Inside

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB delivers a playable experience across most settings in Inside, but the data reveals a clear bottleneck that shifts depending on resolution. At 1080p, the system is capable of very high frame rates, peaking at 199 FPS on Low settings, yet the 4 GB VRAM capacity of the GPU becomes a defining constraint at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to understand where the limits lie and what the numbers imply for gameplay.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a steep performance curve as resolution increases, which is a classic indicator of GPU-bound scaling. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 199 FPS, but this drops to 143 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 90 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 55% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 1440p, and another 37% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, suggesting that the GPU is reaching its compute limits as pixel count rises.

For Medium settings, the pattern holds: 159 FPS at 1080p, 114 FPS at 1440p, and 72 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 37%. This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at all resolutions, but the effect becomes more pronounced at 4K where the RTX 3050 4 GB must render over eight million pixels. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, has ample headroom at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the high 1080p frame rates, but it is not the limiting factor here.

At Ultra settings, the same trend continues: 95 FPS at 1080p, 68 FPS at 1440p, and 43 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 28% and 37% respectively, mirroring the Medium settings scaling almost exactly. This consistency suggests that the performance penalty from resolution scaling is independent of the quality preset, pointing squarely at the GPU's rendering throughput rather than any memory or bandwidth bottleneck that might vary with settings. The 192.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 128-bit bus width on the RTX 3050 4 GB are likely contributors to this scaling behavior.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA107 chip, fabricated on an 8 nm process. Its base clock is 1545 MHz with a boost clock of 1740 MHz, and the memory runs at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective speed. The 4 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus yields a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s. These specifications are modest by modern standards, and the benchmark data reflects that.

The 4 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor in Inside's results. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages 43 FPS, which is the lowest measured value. While the game is not typically VRAM-hungry, the combination of high resolution and Ultra settings can push memory usage. The data does not include VRAM utilization, but the performance cliff between Medium (72 FPS) and Ultra (43 FPS) at 4K suggests that the GPU is struggling with both compute and memory demands. The 32 ROPs and 64 TMUs provide limited pixel and texture throughput, which directly impacts high-resolution rendering.

The GPU's 7.127 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 55.68 GPixel/s pixel rate are the theoretical ceilings, but real-world results show it cannot sustain high frame rates at 4K. The 90 W TDP indicates a power-constrained design, yet the benchmark scores are still respectable for a 1080p-focused card. The measured data shows that at 1080p Ultra, the combo hits 95 FPS, which is smooth, but at 4K Ultra, it falls below the 60 FPS threshold, rendering that preset impractical for this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranks at position 3242 out of 3716 tested combinations in Inside, placing it in the lower 13th percentile of all systems. This ranking is notably low, but it must be interpreted with context. The rank reflects the combined CPU and GPU performance, and the RTX 3050 4 GB is the clear weak link. The CPU, Intel Core i7-12700KF, is a strong performer on its own, with an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, but the GPU sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs.

The delta between the CPU's strong standing and the GPU's mediocre one explains the low combo rank. A more balanced pairing would likely rank higher, but the data shows that this specific combination struggles relative to other tested systems. The 3716 total combos include many with higher-end GPUs, so this rank is not surprising given the GPU's 4 GB VRAM and entry-level positioning. The combo's performance in Inside is playable at most settings, but it does not compete with higher-tier configurations.

The nearestRivals for the CPU show it is closely matched with other mid-range processors, with deltaPct values of -0.1, 0.2, and -0.2 against the Intel Core i7-13700T, Intel Core i5-13600T, and Intel Core 5 213PE respectively. This indicates that the CPU is not the source of the low combo rank; rather, the GPU drags the overall score down. The data implies that swapping the GPU for a more powerful model would drastically improve the ranking, but that is beyond the scope of this analysis.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings achieve 199 FPS on average, Medium settings hit 159 FPS with a minimum of 135 FPS and a maximum of 183 FPS, High settings reach 99 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 95 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is minimal at just 4 FPS, suggesting that Ultra settings are not significantly more demanding than High at this resolution, or that the GPU is already near its limit.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 143 FPS, Medium settings average 114 FPS with a range of 97 to 131 FPS, High settings average 71 FPS, and Ultra settings average 68 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra narrows to just 3 FPS, indicating that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor regardless of quality preset. The 1440p results are still playable, with even Ultra staying above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the 4 GB VRAM and GPU compute limits become apparent. Low settings average 90 FPS, Medium settings average 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and maximum of 83 FPS, High settings drop to 45 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 43 FPS. The jump from Medium to High causes a 27 FPS drop, which is the largest single-setting penalty in the entire dataset. This suggests that High settings introduce a rendering feature that the GPU cannot handle efficiently at 4K, likely related to texture quality or post-processing effects that strain the 192.0 GB/s bandwidth.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-12700KF features 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It is built on the Alder Lake architecture with a 10 nm process, and its 25 MB of shared L3 cache provides substantial data storage for game logic. Benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 28838, and Geekbench multicore scores 14367. Single-thread performance is also solid, with Cinebench R23 single-core scoring 4071 and Geekbench single-core scoring 2255.

In Inside, a puzzle platformer, the CPU's role is less demanding than in other genres, but the data still shows its influence. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 199 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited at that point, but the high core count and boost clock prevent any significant bottleneck. The 3dmark single-thread score of 1043 and 2-thread score of 2065 indicate that the CPU can handle lightly-threaded workloads with ease, which aligns with the game's relatively simple physics and logic.

The CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35365, confirms it is a high-performing part. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13700T and Intel Core i5-13600T, have nearly identical average scores, with deltaPct values of -0.1 and 0.2 respectively. This suggests that the i7-12700KF is not the limiting factor in this combo; the GPU is. The CPU has enough headroom to support higher frame rates if paired with a stronger GPU, as evidenced by the 199 FPS at 1080p Low, which is well above what the GPU can sustain at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings provide the best visual experience with 95 FPS, which is smooth and only 4 FPS lower than High settings. Since the difference between High and Ultra is negligible, Ultra is the recommended choice for this resolution. The Medium preset offers 159 FPS, but the visual upgrade to Ultra is worth the 64 FPS trade-off, particularly since 95 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings deliver 68 FPS, which is playable but close to the 60 FPS floor. High settings at 71 FPS are nearly identical, so the choice between them is minimal. However, Medium settings at 114 FPS provide a significant margin for smoother gameplay, and the visual difference between Medium and Ultra in a puzzle platformer is less impactful. For a consistent experience without frame drops, Medium is the safer choice at 1440p, as its minimum FPS of 97 is far higher than the other presets' averages.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. Medium settings average 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS line. Low settings achieve 90 FPS, but the visual quality is substantially reduced. High and Ultra settings are not recommended at 4K, as they yield 45 FPS and 43 FPS respectively, which are below the playable threshold. Medium is the best balance at 4K, offering a playable frame rate with acceptable visual fidelity, while Low is the fallback for those prioritizing performance.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Inside?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 199, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo drop below 60 FPS?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with High settings, the average FPS is 45, and with Ultra settings it is 43. Both are below 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets stay above 60 FPS, with Ultra at 68 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems in this game?

A: The combo ranks at 3242 out of 3716 tested combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the rankings.

Q: What is the difference between High and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, High settings average 99 FPS while Ultra settings average 95 FPS, a difference of only 4 FPS.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 97, with a maximum of 131 FPS and an average of 114 FPS.

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

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU has an 85th percentile ranking with strong single-thread and multi-thread scores, while the GPU sits at the 50th percentile. The steep FPS drops at higher resolutions point to GPU limitations, particularly the 4 GB VRAM and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth.