Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 delivers a highly capable experience in Inside, a Puzzle Platformer from 2016. The measured frame rates show that this combination is powerful enough to handle the game’s stylized 2.5D environments with remarkable ease, even at higher resolutions. The data indicates that the primary bottleneck shifts depending on the resolution, but the overall performance profile is one of smooth, high-refresh-rate gameplay across the board.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the performance drop is modest, reflecting the game’s relatively low graphical demands. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 128 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the average to 92 FPS, a reduction of 36 FPS or roughly 28%. The jump to 3840x2160 at High settings further reduces the average to 58 FPS, which is 70 FPS below the 1080p result and a 55% decrease from the 1440p figure.

This scaling pattern suggests that while the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K, the CPU still holds significant headroom at lower resolutions. The delta between 1080p and 1440p is substantial, but the game remains very playable even at the highest resolution. For instance, the Ultra preset at 4K yields an average of 55 FPS, which is remarkably close to the High preset’s 58 FPS, indicating that the additional visual fidelity of Ultra settings comes at a nearly negligible cost. The Low preset at 4K reaches 116 FPS, demonstrating that even at the highest pixel count, the GPU can achieve high refresh rates if the settings are reduced. The data shows that this combo is not severely strained by Inside, as the minimum FPS recorded across all tested configurations is 79 FPS (Medium at 4K), ensuring a consistent experience without significant frame drops.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 205 FPS, with a minimum of 174 FPS and a maximum of 236 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset at 1440p compare to the High preset at that resolution?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 88 FPS, while the High preset achieves an average of 92 FPS. The difference is only 4 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset’s increased visual effects have a minimal performance impact.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 3840x2160, the High preset averages 58 FPS, which is just below 60. However, the Medium preset at 4K averages 93 FPS, and the Low preset averages 116 FPS, both of which comfortably exceed the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 243 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 128 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 122 FPS. The difference is 6 FPS, or approximately 4.7%, which indicates that the Ultra preset is only slightly more demanding.

Q: Does the game utilize the CPU heavily, based on the benchmark data?

A: The benchmark data does not directly measure CPU utilization, but the relatively small FPS drop from 1080p to 4K (e.g., 128 FPS to 58 FPS at High settings) suggests that the GPU, rather than the CPU, is the limiting component at higher resolutions. The CPU’s strong multi-core performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 2092, indicates it is likely not a bottleneck in this title.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a 7 nm desktop processor from the 3000 series, built on the Zen 2 architecture (codenamed Matisse). It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This configuration provides substantial multi-threaded capability, which is reflected in its Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 2092 and Geekbench multi-core score of 8899. For a game like Inside, which is a puzzle platformer with relatively simple physics and logic, the single-thread performance is often more critical, and the processor’s Geekbench single-core score of 1593 and Passmark single-thread score of 2656 indicate solid per-core performance.

Given the game’s 2016 release date, its engine is unlikely to be heavily optimized for many-core processors. However, the Ryzen 7 3700X’s high boost clock and strong single-thread performance ensure that it can easily feed the GPU with draw calls. The benchmark data supports this; the FPS at 1080p with Low settings reaches 243 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that would require a capable CPU to maintain. The fact that the FPS scales down predictably as resolution increases suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor until perhaps at the very lowest settings and resolutions. The processor’s 32 MB of L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide ample data throughput for the game’s assets. Its percentile rank of 84th versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34260, places it as a strong performer that is competitive with more recent chips like the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, which scores 34222 (0.1% delta), and the Intel Core i5-13450HX, which scores 34333 (-0.2% delta). This indicates that the CPU’s performance is still very relevant for gaming workloads.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2960 out of 3716 combos for Inside. This places the combo in the lower 20% of all tested configurations, which is an interesting result given the high frame rates achieved. This ranking is likely influenced by the fact that many other tested combos may include newer, higher-end GPUs that can push frame rates even higher, particularly at 1080p where the CPU has more headroom. The RTX 2060, while capable, is not a top-tier card; its Passmark G3D score of 14111 and its percentile ranking of 58th versus all GPUs put it in the mid-range category.

