Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Inside, a game whose minimalist aesthetic belies a demanding rendering workload. The dataset reveals a combo that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising headroom in the CPU at 1080p, making the interaction between the two components the central story of this analysis.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second (FPS) data paints a clear picture of how this system handles increasing pixel counts. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 216 FPS average. Moving to 1440p reduces that to 176 FPS, a drop of 40 FPS or roughly 18.5%. The jump to 4K is more punishing, with the average falling to 111 FPS, which represents a 65 FPS decline from the 1440p result and a 105 FPS drop from 1080p.

This scaling pattern is the signature of a system that becomes progressively more reliant on the graphics card as resolution climbs. The 4K figure of 111 FPS is still exceptionally playable, but the steep decline from 216 FPS at 1080p to 111 FPS at 4K indicates that the RTX 5070 is the primary bottleneck at the highest resolution. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s and 12 GB of GDDR7 are being taxed heavily by the 3840x2160 pixel count, even in a game with the visual simplicity of Inside.

The story is different at lower resolutions. The difference between 1080p and 1440p is relatively modest, suggesting that the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU enough data to maintain high frame rates. However, the 4K results show a clear ceiling imposed by the graphics card. The fact that Ultra settings at 4K still yield 106 FPS average reflects the GPU's raw power, but the scaling from 1440p to 4K at every settings level is consistent and significant, confirming that the RTX 5070 is the component that determines the upper limits of performance in this title.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 and a single-core score of 2319, position it as a solid mid-range performer. The data shows that in Inside, this CPU is more than sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5070 at 1080p and 1440p, where the frame rates are exceptionally high.

The processor's 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the game's data streaming needs. The key insight from the measured FPS is that the CPU is not the limiting factor until the frame rate approaches its absolute peak. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 280 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, it hits 259 FPS. These numbers suggest the Ryzen 5 5500 can push well over 250 FPS in this game when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

However, the situation changes subtly at 4K. The fact that 4K High (111 FPS) is only 5 FPS faster than 4K Ultra (106 FPS) suggests that the game is becoming almost entirely GPU-bound, with the CPU's role diminishing. The CPU's percentile rank of 73 against all CPUs indicates it is a competent performer, but it is not a top-tier part. In this specific title, its 6 cores and 12 threads are clearly enough to avoid being a major constraint, but the data implies that a more powerful CPU would not yield significantly higher frame rates at 4K, as the GPU's limits are reached first.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the undisputed star of this pairing. Built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, it possesses 6144 shading units and 80 ROPs. Its 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for handling the texture and shader workloads at higher resolutions. The GPU's benchmark scores, including a Passmark G3D score of 29137, place it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, confirming its high-end status.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU's dominance. At 4K Ultra, the combo still manages 106 FPS, a figure that would have been considered high-end for any GPU just a few years ago. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is telling: 215 FPS at Low drops to 177 at Medium, 111 at High, and finally 106 at Ultra. This progression shows that the GPU is responsible for the majority of the performance swing, with each settings increase demanding more from the RTX 5070's compute and memory resources.

The GPU's 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 201.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are more than sufficient for Inside's 2D side-scrolling perspective, but the data indicates that even this powerful card has limits. The 4K High to 4K Ultra delta is only 5 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset may be hitting a memory bandwidth or ROP limit. The GPU's TDP of 250 W and suggested 600 W PSU are not reflected in the frame rates, but they are the physical requirements for sustaining this level of performance. The RTX 5070 is clearly the component that defines the experience, and its capabilities are the reason this combo can achieve such high numbers at all resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5500 holding back the RTX 5070 in this game?

A: The data suggests it is not a significant bottleneck. At 1080p, the combo achieves 216 FPS on High settings, and at 1440p it still manages 176 FPS. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 indicates it has enough headroom to feed the GPU, though at 4K the GPU becomes the primary limiter.

Q: What is the best resolution for the highest frame rate?

A: The highest average FPS is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, reaching 280 FPS. However, even at 4K with Ultra settings, the combo maintains a playable 106 FPS, so the choice depends on whether a user prefers maximum smoothness or maximum visual fidelity.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1440p to 4K?

