Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers an exceptional experience in Inside, a 2D puzzle platformer that is far more demanding on frame rate generation than on complex physics or AI. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet capable of pushing frame rates far beyond display refresh rates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, the role of each component, and how this specific pairing ranks among all tested configurations.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, running on the AM4 socket. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz with a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, and it is manufactured on a 7 nm process. For a game like Inside, which is a 2D side-scroller with limited on-screen entities, the CPU's workload is relatively light compared to modern 3D titles. However, the data indicates that the processor is still a relevant factor in determining the final frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions.

The CPU's multi-threaded capability is evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 and a single-core score of 2319. In the 3DMark suite, the processor scores 5386 with 16 threads and 836 in single-thread testing. These scores place the Ryzen 5 5500 in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, indicating it is a solid mid-range performer. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, has an average benchmark score of 19617, which is only 0.1% higher, showing that the 5500 is well-matched against newer, more power-efficient parts. The Intel Core i5-12500 is 0.4% faster, while the Intel Core i7-10700F is 0.5% slower, placing the 5500 in a tightly contested performance band.

In Inside, the CPU's influence is most visible when the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 280 FPS. As the resolution increases, the frame rate drops, which points to the GPU becoming the limiting factor. However, the fact that the 1080p Low score (280 FPS) is significantly higher than the 4K Low score (215 FPS) suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to reach very high frame rates. The 12 threads ensure that any background tasks or game logic threads do not become a hindrance, even when the frame rate is in the high hundreds. The processor's 16 MB of L3 cache is adequate for the game's data set, preventing cache misses from stalling the pipeline. The data implies that for this specific title, the Ryzen 5 5500 is more than sufficient to keep up, and its performance ceiling is only reached when paired with a GPU as powerful as the RTX 4080 at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the optimal balance of visual fidelity and performance. The RTX 4080 is a high-end GPU, and the results show that even at 4K, the system can maintain high frame rates. However, the choice of preset has a substantial impact on the final output.

At 1080p, the differences between presets are notable. Low settings yield 280 FPS, Medium produces 259 FPS, High delivers 216 FPS, and Ultra drops to 212 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 21 FPS difference, while the jump from High to Ultra is only 4 FPS. This suggests that the High preset offers a significant visual improvement over Medium with a relatively small performance cost, and the Ultra preset provides diminishing returns for its performance penalty. Given that the game is a puzzle platformer, the visual clarity of the environment is important, making the High preset the most sensible choice. It provides a 216 FPS average, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

At 1440p, the pattern is similar. Low hits 251 FPS, Medium 232 FPS, High 193 FPS, and Ultra 190 FPS. Again, the drop from High to Ultra is minimal (3 FPS), while the drop from Medium to High is substantial (39 FPS). This indicates that the High preset is still the sweet spot, offering a crisp image without sacrificing the high frame rates that make the game's animations feel fluid. At 4K, the High preset averages 133 FPS, while Ultra averages 126 FPS. The 7 FPS difference is negligible, but the visual upgrade from High to Ultra is often imperceptible in a game with this art style. Therefore, the data strongly suggests that the High preset is the recommended choice across all resolutions, as it consistently offers a better performance-to-visual quality ratio than Ultra, and its frame rate advantage over Medium is too large to ignore for a game that benefits from high refresh rates.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The frame rate scaling across resolutions tells a clear story about which component is the primary bottleneck. The data shows a consistent and significant drop in performance as resolution increases, which is the hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario.

At High settings, the system delivers 216 FPS at 1080p, 193 FPS at 1440p, and 133 FPS at 4K. This represents a 10.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 38.4% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scale of these drops is far greater than what would be expected from a CPU limit, where the frame rate would remain relatively flat until the CPU's core count or clock speed became a hard ceiling. The 4K result, which is less than two-thirds of the 1080p result, indicates that the RTX 4080 is working much harder to fill the additional pixels.

The pattern is even more pronounced at Low settings. The system achieves 280 FPS at 1080p, 251 FPS at 1440p, and 215 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 10.4%, and from 1440p to 4K is 14.3%. While the percentage drops are smaller at Low settings, the absolute frame rates are higher, which means the GPU is still the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the 1080p and 1440p scores to be nearly identical, as the CPU's workload doesn't change with resolution. The fact that the 4K Low score (215 FPS) is lower than the 1080p High score (216 FPS) suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU's pixel throughput is the primary constraint. The RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth are being utilized more heavily at higher resolutions, but the sheer number of pixels is what causes the frame rate to decline. This analysis confirms that the CPU is not holding the system back in this title; the GPU is the definitive performance limiter.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the broader context of all tested hardware combinations for Inside, this pairing of a Ryzen 5 5500 and an RTX 4080 holds a strong position. The data shows a combo rank of 912 out of 3716 tested configurations, placing it in the top 24.5% of all systems. This is a remarkable result for a CPU that is not the top-tier option from its generation, underscoring the game's relative insensitivity to processor performance.

