Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination delivers a highly capable experience in Inside, a game that is far more forgiving on hardware than most modern titles. The data shows a pairing that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet capable of exploiting the CPU’s strong single-thread performance to achieve exceptional frame rates at 1080p. The measured results place this combo in the 2131st position out of 2887 tested combinations, indicating a mid-pack standing that is more than adequate for this puzzle platformer.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, with the RX 5700 XT acting as the primary performance limiter as pixel count increases. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 137 at 1920x1080 to 99 at 2560x1440, a 28% reduction, and then further down to 62 at 3840x2160, representing a 55% decline from the 1080p baseline. This steep curve indicates that the graphics card’s 8 GB of VRAM and its compute resources are being increasingly taxed, while the Ryzen 5 5500X3D’s 6 cores and 12 threads are not the bottleneck at these higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced when examining the Low preset. At 1080p, the combo achieves a staggering 268 FPS, which reflects the CPU’s ability to feed frames rapidly when the GPU load is minimal. Moving to 1440p drops this to 198 FPS, and 4K Low yields 124 FPS. The percentage deltas here are 26% and 54% respectively, showing that even at the lowest settings, the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the decisive factors. The 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth on the RX 5700 XT is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K resolution demands more than the card can efficiently deliver, especially when compared to the headroom available at lower resolutions.

The Medium and Ultra presets reinforce this trend. At Medium, the 1080p score of 220 FPS drops to 158 FPS at 1440p and 99 FPS at 4K. At Ultra, the figures are 131, 94, and 59 FPS respectively. The consistent ~55% drop from 1080p to 4K across all presets suggests that the scaling is almost entirely dependent on the GPU’s pixel processing power rather than any CPU limitation. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D, with its 96 MB of shared L3 cache, never appears to be the limiting factor, as even the most demanding 4K Ultra setting still produces a playable 59 FPS average.

What this means for the user is that the resolution ceiling for this combo is heavily influenced by the desired frame rate target. For 60 FPS gameplay, the 4K High setting at 62 FPS is right on the edge, while 4K Ultra at 59 FPS is technically playable but leaves no headroom for dips. The sweet spot for high refresh rate monitors is clearly 1080p, where the combo can push well past 130 FPS on the highest settings and exceed 260 FPS on Low, making it ideal for competitive or fast-paced play in this title.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 10 chip, plays a dominant role in determining the final frame rates in Inside. The GPU’s memory configuration of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus is a key specification, and the benchmark results suggest that this capacity is not fully stressed by the game’s demands, as even at 4K Ultra the average FPS remains at 59. The boost clock of 1905 MHz and game clock of 1755 MHz provide the raw compute throughput, with the card’s FP32 performance of 9.754 TFLOPS being more than sufficient for this title’s relatively simple 2D-esque rendering style.

The GPU’s standing relative to its peers is modest, with a percentile rank of 59 among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, shows a nearly identical average benchmark score with a delta of 0.1%, indicating that this RX 5700 XT is performing exactly as expected for its class. The comparison to the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell, which has a -0.3% delta, is interesting because it shows that the RX 5700 XT actually scores higher in the aggregate benchmark suite, despite the NVIDIA card being a much newer and more expensive workstation part. This speaks to the RX 5700 XT’s strong driver optimization and consistent performance in synthetic tests.

In the context of Inside, the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM appears to be a non-issue. The game is not texture-heavy in a way that would require more capacity, and the measured FPS does not show any significant drops that would indicate memory swapping. The 121.9 GPixel/s pixel rate and 304.8 GTexel/s texture rate are the specifications that matter most for this game, as it relies on simple geometry and post-processing effects. The data indicates that the GPU is the sole reason for the FPS drop at 4K; the CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Passmark single-thread score of 2941, are high enough that they would not cause a bottleneck even at 1080p Low where the FPS reaches 268.

The power delivery of the GPU, with a TDP of 225 W and a suggested PSU of 550 W, is a consideration for system builders, but it does not impact the measured performance in this game. The GPU’s end-of-life production status and launch MSRP of 399 USD are historical facts, but they do not influence the current measured data. Ultimately, the RX 5700 XT is the component that users should focus on when tweaking settings for higher resolutions, as its performance envelope is the defining characteristic of this combo.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, the measured data shows that at 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 62, and at Ultra settings it is 59. Both are above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, though Ultra leaves no margin for error.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate monitors?

A: The 1920x1080 resolution is the clear winner, with average FPS ranging from 131 at Ultra to 268 at Low. This indicates the combo can easily drive monitors with 144 Hz or higher refresh rates without compromise.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter, especially at higher resolutions. The FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, while the CPU’s high single-thread score of 2941 suggests it has ample headroom to support higher frame rates if the GPU could keep up.

