Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570 presents a striking generational contrast for a 2016 puzzle platformer. The data reveals a system where a modern, cache-rich six-core processor is yoked to a legacy Polaris GPU, creating a bottleneck profile that shifts dramatically depending on resolution and preset. This analysis examines the measured frames per second across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K to determine which component governs performance in Inside.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p with Medium settings, the combo averages 108 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that average to 78 FPS, a reduction of 30 frames. The jump to 3840x2160 further reduces the average to 49 FPS, another 29-frame loss. This pattern—a roughly 28% performance hit from 1080p to 1440p, and another 37% hit from 1440p to 4K—indicates that the rendering load is scaling directly with pixel count, leaving the CPU with headroom to spare.

The trend is identical across all settings presets. For High settings, the averages are 68 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, and 31 FPS at 4K. Low settings tell the same story: 135 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these drops—roughly halving the frame rate when doubling the resolution—is a definitive indicator that the Radeon RX 570's pixel throughput is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D is not the constraint here; its role is to feed frames fast enough, and the data suggests it is doing so without becoming a ceiling until the GPU is fully saturated.

What is most telling is the gap between the 1080p and 4K results at the same settings. At Ultra, the system falls from 64 FPS at 1080p to a 29 FPS average at 4K. This 35 FPS collapse is a clear sign that the GPU's 32 ROPs and 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are being overwhelmed by the 8.3 million pixels of 4K. The game is not CPU-limited at any resolution; the frame rate is directly tied to the GPU's ability to fill pixels, making the RX 570 the definitive performance ceiling.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 570 is a 14 nm Polaris 20 chip with 2048 shading units and a 256-bit memory bus. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory operates at 1750 MHz, yielding a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. These specifications, combined with a boost clock of 1244 MHz, define its capability in Inside. The benchmark results confirm a GPU that is competent at 1080p but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions.

The data shows that the RX 570's performance percentile versus all GPUs is 74, placing it above most legacy parts but far from modern flagships. Its average benchmark score of 28766 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 470, which scores 28996, a delta of -0.8%. This near-parity suggests that the 570 offers no meaningful advantage over its immediate predecessor in this title. However, it sits 0.7% above the AMD Radeon R9 M295X, indicating a slight edge over that mobile part.

At 4K Ultra, the GPU produces only 29 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4 GB VRAM capacity is likely a contributing factor, as Inside's atmospheric lighting and shadow effects can consume significant memory at high resolutions. The memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s is also a limiting factor; the data shows that dropping from Ultra to High at 4K only recovers 2 FPS (from 29 to 31), while dropping from High to Medium recovers 18 FPS (from 31 to 49). This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU hits a hard wall at the highest settings, likely due to a combination of shader complexity and memory pressure.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a 5 nm Raphael chip with 6 cores and 12 threads. Its base clock of 4.00 GHz and boost clock of 4.50 GHz are bolstered by a massive 96 MB of shared L3 cache. This cache configuration is designed to excel in gaming workloads, and the PassMark single-thread score of 3494 reflects strong per-core performance. The CPU's percentile versus all CPUs is 89, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the benchmark database.

In Inside, the CPU's role is minimal due to the game's age and the GPU bottleneck. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU limitation; the frame rates scale purely with resolution and settings, which are GPU-centric variables. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D's PassMark multithread score of 25047 and physics score of 2779 suggest it has ample computational headroom for the game's physics and logic systems. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, scores 44466 on average, a 0.2% delta, showing that the 7500X3D is competitive with the latest mobile flagship.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and DDR5 memory support (with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth) are modern features, but they are largely irrelevant to this game's performance. The data implies that the Ryzen 5 7500X3D is not a bottleneck at any resolution. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU produces 135 FPS, the CPU is likely still not saturated, as the frame rate is more than double the 4K result at the same settings. This indicates that the processor is waiting on the GPU to deliver frames, not the other way around.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 7500X3D and RX 570 ranks 2749 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the bottom 5% of all configurations, which is a surprising result given the CPU's high percentile. The data suggests that the GPU is dragging the overall ranking down significantly. A modern CPU paired with a 2017 mid-range GPU results in a system that is far less capable than the processor alone would suggest.

This rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance ceiling. The RX 570's benchmark scores show it is only slightly better than the Radeon RX 470 and R9 M295X, both of which are older or lower-tier parts. The CPU's high percentile (89) does not translate to a high combo rank because the GPU cannot convert that processing power into frames. The result is a system that is severely imbalanced for this game, with the CPU's potential left largely untapped.

The implications are clear: for Inside, the combo's rank is determined almost entirely by the GPU. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a top-tier processor for gaming, but it is wasted in this pairing. The data shows that the combo is not competitive with systems that have a more balanced GPU, and it would likely rank much higher if paired with a modern graphics card. This is a case where the CPU's strengths are overshadowed by the GPU's limitations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers playable frame rates across all presets. The Low setting yields an average of 135 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth. Medium produces 108 FPS with a minimum of 92 and a maximum of 124, indicating consistent frame pacing. High drops to 68 FPS, and Ultra falls to 64 FPS. All of these are above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p the only resolution where the combo can fully utilize a standard 60 Hz display at any setting.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably. Low settings still manage 97 FPS, but Medium drops to 78 FPS (min 66, max 89). High falls to 49 FPS, and Ultra is only 46 FPS. The 1440p results show that the GPU is starting to struggle, with High and Ultra dipping below the 60 FPS target. Players would need to use Low or Medium settings to maintain smooth gameplay at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overmatched. Medium is the only setting that approaches playability, with an average of 49 FPS (min 42, max 56). Low yields 61 FPS, which is surprising given the higher pixel count, but High drops to 31 FPS and Ultra to 29 FPS. The 4K results are mostly unplayable except at Low settings, where the system just manages to stay above 60 FPS. The data shows a hard wall at this resolution, with the GPU unable to handle the pixel load at higher presets.

FAQ

*Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D a bottleneck in Inside?*

A: No. The data shows frame rates scale directly with resolution and settings, which are GPU-centric factors. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 3494 and multithread score of 25047 indicate ample headroom, and the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU limitations, not CPU constraints.

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Inside?*

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings presets achieve at least 64 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium settings stay above 60 FPS, while 3840x2160 requires Low settings to reach 61 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 570 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 28766. It is 0.8% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 470 (score 28996) and 0.7% faster than the AMD Radeon R9 M295X (score 28580). It is also 1.2% faster than the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 (score 28421).

Q: Does the 4 GB VRAM limit performance at 4K?

A: The data shows a significant drop from Medium (49 FPS) to High (31 FPS) at 3840x2160, suggesting that the higher preset's memory requirements exceed what the 4 GB GDDR5 buffer can efficiently handle, likely causing the GPU to struggle with texture and shadow data.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2749 out of 2887 total combos in Inside, placing it in the bottom 5% of all tested systems. This low rank is primarily due to the GPU's performance, as the CPU's percentile is 89 versus all CPUs.

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

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 135 FPS, while Ultra produces 64 FPS. This is a difference of 71 FPS, or a 52.6% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth experience, the data clearly points to 1080p as the primary target. At this resolution, the Medium preset offers the best balance, with an average of 108 FPS and a minimum of 92 FPS, ensuring no drops below the 60 FPS threshold. High settings also work well at 68 FPS, but they sacrifice a significant amount of performance for visual gains that may be negligible in a game with Inside's muted art style. Ultra is playable at 64 FPS, but the 4 FPS difference between High and Ultra suggests that the extra visual fidelity is not worth the frame rate cost.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, delivering 78 FPS with a minimum of 66 FPS. Low settings are also viable at 97 FPS for players who prioritize frame rate above all else. High and Ultra should be avoided, as they dip to 49 FPS and 46 FPS respectively, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth motion.

For 4K, the data shows that Low settings are the only option for a playable experience, with an average of 61 FPS. Medium is marginal at 49 FPS, and High and Ultra are not recommended due to sub-30 FPS averages. The GPU's 4 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are simply insufficient for high-fidelity rendering at this resolution. The optimal experience for this combo is 1080p Medium, which offers the best compromise between visual quality and performance, ensuring the frame rate never drops below 92 FPS.