Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT combination delivers a performance profile that is thoroughly capable for Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. The measured data shows a system that excels at high refresh rates at 1080p and maintains playable performance at 4K. The pairing of an 8-core Zen 2 processor with a RDNA 2 graphics card creates a balanced platform where the GPU becomes the primary scaling factor as resolution increases.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a 32 MB L3 cache. This configuration provides substantial parallel processing headroom for a game like Inside, which is not known for extreme CPU demands.

Benchmark data places this processor at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34260. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (avg score 34222, deltaPct 0.1) and the AMD EPYC 4244P (avg score 34220, deltaPct 0.1). The Ryzen 7 3700X is also within 0.2% of the Intel Core i5-13450HX (avg score 34333) and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (avg score 34083). These scores indicate that the CPU is competitive with much newer processors in general compute tasks.

In the context of Inside's measured frames per second, the CPU's role is to ensure that the game logic and physics processing never bottleneck the frame rate. At 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches an average of 243 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the Ryzen 7 3700X's single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core score of 1593, Passmark single-thread score of 2656) is sufficient to drive very high frame rates. The multi-threaded capability, shown by a Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 2092 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 8899, provides a solid foundation, though Inside's 2D-style platforming typically does not leverage all 16 threads.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a significant drop in FPS, which points to GPU-bound performance at higher resolutions. The CPU's 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR4 support are more than adequate for this title's requirements.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip, also on a 7 nm process from TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The GPU's clock speeds are notable: a base clock of 1968 MHz, a game clock of 2359 MHz, and a boost clock of 2589 MHz. The memory operates at 2000 MHz, which translates to 16 Gbps effective.

The GPU's compute resources include 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. It also has 32 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 165.7 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 331.4 GTexel/s, with an FP32 performance of 10.60 TFLOPS. The card is rated with a TDP of 160 W and requires a single 8-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 450 W. The bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x8.

The RX 6600 XT ranks at the 70th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 24442. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 (avg score 24277, deltaPct 0.7) and the Intel Arc A350M (avg score 24647, deltaPct -0.8). Interestingly, it is 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (avg score 24170) in these aggregate benchmarks, though that comparison is based on synthetic tests rather than gaming performance.

In Inside, the GPU's role is decisive for high-resolution output. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary scaling component. At 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 60, which is exactly the same as the High preset at 4K (63 FPS) but with a slightly lower result. This indicates that the 8 GB VRAM and the GPU's compute throughput are sufficient for the game's visual effects, but the rendering load at 4K pushes the card to its limits. The 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is adequate for the game's textures, and the boost clock of 2589 MHz ensures that the core can process frames quickly when not fully saturated.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of how the system scales across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast, with average FPS ranging from 134 (Ultra) to 243 (Low). The Medium preset at 1080p produces an average of 224 FPS, with a minimum of 191 and a maximum of 258. This suggests that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound or game-engine-limited, as the frame rates are extremely high and the differences between Low and Medium are relatively small (243 vs 224 FPS).

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly but remain very high. The Low preset yields 202 FPS, Medium yields 161 FPS (min 137, max 186), High yields 101 FPS, and Ultra yields 96 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low (243 FPS) to 1440p Low (202 FPS) is about 17%, which is a moderate reduction. However, the drop from 1080p High (140 FPS) to 1440p High (101 FPS) is about 28%, indicating that the GPU is starting to become a more significant factor at higher settings.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the scaling becomes much more pronounced. The Low preset still manages an average of 127 FPS, which is impressive for 4K. The Medium preset drops to 101 FPS (min 86, max 117), while High and Ultra both fall to around 60-63 FPS (63 for High, 60 for Ultra). The drop from 1440p High (101 FPS) to 4K High (63 FPS) is a 38% reduction. This pattern clearly shows that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions but cannot compensate for the increased pixel count.

The data suggests that the system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can achieve frame rates well above 100 FPS on most presets. At 4K, the system is still playable, but only at Low or Medium settings for a high refresh experience, or at High/Ultra for a standard 60 FPS experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination to maintain a 100+ FPS average?

A: At 1920x1080, all presets except Ultra (134 FPS) maintain an average above 100 FPS, with Low at 243 FPS and Medium at 224 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Low (202 FPS) and Medium (161 FPS) presets also exceed 100 FPS, but High (101 FPS) barely meets the threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 3700X has an average benchmark score of 34260. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (34222) and the AMD EPYC 4244P (34220), and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (34083). It is 0.2% behind the Intel Core i5-13450HX (34333).

