Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a remarkably smooth experience in Inside, with frame rates that remain playable even at 4K. The data shows this pairing is well-balanced for the game, though the scaling patterns reveal a clear shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a steep and consistent drop as resolution climbs from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo averages 167 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 High, that figure falls to 120 FPS, a 28% reduction. At 3840x2160 High, the average drops further to 75 FPS, representing a 55% decline from the 1080p result. This pattern indicates that the RTX 4060 is becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the pixel throughput demands grow faster than the CPU can feed frames.

The Low preset scaling tells a similar story but with a steeper cliff. At 1080p Low, the system hits 268 FPS, which drops to 239 FPS at 1440p (an 11% decline) and then plummets to 150 FPS at 4K (a 44% drop from 1440p). The 4K Low figure is notably lower than the 1440p Medium result of 192 FPS, which suggests that at 4K, even with reduced settings, the GPU's memory bandwidth and fill rate are being taxed heavily.

Medium settings show the most balanced scaling curve. From 247 FPS at 1080p to 192 FPS at 1440p to 120 FPS at 4K, the drops are roughly 22% and 37% respectively. This smoother progression indicates that Medium is where the CPU and GPU loads are most evenly distributed, allowing each resolution step to translate into a proportionate performance change.

Ultra settings produce the lowest overall numbers, but the relative scaling is similar to High: 159 FPS at 1080p, 114 FPS at 1440p, and 72 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 72 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold, which is impressive for a game of this type. The data clearly shows that the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface are the key constraints at 4K, as the frame rate drops are far more severe than what a CPU-bound scenario would produce.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1515 out of 2887 tested combinations in Inside. This places it in the 52nd percentile of all tested pairings, which is a solid mid-pack result. The ranking is noteworthy because Inside is a lightweight puzzle platformer, not a demanding AAA title, so even mid-range hardware can achieve high frame rates. The fact that this combo sits just above the median suggests that the RTX 4060 is the weaker link in the pairing, holding back the CPU's potential.

The CPU itself, the Ryzen 5 5500X3D, ranks in the 85th percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 37018. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (scoring 36945, a 0.2% difference) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (scoring 36938, also a 0.2% difference). The GPU, meanwhile, sits in the 61st percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 17639. Its nearest rivals — the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2%), AMD Radeon 780M (17588, +0.3%), and AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551, +0.5%) — are all older or integrated parts, which underscores that the RTX 4060 is a capable but not exceptional performer.

The discrepancy between the CPU's 85th percentile ranking and the GPU's 61st percentile ranking is the key takeaway. In a game like Inside, where the visual effects are modest and the geometry is simple, the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The combo rank of 1515 reflects this imbalance: the system is capable of high frame rates, but it is not among the top configurations because the GPU cannot fully exploit the CPU's headroom.

GPU Role

The RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD107 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output pipelines. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1830 MHz and boosts to 2460 MHz, with memory clocked at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory sits on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Inside, the GPU's memory configuration is the most critical factor. The game's art style uses a lot of dark, high-contrast scenes with dynamic lighting, which can be memory-intensive despite the simple geometry. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the frame rate drops suggest that the memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s is insufficient to keep the pixel pipeline fully fed. The 128-bit bus is a notable constraint; a wider bus would likely improve 4K performance significantly.

The GPU's compute capabilities are strong for its class. The FP32 throughput of 15.11 TFLOPS and the 118.1 GPixel/s pixel rate are more than adequate for a puzzle platformer. The 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present but largely unused in this game, as Inside does not utilize ray tracing or DLSS. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) ensures full compatibility with modern APIs, but the game's engine likely uses DirectX 11, as evidenced by the PassMark DirectX 11 score of 175, which is higher than the DirectX 12 score of 76.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 17639 places it just above the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, +0.3%) and just below the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2%). This tight grouping suggests that the RTX 4060 is not significantly faster than these older or integrated parts in synthetic tests, but in real-world gaming, the Ada Lovelace architecture's efficiency and feature set give it an edge. The 115 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU make it an efficient choice for a system like this.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 247 FPS with a minimum of 210 FPS and a maximum of 285 FPS. This is a 48% improvement over High settings (167 FPS) and only a 21 FPS drop from Low (268 FPS). The minimum frame rate of 210 FPS ensures that there are no noticeable hitches, even in the most demanding scenes.

