Inside

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination delivers extreme performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far from demanding by modern standards. Benchmark data shows this pairing produces average frame rates well above 130 FPS even at 4K Ultra settings, making it a system that completely overwhelms the game's requirements. The following analysis breaks down how this hardware behaves, what alternatives exist, and what the measured FPS numbers mean for practical gameplay.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combo are both top-tier parts, but the benchmark database groups them with near-identical performers. For the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, its average benchmark score of 75779 places it at the 95th percentile of all CPUs. The closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, which scores 75738, a negligible 0.1% difference. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D follows at 75716, also 0.1% behind. The AMD EPYC 8224P sits at 75582, just 0.3% slower, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 rounds out the nearest competitors at 75488, a 0.4% gap. In practical terms, any of these processors would deliver indistinguishable performance in Inside, since the game's workload is trivial for all of them.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 posts an average benchmark score of 60347, ranking at the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Arc Pro A60 at 60326, a 0% difference that puts them statistically tied. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60140, just 0.3% lower. Interestingly, the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M actually scores higher at 61896, which places it 2.5% above the RTX 4090 in this particular benchmark aggregate. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 sits 2.9% below at 58657. These deltas are all within a narrow band, suggesting that for Inside, the GPU choice among these options would not create noticeable differences in frame rates. The game's simple 2D side-scrolling visuals with limited 3D effects simply do not stress modern GPUs.

CPU and GPU Roles

For Inside, the data indicates that the GPU plays the dominant role in determining frame rates, but both components are so powerful that neither becomes a bottleneck in any meaningful way. Looking at the scaling across resolutions, the RTX 4090 shows a clear pattern of performance dropping as resolution increases, which is typical GPU-bound behavior. At 1080p High settings, the average is 323.9 FPS; at 1440p High, it drops to 232 FPS; and at 4K High, it falls further to 145.3 FPS. This represents a 55.2% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and another 37.4% reduction from 1440p to 4K. Such consistent scaling points to the GPU as the primary performance driver.

The CPU's role is less visible in the measured FPS data because even at 1080p Low settings, where the GPU load is lightest, the system still achieves 435.3 FPS. That frame rate is far beyond what any display can show, and it suggests the Ryzen 9 9950X3D's single-thread and multi-thread performance is more than sufficient. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 1292 and multi-thread score of 17184 indicate strong per-core performance, but Inside does not require heavy multi-threading. The game's genre and release date mean it runs on older engine technology that typically uses just a few cores. The 16-core, 32-thread CPU would remain largely idle, but its high boost clock of 5.70 GHz helps maintain those extreme frame rates.

When comparing presets, the data shows that Ultra settings impose the heaviest load at every resolution. At 4K, Ultra drops to 137.6 FPS from High's 145.3 FPS, a 5.3% reduction. At 1440p, the drop from High to Ultra is 232 to 221.2 FPS, a 4.7% reduction. At 1080p, High to Ultra goes from 323.9 to 308.3 FPS, a 4.8% reduction. These consistent small gaps indicate that Ultra settings add some GPU work, but the RTX 4090 absorbs it without issue. Low settings provide the highest frame rates, as expected, but the differences are not dramatic in percentage terms at lower resolutions. The real takeaway is that this combo is GPU-limited at all tested settings, but the GPU is so fast that the limitation never approaches the playable threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings levels, providing a complete picture of performance. At 3840x2160 (4K), the average frame rates are: Low 294.7 FPS, Medium 236.1 FPS, High 145.3 FPS, and Ultra 137.6 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 19.9% reduction, while Medium to High is a 38.5% reduction, and High to Ultra is a 5.3% reduction. The largest performance hit comes from High settings, which suggests specific rendering features activate at that level.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 388.9 FPS, Medium 360.9 FPS, High 232 FPS, and Ultra 221.2 FPS. The scaling here shows Low to Medium is a 7.2% drop, Medium to High is a 35.7% drop, and High to Ultra is a 4.7% drop. The pattern mirrors 4K, with High settings causing the biggest performance penalty. At 1920x1080, the averages are: Low 435.3 FPS, Medium 398.5 FPS, High 323.9 FPS, and Ultra 308.3 FPS. Low to Medium drops 8.5%, Medium to High drops 18.7%, and High to Ultra drops 4.8%.