The high ranking is primarily driven by the GPU's immense power. The RTX 4080 is a top-tier graphics card, sitting in the 86th percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 54247 is just 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER, its direct successor, and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X. This indicates that the graphics card is performing at the very edge of what is available, and its presence in the combo is the main reason for the high rank. The CPU, while not a flagship, is still a capable partner. Its 73rd percentile ranking means that the 5500 is faster than the majority of CPUs on the market, ensuring that it does not drag the combo down significantly.

The rank of 912 suggests that a substantial number of combos are able to achieve higher frame rates, likely those featuring top-end CPUs like the Ryzen 7 or Core i7 series paired with the same or better GPUs. However, for a game like Inside, the difference between a rank of 912 and a rank of 500 is likely to be only a few frames per second, which is imperceptible in practice. The data implies that this combo is overqualified for the game, and its rank is more a reflection of the raw power of the RTX 4080 than a signal of the synergy between the two components. The CPU is more than adequate, but the GPU is the star of the show.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a powerhouse built on the Ada Lovelace architecture. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a massive 716.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its base clock is 2205 MHz, with a boost clock of 2505 MHz. This immense memory capacity and bandwidth are critical for high-resolution gaming, and the data confirms that the GPU is the driving force behind the system's performance in Inside.

The GPU's role is clearly defined by the resolution scaling analysis. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully taxed, allowing the CPU to push frame rates up to 280 FPS. As the resolution increases, the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become the deciding factors. The 4K High result of 133 FPS reflects the GPU's ability to handle 4K rendering with ease, a feat that would be impossible for a lower-tier card. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 34457 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567 place it in the top tier of graphics cards, and its performance in this game reflects that.

The 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Inside, which is not a VRAM-intensive title. The game's art style, while detailed, does not require the massive textures seen in modern open-world games. However, the sheer amount of VRAM ensures that there is no memory pressure, even at 4K with the highest settings. The GPU's 9728 shading units and 304 TMUs are more than capable of handling the game's 2D rendering, which involves complex lighting and shadow effects. The boost clock of 2505 MHz ensures that the GPU runs at high speeds under load, contributing to the high frame rates seen in the data. The RTX 4080 is not just adequate for this game; it is overkill, providing performance that far exceeds the requirements of the title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this CPU and GPU combo in Inside?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 280 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest average is 126 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU more important for achieving high frame rates in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor. Frame rates drop significantly from 1080p to 4K (e.g., from 216 to 133 FPS on High settings), which is a classic sign of GPU saturation. The CPU's performance is sufficient to not bottleneck the GPU.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its closest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500's average benchmark score is 19593. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, scores 19617, which is 0.1% higher. The Intel Core i5-12500 is 0.4% higher, while the Intel Core i7-10700F is 0.5% lower.

Q: What is the best settings preset to use for a balance of performance and quality?

A: The High preset offers the best balance. At 1440p, it delivers 193 FPS, which is only 3 FPS less than Ultra (190 FPS), but it is significantly faster than Medium (232 FPS). The visual difference between High and Ultra is minimal.

Q: How does the RTX 4080's performance compare to its direct successor, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209. This makes the RTX 4080 SUPER 0.1% slower in this metric, showing the original 4080 is virtually identical in performance.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among all tested systems for this game?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 912th out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the top 24.5% of all systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table details the exact measured average frame rates for each resolution and settings preset combination.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 280 FPS average
• Medium: 259 FPS average (minimum 220, maximum 298)
• High: 216 FPS average
• Ultra: 212 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 251 FPS average
• Medium: 232 FPS average (minimum 197, maximum 267)
• High: 193 FPS average
• Ultra: 190 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 215 FPS average
• Medium: 199 FPS average (minimum 169, maximum 228)
• High: 133 FPS average
• Ultra: 126 FPS average

The data shows a clear and consistent pattern. The most demanding setting (Ultra) at the highest resolution (4K) produces 126 FPS, which is still a very playable frame rate. The least demanding setting (Low) at the lowest resolution (1080p) produces 280 FPS, which is near the limit of most high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset provides the only recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, showing a 59 FPS spread at 1080p, a 70 FPS spread at 1440p, and a 59 FPS spread at 4K. This suggests that Medium is the most variable setting in terms of frame pacing, while Low, High, and Ultra likely have tighter frame time distributions. Overall, this system provides an excellent experience at all resolutions, with the only potential limitation being the refresh rate of the user's display.