Inside

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a strong performance profile in Inside, a puzzle platformer that proves far more demanding at its upper settings than its genre might suggest. The combo ranks 1155th out of 1671 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database, yet the measured frame rates are overwhelmingly smooth, indicating that this specific pairing is well-suited to the game’s particular rendering workloads. The data shows a configurable experience where even the most punishing settings remain playable, though the headroom at lower presets is substantial enough to highlight the central role of the graphics card in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i7-13700K and the RTX 2060 SUPER occupies the 1155th position among 1671 recorded combos for Inside. This rank places it in the 31st percentile of tested systems, a position that might seem low at first glance, but the context of the game’s modest requirements makes it a non-issue. The processor itself sits in the 93rd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 47282, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700KF (deltaPct -0.1) and the AMD EPYC 4364P (deltaPct 0.3). These margins are negligible, meaning the CPU is never a bottleneck in this title. The GPU, however, is a different story; it ranks in the 63rd percentile against all GPUs with an average score of 19774, placing it just ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (deltaPct 0.5) and the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 (deltaPct 0.8). This mid-range positioning for the GPU explains why the combo’s overall rank is not higher, as Inside’s frame rates scale directly with graphics load.

The rank becomes more meaningful when considering the game’s age, released on 2016-07-06, and its 2D perspective. The 1155th rank suggests that many higher-end systems, particularly those with more recent GPUs, achieve far higher frame rates, but the practical difference is minimal at refresh rates under 144Hz. For a 60Hz display, the combo is effectively overkill at any setting except Ultra at 4K, where frame rates dip to 57.5 FPS on average. The data indicates that the bottleneck is predominantly the GPU, as the CPU’s benchmark scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multicore result of 39000, are far beyond what Inside requires. Therefore, the rank is a reflection of the GPU’s mid-tier status rather than any deficiency in processing power, and the actual gameplay experience is smooth across nearly all configurations.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the defining component in this pairing, equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, which translates to 14 Gbps effective, and the boost clock reaches 1650 MHz from a base of 1470 MHz. These specifications are modest by modern standards, but they are more than adequate for Inside, which is a puzzle platformer with a limited number of on-screen objects. The GPU’s 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs handle the game’s simple geometry efficiently, while its 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores go largely unused, as Inside does not employ ray tracing or DLSS features.

The importance of the GPU becomes clear when examining the frame rate deltas across settings. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is stark: 282 FPS versus 133.3 FPS, a drop of over half. This pattern holds at 1440p, where the same settings yield 199.9 FPS and 98.9 FPS, respectively. The GPU’s compute throughput, measured at 7.181 TFLOPS for FP32, is the primary driver of these differences, as the CPU’s 16 cores and 24 threads are never taxed by this title. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for all tested presets, even at 4K Ultra, where the average frame rate is 57.5 FPS, indicating that memory capacity is not a limiting factor. Instead, the GPU’s raw fill rate, 105.6 GPixel/s, and texture rate, 224.4 GTexel/s, dictate performance, and these figures are mid-tier at best, which explains the observed scaling.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate behavior from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, with the CPU maintaining its performance lead throughout. At 1080p High, the combo averages 140.7 FPS, which drops to 104.2 FPS at 1440p High, a reduction of roughly 26%. Moving to 4K High, the average falls to 64.9 FPS, a further drop of about 38% from 1440p. This scaling is consistent with the GPU’s pixel throughput limitations, as the number of pixels increases from 2.07 million at 1080p to 8.29 million at 4K, a fourfold increase that the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot fully absorb. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the i7-13700K’s single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1136, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU at all resolutions.

