Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti produces a stratified performance profile in Inside, where frame rates scale predictably with resolution but the relationship between settings and FPS reveals a system that is primarily bound by its graphics processor. The data shows a clear hierarchy across the three tested resolutions, with the gap between Low and Ultra settings widening as pixel count increases, indicating that the GPU’s memory subsystem and shading throughput are the decisive factors in this puzzle platformer.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS values demonstrate that Inside is heavily influenced by resolution, with the delta between 1080p and 4K representing a substantial loss in performance. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 122 FPS at 1920x1080 to 90 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 32 FPS, and then further to 58 FPS at 3840x2160. This progression shows a 64 FPS gap between the lowest and highest tested resolutions, meaning the 4K result is less than half the 1080p figure.

For Medium settings, the scaling is slightly steeper in relative terms: 87 FPS at 1080p falls to 64 FPS at 1440p (a 23 FPS drop), and then to 41 FPS at 4K (another 23 FPS drop). The 4K Medium result is 46 FPS lower than the 1080p equivalent, which represents a 52.9% reduction in average frame rate. High settings follow a similar pattern, with 76 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K, showing a consistent 20 FPS decrement per resolution step.

Ultra settings exhibit the most dramatic scaling, as the 57 FPS at 1080p declines to 42 FPS at 1440p and then to 27 FPS at 4K. This 30 FPS difference between the extremes indicates that the highest preset pushes the GTX 1660 Ti to its limits, particularly at 4K where the average dips below 30 FPS. The pattern across all settings suggests that the GPU is the limiting component: as resolution increases, the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become bottlenecks, while the CPU’s role diminishes. The 6-core, 12-thread Ryzen 5 5600G with its 3.90 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost clock is more than capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, but at 4K the frame rate is constrained by the graphics card’s 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is the primary driver of performance in this configuration, and its specifications directly explain the measured results. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, built on the TU116 chip using a 12 nm process from TSMC. The 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for 1080p gameplay but becomes strained at higher resolutions.

In Inside, the GPU’s shading units (1536) and texture mapping units (96) handle the game’s visual effects, while the 48 ROPs manage pixel output. The pixel rate of 84.96 GPixel/s and texture rate of 169.9 GTexel/s are the theoretical limits that the measured FPS approach at 4K. The data shows that at Ultra settings and 3840x2160, the average FPS of 27 aligns with the GPU being near its pixel throughput ceiling, as the 8.3 million pixels per frame at 4K require substantial ROP work.

The GPU’s benchmark scores provide context: a Passmark G3D score of 12871 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1061 place it in the 41st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon 540 (0.7% higher score), AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (1.9% higher), AMD Radeon R7 250 (2.2% higher), and Intel Arc A310 (2.3% higher). This clustering indicates that the GTX 1660 Ti sits in a narrow performance band, and the measured FPS in Inside reflect this mid-range positioning.

The memory clock of 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) is a critical factor at higher resolutions. At 4K, the 58 FPS at Low settings versus 27 FPS at Ultra settings shows a 31 FPS spread, which suggests that memory bandwidth is not the sole constraint at Low settings—the reduced shading load allows higher throughput—but at Ultra, the combination of higher texture detail and effects saturates the available bandwidth. The GPU’s 120 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate it is a modest power user, but the data does not show thermal throttling as a factor in the measured results.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G serves as the central processor, and its specifications suggest it is not the bottleneck in Inside. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne codename), the CPU has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for feeding the GPU.

CPU benchmark scores reinforce this assessment. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10551 and single-core score of 1409 indicate strong per-thread performance, which is relevant for a game like Inside that may not fully utilize all 12 threads. The Geekbench multicore score of 8428 and single-core score of 1801 show similar capability. The Passmark multithread score of 19717 and single-thread score of 3177 place the CPU in the 74th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i3-1220P (0.1% higher average score), Intel Core Ultra 7 256V (0.1% lower), AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (0.2% lower), and Intel Core Ultra 7 155U (0.4% lower).

The evidence that the CPU is not limiting comes from the resolution scaling. At 1080p Low, the 122 FPS average is well within the CPU’s ability to process game logic and draw calls. If the CPU were the constraint, the frame rate would remain similar across resolutions, but the data shows a consistent decline as resolution increases. For example, at Low settings, the FPS drops from 122 at 1080p to 58 at 4K, a 64 FPS reduction that can only be attributed to GPU workload. The CPU’s integrated Radeon Vega 7 graphics are present but not used in this configuration, as the discrete GPU handles all rendering tasks.

The 65 W TDP and 7 nm process node from TSMC indicate efficient power delivery, but the CPU’s release date of April 2021 and the GPU’s February 2019 release date mean this is a pairing of components from different generations. The CPU’s PCIe Gen 3 interface with 16 lanes provides adequate bandwidth for the GPU’s PCIe 3.0 x16 connection, so interface limitations are not a factor in the measured performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 122 FPS, followed by Medium at 87 FPS (with a minimum of 74 and maximum of 100), High at 76 FPS, and Ultra at 57 FPS. The 65 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p shows that the GPU has headroom at this resolution, allowing even the most demanding preset to exceed 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 90 FPS for Low, 64 FPS for Medium (minimum 54, maximum 73), 56 FPS for High, and 42 FPS for Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum of 54 FPS is notable, as it suggests occasional dips below the 60 FPS threshold, while Ultra’s 42 FPS average indicates a playable but not smooth experience. The 48 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1440p is narrower than at 1080p, reflecting the increased GPU load.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 58 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS (minimum 35, maximum 47), High averages 36 FPS, and Ultra drops to 27 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 35 FPS is the lowest recorded value in the entire dataset, indicating that 4K gameplay can experience significant frame time spikes. The Ultra preset at 4K falls below the 30 FPS threshold, which is generally considered the minimum for playable frame rates in fast-paced games, though Inside’s slower pacing may make this acceptable.

The progression from 1080p to 4K at each setting shows a consistent pattern: Low loses 64 FPS (122 to 58), Medium loses 46 FPS (87 to 41), High loses 40 FPS (76 to 36), and Ultra loses 30 FPS (57 to 27). This decreasing absolute loss with higher settings indicates that the GPU is already saturated at Ultra even at 1080p, so the additional resolution has less relative impact. The data suggests that for smooth 60 FPS gameplay, the Low preset is required at 4K, while Medium is viable at 1440p, and all presets exceed 57 FPS at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 5 5600G and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti ranks 3639 out of 3716 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the bottom 2.1% of all configurations. This low ranking is surprising given the individual component benchmarks—the CPU is in the 74th percentile and the GPU is in the 41st percentile—but the ranking likely reflects the game’s relative simplicity and the fact that most tested combos use higher-end graphics cards.

The combo rank of 3639 of 3716 means that 77 other combinations performed worse in this game. This positioning suggests that while the GTX 1660 Ti is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, it is not optimized for the specific rendering demands of Inside at higher resolutions. The data shows that the combo’s best performance is at 1080p Low with 122 FPS, which is a strong result, but the ranking indicates that many other GPUs achieve higher frame rates at similar settings.

The ranking also implies that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo’s performance. If the CPU were holding back the GPU, the combo would likely rank higher relative to other configurations with the same GPU but faster CPUs. The fact that the combo ranks in the bottom percentile suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint, and that upgrading the graphics card would yield significant improvements in Inside.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Inside?*

A: The highest average FPS is 122, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 58 FPS, which is below 60, while Medium, High, and Ultra average 41, 36, and 27 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 Ti compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti has an average benchmark score of 7723, which is 0.7% lower than the AMD Radeon 540 (score 7673) and 1.9% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (score 7580).

Q: What is the CPU’s single-thread performance relative to its peers?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600G scores 1409 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 1801 in Geekbench single-core, placing it in the 74th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. Evidence comes from the resolution scaling: FPS drops by 64 at Low settings from 1080p to 4K, which is a GPU workload increase, not a CPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS is 35, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings, where the average is 41 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 57 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target and provides the best visual quality. The High preset at 76 FPS offers a smoother experience with minimal visual compromise, while Medium at 87 FPS is the best balance for players who prioritize frame rate. Low at 122 FPS is only recommended for competitive play or if the display supports high refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 54, which is the recommended choice for a balanced experience. High at 56 FPS is playable but may exhibit occasional dips, while Ultra at 42 FPS is best avoided unless visual fidelity is the absolute priority. Low at 90 FPS provides a very smooth experience but sacrifices significant visual detail.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset at 58 FPS is the only option that approaches 60 FPS, making it the recommended setting for 4K play. Medium at 41 FPS is playable for a puzzle platformer but may feel less fluid, and High at 36 FPS or Ultra at 27 FPS are not recommended due to the sub-40 FPS averages. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where all presets exceed 57 FPS, and 1440p gaming, where Medium provides a solid 64 FPS average. For 4K, players should accept the Low preset or consider a more powerful GPU.