Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016 that is far more forgiving on hardware than most modern titles, yet the measured data for the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination reveals specific performance characteristics that are worth analyzing. The benchmark results show a system capable of delivering extremely high frame rates across all tested configurations, with the primary bottlenecks shifting between the CPU and GPU depending on the resolution and settings selected. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to provide clear guidance on settings, component roles, and scaling behavior for this specific pairing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data indicates that the Ultra preset provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing playability at any resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 180 FPS, which is only 9 FPS lower than the High preset's 189 FPS, and critically, it remains well above the refresh rates of most high-end monitors. The performance delta between High and Ultra is minimal, suggesting that the Ultra preset is efficiently utilizing the hardware without introducing a significant frame rate penalty. For users with 1440p displays, the Ultra preset still produces 129 FPS on average, which is smooth and responsive for a puzzle platformer where precise input timing is less critical than in competitive shooters.

The Medium preset offers a compelling alternative for those seeking higher frame rates with only a modest reduction in visual fidelity. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 136 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS, providing a more stable frame time distribution than the High preset at the same resolution, which averages 85 FPS. The Low preset, while achieving the highest frame rates—378 FPS at 1080p and 272 FPS at 1440p—sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that relies heavily on atmospheric lighting and shadow play to convey its moody aesthetic. The data suggests that Ultra is the best experience per the measured rows, as it maintains high average FPS across all resolutions while maximizing the game's visual presentation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, built on the Raptor Lake architecture with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores are substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs tested. This processing power is more than sufficient for Inside, which is a puzzle platformer that does not demand extreme multi-threaded performance, but the high single-core boost clock is particularly beneficial for maintaining consistent frame pacing in a game with physics-based puzzles.

The CPU's role in this game's results becomes evident when examining the frame rate scaling across resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 378 FPS, which is a remarkably high number that suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls to saturate even the fastest rendering pipeline. However, the data shows that at higher resolutions, the frame rates drop significantly, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor rather than the CPU. The processor's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache help with data locality in the game's procedural animation systems, while its 10 nm process node and 65 W TDP indicate efficient power delivery for sustained performance during longer play sessions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the primary driver of visual performance in this configuration, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its GA104 chip, built on Samsung's 8 nm process, contains 17,400 million transistors and operates at a base clock of 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 1725 MHz. The GPU's 5888 shading units and 96 ROPs are well-suited for rendering the game's detailed environments, while its 184 texture mapping units handle the high-resolution textures that Inside uses to create its distinctive monochromatic art style.

The measured FPS data clearly shows the GPU's influence on performance. At 4K Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 81 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it rises to 180 FPS—a clear indication that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game at all tested settings, as evidenced by the consistent performance across resolution changes without any signs of memory-related stuttering. The GPU's benchmark scores, including a Passmark G3D score of 22214 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3162, place it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, which aligns with its performance in this game where it delivers playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1317 out of 3716 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the top 35.5% of all configurations. This ranking is influenced by both the CPU's high percentile ranking—91st among all CPUs—and the GPU's more modest 61st percentile standing. The data suggests that the CPU is significantly more powerful relative to its peers than the GPU, which means the system's overall ranking is constrained by the graphics card's performance ceiling. This is a common pattern in gaming systems where the GPU typically has a larger impact on frame rates than the CPU, particularly at higher resolutions.

The nearest rivals for the CPU include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, which has an average benchmark score of 53288 (0.6% higher), and the AMD EPYC 7313P with a score of 53206 (0.8% higher). The RTX 3070's closest competitors are the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT with an average score of 17083 (0.7% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 at 17037 (1% higher). These close benchmark scores suggest that the combo's performance in Inside is representative of its overall capabilities, with the measured FPS data showing strong performance that aligns with its mid-to-upper tier ranking.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the limiting component in this system. At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 180 at 1080p to 129 at 1440p, and then to 81 at 4K—a total reduction of 55% from 1080p to 4K. This significant drop indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the pixel count increases by 4x from 1080p to 4K, demanding substantially more from the render pipeline. The CPU's high performance is evident in the fact that it can maintain 180 FPS at 1080p Ultra, suggesting that it is not a bottleneck at this resolution.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. For Low settings, the frame rate drops from 378 FPS at 1080p to 272 FPS at 1440p and 171 FPS at 4K—a 55% reduction. Medium settings show a similar trend, falling from 302 FPS at 1080p to 217 FPS at 1440p and 136 FPS at 4K. This consistent percentage drop across settings confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with resolution while the GPU's workload scales directly with pixel count. The data shows that for users seeking 60 FPS or higher, even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset is playable, but the system is clearly optimized for 1080p and 1440p gaming where it can deliver frame rates well above 120 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 378 FPS, the Medium preset averages 302 FPS with a minimum of 257 FPS and a maximum of 347 FPS, the High preset averages 189 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 180 FPS. These numbers indicate that the system is never CPU-bound at 1080p, as even the most demanding settings produce frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most gaming monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU's increasing workload. The Low preset averages 272 FPS, Medium averages 217 FPS with a minimum of 185 FPS and maximum of 250 FPS, High averages 136 FPS, and Ultra averages 129 FPS. The frame rate differences between High and Ultra at this resolution are minimal, suggesting that the GPU can handle the additional visual effects without a significant performance penalty.

At 3840x2160, the system shows its limitations as the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Low preset still delivers a playable 171 FPS average, Medium averages 136 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS and maximum of 157 FPS, High averages 85 FPS, and Ultra averages 81 FPS. The minimum FPS of 116 at Medium 4K indicates that the GPU is working hard to maintain frame rates, but the overall experience remains smooth. The Ultra preset's 81 FPS average is above the 60 FPS threshold for comfortable gameplay, making 4K gaming viable for this title.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F a bottleneck for the RTX 3070 in Inside?

A: No, the benchmark data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 378 FPS, which is well above what the GPU can render at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent across all settings, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The Medium preset provides the best balance at 4K, delivering an average of 136 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS. This is significantly higher than the High preset's 85 FPS and Ultra preset's 81 FPS, while still offering good visual quality.

Q: How much performance is gained by dropping from Ultra to Low settings?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 378 FPS compared to Ultra's 180 FPS, representing a 110% increase. At 1440p, the gain is from 129 FPS to 272 FPS (111% increase), and at 4K, from 81 FPS to 171 FPS (111% increase).

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured data shows that the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 81 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. This allows for a fully playable experience at the highest visual settings.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rival, the RX 7600 XT?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 7600 XT's score of 17083. This indicates the two GPUs are nearly identical in overall performance, though their specific strengths may differ in other games.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 136 FPS while the Ultra preset averages 129 FPS, a difference of only 7 FPS (5.4%). This small gap suggests that Ultra settings are worth using for the visual improvements they provide.