Inside

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer. The measured data shows this combination is heavily overqualified for the title, producing triple-digit frame rates at every resolution and setting tested, with the only sub-100 FPS result occurring at 4K Ultra. This combo ranks in the 63rd percentile overall (rank 621 out of 1671 tested combos), indicating that while it is not at the very top of the database, it provides far more performance than this game demands.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 377.3 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does this combo maintain playable frame rates at 4K resolution?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 78.6 FPS on Ultra settings to 168.5 FPS on Low settings, with High settings yielding 87.5 FPS and Medium yielding 138.5 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 70074, which is essentially identical to the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70104, 0% delta). It is 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115 (69887) and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (70420).

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration, and how does it affect this game?

A: The RTX 3070 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. For a game like Inside with its relatively simple 2.5D visuals, this memory configuration is more than sufficient, as evidenced by the high frame rates even at 4K.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 a high-performing GPU relative to others in the database?

A: The RTX 3070 sits in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. It is 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (27985) and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (27956).

Q: What is the CPU's core and thread configuration?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K has 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It is based on the Raptor Lake architecture and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the primary driver of frame rates in Inside, and the data confirms it is never the limiting factor at any tested setting. With a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1725 MHz, the GPU's Ampere architecture, built on Samsung's 8 nm process, provides substantial raw compute power—20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This is paired with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory running at 14 Gbps effective, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth across a 256-bit bus.

The GPU's 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs are more than capable of handling Inside's rendering workload. The game's stylized, monochromatic art style and limited draw distances mean that even the most demanding Ultra preset at 4K (78.6 FPS) does not push the RTX 3070 to its limits. The performance scaling from Low to Ultra settings shows a consistent pattern: at 1080p, the gap between Low (377.3 FPS) and Ultra (180.3 FPS) is roughly 2x, indicating that the settings presets significantly alter the GPU workload, but even the heaviest load is easily managed.

The GPU's 72nd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the upper tier, but its nearest rivals—the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti—are within 1% of its average score. This suggests that while the RTX 3070 is a capable card, its performance in Inside is more about the game's modest requirements than the GPU being exceptional relative to its peers.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 621st out of 1671 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the 63rd percentile. This is a strong showing, but the ranking reveals an interesting nuance: the combo outperforms its percentile rank in CPU benchmarks (96th percentile) and GPU benchmarks (72nd percentile), yet the game's low system requirements mean that many lower-tier combos also achieve high frame rates.

This rank suggests that while the hardware is powerful, Inside is not a title that rewards top-tier components with proportionally higher frame rates. The game is primarily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but the RTX 3070's performance headroom means that the combo's ranking is more reflective of its raw benchmark scores than its actual in-game performance. A combo with a less powerful CPU but a similar GPU would likely achieve nearly identical frame rates in this title, as the i7-14700K's 20 cores and 28 threads are far more than Inside requires.

The data indicates that the combo is overkill for this game. At 1080p Low, the 377.3 FPS average is more than six times the refresh rate of a standard 60 Hz monitor, and even at 4K Ultra, the 78.6 FPS result comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. This places the combo in a position where its ranking is determined more by the database's overall hardware hierarchy than by any meaningful gameplay advantage.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional results: 377.3 FPS on Low, 305 FPS on Medium, 187.9 FPS on High, and 180.3 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 52% reduction in frame rate, but even the lowest result at this resolution is far beyond what any display can show.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a predictable decline. Low settings produce 273.2 FPS, Medium drops to 214.4 FPS, High yields 136.7 FPS, and Ultra settles at 131.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 52%, similar to 1080p, indicating that the settings presets have a consistent relative impact on performance regardless of resolution.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3070 begins to show its limitations, though the results are still playable. Low settings achieve 168.5 FPS, Medium drops to 138.5 FPS, High is 87.5 FPS, and Ultra is 78.6 FPS. The 4K results show a steeper drop-off from Low to Ultra (53% reduction), but the key takeaway is that even the most demanding preset at the highest resolution stays above 60 FPS.

The data shows that the combo is never below 78 FPS in any tested configuration, which means it can drive any modern display at maximum refresh rates (144 Hz, 165 Hz, or even 240 Hz) at 1080p and 1440p with Ultra settings. At 4K, it can handle High settings (87.5 FPS) for a smooth experience, but Ultra (78.6 FPS) is still viable for high-refresh 4K monitors.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the balance between CPU and GPU workload in Inside. At Low settings, the transition from 1920x1080 (377.3 FPS) to 2560x1440 (273.2 FPS) represents a 27.6% reduction, and further to 3840x2160 (168.5 FPS) is a 55.3% reduction from 1080p. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound title, where the increased pixel count directly impacts the rendering load.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is similar: 1080p produces 180.3 FPS, 1440p produces 131.4 FPS (27.1% reduction), and 4K produces 78.6 FPS (56.4% reduction from 1080p). The consistent percentage drops across different settings presets indicate that the game's rendering pipeline scales linearly with resolution, and the RTX 3070 is the primary component handling this increased load.

The fact that the CPU's performance is not a bottleneck is evident from the 1080p results. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 377.3 FPS, which is an extremely high frame rate that would require a very fast CPU to maintain. The i7-14700K's 5.60 GHz boost clock and 20 cores ensure that the game's logic and physics calculations are never waiting on the GPU. The scaling pattern confirms that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, but the CPU's headroom means that the combo performs consistently across all settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It features 33 MB of shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In benchmark tests, it scores 44534 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6287 in single-core, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs.

For Inside, a Puzzle Platformer that does not require extensive CPU resources, the i7-14700K's role is to ensure that frame rates are never CPU-limited. The game's physics and logic are relatively simple, and the CPU's high single-thread performance (6287 in Cinebench R23 single-core) is more than sufficient to handle the game's demands. The 28 threads provide massive headroom for any background tasks or streaming applications while gaming.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 70074 puts it on par with the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70104, 0% delta) and AMD EPYC 9115 (69887, 0.3% delta). This parity suggests that the i7-14700K is a well-balanced processor that does not bottleneck the RTX 3070 in any scenario. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 377.3 FPS, which would be a challenging workload for many CPUs, but the i7-14700K's boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures that the game's single-threaded aspects are handled with ease.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays with refresh rates up to 240 Hz, the Ultra preset (180.3 FPS) is recommended, as it provides the best visual quality while still exceeding the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. The High preset (187.9 FPS) offers nearly identical performance with slightly reduced visual effects, but the difference is negligible.

For 1440p displays, the Ultra preset (131.4 FPS) is the best choice for 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitors, as it delivers smooth gameplay with maximum visual fidelity. The High preset (136.7 FPS) is nearly identical and could be used if the Ultra preset introduces any stability issues, but the data shows no such problems. For 1440p displays with 165 Hz or higher refresh rates, the Medium preset (214.4 FPS) is recommended to fully utilize the display's capabilities.

For 4K displays, the High preset (87.5 FPS) provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it comfortably exceeds 60 FPS and is suitable for 60 Hz or 120 Hz monitors. The Ultra preset (78.6 FPS) is still playable and recommended for 60 Hz displays, but the High preset offers a 11% performance increase with minimal visual differences. The Medium preset (138.5 FPS) is overkill for 60 Hz 4K displays but could be used for 144 Hz 4K monitors, though the visual quality reduction may be noticeable.

In all cases, the Low preset is unnecessary for this combo, as even the most demanding settings produce frame rates far above playable thresholds. The data supports the conclusion that this hardware combination is more than capable of running Inside at maximum settings across all resolutions, making the choice of settings a matter of matching the display's refresh rate rather than achieving playable performance.