Inside

Inside is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer that is anything but demanding on modern hardware, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination reflects that. The pairing delivers an exceptionally high frame rate experience across all tested configurations, effectively removing the GPU as a bottleneck at standard resolutions. The data shows a system that is firmly overqualified for the title, with performance headroom that allows for maximum visual fidelity without compromising on fluidity.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking observation in the measured data is the massive performance headroom available at 1080p, which rapidly diminishes as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo produces 182.5 FPS, but dropping to Low settings nearly doubles the output to 380.5 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the game is heavily CPU-bound; the GPU is capable of rendering far more frames than the engine can feed it, even with the i7-14700KF’s strong single-thread performance.

Scaling up to 2560x1440 shows a predictable shift toward GPU limitation. The Ultra preset average drops to 130.4 FPS, a decrease of about 28.5% from the 1080p result. The Low preset falls to 273.6 FPS, showing a similar proportional reduction. This pattern confirms that while the CPU is still a factor at this resolution, the RTX 3070 is beginning to take on more of the rendering load. The frame rate deltas between settings at 1440p are smaller than at 1080p, which is a classic sign of the GPU becoming the limiting component.

At 4K (3840x2160), the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck. The Ultra preset manages 83.3 FPS, while High drops slightly to 87.3 FPS, and Low still achieves a very playable 171 FPS. The performance gap between Medium (138.5 FPS) and Ultra (83.3 FPS) is a stark 66% reduction, highlighting the significant cost of the highest settings at this resolution. The data suggests that for a locked 60 FPS experience at 4K, the RTX 3070 has ample headroom, but for high refresh rate gaming at this resolution, users will need to make compromises.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting the highest refresh rate displays, the Low preset at 1080p delivers a staggering 380.5 FPS, which is far beyond the capabilities of most monitors. However, the visual simplicity of the game means that even the Low preset looks acceptable. The data indicates that the Medium preset at 1080p, with its 303.3 FPS average, offers a more balanced experience, providing a substantial visual upgrade over Low while still maintaining a frame rate that exceeds any 240Hz display’s capability.

At 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot, yielding 136.6 FPS. This is a 5% improvement over Ultra’s 130.4 FPS, with a likely imperceptible visual difference given the game’s art style. For those with 144Hz monitors, the High preset at 1440p is the optimal choice, as it stays above the refresh rate threshold with consistency. Ultra at 1440p is also viable, but the marginal gain in fidelity does not justify the slight dip in performance.

For 4K gaming, the recommendations shift based on target frame rates. The High preset at 87.3 FPS is ideal for smooth 60 FPS+ gameplay, while the Medium preset at 138.5 FPS is better suited for high refresh rate 4K panels. The Ultra preset at 83.3 FPS is still playable, but given the modest visual improvements, the High preset presents a more sensible configuration for sustained performance. The Low preset at 171 FPS proves that even at 4K, this combo can push well beyond standard refresh rates if visual fidelity is not a priority.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, built on the Ampere architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, provides a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. In the context of Inside, this bandwidth is more than sufficient, as the game’s simple 2D environments do not require large texture pools or complex geometry. The GPU’s boost clock of 1725 MHz and its 5888 shading units are the primary drivers of the high frame rates observed, particularly at higher resolutions where the pixel fill rate becomes more relevant.

The GPU’s 96 ROPs and pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s are well-matched to the demands of this title. Even at 4K, the rasterization workload is light enough that the card does not struggle. The data shows a clear progression: at 1080p, the GPU is often idle waiting for CPU instructions, but by 4K, it is fully engaged, as evidenced by the narrowing performance gap between different settings. The RTX 3070’s position in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238, underscores its capability, but the game’s low requirements mean that even a less powerful card would likely perform admirably.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured results provides a comprehensive picture of the combo’s capabilities. At 1920x1080, the averages are 380.5 FPS (Low), 303.3 FPS (Medium), 188.9 FPS (High), and 182.5 FPS (Ultra). The jump from Low to Medium is significant, a 20% reduction, while the transition from High to Ultra is minimal, just a 3.4% drop. This suggests that the High and Ultra presets are nearly identical in their demands on the GPU at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 273.6 FPS (Low), 214.8 FPS (Medium), 136.6 FPS (High), and 130.4 FPS (Ultra). The scaling here is more linear, with each preset step producing a consistent decrease in frame rate. The gap between Medium and High is substantial, a 36% reduction, indicating that the High preset introduces a notable increase in shading complexity. At 3840x2160, the results are 171 FPS (Low), 138.5 FPS (Medium), 87.3 FPS (High), and 83.3 FPS (Ultra). The difference between High and Ultra is again minimal, while the Low preset remains surprisingly fast, suggesting that the game’s visual effects are the primary cost at higher settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 achieves a rank of 604 out of 1671 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the top 36% of all tested systems, which is a solid result but not at the very top. The ranking is likely held back by the GPU, as the CPU is a top-tier performer in its own right. The i7-14700KF sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70104, and is closely matched with rivals like the Intel Core i7-14700K (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (-0.4% delta).

The GPU, however, is in the 72nd percentile, with an average score of 28238. This performance tier is on par with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (0.9% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (1% delta). The data suggests that while the CPU is providing a strong foundation, the GPU is the limiting factor in achieving a higher rank. For a game as light as Inside, a more powerful GPU would likely push this combo into the top percentile, but the current pairing still delivers an excellent experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K with a 60 FPS target?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 3840x2160 with the High preset, the combo achieves an average of 87.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. Even the Ultra preset, at 83.3 FPS, maintains a comfortable margin over 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 yields an average of 136.6 FPS, which is just below the 144Hz refresh rate. The Medium preset, at 214.8 FPS, provides a larger margin of safety and is a more suitable choice for a locked 144 FPS experience.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rate difference between Low (380.5 FPS) and Ultra (182.5 FPS) is substantial, but the absolute numbers are so high that the CPU’s instruction throughput limits the maximum frame rate, not the GPU’s rendering speed.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its rival GPUs in this game?

A: The RTX 3070’s average benchmark score of 28238 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (0.9% delta) and the AMD FirePro S7150 (-0.6% delta). In the context of Inside, this means all three would deliver similar frame rates, though the exact settings and resolution would determine the final output.

Q: Does the 8 GB of VRAM on the RTX 3070 cause any issues?

A: No, the data shows no indication of VRAM limitations. The game’s simple art style does not require a large memory footprint, and the average frame rates remain high across all settings, suggesting that the 8 GB capacity and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are more than adequate.

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 380.5, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is an exceptional result, indicating that the system can easily handle very high refresh rate gaming at the standard resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF 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. In a game like Inside, which relies heavily on a single main game thread, this high boost clock is the most critical factor. The CPU’s single-core performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6290, ensures that the game logic is processed with minimal delay, allowing the GPU to receive a steady stream of rendering commands.

The data supports this analysis. At 1080p, the frame rate is not limited by the GPU, as evidenced by the massive difference between Low and Ultra presets. Instead, the CPU’s ability to issue draw calls is the limiting factor. The i7-14700KF’s performance, which sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs and is within 1.3% of the AMD EPYC 9115, ensures that this is rarely a noticeable issue. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache also helps in keeping frequently accessed game assets close to the cores, reducing memory latency.

The CPU’s 125 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory are relevant for system builders, but the benchmark results show that its raw compute power is more than sufficient for this title. The multi-core performance, while not heavily utilized by Inside, is a future-proofing asset for other workloads. In summary, the i7-14700KF plays the role of an unobtrusive facilitator, providing the high single-threaded performance that Inside requires while its multi-core capabilities remain largely untapped.