A: On High settings, the average FPS drops from 176 at 2560x1440 to 111 at 3840x2160, a difference of 65 FPS. This represents a significant 37% reduction, showing that 4K is a substantial step up in rendering load.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The average FPS goes from 280 at Low to 212 at Ultra, a difference of 68 FPS. This indicates that the Ultra preset imposes a roughly 24% performance penalty compared to Low, but the absolute numbers remain very high.

Q: Does the game's age affect these results?

A: The game was released in 2016, which explains why the frame rates are so high. The modern RTX 5070 and the Ryzen 5 5500 are vastly more powerful than what was available at launch, resulting in the high performance metrics shown here. The 4K Medium result of 177 FPS underscores this generational leap.

Q: Is the combo better at 1080p or 4K for competitive play?

A: For competitive play, the 1080p High setting with 216 FPS average is superior due to the higher refresh rate potential. The 4K High setting at 111 FPS is still smooth but does not offer the same margin for very high refresh rate displays.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 1063 out of 3716 tested combinations in Inside. This places it in the 71st percentile of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. The ranking is influenced by the fact that the CPU is a mid-range part, while the GPU is a high-end one. The data shows that this pairing is better than the majority of systems tested, but it is not at the very top.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 with a score delta of -0.1%, and the Intel Core i5-12500 with a delta of -0.4%, meaning the Ryzen 5 5500 is virtually identical in performance to those parts. The Intel Core i7-10700F is 0.5% slower, while the Intel Core i5-11600KF is 0.7% faster. This tells us that the CPU's performance is very much in line with its peers, and it is not a major differentiator in the ranking.

The GPU's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (0.1% faster) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (0.8% faster). The NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile is 2% slower. This shows that the RTX 5070 is also performing as expected for its class. The high combo rank is therefore primarily due to the combination of a strong GPU with a competent CPU, rather than any exceptional performance from either component alone. The rank of 1063 out of 3716 is a clear indicator that this is a well-balanced system for this particular game.

Settings Recommendations

Analyzing the measured FPS across all settings and resolutions, the optimal choice depends on the user's display and preference for visual quality versus raw frame rate. For users with a 1080p monitor, the High preset at 216 FPS is the most balanced choice, offering a 4 FPS increase over Ultra (212 FPS) while likely providing a minor reduction in graphics load. The jump from Medium (259 FPS) to High (216 FPS) is a 43 FPS penalty, but the visual improvement is often worth it.

At 1440p, the High preset also stands out. It delivers 176 FPS, which is 8 FPS more than Ultra (168 FPS). The Medium preset at 232 FPS is the best choice for those prioritizing maximum smoothness, but High is the sweet spot for a balance of fidelity and performance. The 4K data suggests that Medium is the highest setting that maintains a very comfortable frame rate, with 177 FPS average. High at 111 FPS is still playable, but Medium offers a 66 FPS advantage, which is significant for a smoother experience.

The Ultra preset at 4K yields 106 FPS, which is the worst-performing setting in the dataset, and the diminishing returns from High to Ultra (only 5 FPS difference) suggest that Ultra is not worth the performance cost at this resolution. In summary, High is recommended for 1080p and 1440p, while Medium is the most sensible choice for 4K to maintain a high refresh rate experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|:--------- |:------- | ------: |

| 3840x2160 | High | 111 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 215 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 177 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 106 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 176 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 251 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 232 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 168 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 216 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 280 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 259 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 212 |

The data also includes min and max FPS values for the Medium settings at each resolution. At 4K Medium, the frame rate fluctuates between 151 FPS minimum and 204 FPS maximum, with an average of 177. At 1440p Medium, the range is from 197 FPS to 267 FPS, averaging 232. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 220 FPS, the maximum is 298 FPS, and the average is 259. These ranges show that the frame pacing is generally stable, with the largest variance occurring at the highest resolution, which is expected due to the increased load on the GPU.