Inside

Inside is a 2D puzzle-platformer that, on paper, should not stress modern hardware. However, the measured data for the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER reveals a title where frame pacing and preset scaling behave in surprisingly distinct ways. The benchmark results show that this combination is capable of very high frame rates, but the relationship between resolution, settings, and the CPU/GPU balance is more nuanced than the simple art style suggests. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to determine where the bottleneck lies and how to get the best experience from this specific pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data for Inside shows a clear and predictable pattern: frame rates drop significantly as pixel count increases, but the magnitude of that drop is heavily influenced by the graphics preset. At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-bound at lower settings, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The most telling comparison is at Low settings, where the average frame rate falls from 216 FPS at 1920x1080 to 156 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 98 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 55% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, indicating that even a relatively simple scene at Low settings can saturate the GTX 1660 SUPER's rendering pipeline at higher resolutions.

The scaling at Ultra settings is less steep in absolute terms but still significant. The frame rate drops from 103 FPS at 1080p to 74 FPS at 1440p, and then to 47 FPS at 4K. This shows that the GPU workload increases substantially with the Ultra preset, making the resolution transition more costly. Interestingly, the gap between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra is a 28% drop, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is a 36% drop. This nonlinear scaling suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately more expensive at higher pixel counts.

The data indicates that at 1080p with Low settings, the CPU is the primary limiter, as the 216 FPS figure is likely near the engine's or CPU's maximum throughput for this title. As resolution increases, the GPU workload grows, and the frame rate becomes more dependent on the graphics card. At 4K, even with the powerful Ryzen 5 7500X3D, the GTX 1660 SUPER cannot maintain the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 51 FPS, which is smaller than the 113 FPS delta at 1080p, further confirming that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, compressing the performance range across different presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER plays a central role in shaping Inside's performance, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for a game with this visual style. The benchmark results show that the GPU can deliver playable frame rates at all tested settings, but its limits become apparent at 4K with the Ultra preset, where it averages just 47 FPS. The GPU's compute capabilities, rated at 5.027 TFLOPS FP32, are adequate for the game's rendering demands, but the pixel fill rate of 85.68 GPixel/s appears to be a constraining factor at 4K.

The GTX 1660 SUPER's clock speeds, with a base of 1530 MHz and a boost of 1785 MHz, are moderate by modern standards. The data suggests that these clocks are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the GPU can achieve 100+ FPS on Medium and High settings. However, at 4K, the GPU's raw throughput is insufficient to maintain high frame rates, regardless of the CPU's capability. The GPU's 48 ROPs and 88 TMUs are also relevant, as they determine the fill rate and texture processing speed, which are critical for resolution scaling.

The measured data shows that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the definitive bottleneck at 4K for all presets, as the frame rates are significantly lower than at 1440p. This is expected, as the GPU is an older architecture (Turing, 12 nm process) that is not designed for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming in more demanding scenarios. The GPU's percentile rank of 53 indicates it sits at the median of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 580 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, which have similar average scores. This positioning confirms that the GTX 1660 SUPER is a mid-range card that can handle Inside well at 1080p and 1440p but will struggle to maintain 60 FPS at 4K on the highest settings.

FAQ

Q: Can the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and GTX 1660 SUPER run Inside at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, at Medium settings, the combination averages 78 FPS at 3840x2160, which is smooth. However, at Ultra settings, the average drops to 47 FPS, which is on the edge of playability. For a locked 60 FPS experience at 4K, players should stick to Medium or High settings.

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

A: At 1920x1080, all settings exceed 100 FPS, with Low reaching 216 FPS and Medium hitting 173 FPS. This makes 1080p the best choice for 144Hz or 165Hz displays. Even at 2560x1440, Low and Medium settings provide 156 FPS and 125 FPS respectively, which are also suitable for high-refresh gaming.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500X3D has an average benchmark score of 44573, which is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-13950HX. It is also 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385, but 0.7% behind the Intel Core i5-14600.

Q: Is the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB VRAM sufficient for Inside?

A: Yes, the 6 GB of GDDR6 memory is more than enough for Inside. The game's simple 2D visuals do not require high memory capacity, and the 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth ensures smooth texture streaming at all resolutions tested.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 156 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 74 FPS. This is a 53% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra, indicating that the Ultra preset has a significant performance cost.

Q: Does the game scale well with CPU cores?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500X3D has 6 cores and 12 threads, which is more than enough for Inside. The game is not heavily multi-threaded, and the CPU's strong single-thread performance (Passmark score of 3494) is likely more important for maintaining high frame rates, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Inside provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent performance across the board. The Low preset yields an average of 216 FPS, while Medium drops to 173 FPS with a minimum of 147 FPS and a maximum of 199 FPS. High settings average 108 FPS, and Ultra averages 103 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, even the most demanding preset is highly playable, and the CPU is likely the limiting factor at Low settings, as the frame rate is exceptionally high.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain impressive but begin to show the GPU's workload. Low averages 156 FPS, Medium averages 125 FPS with a range of 106 to 143 FPS, High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 74 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 1440p is only 4 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional effects have diminishing returns at this resolution. The minimum FPS of 106 at Medium indicates that the system can maintain stable frame rates, but the lower averages for High and Ultra suggest a more significant GPU load.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops considerably. Low averages 98 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium drops to 78 FPS with a range of 66 to 90 FPS. High settings average 49 FPS, and Ultra averages just 47 FPS. The data at 4K clearly shows the GTX 1660 SUPER struggling to keep up with the higher pixel count. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 2 FPS, indicating that the GPU is fully saturated and the preset has little impact on performance at this resolution. The minimum FPS of 66 at Medium is notable, as it shows the system can still maintain a playable frame rate, but the average of 78 FPS is much lower than at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings for this hardware depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p users with a 144Hz or higher monitor, the Medium preset is the best choice, offering an average of 173 FPS with a minimum of 147 FPS. This provides a smooth, high-refresh experience while still delivering better visual quality than Low. The High preset at 1080p is also viable at 108 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High results in a 38% performance drop for what is likely a marginal visual improvement in a game with this art style.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear winner, averaging 125 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS. This is ideal for 120Hz monitors and provides a great balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Low preset is also an option for 165Hz displays, averaging 156 FPS, but the visual downgrade may be noticeable. At 1440p, High and Ultra settings drop below 80 FPS, which is less ideal for competitive or fast-paced gameplay, though still playable for a puzzle platformer.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the only viable option for a smooth experience, averaging 78 FPS. This is sufficient for 60Hz displays and provides a good balance. The Low preset at 4K averages 98 FPS, which is excellent, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended, as they average below 50 FPS, which can lead to a less responsive and less enjoyable experience. For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 1440p is the sweet spot, offering high frame rates and good visual quality.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D plays a crucial role in ensuring high frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads, based on the Zen 4 Raphael architecture, provide ample processing power for Inside. The high L3 cache of 96 MB is a notable feature, as it can help with game logic and data access, though its impact is likely less significant in a 2D game than in a 3D title. The CPU's boost clock of 4.50 GHz and base clock of 4.00 GHz are sufficient for maintaining high frame rates, as evidenced by the 216 FPS result at 1080p Low.

The Passmark benchmark scores for the CPU provide context for its performance. The single-thread score of 3494 is strong, and the multi-thread score of 25047 is respectable. These scores indicate that the CPU can handle the game's physics and AI calculations without becoming a limiting factor. The CPU's percentile rank of 89 versus all CPUs shows that it is a high-performance part, and its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-13950HX, are similarly powerful. The data shows that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU is capable of delivering frame rates well above 100 FPS, which is more than sufficient for Inside.

The CPU's role becomes less critical at 4K, where the GPU is the clear bottleneck. However, the Ryzen 5 7500X3D ensures that the system never experiences CPU-related stutters or frame drops, even when the GPU is under heavy load. The measured minimum FPS values, such as 147 FPS at 1080p Medium and 106 FPS at 1440p Medium, indicate stable performance without significant CPU-induced hiccups. Overall, the CPU is a strong partner for the GTX 1660 SUPER in this game, providing more than enough headroom for the GPU to be the primary performance driver.