Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and Intel Arc B580 pairing delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far more demanding on raw frame throughput than its minimalist aesthetic suggests. The data shows this CPU-GPU combination easily handles the game’s requirements, with the primary challenge being the selection of an appropriate graphical preset to match the user’s display refresh rate. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across three resolutions and four settings levels.

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 based on the Zen 4 Raphael architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. While the processor's L3 cache is listed as 96 MB shared, the cache structure also includes 64 KB of L1 per core and 1 MB of L2 per core. For a game like Inside, which was released in 2016 and relies on relatively simple physics and scripting, the CPU is rarely the bottleneck.

The benchmark results confirm this processor’s competence. Its PassMark single-thread score is 3494, which is the most critical metric for a game that often runs on a single primary thread. The multi-thread score is 25047, and the processor’s average benchmark score is 44573, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals in the database, the Ryzen 5 7500X3D is essentially neck-and-neck: it is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H (average score 44466), 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-13950HX (44342), and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (44309). It trails the Intel Core i5-14600 by 0.7%, as that chip scores 44889.

In the context of Inside, the CPU’s job is to maintain a stable frame pacing. The measured FPS data shows that even at the highest settings and resolution, the frame rate does not dip below playable levels, which indicates the 7500X3D’s 4.50 GHz boost clock is more than sufficient to feed the GPU. The processor’s single-thread performance, being within 1% of several high-end mobile and desktop rivals, ensures that the game’s logic and rendering commands are processed without introducing stutter. The high L3 cache, while not directly tested by this game, is a known advantage for gaming workloads, allowing for more data to be stored on-die for quick access. For this title, the CPU is a silent partner, providing a stable foundation that allows the GPU to dictate the final frame rate.

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

The Intel Arc B580 is the central figure in this performance analysis. It is a discrete GPU based on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation), built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The card features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. The GPU operates at a consistent base and boost clock of 2670 MHz. It has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, which deliver a pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 13.67 TFLOPS.

In the PassMark G3D benchmark, the Arc B580 scores 15748, which places it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 23021. The nearest rival data shows it is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (score 23061), 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895), 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (23172), and 1.0% behind the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249). This places the B580’s raw compute power in the same tier as these older flagship cards, which is impressive for a modern mid-range offering.

For Inside, the GPU’s high memory bandwidth and 12 GB VRAM are overkill for the game’s small texture sizes and simple geometry. However, the card’s clock speed and shader throughput directly translate to the high frame rates observed. The data shows a clear scaling pattern: as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, the average FPS drops proportionally, indicating the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The card’s ability to produce 271 FPS at 1080p Low and still manage 61 FPS at 4K High demonstrates a wide performance envelope, making it suitable for both high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors and 4K displays where a 60 FPS target is reasonable.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, the data shows it is playable at 4K. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 61. Dropping to Medium raises the average to 98 FPS, while Low settings achieve 123 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average falls to 58 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for a high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: For 144 Hz or higher displays, 1920x1080 is the optimal choice. At this resolution, even Ultra settings produce 129 FPS, while High yields 136 FPS, and Medium reaches 217 FPS. Low settings push the average to 271 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct rivals in raw processing power?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500X3D’s average benchmark score of 44573 is within 1% of its nearest rivals. It is 0.2% faster than the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and 0.5% faster than the Intel Core i9-13950HX, but 0.7% slower than the Intel Core i5-14600.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B580’s performance consistent with its benchmark position?

A: Yes. Its PassMark G3D score of 15748 places it in the 68th percentile. In comparison to rivals, it performs nearly identically to the RTX 2080, being 0.6% faster, and is only 0.7% slower than the RTX 3080 in synthetic tests.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most balanced experience at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 provides a strong balance, with an average FPS of 156 and a minimum of 133. This ensures smooth gameplay without the frame rate drop seen at Ultra, which averages 93 FPS.

Q: Does the frame rate scale linearly with resolution?

A: The data indicates a near-linear scaling. At Medium settings, 1080p yields 217 FPS, 1440p yields 156 FPS, and 4K yields 98 FPS. This suggests the game is heavily GPU-bound at these settings, with the CPU providing ample headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Inside, this pairing of AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and Intel Arc B580 holds a rank of 2139 out of 2887 total combos. This places it in the 74th percentile of all tested systems, which is a solid result considering the CPU and GPU are not the absolute top-tier parts available. The rank reflects the measured FPS across all tested settings and resolutions. While the GPU’s synthetic benchmark percentile is 68, its performance in this specific game is boosted by the CPU’s strong single-thread performance, allowing the B580 to stretch its legs.

The ranking suggests that this combo outperforms a significant majority of systems tested for this game, likely including many older or lower-end configurations. However, it is not at the very top, where combos featuring more powerful CPUs and GPUs would reside. The gap between this combo and the top 25% is likely due to the GPU’s limitations at 4K Ultra settings, where it drops to 58 FPS. Had the GPU been able to maintain 60 FPS at Ultra 4K, the rank would be higher. For a 1080p or 1440p gaming setup, this rank is highly competitive, as the FPS values at those resolutions are in the top tier of performance. The 2139 rank is a composite, and the component parts show the system is excellent for high-refresh-rate gaming but merely adequate for 4K Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear path for optimizing the experience. For users with a 1920x1080 display, the Ultra preset is a viable option, as it still delivers an average of 129 FPS. However, the High preset is nearly identical in performance at 136 FPS and may offer a more stable frame time. For a 1440p monitor, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 156 FPS with a minimum of 133, ensuring no noticeable dips, whereas High drops to 98 FPS and Ultra falls to 93 FPS. At 4K, the High preset is the best for a 60 Hz display, with an average of 61 FPS. The Medium preset is a better option for a 120 Hz 4K display, providing 98 FPS.

The Low preset is the fastest at every resolution, but it is unnecessary for a game like Inside unless the user is targeting extreme refresh rates (e.g., 240 Hz). The data suggests that Medium settings at 1080p and 1440p offer the best combination of visual fidelity and performance headroom, as the minimum FPS is still high. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that dips below 60 FPS, so it should be avoided unless the user has a variable refresh rate monitor. In summary, Medium is the sweet spot for most users, with High being a close second for those who prioritize visual quality over a few extra frames.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured FPS data for this combo, organized by resolution and settings.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 271 FPS.
• Medium: Average 217 FPS, with a minimum of 185 and a maximum of 250.
• High: Average 136 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 129 FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 195 FPS.
• Medium: Average 156 FPS, with a minimum of 133 and a maximum of 180.
• High: Average 98 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 93 FPS.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 123 FPS.
• Medium: Average 98 FPS, with a minimum of 83 and a maximum of 113.
• High: Average 61 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 58 FPS.

The data reveals a consistent and predictable scaling pattern. At 1080p, the system is only slightly GPU-limited, as the difference between Low and Ultra is 142 FPS. At 1440p, the gap narrows to 102 FPS, and at 4K, it narrows further to 65 FPS. This indicates that the CPU is powerful enough to support very high frame rates, but the GPU’s rendering load at higher resolutions begins to dominate. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings are particularly telling: they remain above 133 FPS at 1440p and above 83 FPS at 4K, ensuring smooth gameplay without stutters. The absence of min/max data for Low, High, and Ultra presets suggests that the frame times were consistent enough to not require highlighting outliers. Overall, this combo is a high-performance pairing that excels at 1080p and 1440p, with respectable 4K capabilities for a game of this era.