Inside

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a remarkably fluid experience in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is anything but demanding on modern hardware. The benchmark data shows this combination is heavily CPU-limited at lower resolutions, with the GPU only becoming a meaningful constraint at 4K with higher graphical presets. Across all twelve measured configurations, the average frame rates range from a low of 98.8 FPS to a high of 409.7 FPS, indicating that this system utterly dominates the game's requirements. The data suggests that players with high-refresh-rate monitors will be the primary beneficiaries, as the system has enough headroom to push far beyond standard 60 FPS targets even at maximum settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic bottleneck shift. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 409.7 FPS, which drops to 328.6 FPS at 1440p and further to 205.8 FPS at 4K. This represents a 49.8% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU is being increasingly taxed as pixel count rises. However, the story changes dramatically when examining the High preset: 227 FPS at 1080p falls to 165.3 FPS at 1440p and then to 102.1 FPS at 4K, a 55% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling pattern suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are more than sufficient, allowing the RTX 4070 to run at near-peak output. The data implies that the limiting component shifts from the processor to the graphics card as resolution increases, with the 4K Ultra result of 98.8 FPS showing the GPU's rendering workload becoming the primary constraint.

The most telling comparison comes from the Medium preset, which shows 367.8 FPS at 1080p, 262.8 FPS at 1440p, and 166.5 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28.5%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 36.6%. This non-linear scaling indicates that the RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are more than adequate for the game's texture requirements, but the raw pixel throughput at 4K becomes a limiting factor. For a game released in 2016, the performance headroom is extraordinary, with even the most demanding configuration (4K Ultra) maintaining nearly 100 FPS. The data suggests that resolution scaling is smooth and predictable, with no anomalous spikes or drops that would indicate driver or memory bandwidth issues.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, plays a critical role in this combination's performance. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz, combined with 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs, provides ample raw compute power for Inside's stylized visuals. The 12 GB memory capacity is generous for a 2016 title, and the 192-bit bus width delivers 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the game's art assets. The benchmark results show that the GPU's performance scales predictably with settings, with the Ultra preset at 4K (98.8 FPS) being the only configuration that dips below the 100 FPS threshold.

The data reveals that the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K, the difference between Low (205.8 FPS) and Ultra (98.8 FPS) is 107 FPS, a 52% reduction in performance. This indicates that the game's visual effects, likely including dynamic lighting and post-processing, place a significant load on the GPU's compute units when enabled at maximum quality. The RTX 4070's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is clearly not the bottleneck at lower settings, as evidenced by the 409.7 FPS result at 1080p Low. However, the data suggests that the GPU's architectural strengths, including its 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, are not fully utilized by this title, as Inside does not feature ray tracing or DLSS support. The GPU's percentile ranking of 81 against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37283, places it in a strong position for this workload, though its nearest rival data shows it is only 2.5% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5300M in synthetic tests.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is the dominant component in this pairing, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do. With 20 cores (8 performance and 12 efficiency) and 28 threads, the processor offers substantial multi-threading capability, though Inside is likely to rely more on single-thread performance. The CPU's boost clock of 5.60 GHz, combined with a base clock of 3.40 GHz, provides excellent responsiveness for game logic and physics calculations. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache is more than adequate for the game's level data, and the 10 nm process node ensures efficient power delivery without thermal throttling.

