Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. The measured data shows this combination is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions, but the sheer power of the RX 7900 XTX ensures that even at 4K Ultra, the game remains highly playable. The benchmark results indicate a system that can push frame rates well beyond the refresh rates of most monitors, making the gameplay experience exceptionally smooth across all tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear narrative about which component is the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 281.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 250.2 FPS, a reduction of 31.7 FPS. The jump to 4K Low yields 217.1 FPS, which is another 33.1 FPS lower. This pattern shows that while the GPU is still the primary driver, the CPU is not a bottleneck at these settings, as the frame rate remains extremely high.

The scaling becomes more pronounced when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the average is 218.1 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 193.6 FPS, and at 4K High, it is 122.3 FPS. The 70.8 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K High is substantial, indicating that the resolution increase is placing significant load on the GPU. However, the 4K result is still above 120 FPS, demonstrating that the RX 7900 XTX has ample headroom to handle this game's relatively modest graphical demands.

The Ultra preset shows the most significant performance hit from resolution scaling. The average frame rate drops from 211.9 FPS at 1080p to 183.6 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 115 FPS at 4K. This 96.9 FPS swing between the lowest and highest resolution at Ultra settings confirms that the GPU is the dominant factor in performance. The data suggests that at 4K Ultra, the system is approaching the limits of what the RX 7900 XTX can deliver in this title, yet it still maintains a frame rate that is well above the standard 60 FPS target.

The fact that the difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is only 70 FPS, while at 4K it is 102.1 FPS, indicates that the game's settings have a more significant impact at higher resolutions. This is typical for a game where the visual effects scale with pixel count. Overall, the scaling behavior shows a well-balanced system that can adapt to any resolution, though users seeking the highest frame rates will find the most benefit at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience for this combination. At 1080p Medium, the average is 258.4 FPS, which is only 23.5 FPS lower than Low but provides a noticeable visual upgrade. The performance margin is so large that users can comfortably choose Medium or High without sacrificing playability.

For 1440p displays, the High preset at 193.6 FPS is the recommended choice. It delivers a smooth experience that is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors. The Medium preset at 232.5 FPS is also viable, but the visual fidelity gains from High are worth the 38.9 FPS reduction, as the resulting frame rate is still exceptionally high.

At 4K, the High preset at 122.3 FPS is the optimal selection. It provides a significant improvement over Medium's 194 FPS in terms of image quality, while still maintaining a frame rate that exceeds 120 FPS. The Ultra preset at 115 FPS is also playable, but the 7.3 FPS difference between High and Ultra is minimal, making High the more efficient choice for a slightly smoother experience.

The Low preset, while offering the highest frame rates, is not recommended for this hardware. The CPU and GPU are powerful enough that the visual compromises of Low are unnecessary. The data shows that the system can easily handle the higher presets, and users should prioritize visual quality over the marginal frame rate increases provided by Low settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX plays a central role in this system's performance, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling across resolutions. The GPU features 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This substantial memory configuration ensures that the game's assets are readily available, preventing any potential stuttering or texture pop-in, even at 4K resolution.

The GPU's clock speeds are also a factor in its performance. The base clock is 1929 MHz, with a boost clock of 2498 MHz and a game clock of 2365 MHz. These high frequencies allow the GPU to process the game's rendering tasks efficiently. The RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process, contains 57,700 million transistors, which is a significant amount of compute power for a game from 2016.

The benchmark results show that the GPU's capabilities far exceed the requirements of Inside. The passmark_g3d score of 31238 and the 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 6841 indicate a high level of raw performance. The GPU's percentile ranking of 85 vs all GPUs places it in the top tier, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, which is 2% behind in average score. This data confirms that the RX 7900 XTX is a high-end component that can handle this game with ease.

The GPU's memory clock of 2500 MHz, with 20 Gbps effective speed, contributes to its high bandwidth. While the game itself may not be memory-intensive, the ample bandwidth and capacity ensure that the GPU is never starved for data, allowing it to maintain consistent frame rates even in complex scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX ranks 453 out of 1671 combos for Inside. This places it in the top 27% of all tested systems, which is a strong result given that the CPU is a more budget-oriented part. The high rank is primarily due to the GPU's exceptional performance.

The CPU's benchmark scores support this ranking. Its average benchmark score is 20875, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-12500, which scores 20897 and is only 0.1% ahead. The Ryzen 5 5500 also matches the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE, which scores 20900, and the AMD EPYC 7J13, which scores 20845. This indicates that the CPU is not a performance liability, even if it is not the fastest available.

The combo's rank of 453 out of 1671 suggests that while many systems with more powerful CPUs can achieve higher frame rates, the RX 7900 XTX is the dominant factor in this pairing. The data shows that the GPU is capable of delivering high performance regardless of the CPU, and the Ryzen 5 5500 provides sufficient processing power to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in this game.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 85 vs all GPUs is a key indicator of its performance class. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 580, has an average score of 44195, which is 0.4% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43667, which is 0.8% lower. This data confirms that the RX 7900 XTX is a top-tier GPU that can deliver high frame rates in most scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: The measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 211.9 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 20875, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i5-12500's score of 20897.

Q: Is the GPU capable of 4K gaming?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with High settings, the average frame rate is 122.3 FPS, indicating that 4K gaming is very smooth.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The Radeon RX 7900 XTX has a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s, based on its 384-bit bus and 24 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 453 out of 1671 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the top 27%.

Q: What is the difference in performance between Low and Medium settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 250.2 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 232.5 FPS, a difference of 17.7 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates provides a detailed view of performance across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings yield 281.9 FPS, Medium settings yield 258.4 FPS, High settings yield 218.1 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 211.9 FPS. The difference between the highest and lowest settings at this resolution is 70 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low settings yield 250.2 FPS, Medium settings yield 232.5 FPS, High settings yield 193.6 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 183.6 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 66.6 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low settings yield 217.1 FPS, Medium settings yield 194 FPS, High settings yield 122.3 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 115 FPS. The difference between the lowest and highest settings at 4K is 102.1 FPS, which is the largest spread across all resolutions.

The data shows that the system consistently delivers high frame rates, with the lowest recorded average being 115 FPS at 4K Ultra. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and even the most demanding settings are easily handled by this hardware combination.