Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer that is far more demanding than its minimalist visuals might suggest, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER configuration provides a fascinating case study in how this 2016 title scales across modern hardware. The measured data reveals a system that is unequivocally GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet capable of delivering playable, and often exceptionally smooth, frame rates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS rows to interpret what the numbers mean for the limiting component, the combo’s standing among all tested pairings, and the optimal settings for a balanced experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS deltas from 1080p to 4K are stark, clearly demonstrating that the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the primary bottleneck in this pairing. At Low settings, the transition from 1920x1080 (216 avg FPS) to 2560x1440 (156 avg FPS) represents a 27.8% drop in average frame rate. Pushing further to 3840x2160 (98 avg FPS) results in a cumulative 54.6% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This pattern is consistent across all presets: at High settings, the drop from 1080p (108 avg FPS) to 1440p (78 avg FPS) is a 27.8% reduction, and then to 4K (49 avg FPS) is a 54.6% total reduction from 1080p.

The nearly identical percentage losses across Low and High presets are the key indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a much smaller performance gap between resolutions, as the workload on the processor remains relatively constant regardless of pixel count. Instead, the data shows that the frame rate is halved when the pixel count quadruples, which is the classic signature of a graphics card reaching its fill-rate and shading limits. The Ryzen 7 5700, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is clearly not the constraint here; it is feeding the GPU with frames faster than the GTX 1660 SUPER can render them at higher resolutions.

This scaling behavior suggests that the GTX 1660 SUPER’s 192-bit memory bus and 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, combined with its 1408 shading units, are saturated as resolution increases. The frame rate penalty for moving to 4K is severe, with even the Medium preset dropping to 78 avg FPS. This tells us that for a 60 FPS target, 4K is only viable on the Low preset (98 avg FPS), and even then, it lacks the headroom for demanding scenes. The sweet spot for this combo is clearly 1080p, where even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains a 103 avg FPS, ensuring a fluid experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of all hardware combinations tested for Inside, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER achieves a combo rank of 3166 out of 3716 tested combos. This places it in the 15th percentile of all systems, meaning that roughly 85% of the other pairings tested delivered higher average frame rates in this game. While this rank might seem low, it is crucial to contextualize it with the game’s age and the nature of the benchmark database, which includes top-tier modern hardware.

The rank is more a reflection of the GPU’s position in the market than the CPU’s capability. The GTX 1660 SUPER sits at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12986, placing it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (avg score 12940, delta +0.4%) and the AMD Radeon RX 580 (avg score 12928, delta +0.4%), show that it is statistically tied with other mid-range options. This mid-pack GPU performance is what drags the combo rank down, as the CPU, which sits at the 78th percentile among all CPUs, is comparatively much stronger.

The data suggests that the combo’s rank is almost entirely dictated by the GPU. If paired with a more powerful graphics card, the Ryzen 7 5700 would likely push this combo much higher in the rankings. The CPU’s nearest rivals, including the Intel Xeon D-2752TER (avg score 25530, delta -0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 6600H (avg score 25550, delta -0.1%), all have average scores within 0.3% of the Ryzen 7 5700. This indicates that the processor is not a performance outlier and is performing exactly as expected, leaving the graphics card to determine the overall gaming experience in Inside.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is found at the High preset at 1920x1080, which delivers a 108 avg FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without the minor frame-time variance observed at lower settings. While the Low preset at 1080p achieves a blistering 216 avg FPS, the visual quality trade-off is likely too severe for a game where atmospheric lighting and shadow detail are integral to the mood. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 173 avg FPS, but the lack of visual fidelity compared to High makes High the better balance of performance and image quality.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the data shows that High settings are still achievable, with a 78 avg FPS. This is playable, but it hovers around the refresh rate of standard 60Hz displays and may dip below in more complex scenes. For a locked 60 FPS experience at 1440p, the Medium preset (125 avg FPS) provides ample headroom. At 4K, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset (98 avg FPS) is the only option that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, while the Medium preset (78 avg FPS) is playable but requires a VRR display to mitigate potential dips.

The data indicates that the Ultra preset is not a worthwhile choice at any resolution. At 1080p (103 avg FPS) it offers no significant advantage over High, and at 1440p (74 avg FPS) and 4K (47 avg FPS), it pushes the GPU to its limits, resulting in frame rates that are too low for a smooth experience. Therefore, the recommendation is to cap the game at High settings for 1080p and 1440p, and to use Low or Medium at 4K depending on the user’s tolerance for visual compromises versus frame rate stability.

FAQ

Q: Is this CPU/GPU combo capable of running Inside at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. The measured data shows that at 4K, the Low preset achieves a 98 avg FPS, and the Medium preset achieves a 78 avg FPS. However, the High and Ultra presets drop to 49 and 47 avg FPS, respectively, which is below the ideal 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware to achieve a smooth 60+ FPS experience?

