Inside

Inside is a puzzle-platformer from 2016 that is not graphically demanding by modern standards, which makes it an excellent stress test for identifying CPU and GPU bottlenecks at high frame rates. The data for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination reveals a system capable of pushing this title to very high refresh rates, with the frame rate scaling pattern indicating a shift in the limiting component as resolution increases. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, interprets the role of the processor and graphics card, and provides actionable guidance based on the benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear and expected trend: performance degrades as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 257 FPS, which drops to 230 FPS at 1440p and further to 197 FPS at 4K. This represents a 23% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 14% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is consistent across all settings presets, with the gap between 1080p and 4K averaging around 40-50 FPS depending on the quality level.

The pattern of frame rate drops tells a story about the limiting component. The relatively small performance penalty when moving from 1440p to 4K, especially when compared to the larger drop from 1080p to 1440p, suggests that the RTX 5090 has ample headroom to handle the increased pixel count. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high that the CPU becomes the primary constraint, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs. As resolution climbs to 4K, the GPU work increases, and the frame rate becomes more balanced between the two components.

Looking at the Ultra preset specifically, the system delivers 194 FPS at 1080p, 174 FPS at 1440p, and 143 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 51 FPS, or roughly 26%. This is a milder scaling curve than what is typically seen in more demanding titles, confirming that Inside's rendering engine is lightweight enough to allow even a 4K resolution to remain highly playable. The data indicates that at 4K, the RTX 5090 is still not fully saturated, as the frame rates remain well above typical high-refresh-rate monitor thresholds.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, and its 65 W TDP marks it as a power-efficient desktop part. The processor's benchmark scores place it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36,945. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, which scores 36,938 (a 0% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, which scores 37,018 (-0.2% delta), indicating the 5600F is right in the middle of a tightly packed performance cluster.

In the context of Inside, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining high minimum frame rates and ensuring the game logic and physics updates keep pace with the GPU's output. Given that the game is a puzzle-platformer with relatively simple scene complexity, the 5600F's single-thread performance, measured at 2,872 in the Passmark single-thread test, is more than sufficient. At 1080p Low, the system hits 257 FPS, which is likely near the practical limit of what the game engine can produce, and this is where the CPU becomes the bottleneck.

The processor's multi-threaded capabilities, with a Passmark multithread score of 19,236, are largely irrelevant for this title, as Inside does not appear to scale with additional cores. The 6-core/12-thread configuration provides ample headroom for background tasks and system overhead, but the game's performance is dictated by the per-core throughput. The 5600F's boost clock of 4.00 GHz is adequate for this task, and the data suggests that a faster CPU would not yield significantly higher frame rates at 1080p, as the 257 FPS figure is likely hitting an engine-level cap or a point of diminishing returns.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a flagship graphics card built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, featuring the GB202 chip with 21,760 shading units. It operates at a base clock of 2,017 MHz and a boost clock of 2,407 MHz, and it is equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. The GPU's benchmark scores are equally impressive, with a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 79,842. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which scores 79,605 (0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which scores 78,940 (1.1% delta), showing the RTX 5090 is at the top of the performance hierarchy.

In Inside, the RTX 5090's role is to render the game's atmospheric 2D side-scrolling environments with high fidelity and at high frame rates. The GPU's raw compute power, measured at 104.8 TFLOPS FP32, is vastly overqualified for this title, but the data shows it still delivers consistent performance. At 4K Ultra, the card produces 143 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and even exceeds 120 FPS for high-refresh-rate displays. The GPU's massive VRAM pool of 32 GB is irrelevant for a game of this scale, as the texture and geometry demands are minimal.

The scaling between settings at 4K demonstrates the GPU's capability. The system moves from 197 FPS at Low to 182 FPS at Medium, then to 150 FPS at High, and finally to 143 FPS at Ultra. The relatively small gap between High and Ultra (7 FPS) suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are not significantly more demanding, or that the GPU is beginning to hit a performance plateau. The RTX 5090's boost clock of 2,407 MHz and its 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth ensure that even at 4K, the card is never starved for data, allowing it to maintain high utilization and deliver the frame rates seen in the measurements.

FAQ

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

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the system achieves an average of 237 FPS, with a minimum of 201 FPS and a maximum of 272 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79,842, which is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB's score of 79,605.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600F a limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: At 4K, the frame rate drops to 143 FPS on Ultra settings, which indicates the GPU is taking on more work, but the CPU is not severely limiting performance, as the frame rate remains high.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 230 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 174 FPS, a difference of 56 FPS.

Q: Does the system maintain playable frame rates at all measured settings?

A: Yes, the lowest average frame rate recorded is 143 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is well above the 60 FPS standard for playability.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance score?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600F scores 2,872 in the Passmark single-thread test, which is sufficient for the game's per-core demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 257 FPS. Medium settings produce 237 FPS on average, with a minimum of 201 FPS and a maximum of 272 FPS. The High preset achieves 197 FPS, and Ultra delivers 194 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a 63 FPS drop, or 24.5%.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 230 FPS. Medium settings average 212 FPS, with a minimum of 180 FPS and a maximum of 244 FPS. High settings produce 177 FPS, and Ultra delivers 174 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at this resolution is 56 FPS, or 24.3%. The minimum frame rate at Medium (180 FPS) is still exceptionally high, indicating consistent frame pacing.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 197 FPS. Medium settings average 182 FPS, with a minimum of 154 FPS and a maximum of 209 FPS. High settings produce 150 FPS, and Ultra delivers 143 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 54 FPS, or 27.4%. The minimum frame rate at 4K Medium (154 FPS) is still above the 144 Hz refresh rate threshold, meaning the system can drive high-refresh-rate monitors even at 4K.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the gap between Low and Medium is relatively small (20 FPS at 1080p, 18 FPS at 1440p, 15 FPS at 4K), while the gap between Medium and High is larger (40 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, 32 FPS at 4K). The step from High to Ultra is the smallest, with only 3 FPS difference at 1080p and 1440p, and 7 FPS at 4K. This suggests that the High preset provides most of the visual quality benefits, while Ultra offers marginal improvements at a slight performance cost.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p High, the system delivers 197 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate gaming monitor. At 1440p High, the 177 FPS average is still excellent, and at 4K High, the 150 FPS average remains well above the 120 FPS mark for smooth gameplay. The High preset appears to be the sweet spot, as the upgrade to Ultra only yields a 3-7 FPS increase in frame rate, which is negligible in real-world terms.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p offers the highest measured performance at 257 FPS. However, this comes at the cost of visual quality, and the game's atmospheric lighting and shadow effects are likely diminished. The Medium preset provides a middle ground, with 237 FPS at 1080p, 212 FPS at 1440p, and 182 FPS at 4K. These figures are all above 180 FPS, making Medium a strong choice for competitive or high-refresh-rate play where every frame counts.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this title, as the performance penalty does not justify the visual gains. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 143 FPS, which is still very playable, but the difference from High (150 FPS) is only 7 FPS, or 4.7%. Given that the RTX 5090 is capable of far more demanding tasks, users should opt for High settings to maintain headroom for other system demands or to enable additional features like ray tracing, which may be available in the game's settings. The data clearly shows that High is the optimal preset for this configuration, providing a 150 FPS minimum across all resolutions while preserving the game's intended visual presentation.