Inside

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 delivers a playable experience in Inside, but the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card at higher resolutions. Across the twelve measured configurations, the frame rates range from a fluid 228.9 FPS at 1080p Low to a still-respectable 48.6 FPS at 4K Ultra. The benchmark results indicate that this combination is best suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p, while 4K gaming remains achievable only at the cost of significant visual fidelity.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and clearly demonstrates where the bottleneck lies. At High settings, the transition from 1920x1080 (116.5 FPS) to 2560x1440 (86 FPS) represents a 26.2% performance loss, and moving further to 3840x2160 (55 FPS) results in a 52.8% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where the increased pixel count directly translates into lower throughput.

The Low settings preset shows an even more pronounced scaling effect. At 1080p Low, the system produces 228.9 FPS, which drops to 162.9 FPS at 1440p and then to 102.1 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is 55.4%, suggesting that even when the graphical load is minimized, the GTX 1070 cannot keep pace with the pixel output demands of 4K. Conversely, the CPU appears to have ample headroom, as the frame rates at 1080p Low far exceed what any modern display can refresh, indicating that the processor is not the limiting factor in this configuration.

The Ultra preset tells a similar story, albeit at lower absolute frame rates. The 110.3 FPS at 1080p falls to 81.9 FPS at 1440p and finally to 48.6 FPS at 4K. This represents a 55.9% drop from 1080p to 4K, nearly identical to the Low preset's scaling. The consistency of this scaling across presets reinforces the conclusion that the GPU is the primary constraint; the resolution increase affects performance uniformly regardless of the graphical settings applied.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, built on the Pascal architecture with a 16 nm process, is the dominant component in this pairing. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for Inside's relatively modest texture requirements. The GPU's base clock of 1506 MHz and boost clock of 1683 MHz, combined with 1920 shading units, produce a measured frame rate that aligns with its 51st percentile ranking among all GPUs.

The data shows that the GTX 1070's performance ceiling is reached at 4K Ultra, where it manages only 48.6 FPS. This score places the GPU in a region where its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 (deltaPct 0.7) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M (deltaPct -1.3), indicating that the 1070 is a mid-range performer in the current landscape. The GPU's average benchmark score of 12331, with a Passmark G3D score of 13498, corroborates the gaming results; it is a capable card for 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

Interestingly, the GTX 1070's DirectX 12 benchmark score of 48 is notably lower than its DirectX 11 score of 100. This suggests that the card's Pascal architecture, while supporting DirectX 12 (12_1), does not excel in that API. Inside is a puzzle platformer that does not heavily leverage advanced DirectX 12 features, so the game's performance is more dependent on raw rasterization throughput, which the GTX 1070 provides in adequate measure at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, plays a supporting role in this configuration. Its base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz, coupled with a 32 MB shared L3 cache, provide ample single-threaded performance for a game like Inside. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28246, places it well above the GPU in relative performance.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13490F (deltaPct 0.3) and the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (deltaPct -0.4), indicating that the 9600X sits in a performance tier that is more than sufficient for this game. The benchmark data shows a single-thread score of 4570 in Passmark and a Geekbench single-core score of 3363, both of which are strong indicators that the CPU can handle the game's logic and physics calculations without becoming a bottleneck.

Evidence for the CPU's non-limiting role is found in the frame rate scaling. At 1080p Low, the system produces 228.9 FPS, which is a frame rate that would require significant CPU involvement. The fact that the frame rate drops to 102.1 FPS at 4K Low, a 55.4% reduction, while the CPU's workload remains relatively constant, confirms that the GPU is the component determining the frame rate. The 9600X's multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25525, is far beyond what Inside requires, leaving the CPU largely idle while the GPU works at full capacity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 9600X and GTX 1070 ranks 1396 out of 1671 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the lower 16.5th percentile of all systems. This ranking reflects the GPU's age and mid-range positioning rather than any deficiency in the CPU. The data indicates that this combo is capable of running the game smoothly at 1080p and 1440p, but it falls behind many modern systems that feature more recent graphics cards.

The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's 51st percentile standing among all GPUs. While the CPU's 85th percentile ranking is excellent, it cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations in a graphically demanding scenario. The combo's performance is consistent with what one would expect from a pairing where the GPU is the primary determinant of gaming performance; the CPU provides a solid foundation, but the GPU sets the ceiling. For a game released in 2016, this combo delivers acceptable performance, but it does not compete with systems featuring newer, higher-tier GPUs in the benchmark database.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 116.5 FPS offers a smooth experience on a 60 Hz or 144 Hz display, while the Low preset at 228.9 FPS is ideal for competitive play on a 240 Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 110.3 FPS provides the best visual quality while still maintaining a frame rate above 100 FPS, making it a viable choice for users with high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 1440p, the High preset at 86 FPS is the most balanced option, providing good visual fidelity while remaining comfortably above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 130.9 FPS is suitable for users prioritizing frame rate over visual detail, while the Ultra preset at 81.9 FPS is playable but requires a variable refresh rate display to avoid screen tearing. The Low preset at 162.9 FPS is excessive for most displays but demonstrates the system's ceiling at this resolution.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that users must compromise on settings. The Medium preset at 84 FPS is the best option for maintaining a playable frame rate, while the High preset at 55 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced puzzle gameplay. The Ultra preset at 48.6 FPS dips below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided unless the user prioritizes visual quality over smoothness. The Low preset at 102.1 FPS is surprisingly playable, offering a high frame rate at the cost of visual detail, which may be preferable for users with 4K displays who want a fluid experience. Overall, the Medium preset at 4K offers the best compromise between visual quality and performance, while 1080p High or Ultra provides the most balanced experience for the majority of users.