Inside

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer. Across all tested resolutions and settings, the average FPS never drops below 153, indicating that this combination is vastly overqualified for the game's demands. The data shows a system that is entirely GPU-bound at 4K with Ultra settings, yet still manages to produce a smooth, playable experience that far exceeds the requirements of the genre.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 364 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the average to 327 FPS, and finally to 280 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 23% decrease in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, suggesting that while the GPU is becoming more stressed, the CPU is still able to feed it adequately.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher settings. With High settings, the average FPS is 280 at 1080p, 251 at 1440p, and 160 at 4K. This is a 43% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the figures are 336 FPS at 1080p, 301 FPS at 1440p, and 256 FPS at 4K, a 24% reduction. The Ultra preset shows the steepest scaling curve: 276 FPS at 1080p, 243 FPS at 1440p, and 153 FPS at 4K, which is a 45% decrease.

These results indicate that the limiting component at 1080p is the CPU, as the frame rates are so high that the graphics card is not fully utilized. The 364 FPS at Low settings is likely near the theoretical maximum throughput of the processor’s game thread. As resolution increases, the GPU workload grows, and the system transitions to a GPU-bound state. At 4K Ultra, the RTX 5090 D is clearly the limiting factor, with the 153 FPS average representing a heavy load on the graphics card. The fact that the delta between 1440p and 4K at Ultra is 90 FPS (from 243 to 153) highlights the massive pixel throughput required at 4K, which is the primary performance driver in this title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this CPU and GPU combo in Inside?*

A: The highest average frame rate recorded in the measured data is 364 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution with the Ultra preset?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 153 FPS. This is the lowest average frame rate in the entire dataset, but it remains well above the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the system more CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the system appears to be CPU-bound. The frame rates range from 276 FPS at Ultra to 364 FPS at Low, which are extremely high values that suggest the graphics card is not the primary constraint at this resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Medium and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 301 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields an average of 243 FPS. The difference is 58 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding.

Q: Does the RTX 5090 D’s large memory capacity have any impact on the measured results?

A: The GPU has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, but the data does not include any metrics on memory utilization or bottlenecks. The performance figures are simply based on the average FPS for each resolution and setting combination.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: According to the data, this combo ranks 95th out of 2887 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the top 3.3% of all configurations tested.

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. It has a 25 MB shared L3 cache and a TDP of 125 W. In the context of Inside, a game designed for much older hardware, the CPU’s role is to ensure that the GPU is never starved of data.

The benchmark results for the CPU show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 14367. Its single-thread performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4071 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2255. These scores are relevant because Inside is a puzzle platformer that likely relies on a limited number of threads for game logic and physics, making single-thread performance a key factor for achieving high frame rates.

The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rates are incredibly high, reaching up to 364 FPS at Low settings. This suggests that the CPU’s high boost clock of 5.00 GHz is sufficient to handle the game's logic without becoming a bottleneck. The 3DMark benchmarks further illustrate the CPU’s capability: a single-thread score of 1043 and a 2-thread score of 2065 indicate that even lightly threaded workloads are processed efficiently. The processor’s 85th percentile ranking against all CPUs underscores its position as a high-end part from its generation.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-12700KF’s average benchmark score of 35365 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-13700T (35403, a -0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i5-13600T (35305, a 0.2% delta). This indicates that in general-purpose benchmarks, these processors perform at a similar level, but the specific combination with the RTX 5090 D in Inside yields the frame rates observed in the measured data.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 95 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside. This places the system in the 96.7th percentile of all configurations tested, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of other CPU and GPU pairings in this specific game.

This high ranking is expected given the sheer power of both components. The RTX 5090 D is a flagship GPU with an average benchmark score of 77712, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The i7-12700KF, while not the newest processor, still holds an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs. When these two are combined, the result is a system that is capable of delivering frame rates that are overkill for a title like Inside.

The ranking data suggests that while the CPU is a strong performer, it is the GPU that is the dominant factor in this game. The RTX 5090 D’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (with a 1.6% higher score), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (2.1% higher), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (2.4% higher). These are all data center or mobile parts, which further highlights the desktop GPU’s place in the market. The fact that the combo still ranks 95th suggests that some other combinations with even more powerful processors or more specialized hardware achieve higher frame rates, but for the vast majority of users, this pairing is more than sufficient.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how different settings impact performance. For players with a 60 Hz or 144 Hz display, the Low preset at 4K (280 FPS) or even the Medium preset at 4K (256 FPS) offers an overwhelmingly smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 4K, while the most demanding, still delivers an average of 153 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

For those using a 1440p monitor, the Ultra preset (243 FPS) is the best choice, as it provides the highest visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate that far exceeds any display's refresh rate. The difference between High (251 FPS) and Ultra (243 FPS) at this resolution is only 8 FPS, making the Ultra preset a logical choice for maximizing image quality.

At 1080p, the situation is even more straightforward. The Ultra preset (276 FPS) is recommended because the performance cost of moving from Low (364 FPS) to Ultra is negligible in practice, and the visual upgrade is significant. The game will run at hundreds of frames per second regardless of the preset, so there is no reason to compromise on visual quality. The data shows that the system can handle any settings combination with ease, so the recommendation is to use the highest preset available to ensure the best possible visual experience without any concern for frame rate drops.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average frame rates measured for each resolution and settings combination. The data includes minimum and maximum FPS for the Medium preset only.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 364 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 336 | 286 | 387 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 280 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 276 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 327 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 301 | 256 | 347 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 251 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 243 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 280 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 256 | 218 | 295 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 160 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 153 | - | - |

The data reveals a consistent pattern. At each resolution, the Low preset offers the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is relatively small, around 28-30 FPS at each resolution. The gap between Medium and High is larger, ranging from 45 FPS at 4K to 56 FPS at 1080p. The difference between High and Ultra is the smallest, with only 4 to 8 FPS separating them across all resolutions.

The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p, the minimum is 286 FPS and the maximum is 387 FPS. At 1440p, the range is from 256 FPS to 347 FPS. At 4K, the minimum is 218 FPS and the maximum is 295 FPS. These minimum values are still exceptionally high, indicating that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate does not drop below a level that would cause any perceptible stutter.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the primary driver of performance in Inside. This GPU, based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and built on a 5 nm process, is a massive piece of silicon with 92,200 million transistors and a die size of 750 mm². Its specifications are extreme: a boost clock of 2407 MHz, 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, and a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s.

In the context of this game, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s monochromatic, atmospheric visuals at high resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, particularly at the Ultra preset where it produces 153 FPS. This is not a reflection of the GPU’s weakness, but rather the sheer number of pixels being processed. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are more than capable of handling the game’s 2D and 3D elements.

The GPU’s benchmark scores are consistent with its high-end positioning. Its Passmark G3D score is 44065, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 14326. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 376915 indicates strong API performance. The GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking against all GPUs confirms its status as a top-tier product. Its nearest rivals in the database are the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which scores 1.6% higher, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, which scores 2.1% higher. These are specialized or mobile parts, and the RTX 5090 D’s performance in Inside is what matters for this analysis.

The 32 GB of VRAM is far more than any game, especially a 2016 puzzle platformer, would require. This means there is no risk of a memory capacity bottleneck affecting frame rates. The GPU’s high memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s ensures that texture data is fed to the shading units efficiently, even at 4K resolution. The result is a system that can run Inside at maximum settings with frame rates that are more than adequate for any display technology currently available.