The trend is uniform across settings. At Low, the frame rates are 282 FPS at 1080p, 199.9 FPS at 1440p, and 124.3 FPS at 4K, showing a consistent halving of performance from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra, the figures are 133.3 FPS, 98.9 FPS, and 57.5 FPS, respectively, with the 4K result dropping below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the baseline for smooth gameplay. This indicates that the GPU’s 64 ROPs and 105.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are insufficient for 4K Ultra, but the game remains playable at 4K High and Medium, with averages of 64.9 FPS and 100.3 FPS. The scaling suggests that users targeting 4K should favor Medium settings, while 1440p and 1080p allow for higher presets without compromising frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the RTX 2060 SUPER delivers exceptional performance across all presets. The Low setting produces an average of 282 FPS, which is nearly double the 1440p Low result of 199.9 FPS, indicating that the game’s low preset reduces the GPU workload dramatically. Medium at 1080p averages 224.6 FPS, while High drops to 140.7 FPS, and Ultra further reduces to 133.3 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is only 7.4 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds effects that are not heavily taxing, whereas the jump from Medium to High costs 83.9 FPS, a significant penalty for visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low averages 199.9 FPS, Medium 164.1 FPS, High 104.2 FPS, and Ultra 98.9 FPS. The differential between High and Ultra narrows to 5.3 FPS, confirming that the Ultra preset’s additional requirements are minimal. The 4K results show a more pronounced impact: Low averages 124.3 FPS, Medium 100.3 FPS, High 64.9 FPS, and Ultra 57.5 FPS. Here, the drop from High to Ultra is 7.4 FPS, but the drop from Medium to High is 35.4 FPS, indicating that High settings at 4K push the GPU near its limits. Across all resolutions, the Low preset consistently doubles the frame rate compared to Ultra, providing a clear option for users prioritizing performance over visuals.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60 FPS at Ultra settings?

A: At 1440p Ultra, the combo averages 98.9 FPS, while 4K Ultra drops to 57.5 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p is the highest resolution where Ultra settings maintain a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, with 4K Ultra falling slightly below that threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in this game?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i7-13700KF’s 47334. This negligible deltaPct means the two processors perform identically in Inside, where the GPU is the limiting factor.

*Q: Is 8 GB of VRAM sufficient for 4K gaming in Inside?*

A: Yes, the measured results show that the RTX 2060 SUPER with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory achieves a 57.5 FPS average at 4K Ultra. The lack of min FPS data prevents a full assessment of stutters, but the average frame rate indicates no memory-related bottlenecks at this capacity.

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

A: The Low preset averages 282 FPS, while Ultra averages 133.3 FPS, a difference of 148.7 FPS. This means Low delivers over twice the frame rate of Ultra, highlighting the significant performance cost of the highest settings.

Q: How does the GPU rank relative to the RTX 2070?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 19774, which is 0.5% higher than the RTX 2070’s 19680. In Inside, this translates to a negligible performance difference, so users should not expect a meaningful FPS gap between the two cards.

Q: Can this combo achieve 4K 60 FPS at High settings?

A: Yes, the measured average at 4K High is 64.9 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS target. However, the margin is slim, and users with variable refresh rate displays should have no issues, while those on fixed 60Hz monitors may see occasional dips below the refresh rate.

Settings Recommendations

For users targeting 4K, the Medium preset offers the best balance, with an average of 100.3 FPS, which is far above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. The High preset at 4K averages 64.9 FPS, which is playable but close to the limit, while Ultra should be avoided as it falls below 60 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as the 98.9 FPS average provides a smooth experience on high refresh rate monitors, and the gap to High is only 5.3 FPS. For 1080p, all presets are viable, but the High setting at 140.7 FPS offers a good compromise, as the jump to Ultra only adds marginal visual improvements for a 7.4 FPS loss.

The data suggests that the Low preset is unnecessary for this game, as even the most demanding configurations maintain playable frame rates. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s strengths are best utilized at 1440p Ultra, where it delivers near-100 FPS performance without requiring the user to sacrifice visual quality. For those with 4K displays, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, with the option to move to High if the user prefers higher detail and accepts the reduced but still adequate frame rate. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that underperforms, and it should be reserved for users who prioritize image quality over frame rate stability. Overall, the combo is well-matched for Inside, with the GPU providing ample power for the game’s simple yet polished visuals.