Q: What is the difference in FPS between the High and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset delivers an average of 63 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers an average of 60 FPS. The difference is only 3 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional visual effects have a minimal impact on performance.

Q: Is the GPU more powerful than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630?

A: Yes, in aggregate benchmarks, the RX 6600 XT has an average score of 24442, which is 0.7% higher than the GTX 1630's score of 24277. The RX 6600 XT is also 0.8% ahead of the Intel Arc A350M (24647) and 1.1% ahead of the RTX 2080 SUPER (24170).

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for Medium settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded is 137, with a maximum of 186 and an average of 161 FPS.

Q: How does the system perform at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 243 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which is the highest measured average in the entire dataset. This indicates the CPU and GPU are both well above the requirements for this title at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT ranks at position 2752 out of 3716 tested combinations for Inside. This places the combo in the bottom half of all tested configurations, which is a notable finding given the high frame rates measured. The rank suggests that while the system performs admirably in absolute terms, many other combinations of CPUs and GPUs are capable of even higher frame rates in this specific game.

The rank of 2752 out of 3716 means that approximately 74% of tested combos outperform this pairing. This is likely due to the fact that Inside is a relatively lightweight game that can be driven by much less powerful hardware, and many testers likely used top-tier components. However, the measured FPS data shows that the combo still delivers excellent performance, with no resolution or preset combination dropping below 60 FPS average.

The CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 70th percentile ranking among all GPUs suggest that the individual components are above average. The combination's lower rank in-game is more a reflection of the game's low system requirements rather than a weakness in this specific pairing. The data shows that the combo is well-balanced, with the GPU being the limiting factor at higher resolutions, but both components working effectively together.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: Average 243 FPS. This is the highest measured FPS in the dataset, indicating no significant bottleneck.
• Medium: Average 224 FPS, with a minimum of 191 and a maximum of 258 FPS. The wide range suggests some frame time variance.
• High: Average 140 FPS. This is a substantial drop from Medium, indicating that High settings introduce more demanding visual effects.
• Ultra: Average 134 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 6 FPS, making Ultra a viable option for 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the scaling is more pronounced:

• Low: Average 202 FPS. Still very high, showing the GPU can handle the resolution increase with low settings.
• Medium: Average 161 FPS, with a minimum of 137 and a maximum of 186 FPS. The frame times are consistent.
• High: Average 101 FPS. This is exactly at the 100 FPS threshold, making it a good choice for high refresh monitors.
• Ultra: Average 96 FPS. Just below 100 FPS, but still a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck:

• Low: Average 127 FPS. Remarkably high for 4K, showing the GPU's raw power.
• Medium: Average 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 and a maximum of 117 FPS. The minimum FPS is still playable.
• High: Average 63 FPS. This is a 38% drop from the 1440p High result, indicating the rendering load at 4K.
• Ultra: Average 60 FPS. This is the exact threshold for a standard 60 Hz display, making it a playable option.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p users with a 144 Hz or higher monitor, the Medium preset (224 FPS) provides a significant frame rate advantage over High (140 FPS) with only a modest visual quality reduction. The Ultra preset at 134 FPS is also viable for high refresh displays, but the 6 FPS difference from High suggests that High offers a better balance of visual fidelity and performance.

For 1440p users, the Medium preset (161 FPS) is the best choice for high refresh rate gaming, as it comfortably exceeds 144 FPS. The High preset (101 FPS) is suitable for 100 Hz monitors, while the Ultra preset (96 FPS) is acceptable for 60 Hz displays. The Low preset (202 FPS) is overkill for most users but demonstrates the system's headroom.

For 4K users, the Low preset (127 FPS) enables high refresh rate gaming on capable displays, but the visual quality may be too reduced for a cinematic puzzle platformer. The Medium preset (101 FPS) offers a good balance, with a minimum FPS of 86 that ensures smooth gameplay. The High preset (63 FPS) and Ultra preset (60 FPS) are both viable for standard 60 Hz displays, with Ultra providing the best visual experience at the cost of a 3 FPS reduction compared to High. Given that the game is a slow-paced puzzle platformer, the 60 FPS target is fully acceptable, making Ultra the recommended preset for 4K users who prioritize image quality.