Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER combination delivers a playable but constrained experience in Inside, a puzzle platformer where frame pacing is more critical than raw throughput. The data shows a system that can handle the game’s demands at 1080p with ease, but struggles to maintain fluid motion at higher resolutions. The measured results place this combo at rank 3,640 out of 3,716 tested combinations, indicating that while the hardware is functional, it sits near the bottom of the performance hierarchy for this specific title.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Matisse. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, built on a 7 nm process node from TSMC. The CPU has a 32 MB L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Its benchmark scores are respectable for its class: it achieves 2,092 points in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 204 points in single-core, alongside a Geekbench multi-core score of 8,899 and a single-core score of 1,593. In Passmark tests, it scores 22,458 in multi-thread performance and 2,656 in single-thread performance.

For a puzzle platformer like Inside, the CPU’s role is primarily to maintain consistent frame delivery rather than to push extreme physics or AI calculations. The 3700X’s 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for this workload, as the game is not heavily threaded. The single-core performance, reflected in the 204 Cinebench R15 single-core score, is adequate for the game’s logic and rendering calls. The processor’s 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it is well above average, but its nearest rivals—such as the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (0.1% higher average score) and the Intel Core i5-13450HX (0.2% lower average score)—show that its computational power is not a bottleneck here. In Inside, the CPU never appears to limit performance, as the frame rate drops between resolutions are more consistent with a GPU-bound scenario.

The CPU’s 65W TDP and unlocked multiplier indicate it is an efficient, overclockable part, but the benchmark results do not suggest that additional CPU headroom would translate to higher FPS in this game. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (131 FPS) versus 4K Low (44 FPS) shows a 66% reduction, which aligns with GPU limitations rather than CPU inefficiency. Thus, the 3700X provides a stable foundation, but its contribution to the overall frame rate is secondary to the graphics card’s capabilities.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Inside?

A: The highest average FPS is 131, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only setting where the frame rate exceeds 120 FPS.

Q: How does the combo’s performance at 1440p compare to 1080p at High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the average FPS is 49, while at 1920x1080 High, it is 77. This represents a 36.4% drop in performance when moving from 1080p to 1440p, indicating a significant GPU load increase.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo fail to reach 30 FPS?

A: The combo drops below 30 FPS only at 3840x2160 Ultra, where the average FPS is 20. At 4K High, it manages 26 FPS, which is also below the 30 FPS threshold.

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

A: At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum FPS is 52, with a maximum of 70 and an average of 61. This indicates a fairly stable frame time range.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER’s average benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 12,986, while its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, scores 12,940, a 0.4% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 580 is also 0.4% higher in score.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor at 4K resolutions?

A: At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 20 (Ultra) to 44 (Low), while the CPU’s single-core performance remains consistent. The steep drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck, as the 3700X’s processing power is not exhausted by this game.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is classic behavior for a GPU-limited scenario. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 131 FPS, but at 1440p Low, this falls to 83 FPS—a 36.6% reduction. Moving to 4K Low, the average FPS drops to 44, which is 66.4% lower than the 1080p Low result. This scaling is consistent with the GTX 1660 SUPER’s 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth being saturated by the increasing pixel count.

At High settings, the pattern persists: 77 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p (a 36.4% drop), and 26 FPS at 4K (a 66.2% drop from 1080p). The Medium setting shows similar behavior, with 96 FPS at 1080p, 61 FPS at 1440p (36.5% lower), and 32 FPS at 4K (66.7% lower). The Ultra setting is the most demanding, yielding 60 FPS at 1080p, 38 FPS at 1440p, and only 20 FPS at 4K. The consistent percentage drops across all settings—roughly 36% from 1080p to 1440p and another 47% from 1440p to 4K—indicate that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the limiting factor.

If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the processor’s workload would not increase significantly. Instead, the linear degradation with pixel count is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. The GTX 1660 SUPER’s 1,408 shading units and 48 ROPs, combined with its 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 performance, are simply insufficient for 4K rendering in this title. This is further supported by the fact that even at 1080p Ultra, the combo only reaches 60 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is already near its limit at the highest settings even at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 3,640 out of 3,716 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the bottom 2.0% of all configurations tested, which is a striking result given that the individual components are not low-end. The CPU’s 84th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 53rd percentile ranking suggest that neither part is exceptionally weak, yet their combined performance in this game is poor relative to the broader database.

