (avg score 35403, deltaPct -0.1), the Intel Core i5-13600T (avg score 35305, deltaPct 0.2), and the Intel Core i7-12700K (avg score 35287, deltaPct 0.2). These extremely small deltaPct values indicate that the 12700KF’s performance is virtually identical to these other high-end chips. None of this raw compute power is being utilized by the game, as the bottleneck is unequivocally downstream.

The CPU’s role here is to simply not be a problem. With an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, it is more than capable of handling the game’s logic and physics calculations at any resolution. The data shows that the frame rate is entirely dictated by the GPU's ability to render each frame, making the CPU a silent, overqualified partner in this combination. Its 3.60 GHz base clock and 5.00 GHz boost clock provide ample single-thread performance, but the game does not require it to break a sweat.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the star of the show, and not in a good way. Its benchmark profile places it in the 40th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 7472. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 8850M (avg score 7447, deltaPct 0.3), the Intel UHD Graphics 750 (avg score 7441, deltaPct 0.4), and the Intel Arc A310 (avg score 7550, deltaPct -1). These comparisons show the GTX 1650 is competing with integrated graphics and low-end mobile parts, which perfectly contextualizes its performance in this test.

The GPU's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth are its key limitations. The 128-bit memory bus is a significant constraint, and the data suggests it is the primary reason for the sharp performance drop at 4K. At High settings, the combo only manages 30 FPS at 3840x2160, a figure that is barely playable. The GPU’s 896 shading units and 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are simply not enough to sustain high frame rates at that resolution.

The GTX 1650’s boost clock of 1665 MHz is typical for the card, but its Turing architecture (TU117 chip) is designed for entry-level performance. The data shows that even at 1080p with Ultra settings, the card maxes out at 64 FPS, suggesting it is already near its limit at the most common resolution. The frame rates for Ultra settings at 1440p (46 FPS) and 4K (29 FPS) confirm that this card is best suited for 1080p gaming, and even then, only at medium to low settings for higher refresh rates.

FAQ

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

A: The data clearly shows 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At Medium settings, the combo achieves 107 FPS, and even at High settings, it maintains a smooth 67 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops the High setting average to 48 FPS, and 3840x2160 is barely playable at 30 FPS.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700T, scores 35403, a difference of only -0.1%. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, a 0.2% difference. Performance is effectively identical across these processors.

Q: Is the GPU or the CPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is definitively the bottleneck. The evidence is in the resolution scaling. Frame rates drop by over 50% when going from 1080p to 4K, which is a classic sign of a GPU being maxed out. The CPU’s high benchmark scores are not reflected in the game’s performance, as it remains idle waiting for the GPU to render frames.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low setting produces an average of 97 FPS. The Ultra setting produces an average of 46 FPS. This represents a 52.6% reduction in frame rate for the highest visual fidelity.

Q: Can this combination handle 4K gaming?

A: The data suggests it cannot handle 4K at acceptable frame rates. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS recorded is 61 on Low settings. At Medium settings, it drops to 49 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 30 FPS and 29 FPS respectively, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the GPU's performance rank against other graphics cards?

A: The GTX 1650 is in the 40th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 7472 is within 1% of the AMD Radeon HD 8850M and Intel UHD Graphics 750, indicating it is at the very entry-level of the performance spectrum.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal balance of visual quality and performance for this combo is the Medium preset at 1920x1080. This setting delivers an average of 107 FPS with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS. This frame rate is well above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth and responsive experience for a puzzle platformer.

For users who prioritize a higher resolution, the Low preset at 2560x1440 is the only viable option, producing 97 FPS. However, this sacrifices visual fidelity. The High preset at 1080p, which yields 67 FPS, is also a reasonable choice for those who want better visuals but can tolerate a lower, though still playable, frame rate.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this hardware. It is the most demanding setting and produces the lowest frame rates at every resolution, including 64 FPS at 1080p. Given that the Medium preset offers a 67% performance increase over Ultra at 1080p (107 FPS vs 64 FPS), the visual difference is unlikely to justify the significant performance cost. The 4K resolution should be avoided entirely, as even the Low preset only manages an average of 61 FPS, which is marginal.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact measured average frame rates for each resolution and setting combination.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 134 FPS average
• Medium: 107 FPS average (min 91, max 124)
• High: 67 FPS average
• Ultra: 64 FPS average

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 97 FPS average
• Medium: 77 FPS average (min 66, max 89)
• High: 48 FPS average
• Ultra: 46 FPS average

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 61 FPS average
• Medium: 49 FPS average (min 41, max 56)
• High: 30 FPS average
• Ultra: 29 FPS average

The data shows a clear and consistent hierarchy. The frame rate is highest at 1080p and decreases with each resolution step. The Low setting is always the fastest, and the Ultra setting is always the slowest. The gap between Low and Ultra widens at higher resolutions, indicating that the GPU struggles more with the combination of high resolution and high visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of an Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 3575 out of 3716 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the bottom 4% of all tested systems. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GTX 1650, which is a significant bottleneck.

The CPU’s high benchmark scores do nothing to help the ranking in this game. The combo is held back by the GPU’s inability to render frames quickly enough. The data shows that even a significantly weaker CPU paired with this GPU would likely produce similar results in this specific game, as the frame rate is entirely GPU-bound. This ranking reflects the real-world experience: the system will run the game, but it will not be able to achieve high frame rates at high resolutions or settings. It is a system built for 1080p gaming, and the data confirms it is well outside the top tier of performers for Inside.