Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016 that places minimal stress on modern hardware, and the measured results for the Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER reflect that reality. The data shows a combination that is capable of extreme frame rates at lower resolutions, but the scaling behavior reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at 4K while having significant CPU headroom at 1080p. This analysis walks through the measured FPS rows to interpret how the processor and graphics card divide the workload, where the limits lie, and what settings offer the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, which points to the GPU as the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 281 at 1920x1080 to 202 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 28%, and then to 127 at 3840x2160, which is 55% lower than the 1080p result. This pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior: as the pixel count increases, the rendering load on the RTX 2060 SUPER grows faster than the CPU can compensate.

The Medium settings show a similar trend, with averages of 225 FPS at 1080p, 162 FPS at 1440p, and 102 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 37%, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28%, indicating that the scaling penalty accelerates as resolution climbs. High settings follow the same curve: 141 FPS at 1080p, 101 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result is 55% below the 1080p High result, nearly identical to the Low setting’s relative decline.

Ultra settings reinforce the GPU-bound interpretation. The average FPS at 1080p is 134, at 1440p is 96, and at 4K is 60. The decline from 1080p to 4K is 55%, matching the other presets. This uniformity across settings suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s compute and memory bandwidth are the bottlenecks, not the CPU or any specific graphical feature. The fact that 4K Ultra still averages 60 FPS is notable, but the resolution scaling data indicates that the GPU is working near its limit at that setting.

The 1080p results, by contrast, show that the CPU is not a constraint. At Low settings, the i7-14700F pushes the average to 281 FPS, which is more than four times the 4K Low result. This massive gap between 1080p and 4K at the same settings is the signature of a system where the GPU saturates well before the processor. The data suggests that for users targeting high refresh rates at 1080p, the CPU has ample headroom, but the GPU will cap performance at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. In this game, the CPU’s role is largely secondary, as the measured FPS at 1080p Low (281 FPS) demonstrates that the processor can feed frames far faster than the GPU can render them. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and single-core score of 4958 indicate strong all-around performance, but Inside’s puzzle platformer gameplay does not demand heavy multi-threaded work.

The CPU’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide low-latency access to game data, which helps maintain consistent frame pacing. However, the benchmark results show that the i7-14700F is not the limiting component here. At 1440p Low, the average FPS is 202, which is still far above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that the CPU is not struggling even at mid-range resolutions. The processor’s percentile rank of 91 among all CPUs further confirms that it is a high-end part, but this game does not leverage its full potential.

The nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X with a delta of 0.6% and the AMD EPYC 7313P with a delta of 0.8%, meaning the i7-14700F scores slightly above both in average benchmark score. This places the CPU in a strong position for any game, but Inside’s low computational requirements mean that the difference between this processor and a much weaker one would be negligible at 1080p. The data indicates that the CPU role is to provide a stable baseline, not to push frame rates higher.

At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 60, which is exactly the threshold for smooth gameplay. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that single-threaded tasks, such as game logic and physics, are handled quickly, but the GPU’s rendering load dominates. The fact that the CPU does not cause frame drops at any resolution or setting reflects its headroom, but it also means that upgrading the CPU would not improve Inside’s performance unless the GPU is also upgraded.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the clear bottleneck in this combination, as the resolution scaling data shows. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, and its boost clock is 1650 MHz. The 2176 shading units and 64 ROPs handle pixel processing, and the pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s is sufficient for 4K at moderate settings, but the data shows that higher resolutions quickly saturate the card.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 18093. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, scores 18159, which is a 0.4% delta, meaning the RTX 2060 SUPER is slightly slower. In Inside, this translates to 4K High averaging 63 FPS and 4K Ultra averaging 60 FPS, both of which are playable but with little margin. The 8 GB VRAM is not stressed by this game, as the visual complexity is low, but the GPU’s raw compute power is the limiting factor.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings shows a drop from 281 to 127 FPS, a 45% reduction, which is less severe than at High settings (from 141 to 63 FPS, a 55% reduction). This suggests that the GPU’s fixed overhead, such as draw calls and geometry, becomes more significant at higher settings, but the overall trend is consistent. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the card is working near its maximum output.