The low combo rank is likely due to the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions, as the game’s minimum FPS data shows significant drops. For context, the GTX 1660 SUPER’s nearest rivals—such as the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and the Radeon RX 580—have nearly identical average benchmark scores (within 0.4% to 0.9%), yet the combo rank suggests that many other pairings with similar GPUs outperform this specific CPU-GPU match. This could be because the 3700X, while capable, does not provide any advantage in a game that is not CPU-intensive, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of performance.

The rank of 3,640 also indicates that the vast majority of tested combos achieve higher frame rates, even if their components are older or less powerful on paper. This underscores that for Inside, the GPU is the critical component, and the GTX 1660 SUPER’s mid-range positioning (53rd percentile) is not sufficient to place this combo in a competitive tier. The data suggests that users seeking better performance would need to prioritize a stronger GPU, as the CPU’s headroom is not utilized in this title.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture, with a TU116 chip manufactured on a 12 nm process. It features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz, with its memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). Its compute capabilities include 1,408 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, delivering 5.027 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s.

For Inside, the GPU’s VRAM capacity of 6 GB is not a limiting factor, as the game is a 2D side-scroller with modest texture requirements. The measured FPS at 1080p High (77 FPS) and 1080p Medium (96 FPS) suggests that the GPU can handle the game’s geometry and effects at standard resolutions. However, the 4K results tell a different story: at 4K High, the average FPS is 26, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 20. This is despite the VRAM being sufficient, indicating that the GPU’s raw processing power—specifically its 5.027 TFLOPS—is the bottleneck.

The boost clock of 1785 MHz is relatively high for a mid-range card, but the 12 nm process node means it generates more heat and consumes more power (125W TDP) than newer parts. The GPU’s 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the middle of the pack, which aligns with its performance in Inside: capable at 1080p, adequate at 1440p, but inadequate at 4K. The nearest rivals, such as the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (0.4% higher score) and the Radeon RX 580 (0.4% higher score), would likely produce similar results in this game, confirming that the GTX 1660 SUPER is not a high-end solution for demanding resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 131 FPS, while Medium yields 96 FPS with a minimum of 81 and a maximum of 110. High settings drop to 77 FPS, and Ultra falls to 60 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the combo can maintain smooth gameplay even at the highest preset, though the 60 FPS at Ultra is exactly at the threshold for many monitors.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades noticeably. Low settings average 83 FPS, Medium averages 61 FPS with a range of 52 to 70, High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra averages 38 FPS. The minimum FPS of 52 at Medium suggests that the GPU is starting to struggle, as frame times become less consistent. None of the 1440p settings drop below 30 FPS, but the Ultra preset’s 38 FPS average is marginal for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the combo is clearly overmatched. Low settings average 44 FPS, Medium averages 32 FPS with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 37, High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 20 FPS. The Medium setting’s minimum FPS of 27 indicates that the game can stutter below 30 FPS, making 4K gameplay unreliable. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 24 FPS (44 vs. 20), which underscores the GPU’s inability to maintain playable frame rates at higher quality settings.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data supports using Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average FPS is 96, with a minimum of 81, ensuring no noticeable dips below the 60 FPS threshold. This preset provides a significant improvement over Low (131 FPS) in visual fidelity while still maintaining a high frame rate. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average FPS is 61, which is still playable, but the minimum of 52 FPS may cause occasional stutter in fast-moving scenes.

For users prioritizing frame rate above all else, Low settings at 1080p (131 FPS) or 1440p (83 FPS) are the best choices, as they maximize smoothness. However, the visual downgrade may not be worth the extra FPS, given that Medium at 1080p already offers a near-100 FPS experience. At 4K, no settings preset provides a consistently smooth experience: even Low averages 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, and Medium drops to 32 FPS with a minimum of 27. Therefore, 4K should be avoided unless the user accepts sub-30 FPS gameplay.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution above 1080p, as it yields 38 FPS at 1440p and 20 FPS at 4K, both of which are too low for a puzzle platformer where precise control is needed. At 1080p Ultra, the 60 FPS average is acceptable, but the medium preset provides 36 more FPS with only a minor reduction in visual quality. Thus, the optimal experience is Medium settings at 1920x1080, offering 96 FPS average with a minimum of 81 FPS, which balances smoothness and detail. For those with 1440p displays, Medium at 61 FPS is the highest playable option, while 4K is best left to stronger GPUs.