Q: How does the RX 5700 XT compare to its closest rival in terms of raw performance?

A: The RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 16361, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M’s score of 16351. This places the two cards at a near-perfect performance parity.

*Q: Is 8 GB of VRAM sufficient for Inside?*

A: Yes, the measured FPS data does not show any anomalies or severe drops that would indicate VRAM limitations. The game runs at 59 FPS on 4K Ultra, suggesting that the 8 GB capacity is not a bottleneck.

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

A: At 1080p, the difference is minimal, with High at 137 FPS and Ultra at 131 FPS. At 4K, the difference is slightly larger, with High at 62 FPS and Ultra at 59 FPS, but both are playable.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 2131st out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, which is a fair reflection of the hardware’s age and tier. The CPU is a modern part with an 85th percentile rank among all CPUs, but the GPU’s 59th percentile rank drags the overall combo down, as the GPU is the limiting factor in this title.

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals provides context for its performance. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D has an average benchmark score of 37018, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F’s score of 36945 and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 225’s score of 36938. It is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450’s score of 37093 and 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-12900T’s score of 37112. These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, indicating that the CPU is performing exactly in line with its direct competitors.

On the GPU side, the RX 5700 XT’s average benchmark score of 16361 puts it just ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (16351, +0.1%) and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (16408, -0.3%). The fact that a 2019 gaming card can match a modern workstation GPU in the aggregate benchmark is notable, but it does not change the fact that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing for Inside. The rank of 2131 means that there are over 700 combos that perform better, likely featuring newer GPUs with higher memory bandwidth or more compute units. For a game as undemanding as Inside, this rank is acceptable, but it does indicate that users seeking maximum FPS at 4K would need a more powerful GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS figures are 268 for Low, 220 for Medium, 137 for High, and 131 for Ultra. The Medium preset also includes a minimum FPS of 187 and a maximum of 253, showing a tight frame pacing with no severe dips. At 2560x1440, the averages drop to 198 for Low, 158 for Medium, 99 for High, and 94 for Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum of 134 FPS and a maximum of 182, still maintaining a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the data becomes more critical for performance. The Low preset averages 124 FPS, which is still very playable. The Medium preset averages 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 and a maximum of 114, which represents the only preset with a recorded minimum below 90 FPS. The High preset averages 62 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 59 FPS. The lack of minimum FPS data for the High and Ultra presets at 4K suggests that the frame times are consistent enough not to warrant separate logging, but the averages are close to the 60 FPS threshold.

The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent performance cost. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 137 FPS (268 vs 131), which is a 51% reduction. At 4K, the difference is 65 FPS (124 vs 59), a 52% reduction. This consistency indicates that the settings scale similarly across resolutions, with the GPU being the sole variable. The 1440p Medium preset at 158 FPS is a standout, as it offers a good balance between visual quality and high frame rates, making it a viable option for users with 144 Hz 1440p monitors.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user’s display and performance targets. For users with 1080p monitors, the Ultra preset at 131 FPS is the best choice, as it provides the highest visual fidelity without sacrificing the high frame rates that the game benefits from. The Low preset at 268 FPS is excessive for most displays, but it could be useful for users with 240 Hz monitors who prioritize absolute smoothness over graphical detail. The Medium preset at 220 FPS is a solid middle ground, but the jump to Ultra costs only 89 FPS, which is a worthwhile trade for the visual improvement.

For 1440p users, the Medium preset at 158 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it offers a high refresh rate experience with better visuals than Low. The High preset at 99 FPS is still very smooth and provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium, making it the best choice for users who prefer image quality over raw FPS. The Ultra preset at 94 FPS is also viable, as it stays above the 90 FPS threshold and offers the best visuals. The Low preset at 198 FPS is overkill for most 1440p monitors, which typically cap at 165 Hz or 144 Hz.

For 4K users, the situation is more nuanced. The High preset at 62 FPS is the best recommendation, as it maintains an average above 60 FPS, which is the standard for console-like smoothness. The Ultra preset at 59 FPS is technically playable, but the lack of headroom means any demanding scene could push it below 60 FPS, so High is safer. The Medium preset at 99 FPS is the best option for 4K users with high refresh rate displays, as it provides a significant FPS boost while still looking better than Low. The Low preset at 124 FPS is also viable for competitive play, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that relies on atmosphere and lighting. In summary, the data suggests that High settings at 1080p or 1440p offer the best balance of performance and quality, while 4K users should stick to High or Medium to ensure a stable frame rate.