Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far from demanding by modern standards. The measured data shows this pairing is heavily overqualified for the title, with performance ranging from a low of 107 FPS at 4K Ultra to a staggering 320 FPS at 1080p Low. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU roles, scaling behavior, and optimal settings based solely on the provided benchmark results.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Ryzen 5 (Zen 4 (Raphael)) generation. It operates with a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, built on a 5 nm process. Its cache configuration is substantial, featuring 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a large 96 MB shared L3 cache. This CPU sits in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44573. Its nearest rivals in average score include the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H at 44466 (0.2% delta), the Intel Core i9-13950HX at 44342 (0.5% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 at 44309 (0.6% delta), while the Intel Core i5-14600 is slightly ahead at 44889 (-0.7% delta).

For a game like Inside, which is a puzzle platformer with relatively simple physics and logic, the CPU's role is often minimal. The data confirms this: even at the highest resolution (4K), the average FPS never drops below 107 FPS, and at 1080p Low, it hits 320 FPS. The 7500X3D’s 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient to handle the game’s thread scheduling, and the large 96 MB L3 cache likely helps with any asset streaming or draw call overhead. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not a limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios; the frame rates are consistently high across all resolution and settings combinations, suggesting the processor has ample headroom.

The processor’s performance in synthetic tests further underscores its capability. It scores 25047 in Passmark multithread and 3494 in Passmark single-thread. While these are general compute scores, they correlate with the CPU's ability to maintain high frame rates in less demanding titles. The data shows that at 1080p High, the combo produces 246 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, 236 FPS. The difference between these two settings is only 10 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not being pushed harder by the increased graphical workload. Instead, the GPU is taking on the extra load, and the CPU is keeping pace without issue. The conclusion is straightforward: the Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a high-tier processor that is effectively idle in this game, providing a robust foundation for the GPU to work with.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 246 at 1080p to 178 at 1440p, and then to 112 at 4K. This represents a 54% drop from 1080p to 4K. For Ultra settings, the trend is similar: 236 FPS at 1080p, 170 FPS at 1440p, and 107 FPS at 4K, a 55% reduction. The Low and Medium settings show the same pattern, with 4K performance at 224 FPS and 179 FPS respectively, compared to 320 FPS and 296 FPS at 1080p.

This scaling behavior strongly indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component as resolution rises. The frame rate drops are proportionally significant when moving to 4K, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound rendering. At 1080p, the GPU has to render far fewer pixels, allowing for higher frame rates. At 4K, the pixel count quadruples, and the RX 7900 XT must work much harder, resulting in lower FPS. However, even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 107 is still very playable, showing that the GPU is powerful enough to maintain high performance in this older title.

The data also shows that the CPU's influence on resolution scaling is negligible. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS across all resolutions, as the CPU workload would be the same. Instead, we see a consistent and significant drop in FPS as resolution increases, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor. The 7500X3D is clearly capable of feeding the GPU with enough data at all resolutions, as the FPS is always dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities. This is a healthy balance for a high-refresh-rate monitor setup, where users can expect 236 FPS at 1080p Ultra and still achieve over 100 FPS at 4K Ultra.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is a high-end graphics card based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, codenamed Plum Bonito. It features 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1387 MHz, a boost clock of 2394 MHz, and a game clock of 2025 MHz. With 5376 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 192 ROPs, it is a formidable piece of hardware. Its average benchmark score is 13745, placing it in the 55th percentile against all GPUs. Interestingly, its nearest rivals in average score are the AMD Radeon 660M at 13812 (-0.5% delta), the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile at 13821 (-0.5% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 570X at 13871 (-0.9% delta), while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is slightly lower at 13543 (1.5% delta).

In the context of Inside, the GPU's role is to handle the game's graphical rendering, which includes lighting, shadows, and the game's distinctive monochromatic art style. The data shows that the RX 7900 XT is more than capable of running this game at maximum settings. At 4K Ultra, it achieves an average of 107 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. At 1080p Ultra, it reaches 236 FPS, and at 1440p Ultra, 170 FPS. The GPU's high memory bandwidth and 20 GB of VRAM are far more than this game requires, but they ensure that there are no memory-related stutters or texture loading issues.