A: 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At 1080p, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) deliver average frame rates well above 60 FPS, with the highest being 216 avg FPS on Low and the lowest being 103 avg FPS on Ultra.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its closest rivals in terms of raw performance?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER’s average benchmark score is 12986. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12940, 0.4% faster) and the AMD Radeon RX 580 (12928, 0.4% faster), showing that it is essentially performance-parity with these mid-range cards.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5700 a bottleneck for the GTX 1660 SUPER in this game?

A: No, the data indicates the opposite. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a classic GPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s performance, which sits at the 78th percentile among all CPUs, is more than sufficient to keep the GPU fed, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields a 156 avg FPS, while the Ultra preset yields a 74 avg FPS. This represents a 52.6% decrease in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Does the combo’s rank of 3166 mean it is a bad performer?

A: No, the rank is relative to all other tested combos, which includes much more powerful and expensive hardware. The rank reflects the mid-range nature of the GTX 1660 SUPER, which is at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. For its intended market segment, the performance is competitive.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the primary driver of the frame rates observed, and its specifications explain the resolution scaling behavior perfectly. With 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, the card offers a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. This is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows it becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the demand for texture data and pixel fill-rate increases dramatically. The card’s 1408 shading units, operating at a boost clock of 1785 MHz, provide a peak FP32 performance of 5.027 TFLOPS, which is the raw compute power that determines how quickly it can shade pixels.

In Inside, which is not a graphically intensive title by modern standards, the GTX 1660 SUPER has enough power to deliver high frame rates at lower resolutions. The fact that it scores in the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12986, places it firmly in the mid-range category. Its direct rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 580 (avg score 12928) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (avg score 12940), are all within a 0.4% performance delta, indicating a tight cluster of similar-performing hardware. This explains why the card cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K on higher presets; it simply lacks the raw throughput of higher-tier cards.

The GPU’s role as the bottleneck is confirmed by the FPS data. When the resolution increases, the CPU’s workload stays roughly the same, but the GPU’s workload multiplies. The results show a proportional decrease in FPS, which is the definitive sign of a GPU-limited system. The 6 GB VRAM is not a concern at 1080p or 1440p, but it could become a factor at 4K with Ultra textures, potentially causing stuttering if the game exceeds the memory capacity. However, the measured data does not indicate such an issue, as the Medium preset at 4K still shows a playable 78 avg FPS with a min FPS of 66.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 plays the supporting role in this configuration, and its specifications suggest it is more than capable of handling the game’s logic and draw calls. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, this CPU provides ample processing power. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz ensure that single-threaded performance, which is often critical for game engines, is strong. This is reflected in its benchmark scores, such as 2916 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 1907 in Geekbench single-core, which are robust figures for a desktop processor.

The CPU’s performance percentile of 78% among all CPUs confirms that it is a high-performing chip. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database, including the AMD Ryzen 5 6600H and the Intel Xeon D-2752TER, all have average scores within 0.3% of the Ryzen 7 5700, showing that it is well-matched with other capable processors. In the context of Inside, the CPU’s 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth are more than adequate for the game’s relatively simple physics and entity management.

Crucially, the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo. The benchmark results show that the frame rate scales inversely with resolution, which is a pure GPU workload. If the CPU were a bottleneck, the frame rates at 1080p and 4K would be much closer together, as the CPU would be unable to generate frames fast enough to keep the GPU busy at lower resolutions. The fact that the combo achieves 216 avg FPS at 1080p Low settings proves that the Ryzen 7 5700 has significant headroom. It is delivering frames faster than the GTX 1660 SUPER can render them, meaning the CPU’s role is to provide a stable foundation without ever becoming a constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates provides a clear picture of the combo’s performance envelope. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields a 216 avg FPS, the Medium preset yields a 173 avg FPS (with min 147 and max 199), the High preset yields a 108 avg FPS, and the Ultra preset yields a 103 avg FPS. All of these are well above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p excellent for this setup.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows a clear step down. The Low preset averages 156 FPS, the Medium preset averages 125 FPS (with min 106 and max 143), the High preset averages 78 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 74 FPS. The data shows a significant jump between Medium and High, suggesting that the High preset introduces effects that heavily tax the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly struggling. The Low preset is the only one that maintains a high average, at 98 FPS. The Medium preset drops to a 78 avg FPS (with min 66 and max 90), while the High preset falls to 49 FPS and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 47 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings shows a drop from 108 to 49 FPS, a 54.6% reduction, which quantifies the GPU’s workload increase. The Medium preset at 4K remains playable, but the min FPS of 66 indicates that there are occasional dips that could be noticeable on a fixed-refresh-rate monitor. This data confirms that while the combo is versatile, its optimal zone is 1080p, with 1440p being a secondary option and 4K reserved for low to medium settings.