Notably, the data does not include min or max FPS values for any configuration; all entries show null for those fields. This means the analysis relies solely on average frame rates. The absence of minimum frame rate data is worth considering, as it removes information about potential stutters or frame time spikes. However, given the extremely high averages, even a substantial drop would likely stay above 60 FPS. The 4K Ultra average of 137.6 FPS would need to fall by more than half to hit the playable threshold of 60 FPS, which is unlikely for a game with Inside's visual complexity.

The Verdict

This system can absolutely run Inside, and it does so with enormous headroom. The verdict by resolution confirms that every setting at every resolution clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 3840x2160, all four settings — High, Low, Medium, and Ultra — are playable, with Ultra achieving 137.6 FPS as the best setting. The recommendation is Ultra, since it provides the highest visual quality while still maintaining more than double the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, all settings are also playable, with Ultra at 221.2 FPS. At 1920x1080, all settings clear the threshold, and Ultra runs at 308.3 FPS.

The practical verdict is that this combo is overkill for Inside. The game was released in 2016, and the hardware is from 2025 (CPU) and 2022 (GPU). The RTX 4090 alone has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, which is far more than the game requires. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D's 128 MB of L3 cache and 16 cores are similarly excessive. Players can run the game at maximum settings with no concern for performance, and the system will deliver frame rates that exceed most high-refresh-rate monitors' capabilities. The only practical limitation is that no display can show the 308.3 FPS at 1080p Ultra, so users with standard 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitors will not see the full potential.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Inside at 4K Ultra settings?*

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 137.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four settings levels at 4K are playable, with Low averaging 294.7 FPS, Medium at 236.1 FPS, and High at 145.3 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting to use for this game?

A: Ultra is the best setting at every resolution because it delivers the highest visual quality while still maintaining high frame rates. At 1080p, Ultra runs at 308.3 FPS; at 1440p, it runs at 221.2 FPS; and at 4K, it runs at 137.6 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the primary performance driver, as shown by the consistent frame rate drops when moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K. However, both components are so powerful that neither limits performance in any practical sense. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.70 GHz helps maintain high frame rates, but the game is not CPU-intensive.

*Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems for Inside?*

A: This combo ranks 34th out of 3716 tested combinations, placing it in the top 1% of all systems. This ranking reflects the high performance of both the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the RTX 4090.

Q: Does the game have any frame rate dips below 60 FPS?

A: The measured data does not include minimum frame rate values, so there is no information about dips. However, the lowest average frame rate recorded is 137.6 FPS at 4K Ultra, which means even a significant drop would still likely stay above 60 FPS.

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

A: The difference is small. At 4K, High averages 145.3 FPS and Ultra averages 137.6 FPS, a 5.3% reduction. At 1440p, the drop is 232 to 221.2 FPS (4.7%), and at 1080p, it is 323.9 to 308.3 FPS (4.8%). The visual improvement from Ultra likely justifies the minor frame rate cost.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 34th out of 3716 tested combos for Inside. That places it in the 99.1st percentile of all systems, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of configurations. The ranking reflects the raw power of both components: the Ryzen 9 9950X3D sits at the 95th percentile of all CPUs, and the RTX 4090 sits at the 88th percentile of all GPUs. When combined, they produce frame rates that are among the highest recorded for this game. The 34th place ranking also indicates that a handful of other combos achieve slightly higher scores, likely using more recent or specialized hardware, but the difference is immaterial for gameplay. At 4K Ultra, this system delivers 137.6 FPS, and no playable threshold is ever threatened. For a game like Inside, which has modest hardware demands, this combo is far beyond what is necessary, but it guarantees a flawless experience at any resolution and setting combination.