The performance metrics indicate that the GPU is the main driver of frame rates in this game, as seen in the resolution scaling analysis. The 4K results, while lower than 1080p, are still exceptionally high, reinforcing that the RX 7900 XT is a top-tier card that can handle even the most demanding modern titles. For a game like Inside, the GPU is effectively running at a fraction of its capacity, but the measured FPS numbers show it is fully capable of delivering a flawless experience. The 179 FPS at 4K Medium and 224 FPS at 4K Low further demonstrate the GPU's headroom, as even the lowest settings provide a massive performance boost.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for Inside depend on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, all settings presets deliver exceptionally high frame rates, from 236 FPS at Ultra to 320 FPS at Low. For users with a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor, the Ultra preset at 1080p is the best choice, as it provides 236 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end displays. The High preset at 1080p offers 246 FPS, a marginal gain of 10 FPS over Ultra, but the visual quality improvements of Ultra make it the preferred option for a better overall experience.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset yields 170 FPS, which is sufficient for a 165Hz or 170Hz monitor. The High preset provides 178 FPS, and Medium offers 265 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High is a 87 FPS difference, while the jump from High to Ultra is only 8 FPS. This suggests that the High preset is a sweet spot for 1440p, offering a strong balance between visual fidelity and performance. For users with a 144Hz display, the High preset at 1440p is excellent, as it comfortably exceeds the refresh rate. The Medium preset at 1440p, with 265 FPS, is ideal for very high refresh rate monitors (240Hz+), but the visual trade-off may not be worth it for most players.

At 4K, the situation changes. The Ultra preset delivers 107 FPS, which is playable but just above the 100 FPS threshold. The High preset offers 112 FPS, a marginal 5 FPS improvement. The Medium preset, however, jumps to 179 FPS, a significant 67 FPS increase over High. For 4K gaming, the High preset is the recommended choice if the user has a 120Hz display, as it provides 112 FPS. If the user has a 144Hz 4K monitor, the Medium preset is a better option, delivering 179 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate. The Low preset at 4K provides 224 FPS, but the visual downgrade is likely too severe for a game known for its atmospheric presentation. In summary, the data suggests that for the best balance of quality and performance, the High preset at 1440p and the Medium preset at 4K are the standout choices.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings for this combo?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 236 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500X3D has a Passmark single-thread score of 3494. Its nearest rivals by average score are the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H (0.2% delta), Intel Core i9-13950HX (0.5% delta), and AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (0.6% delta).

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this game across all settings?

A: The lowest average FPS is 107, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the GPU have enough memory for this game?

A: Yes, the Radeon RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 320-bit bus and 800.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Inside.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Medium and High settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 179 FPS, while the High preset averages 112 FPS, a difference of 67 FPS.

Q: What is the rank of this CPU+GPU combination in the game's benchmark database?

A: The combo is ranked 541 out of 2887 total combinations tested, placing it in the top 19% of all combos.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 320 FPS, the Medium preset averages 296 FPS with a minimum of 251 and a maximum of 340, the High preset averages 246 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 236 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 84 FPS, with each step up in quality costing a noticeable but manageable amount of performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 287 FPS, the Medium preset averages 265 FPS with a minimum of 225 and a maximum of 305, the High preset averages 178 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 170 FPS. The gap between Medium and High at 1440p is 87 FPS, which is the largest single-step drop in the dataset. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 224 FPS, the Medium preset averages 179 FPS with a minimum of 152 and a maximum of 206, the High preset averages 112 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 107 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 5 FPS, suggesting that Ultra is nearly as efficient as High at this resolution.

The medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, providing a frame time variance metric. At 1080p Medium, the range is 251 to 340 FPS, a variance of 89 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 225 to 305 FPS, a variance of 80 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 152 to 206 FPS, a variance of 54 FPS. This data indicates that the frame pacing is consistent, with the variance shrinking as resolution increases, likely due to the GPU becoming more consistently saturated at higher pixel counts. Overall, the numbers confirm that this hardware combination is overkill for Inside, delivering playable frame rates even at the most demanding settings.