The combo rank of 2960 out of 3716 suggests that while this setup provides a very smooth experience for Inside, it is not the optimal pairing for maximizing FPS. Many other systems with more powerful graphics cards would likely achieve higher average frame rates, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is less likely to be the bottleneck. However, this ranking does not detract from the fact that the measured performance is excellent for the game’s requirements. The data shows that the combo delivers a minimum of 79 FPS in the most demanding tested scenario (4K Medium), which is far above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The rank highlights that there is room for improvement, but the real-world experience is unaffected by the comparative position in the database.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s refresh rate and resolution preferences. For users with a 1080p 144Hz monitor, the Medium preset is an excellent choice, as it achieves an average of 205 FPS with a minimum of 174 FPS, ensuring that the frame rate stays well above the monitor’s refresh rate and provides a smooth experience with minimal frame drops. The High preset at 1080p yields 128 FPS, which is also suitable for a 120Hz display, but the Medium preset offers a more significant performance buffer. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 122 FPS, which is only a 6 FPS drop from High, making it a viable option for those who prioritize visual fidelity, but the Medium preset provides the best balance of high FPS and visual quality.

For 1440p users, the High preset is the best recommendation, providing an average of 92 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 88 FPS, which is nearly identical and could be selected without a noticeable performance penalty. The Medium preset at 1440p achieves a much higher 147 FPS, but the graphical downgrade may be noticeable. At 4K, users will need to compromise on settings to achieve a consistent 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 93 FPS, which is the best choice for a smooth 4K experience. The High preset averages 58 FPS, which is slightly below 60, and the Ultra preset averages 55 FPS, so these are less ideal for users with a 60Hz display. The Low preset at 4K reaches 116 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is substantial. Overall, the Medium preset at 4K or the High preset at 1440p offers the best balance of performance and visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination of the Ryzen 7 3700X and RTX 2060 produces a wide range of frame rates depending on the preset. The Low preset yields an average of 243 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 205 FPS (min 174, max 236). The High preset averages 128 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 122 FPS. This shows a clear progression where the Low preset is over 100 FPS faster than the High preset, indicating that the game’s settings have a significant impact on performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high. The Low preset averages 184 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 147 FPS (min 125, max 169). The High preset averages 92 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 88 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with a roughly 30% reduction in FPS for the same settings, which is expected as the pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor. The Low preset averages 116 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 93 FPS (min 79, max 106). The High preset averages 58 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 55 FPS. The performance drop from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced, with the High preset losing 34 FPS and the Low preset losing 68 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 2060’s memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s and 6 GB of GDDR6 VRAM are sufficient for the game’s textures, but the GPU’s compute power (6.451 TFLOPS FP32) is the limiting factor at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It features 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. The card is equipped with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. In Inside, the GPU’s role is critical at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the FPS scaling. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully taxed, allowing the CPU to push frame rates to 243 FPS on Low settings. However, as the resolution increases to 4K, the pixel fill rate requirement grows, and the GPU’s performance becomes the deciding factor.

The RTX 2060’s pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s and texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s are adequate for the game’s 2.5D visuals, but the sheer number of pixels at 4K limits the maximum FPS. The data shows that the Ultra preset at 4K (55 FPS) is only 3 FPS slower than the High preset (58 FPS), which suggests that the Ultra settings do not add a significant amount of additional geometry or effects that would slow the GPU further. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 14111 places it in the 58th percentile, which is mid-range. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (15283, 0% delta), AMD Radeon 680M (15270, 0.1% delta), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15199, 0.6% delta), indicating that its performance is comparable to those cards. The card’s support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 ensures compatibility with modern APIs, but Inside is an older title that likely relies on DirectX 11, where the card’s Passmark DirectX 11 score of 110 is strong. Overall, the GPU is more than sufficient for this game, and its 6 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor, as the game’s textures are not demanding.