Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 delivers a thoroughly playable experience for Inside, a puzzle platformer released in 2016. The recorded measurements show this combination clears the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p and 1440p across every preset, while 4K requires a reduction from Ultra to Medium to stay smooth. The combo ranks 2915th out of 3716 tested combinations in the database, a mid-to-low overall standing, but the game's modest graphical demands allow this hardware to perform far better in practice than its raw rank suggests.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this CPU and GPU pairing at rank 2915 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside. That position places it in the lower portion of the field, yet the actual frame rates tell a different story. The CPU alone sits in the 81st percentile against all tested CPUs, while the GPU lands in the 58th percentile against all tested GPUs. The gap between the component percentiles and the combo rank reflects the game's nature: Inside is a puzzle platformer with relatively light rendering requirements, so even a mid-tier GPU like the RTX 2060 can push high frame rates when paired with a strong processor.

The measured FPS data confirms this. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 256 FPS average. At 1080p Ultra, it still holds 122 FPS average. Even at 4K Medium, the average is 93 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The only preset that falls below 60 FPS is 4K Ultra, which averages 55 FPS. This means the combo's rank is skewed by the sheer number of high-end configurations in the database, not by any real deficiency in handling this specific title. The CPU's average benchmark score of 29713 and the GPU's average benchmark score of 15290 both indicate capable hardware, and the game's low demands let them stretch their performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

For Inside, the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom at all settings. The scaling between resolutions makes this clear. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 256 at 1080p to 184 at 1440p, a reduction of 72 FPS, and then to 116 at 4K, another drop of 68 FPS. This steep decline as resolution increases points directly to the GPU's rendering limits. The RTX 2060, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus, has enough bandwidth for most of the game, but at 4K Ultra it runs out of compute headroom, dropping to 55 FPS.

The CPU, however, is never the limiting factor. The Ryzen 5 9600X has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its single-thread performance is exceptional, as shown by a Geekbench single-core score of 2923 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2183.5. Inside is not a multi-threaded title; it relies on a few threads for game logic and physics. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 1253 and 2-thread score of 2456 indicate that even at 4K Low, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU keeps pace easily. The fact that 4K Low produces 116 FPS while 4K Ultra produces 55 FPS, a difference of 61 FPS, is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's pixel and texture processing load, not to any CPU limitation.

Preset scaling further confirms this. At 1440p, moving from Low to Medium increases the average FPS from 184 to 147, a drop of 37 FPS, and then to 92 at High and 88 at Ultra. The consistent degradation with higher presets is a classic GPU-bound pattern. The CPU's performance remains constant regardless of preset, so the frame rate variance across presets is a direct measure of GPU workload. For players targeting 4K, the data shows that Medium is the sweet spot: it delivers 93 FPS, which is 38 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, while High drops to 58 FPS and Ultra to 55 FPS. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 14111 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1242 place it in the lower half of modern GPUs, but Inside's low geometric complexity and simple shaders mean the RTX 2060 can still handle it with ease at most settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Inside at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium presets. The data shows Medium at 4K averages 93 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. High averages 58 FPS and Ultra averages 55 FPS, both below 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Ultra is fully playable at 1440p, with an average of 88 FPS. All four presets, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, stay above 60 FPS at this resolution, so players can choose the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 9600X compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 29713. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, scores 29656, a delta of 0.2 percent. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H scores 29868, a delta of -0.5 percent, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT scores 29879, a delta of -0.6 percent. The Ryzen 5 9600X is effectively within 1 percent of all these chips.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 a weak link for this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, no. The GPU delivers 122 FPS at 1080p Ultra and 88 FPS at 1440p Ultra. At 4K, it becomes the limiting factor, as Ultra drops to 55 FPS. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 14111 places it in the 58th percentile, but Inside's light workload means it only struggles at the most demanding 4K preset.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The recorded data shows an average of 128 FPS at 1080p High. This is more than double the 60 FPS threshold, so the game will feel extremely smooth on any 60 Hz or 120 Hz display.

Q: Does the game use multiple CPU cores effectively?

A: The data suggests it does not need to. The CPU's multi-threaded scores are strong, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 17528.5 and a Passmark multithread score of 30027, but the frame rates remain consistent across presets, indicating that the GPU is the sole bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU's single-thread performance is more than sufficient for this title.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Inside, and it does so with room to spare at most settings. The verdict by resolution is clear. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, and the best preset is Ultra with an average of 122 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 88 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium are playable, with Medium being the best choice at 93 FPS. High and Ultra at 4K fall to 58 and 55 FPS respectively, which miss the 60 FPS target.

The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS, and the data shows this combo clears it in every scenario except 4K High and 4K Ultra. For players with a 4K display, the recommendation is to set the preset to Medium and enjoy 93 FPS. For 1440p and 1080p displays, Ultra is the optimal choice, delivering 88 and 122 FPS respectively. The CPU's high single-thread performance and the GPU's adequate rasterization power combine to make Inside a smooth experience across the board, with the only compromise being at the extreme high end of 4K Ultra.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide useful context for what other hardware would behave similarly in this game. The Ryzen 5 9600X has an average benchmark score of 29713. Its closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, with an average score of 29656, a delta of 0.2 percent. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H scores 29868, a delta of -0.5 percent, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT scores 29879, a delta of -0.6 percent. The AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS scores 29955, a delta of -0.8 percent. Any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Inside, as the game is not CPU-bound.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 scores 15283, a delta of 0 percent, making it a direct match. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, a delta of 0.1 percent, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, a delta of 0.6 percent. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171, a delta of 0.8 percent. All four of these GPUs fall within 1 percent of the RTX 2060's average score, meaning they would deliver essentially the same frame rates in Inside. The 4K Ultra preset would likely remain below 60 FPS, while 4K Medium would stay above 60 FPS, just as with the RTX 2060.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at each resolution is as follows. At 3840x2160, the best setting is Medium, which delivers an average of 93 FPS. High at 4K drops to 58 FPS, so Medium is the clear choice for 4K play. At 2560x1440, Ultra is the best setting, averaging 88 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, Ultra is also the best setting, averaging 122 FPS, providing a very high frame rate for smooth gameplay on high refresh rate monitors. The data shows that this combo can handle the maximum visual quality at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K users should stick to Medium to maintain a consistent 60 FPS or higher.