Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer. The measured data shows this combination is heavily overqualified for the title, producing playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings. This analysis breaks down how the system scales across resolutions, which settings are optimal, and how the components individually contribute to the results.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a clear trend: performance drops significantly as resolution increases, but the system remains well above playable thresholds throughout. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 320 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low, that figure drops to 287 FPS, a loss of 33 FPS. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 242 FPS. This represents a 24.4% reduction from 1080p to 4K at the lowest settings.

The scaling pattern changes when looking at higher settings presets. At High settings, the averages are 246 FPS at 1080p, 193 FPS at 1440p, and 121 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 53 FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 72 FPS. This accelerating decline suggests the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor as resolution increases, which is expected given the RX 7900 XTX’s specifications.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling. The system produces 242 FPS at 1080p Ultra, 184 FPS at 1440p Ultra, and 115 FPS at 4K Ultra. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is 127 FPS, a 52.5% reduction. Interestingly, the 1080p Ultra result (242 FPS) nearly matches the 4K Low result (242 FPS), indicating that the game’s visual complexity has a more substantial impact on frame rate than resolution alone.

The data indicates the limiting component shifts depending on the resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, the CPU’s performance ceiling likely caps the frame rate, as the GPU has ample headroom. At 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, though the system still delivers 115 FPS. The Medium preset shows the most balanced scaling, with 296 FPS at 1080p, 265 FPS at 1440p, and 194 FPS at 4K. The minimum frame rates recorded for Medium settings are 251 FPS at 1080p, 225 FPS at 1440p, and 165 FPS at 4K, suggesting consistent frame pacing without severe dips.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 4K Medium, the system averages 194 FPS with a minimum of 165 FPS. This ensures smooth gameplay with headroom for any potential frame drops during complex scenes. The jump from Medium to High at 4K costs 73 FPS (from 194 to 121), which is a substantial penalty for what is likely a modest visual improvement in a puzzle platformer.

For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, Ultra settings are viable at every resolution. Even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains an average of 115 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered necessary for smooth gameplay. However, the data shows that Ultra provides only marginal gains over High in terms of average frame rate at 1080p (242 vs 246 FPS, actually slightly lower) while consuming more GPU resources. The 4K Ultra result of 115 FPS is 6 FPS lower than the 4K High result of 121 FPS, indicating diminishing returns.

The Low preset is unnecessary for this hardware combination. At 4K Low, the system produces 242 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p Ultra result. This suggests the game engine is not CPU-bound at these settings, and the Low preset only serves to reduce visual quality without providing meaningful performance benefits. The Medium preset at 4K delivers 194 FPS, which is still far above any display refresh rate commonly available, making Low a poor choice.

For competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays, the Medium preset at 1440p provides an average of 265 FPS with a minimum of 225 FPS. This is sufficient for 240Hz displays. At 1080p Medium, the average of 296 FPS with a 251 FPS minimum supports even the fastest gaming monitors. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot, offering a significant FPS boost over High while maintaining acceptable visual quality for a game like Inside.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 446th out of 2,887 tested combinations in Inside. This places it in the top 15.5% of all systems tested, which is notable given the game’s age and relatively simple rendering requirements. The ranking reflects the substantial overhead this hardware brings to a title from 2016. Despite being a high-end pairing, the rank is not in the top 100, likely because many other top-tier systems also achieve very high frame rates in this game, and the ranking may factor in consistency or other metrics.

The RX 7900 XTX’s individual benchmark scores provide context for this ranking. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score is 31,238, with a percentile rank of 64 among all GPUs. This indicates the card is above average but not at the absolute top of the database’s performance charts. The nearest rivals in the GPU’s benchmark data include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB with a score of 19,334 (0.4% lower), the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 at 19,602 (1% higher), and the AMD FirePro D300 at 19,637 (1.2% higher). These comparisons show the RX 7900 XTX’s average benchmark score of 19,410 is closely clustered with older, lower-tier cards, which is unusual given its modern architecture.