At 1440p, Medium produces 192 FPS with a minimum of 163 FPS and a maximum of 220 FPS. This is a 60% improvement over High (120 FPS) and still comfortably above the 144 Hz refresh rate that most gamers target. The 4K Medium result of 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 FPS is the strongest argument for this preset. It is a 60% improvement over High (75 FPS) and a 67% improvement over Ultra (72 FPS), while maintaining a minimum frame rate that stays above 100 FPS.

The Ultra preset, while visually the most polished, offers diminishing returns. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 159 FPS, which is only 8 FPS lower than High but 88 FPS lower than Medium. At 4K, Ultra drops to 72 FPS, which is barely above the 60 FPS threshold and could result in noticeable stutter in fast-moving scenes. The Low preset, while fast, compromises the game's atmospheric lighting and shadow quality, which are central to the Inside experience.

For most players, Medium at 1440p or 4K is the sweet spot. The minimum frame rates of 163 FPS and 102 FPS respectively provide a smooth experience with no perceptible frame pacing issues. If you have a 144 Hz monitor, Medium at 1440p is the clear choice. If you have a 4K display, Medium at 4K is the only preset that delivers both high average and high minimum frame rates.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: Yes. At 4K Medium, the average frame rate is 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 FPS. Even at 4K Ultra, the average is 72 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best preset to use for a 144 Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: Medium is the best choice. It delivers 192 FPS average with a minimum of 163 FPS, which exceeds the 144 Hz refresh rate with headroom to spare.

*Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations in Inside?*

A: It ranks 1515 out of 2887 tested combos, placing it in the 52nd percentile. This is a mid-pack result, reflecting the GPU's relatively weaker performance compared to the CPU.

Q: Is the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Yes. The game does not appear to exceed 8 GB VRAM at any resolution or setting, as the frame rates remain playable even at 4K Ultra. The 272.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is the more likely constraint at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the CPU's role in this game's performance?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500X3D has 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is sufficient to drive high frame rates, but at 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck.

Q: Does the game benefit from the CPU's large L3 cache?

A: The CPU has 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a hallmark of the X3D series. While this helps in CPU-bound scenarios, Inside is not a cache-sensitive game, so the benefit is minimal compared to the GPU's performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The CPU has a 105 W TDP and supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. It is manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 74 mm².

The CPU's standout feature is its 96 MB of shared L3 cache, a characteristic of the X3D series that is designed to improve gaming performance. However, in Inside, the benchmark data shows that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 268 FPS, which is close to the practical limit for many displays. At 1080p High, the average drops to 167 FPS, a 38% reduction that is more attributable to the GPU's rendering workload than the CPU's processing capability.

The PassMark benchmarks for this CPU show a single-thread score of 2941 and a multi-thread score of 20363. The physics score of 2282 and the integer math score of 60033 indicate that the CPU is well-suited for general gaming workloads. The nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, +0.2%) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36938, +0.2%), which are virtually identical in performance. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, -0.2%) and the Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, -0.3%) are slightly faster, but the differences are within noise.

In Inside, the CPU's role is to maintain a high frame rate floor. The measured minimum frame rates at 1440p and 4K Medium (163 FPS and 102 FPS respectively) suggest that the CPU is not causing frame time spikes. The combination of 6 cores and 12 threads is more than sufficient for this game, which is not heavily threaded. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs reflects its overall capability, but the game's low computational demands mean that the GPU is the limiting factor in most scenarios.

The CPU's 96 MB L3 cache is a unique asset, but its impact on Inside is negligible. The game's simple geometry and lighting calculations do not benefit from the large cache as much as modern open-world titles would. The 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth is also not a constraint, as the game's memory footprint is small. Overall, the Ryzen 5 5500X3D provides ample headroom for this game, ensuring that the RTX 4060 is the sole determinant of performance at higher resolutions. This is a balanced pairing for a game like Inside, where the visual demands are modest and the CPU can easily keep up with the GPU's output.