Benchmark results show that the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p, where the frame rates of 409.7 FPS (Low), 367.8 FPS (Medium), 227 FPS (High), and 216.8 FPS (Ultra) suggest that the processor's single-thread performance is the ceiling for these scenarios. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6287 and multi-core score of 44534 indicate exceptional computational capability, but the game's engine likely cannot fully utilize all 20 cores. The data implies that the CPU's efficiency cores contribute to background tasks, while the performance cores handle the game's main thread. The processor's 96th percentile ranking against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70074, places it among the top tier, and its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, is essentially identical with a deltaPct of 0. This suggests that the integrated UHD Graphics 770 is irrelevant for gaming, as the discrete RTX 4070 entirely handles rendering.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 409.7 FPS, which is the highest result in the entire dataset. The Medium preset follows at 367.8 FPS, representing a 10.2% drop from Low, while High drops further to 227 FPS (38.3% lower than Medium), and Ultra settles at 216.8 FPS (4.5% lower than High). This pattern suggests that the jump from Medium to High introduces a significant graphical feature that impacts performance, while the Ultra preset adds incremental enhancements.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 328.6 FPS, which is 19.8% lower than the 1080p Low result. Medium achieves 262.8 FPS (a 28.6% drop from Low at this resolution), High reaches 165.3 FPS (37.1% lower than Medium), and Ultra produces 155.7 FPS (5.8% below High). The scaling between resolutions is consistent, with the 1080p to 1440p transition reducing frame rates by approximately 20-28% depending on the preset. At 3840x2160, the Low preset maintains 205.8 FPS, which is 37.4% lower than the 1440p Low result. Medium drops to 166.5 FPS (19.1% below Low), High falls to 102.1 FPS (38.7% lower than Medium), and Ultra reaches 98.8 FPS (3.2% below High). The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that falls below 100 FPS, indicating that the system remains highly playable even at maximum settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 409.7 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming at high refresh rates?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 3840x2160 with High settings, the combo produces 102.1 FPS, which exceeds the 100 FPS threshold for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 70074, which is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-14700KF at 70104, showing a deltaPct of 0.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 328.6 FPS while the Ultra preset reaches 155.7 FPS, representing a 52.6% reduction in average frame rate.

Q: Does the GPU's memory bandwidth become a bottleneck at any resolution?

A: The data does not indicate a memory bandwidth bottleneck. The RTX 4070's 504.2 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings without anomalous drops.

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

A: The combo ranks 257th out of 1671 tested combinations, placing it in the top 15.4% of all configurations tested for Inside.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the most balanced experience is achieved with the High preset at 1440p, which delivers 165.3 FPS. This setting provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (262.8 FPS) while maintaining a frame rate well above 144 Hz refresh rates. The jump from Medium to High reduces performance by 37.1%, but the resulting visual fidelity is likely worth the trade-off for most players. For those with 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 216.8 FPS is the recommended choice, as it offers the maximum visual quality while still providing ample headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 4K, the High preset (102.1 FPS) is the optimal configuration, as the Ultra preset's 98.8 FPS result is only 3.2% lower but may not provide a noticeable visual difference.

The Low preset, while achieving the highest frame rates (409.7 FPS at 1080p), is not recommended for actual gameplay due to the significant loss of visual effects. The Medium preset serves as a good baseline for players prioritizing frame rate over visuals, delivering 367.8 FPS at 1080p and 166.5 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that the High preset offers the best compromise between performance and visual quality across all resolutions, as it maintains frame rates above 100 FPS even at 4K. Players with 240 Hz monitors should consider the Medium preset at 1080p (367.8 FPS) to fully utilize their display's refresh rate, while those with 144 Hz monitors can comfortably use the High preset at 1440p or the Ultra preset at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 257 out of 1671 tested combinations places it in the upper echelon of all configurations tested for Inside. This ranking is particularly impressive given that the game is a 2016 release with modest system requirements, meaning that many lower-end combinations can also achieve playable frame rates. The fact that this combo achieves a rank in the top 15.4% suggests that it is not only capable of running the game but does so with exceptional performance headroom. The Intel Core i7-14700K's 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the RTX 4070's 81st percentile ranking among all GPUs indicate that this is a high-end pairing by synthetic benchmark standards.

The data implies that the combo's ranking is primarily driven by the CPU's exceptional single-thread performance, as the game is likely CPU-bound at most settings. The processor's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6287 and boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide the computational power needed to push frame rates beyond what most GPUs can render. The RTX 4070's performance, while strong, is secondary in this context, as evidenced by the fact that the GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, is only 0.6% slower in average benchmark score. This suggests that the combo's high rank is a result of the synergistic pairing of a top-tier CPU with a capable GPU, rather than the GPU's absolute performance. For players seeking maximum frame rates in Inside, this combination represents a near-optimal choice, with only the top 256 combos out of 1671 offering better performance.