The CPU’s average benchmark score is 44,573, with a percentile rank of 89. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H at 44,466 (0.2% lower), the Intel Core i9-13950HX at 44,342 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 at 44,309 (0.6% lower). The Intel Core i5-14600 scores 44,889, which is 0.7% higher. These closely grouped scores indicate the Ryzen 5 7500X3D is competitive with current mid-range and previous-generation high-end CPUs.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K Ultra with a 120Hz display?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows 4K Ultra produces an average of 115 FPS. This is slightly below 120 FPS, so a 120Hz display would not be fully saturated, but the frame rate is close enough that most players would not notice a significant difference. For a locked 120 FPS experience, the High preset at 4K achieves 121 FPS average.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The bottleneck shifts by resolution. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 320 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited given the GPU’s capabilities. At 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 115 FPS result. The CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads with a 4.50 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient for this puzzle platformer.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p delivers 265 FPS average with a 225 FPS minimum. This is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The Ultra preset at 1440p still provides 184 FPS, which is also viable, but Medium offers more headroom for consistent frame pacing.

*Q: How does the RX 7900 XTX’s 24 GB VRAM affect performance in Inside?*

A: The 24 GB VRAM is far more than this game requires, as Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer with modest texture and geometry demands. The VRAM does not limit performance in any tested configuration, as evidenced by the high frame rates across all resolutions and settings.

Q: Why does the combo rank 446th out of 2,887 if it performs so well?

A: The ranking reflects all tested combos, many of which may use even higher-end components or achieve marginally better frame rates in this specific game. Since Inside is not graphically demanding, many systems can reach similar high frame rates, making the ranking less about absolute performance and more about relative consistency.

Q: Does the Ryzen 5 7500X3D’s 96 MB L3 cache help in this game?

A: The large L3 cache is a feature of the X3D series, but Inside is not a cache-sensitive title. The game’s simple scenes and low object counts mean the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient without relying heavily on cache. The benchmark scores show the CPU performs well, but the cache’s benefit is not directly measurable in this game’s frame rates.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the primary driver of frame rates at higher resolutions and settings. Its 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus provides 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than adequate for Inside’s textures. The GPU’s boost clock of 2498 MHz and game clock of 2365 MHz allow it to process the game’s simple geometry quickly. The base clock of 1929 MHz ensures consistent performance even under sustained load.

The GPU’s architecture is RDNA 3.0 on a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 57,700 million transistors. It features 6144 shading units, 384 texture mapping units, and 192 raster operation units. These specifications result in a pixel rate of 479.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 959.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 61.39 TFLOPS is far beyond what Inside requires, but it ensures the GPU is never the bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU’s performance scales predictably with resolution. At 1080p Low, the system hits 320 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s limit. At 4K Ultra, the GPU’s workload increases, dropping the average to 115 FPS. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 31,238 places it in the 64th percentile, which is above average but not elite. However, its average benchmark score of 19,410 is oddly close to much older cards like the GTX 1060 3 GB, suggesting the benchmark methodology may not fully capture the card’s modern features.

The GPU’s 24 GB VRAM is a notable advantage for future titles, but for Inside, it is entirely unused headroom. The card’s end-of-life production status and launch MSRP of 999 USD indicate it was a high-end offering, and its performance in this game reflects that, though the game’s simplicity means even a mid-range card would likely suffice.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D provides the foundation for the system’s frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it offers enough parallelism for Inside’s single-threaded nature. The base clock of 4.00 GHz and boost clock of 4.50 GHz are high, ensuring quick response times for game logic and physics. The CPU’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a standout feature, though its benefit is minimal in this title.

The CPU’s benchmarks show strong single-thread performance, with a PassMark single-thread score of 3,494. This is crucial for Inside, which likely relies on a single primary thread for gameplay logic. The multithread score of 25,047 indicates solid multi-core capability, but the game does not utilize all 12 threads effectively. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 44,573 places it in the 89th percentile, showing it is a powerful processor overall.

At 1080p Low, the system reaches 320 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited. The CPU’s 6 cores can process the game’s simple scenes rapidly, but there is a ceiling beyond which the frame rate cannot rise. This is evidenced by the identical average FPS at 1080p Ultra (242 FPS) and 4K Low (242 FPS), suggesting the CPU and GPU reach a balanced point at different settings. The CPU’s TDP of 65 W is low, making it efficient for a gaming build.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores are closely matched, with the Intel Core i9-13950HX just 0.5% lower in average score. This indicates the Ryzen 5 7500X3D competes well with higher-core-count processors in synthetic tests. For Inside, the CPU’s performance is more than sufficient, and the data shows it does not become a significant bottleneck until frame rates exceed 300 FPS.