The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s appears sufficient for this game, as no frame drops are recorded at 4K Medium (min FPS of 86). However, the fact that 4K Ultra drops to 60 FPS average indicates that the GPU’s compute units are the primary constraint, not memory. For users with a 1440p monitor, the GPU provides excellent performance, with High settings averaging 101 FPS and Ultra averaging 96 FPS, but 4K requires dropping to Medium or lower to maintain high frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver playable results, but the data shows that Medium settings offer the best balance. The Medium preset averages 225 FPS with a minimum of 191 FPS, while Ultra averages 134 FPS. The gap between Medium and Ultra is 91 FPS, which is significant, but the visual difference in a puzzle platformer may not justify the performance cost. For maximum smoothness on a high-refresh-rate monitor, Low settings at 281 FPS is the best choice, but Medium provides a better visual experience while still exceeding 200 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts to High settings. The High preset averages 101 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides good visual fidelity. Ultra averages 96 FPS, only 5 FPS lower, so the difference is minimal, but High offers a slight performance margin. Medium averages 162 FPS, which is overkill for most displays, so High is the sweet spot for 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the data shows that Medium is the best choice. The Medium preset averages 102 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS baseline. High averages 63 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom, and Ultra averages 60 FPS, which could drop below 60 in demanding scenes. Low at 4K averages 127 FPS, but the visual quality loss is substantial. The recommendation is to use Medium at 4K for a balanced experience, as it provides a comfortable frame rate margin without sacrificing too much detail.

The minimum FPS data for Medium settings reinforces this choice: at 1080p, the minimum is 191 FPS; at 1440p, it is 137 FPS; and at 4K, it is 86 FPS. These minimums are all above 60 FPS, indicating that the Medium preset maintains consistent performance across resolutions. For users who prioritize frame rate stability, Medium is the safest option, while High and Ultra are viable only at 1080p and 1440p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2556 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the 69th percentile (calculated from the rank and total). This ranking is lower than the individual component percentiles (CPU at 91, GPU at 62), which suggests that the pairing is not optimal for this game. The high-end CPU is paired with a mid-range GPU, and the data shows that the GPU limits performance at higher resolutions.

The combo rank indicates that many other pairings, likely those with more balanced CPU-GPU configurations, achieve better frame rates in this game. The CPU’s performance is not a factor, as the i7-14700F has ample headroom, but the GPU’s 62nd percentile ranking drags down the overall result. For Inside specifically, the GPU is the bottleneck, and the combo rank reflects that the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot fully utilize the CPU’s capabilities.

This ranking does not mean the combo is poor; it means that for a game with low CPU demands, the GPU is the limiting component. Users with this pairing should focus on GPU upgrades to improve Inside’s performance, as the CPU will not be a constraint. The rank of 2556 out of 3716 suggests that roughly 31% of tested combos perform better, but the absolute FPS numbers show that this combo is still highly playable, especially at 1080p and 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are: Low at 281, Medium at 225 (with a minimum of 191 and maximum of 259), High at 141, and Ultra at 134. The gap between Low and Ultra is 147 FPS, which is substantial, but all settings are well above playable thresholds. The Medium setting’s minimum of 191 FPS indicates that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate stays high.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 202, Medium at 162 (with a minimum of 137 and maximum of 186), High at 101, and Ultra at 96. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with Low decreasing by 79 FPS, Medium by 63 FPS, High by 40 FPS, and Ultra by 38 FPS. The Medium setting’s minimum of 137 FPS is still smooth, but the High and Ultra averages hover near 100 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 127, Medium at 102 (with a minimum of 86 and maximum of 117), High at 63, and Ultra at 60. The 4K results show a clear ceiling for the GPU, with Ultra barely hitting 60 FPS. The Medium setting provides the best balance, with a minimum of 86 FPS ensuring no noticeable stutter. The maximum FPS of 117 at 4K Medium shows that the GPU can occasionally deliver higher performance, but the average is constrained.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 2060 SUPER is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K requires settings reduction. The minimum FPS values for Medium settings (191 at 1080p, 137 at 1440p, 86 at 4K) indicate that this preset offers the most stable experience across all resolutions. For users who want to max out the game at 1080p, Ultra at 134 FPS is viable, but Medium is recommended for the best frame rate headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Inside?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with High settings averages 101 FPS, which is a good balance. At 1920x1080, Medium averages 225 FPS, and at 3840x2160, Medium averages 102 FPS, so 1440p High is the sweet spot.

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

A: No. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 281, which is far above the GPU’s limit. The CPU has a boost clock of 5.40 GHz and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958, so it has ample headroom.

Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K smoothly?

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings, which average 102 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS. High settings average 63 FPS, and Ultra averages 60 FPS, so Medium is the safest choice for 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rival?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 18093, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile scores 18159, a 0.4% delta. The RTX 2060 SUPER is slightly slower, but in Inside, the performance difference is minimal.

Q: Is the i7-14700F overkill for this game?

A: The CPU ranks in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, but Inside does not use many cores. The 20 cores and 28 threads are not fully utilized, and the game runs fine on much weaker processors.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 4K Medium?

A: The minimum FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 86 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay.