Inside

# Inside: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X + AMD Radeon RX 9070

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Radeon RX 9070 combination delivers a fundamentally overpowered experience for Inside, a 2016 puzzle-platformer with modest graphical demands. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings presets range from 93.4 FPS at 4K Ultra to 416.4 FPS at 1080p Low, meaning the combo never dips below playable thresholds even at the most demanding configuration tested. This pairing ranks 356th out of 1,671 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top 21% of all configurations — a strong result that reflects both the CPU's Zen 5 architecture and the GPU's RDNA 4.0 capabilities.

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

The Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process from TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 65W TDP. For a game like Inside, which is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer rather than a multi-threaded simulation, the CPU's single-thread performance is the dominant factor. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1,253 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,603 indicate exceptional per-core throughput, which is what drives the high frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU is less constrained.

The processor's cache hierarchy — 80 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 32 MB shared L3 — is more than sufficient for the game's data footprint. The memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s over dual-channel DDR5 further reduces any potential bottleneck. Benchmark results show the CPU sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28,246. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-13490F, scores 28,173 (0.3% delta), while the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS scores 28,369 (-0.4% delta) — meaning the 9600X is effectively performance-parity with these chips in general compute, though its advantage in this game comes from the combination of high boost clocks and low thread-count scaling demands.

Interestingly, the CPU's multi-threaded scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core: 25,525, PassMark multi-thread: 30,027) show strong scaling from 6 cores, but Inside likely doesn't utilize more than a few threads. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2,456 versus the max-thread score of 7,590 suggests that the game's workload is heavily dependent on just a couple of cores, which the 9600X handles with ease. At 1080p Low, the CPU is almost certainly the limiting factor given the 416.4 FPS ceiling, but that is far beyond any display refresh rate in common use.

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

The Radeon RX 9070 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip, manufactured on a 4 nm process with 53,900 million transistors. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1330 MHz, a game clock of 2070 MHz, and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with memory running at 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective). Its 3,584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 128 ROPs provide substantial fill-rate headroom (322.6 GPixel/s pixel rate, 564.5 GTexel/s texture rate). The FP32 compute of 36.13 TFLOPS is far beyond what a 2D puzzle platformer requires.

The GPU's 16 GB VRAM is vastly oversized for Inside, which was released in 2016 when 4 GB was considered generous. Even at 4K Ultra, the game's texture and geometry demands are unlikely to approach even half of the available VRAM. The PassMark G3D score of 25,381 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,290 place the GPU at the 79th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34,780. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA A2 (34,866, -0.2% delta) and Quadro GV100 (34,677, 0.3% delta), showing the RX 9070 is a mid-to-high-tier performer in synthetic tests.

The GPU's role in Inside becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high that the CPU's instruction throughput likely caps performance, but at 4K, the GPU's fill-rate and memory bandwidth become the determining factors. The 4K Ultra result of 93.4 FPS versus 1080p Ultra of 205.5 FPS shows a 55% performance drop, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where pixel throughput scales inversely with resolution.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Inside?*

A: The highest measured average is 416.4 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Does this combo maintain playable frame rates at 4K?

A: Yes. The lowest 4K result is 93.4 FPS at Ultra settings, which remains above 60 FPS and is well within playable range.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X has an average benchmark score of 28,246, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-13490F (28,173) and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (28,369, using deltaPct of -0.4% meaning the rival is higher).

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth and how does it affect 4K performance?

A: The RX 9070 has 644.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is sufficient for 4K rendering. The 4K High result of 96.7 FPS shows that bandwidth is not a bottleneck.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: It ranks 356th out of 1,671 tested combos, placing it in the top 21% of all configurations.

Q: Is there a significant difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, High produces 157.3 FPS while Ultra produces 147.3 FPS, a difference of 10 FPS or approximately 6% lower performance for Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 356th out of 1,671 tested combos in Inside, which places it in the upper quintile of all configurations. This is a notable achievement given that the ranking includes many high-end CPUs and GPUs, some of which may be paired with more powerful components. The data indicates that this combination is well-balanced for this specific game, with neither component being a clear weak point. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking and GPU's 79th percentile ranking suggest that both are above-average performers, and their synergy in Inside produces frame rates that are consistently high across all tested presets.

The ranking becomes more impressive when considering that Inside is not a demanding title — many lower-tier components can run it well. However, the combo's ability to push beyond 400 FPS at 1080p Low and maintain over 90 FPS at 4K Ultra demonstrates that it extracts near-maximum performance from the game's engine. The 356th rank out of 1,671 means that 1,315 combos perform worse, while 355 perform better — a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with an upper-mid-range GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce 416.4 FPS average, Medium produces 349.1 FPS, High produces 216.9 FPS, and Ultra produces 205.5 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 67.3 FPS (16%), while the drop from Medium to High is 132.2 FPS (38%), and from High to Ultra is only 11.4 FPS (5%). This pattern suggests that the game's settings hierarchy is non-linear, with the largest performance cost coming from the transition between Medium and High.

At 2560x1440, the results scale predictably. Low settings yield 314 FPS, Medium yields 248.8 FPS, High yields 157.3 FPS, and Ultra yields 147.3 FPS. The relative performance drops from 1080p are substantial: Low drops by 24.6%, Medium by 28.7%, High by 27.5%, and Ultra by 28.3%. This uniform ~25-28% reduction across settings indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor at 1440p, but the absolute numbers remain very high.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop further but remain playable. Low produces 194.5 FPS, Medium produces 155 FPS, High produces 96.7 FPS, and Ultra produces 93.4 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is: Low by 38.1%, Medium by 37.7%, High by 38.5%, and Ultra by 36.6%. This consistent ~37-38% reduction across all settings at 4K strongly indicates that the GPU's rendering pipeline is the primary bottleneck at this resolution, as the scaling is nearly uniform regardless of settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target display refresh rate. For 1080p displays with 144Hz or 240Hz refresh rates, Medium settings (349.1 FPS) provide a comfortable headroom over High (216.9 FPS) while still offering improved visuals over Low (416.4 FPS). The jump from Medium to High costs 132.2 FPS (38%), which is a steep price for what is likely a modest visual improvement in a game like Inside.

For 1440p displays, High settings (157.3 FPS) are the best balance, as they exceed 144Hz refresh rates while Ultra (147.3 FPS) only adds 10 FPS less and may not be visually distinguishable. If the display is 60Hz, Ultra at 147.3 FPS is overkill, and Medium (248.8 FPS) would allow for future-proofing or GPU-intensive tasks in other applications.

For 4K displays, High settings (96.7 FPS) are the recommended choice, as they provide the best visual quality while staying above 60 FPS. Ultra (93.4 FPS) is only 3.3 FPS lower, making it a viable option for those who prioritize maximum quality over the slight performance difference. Low settings (194.5 FPS) are unnecessary at 4K since the game's visuals would be significantly degraded for no practical benefit on most 4K displays, which are typically 60Hz or 120Hz.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals how the bottleneck shifts between CPU and GPU. From 1080p Low (416.4 FPS) to 1440p Low (314 FPS), the drop is 102.4 FPS (24.6%). From 1440p Low to 4K Low (194.5 FPS), the drop is 119.5 FPS (38.1%). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 53.3%. For Ultra settings, the drops are: 1080p Ultra (205.5 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (147.3 FPS) is 28.3%, and 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra (93.4 FPS) is 36.6%, totaling a 54.5% drop from 1080p to 4K.

The near-identical percentage drops for Low and Ultra settings (53.3% vs 54.5%) suggest that the resolution scaling is independent of the settings preset, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. However, the absolute numbers at 1080p (416.4 FPS Low) are so high that the CPU's single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1,253) is likely the limiting factor at that resolution. As resolution increases, the GPU's pixel throughput (322.6 GPixel/s) and memory bandwidth (644.6 GB/s) take over as the primary constraints.

The data implies that this combo is well-balanced for Inside: the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p and 1440p, while the GPU has enough raw power to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The 54.5% performance drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings is consistent with a GPU-bound workload, and the fact that 4K Ultra still exceeds 90 FPS demonstrates that neither component is a weak link in this pairing.