Inside

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a decisive performance profile in Inside, a Puzzle Platformer from 2016. The data indicates this combination is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet the CPU's substantial headroom ensures that even at 4K Ultra, the game remains comfortably playable. This pairing ranks in the 33rd percentile of tested combinations, a position driven entirely by the GPU's mid-range standing rather than any processor limitation.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU-GPU combo in Inside?*

A: The combination ranks 1118 out of 1671 tested combos, placing it in the lower third of all systems tested for this game.

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

A: The Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35355, which is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14400 and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-13600T. It trails the Intel Core i7-13800H by 0.2% and the Intel Core i9-12900HX by 0.2%.

Q: What is the performance delta between the GPU and its nearest competitor?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score is 19774, which is 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN and 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070. It also outperforms the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 by 0.8% and the NVIDIA Tesla K40m by 1.3%.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K resolution in Inside?*

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the system averages 64.9 FPS. Even at Ultra settings, it maintains an average of 63.1 FPS, indicating a smooth experience at 4K.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 282.1 FPS on Low settings to 133.5 FPS on Ultra settings, a reduction of over half the frame rate.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: Benchmark results suggest no. The CPU's single-thread score is 1043 in 3DMark, and its multi-thread score reaches 9983. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent drop, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario.

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 scores demonstrate exceptional processing power: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28979 and a single-core score of 4091. In the context of Inside, a game that is not heavily threaded, the CPU's raw single-core performance is the primary driver. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 indicates that even a single core can handle the game's logic and physics calculations without breaking a sweat.

The processor's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 12 cores provide massive headroom. However, the game's frame rate data shows that this headroom is largely unused. At 1080p Low, the system produces 282.1 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 128.8 FPS. This scaling pattern is the hallmark of a GPU bottleneck; the CPU is capable of feeding frames far faster than the GPU can render them at higher resolutions. The processor's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs further confirms that it is a top-tier component that will not limit performance in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor in this configuration. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 1650 MHz, and it contains 2176 shading units. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 16462 in Passmark G3D and 2011 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. This places it just ahead of the GTX TITAN by 0.3% and the RTX 2070 by 0.5% in average score.

The GPU's impact is most visible in the resolution scaling. At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 133.5 FPS, which is a high refresh rate experience. However, moving to 4K Ultra drops the average to 63.1 FPS. This 52.7% reduction in frame rate is directly attributable to the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth being saturated at higher pixel counts. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game, as even at 4K Ultra, the frame rate remains stable, indicating no memory-related stuttering. The GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the ceiling for this system in Inside.

How This Combo Ranks

With a rank of 1118 out of 1671 combinations, this system sits in the lower third of all tested configurations for Inside. This ranking is surprising given the CPU's strength but is explained by the GPU's modest position. The RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 19774 is only 0.3% higher than the GTX TITAN, a card from a previous generation. This indicates that while the GPU is competent, it is not a high-end part relative to the rest of the field.

The data suggests that the combo's rank is almost entirely determined by the GPU. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-14400, have nearly identical average scores (35336 vs 35355), yet the frame rates in Inside would likely be similar with any of these processors given the same GPU. The 1118th rank out of 1671 combos means that roughly two-thirds of all tested systems have a more powerful graphics card or a better balance, even if their CPUs are slower. The bottleneck is clear: the GPU holds this combo back from a higher percentile standing.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a predictable and steep decline as resolution increases, confirming a GPU-limited scenario. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 282.1 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 203.3 FPS, a 27.9% decrease. At 4K Low, it falls to 128.8 FPS, a further 36.6% decrease from 1440p. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For High settings, the frame rates are 142.4 FPS at 1080p, 100.8 FPS at 1440p, and 64.9 FPS at 4K.

This scaling behavior is a classic indicator of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's performance is constant regardless of resolution, so if the CPU were the limit, frame rates would remain flat. Instead, the frame rate drops proportionally with the number of pixels rendered. The jump from 1080p to 1440p is a 1.78x increase in pixel count, and the frame rate drops by roughly 30-40%, which aligns with the GPU's bandwidth and shading limitations. The system is clearly not CPU-bound at any resolution, as evidenced by the 282.1 FPS ceiling at 1080p Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high refresh rate performance: Low averages 282.1 FPS, Medium averages 227.2 FPS, High averages 142.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 133.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong: Low averages 203.3 FPS, Medium averages 159.8 FPS, High averages 100.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 94.4 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system remains playable: Low averages 128.8 FPS, Medium averages 103.7 FPS, High averages 64.9 FPS, and Ultra averages 63.1 FPS.

The data reveals that the gap between High and Ultra settings is minimal. At 4K, the difference is only 1.8 FPS (64.9 vs 63.1), and at 1080p, it is 8.9 FPS (142.4 vs 133.5). Conversely, the gap between Low and Medium is substantial, with a difference of 54.9 FPS at 1080p and 74.5 FPS at 1440p. This suggests that the Ultra preset offers diminishing returns over High, while the jump from Low to Medium provides a significant visual upgrade for a relatively small performance cost.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the High preset is the optimal choice across all resolutions. At 1080p, High delivers 142.4 FPS, which is only 8.9 FPS slower than Ultra but likely offers nearly identical visual quality. At 1440p, High averages 100.8 FPS, which is a smooth experience on standard 60Hz monitors and still playable on 100Hz+ displays. At 4K, High averages 64.9 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for a console-like experience.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this GPU, as it provides a negligible frame rate increase over High while potentially adding extra graphical effects. The data shows that the performance cost of Ultra is disproportionately high compared to High. For users with high refresh rate 1080p monitors, the Medium preset at 227.2 FPS is the best choice, as it is 84.8 FPS faster than High and still looks significantly better than Low. The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play at 1080p, where the 282.1 FPS ceiling is achievable. At 4K, High is the only sensible choice, as it is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.