Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016 that imposes a surprisingly heavy load on modern hardware at high settings, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X + Intel Arc B570 combo shows a clear split between its CPU-bound and GPU-bound behavior. The data reveals a system that can handle the game at 4K with tweaks, but which truly shines at 1440p and 1080p, where the CPU’s eight Zen 3 cores and the GPU’s 10 GB of VRAM are both given room to work.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution climbs, which is the classic signature of a GPU-limited workload at higher settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 240 FPS at 1080p to 172 FPS at 1440p, a 28% reduction, and then to 108 FPS at 4K, a further 37% drop from the 1440p figure. This scaling is nearly linear with pixel count, indicating that the Intel Arc B570’s rendering pipeline is the primary bottleneck at Low settings, with the CPU’s 16 threads barely breaking a sweat.

Moving to Medium settings, the pattern remains similar but with slightly more aggressive drops. The average at 1080p is 192 FPS, falling to 138 FPS at 1440p (a 28% decrease) and then to 87 FPS at 4K (a 37% decrease from 1440p). The 4K Medium result also shows a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS, which gives a frame time variance that is more noticeable than at lower resolutions. The fact that the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is nearly identical between Low and Medium (55% and 55%, respectively) suggests that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, rather than any CPU-side constraint.

At High settings, the resolution scaling becomes more punishing in absolute terms. The average FPS falls from 120 at 1080p to 86 at 1440p, a 28% drop, and then to 54 at 4K, a 37% drop from 1440p. This is a 55% total reduction from 1080p to 4K, identical to the Low and Medium presets. However, the absolute numbers are much lower, meaning that the GPU is running out of headroom. The jump from Medium to High at 4K costs 33 FPS (from 87 to 54), which is a 38% performance penalty for what is likely a modest visual gain in a game like this.

Ultra settings show the worst scaling, with 114 FPS at 1080p, 82 FPS at 1440p, and just 52 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28%, and from 1440p to 4K is 37%, maintaining the same relative pattern as the other presets. The 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS is barely above the 50 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and it indicates that the Arc B570 is completely saturated at this resolution and preset combination. The consistent 28%/37% split across all settings strongly suggests that the game’s engine has a fixed scaling behavior tied to pixel count, and the GPU is the sole arbiter of performance once the CPU has prepared the frame data.

The data implies that for 4K gaming, the user must drop to Low settings to achieve a playable 108 FPS average, or accept Medium at 87 FPS with occasional dips to 74 FPS. The GPU’s 160-bit memory bus and 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth are likely the limiting factors at 4K, as the 10 GB VRAM capacity is less of a concern at these settings. This is a card that is comfortable at 1440p and exceptional at 1080p, but which requires significant settings compromises to hit 60 FPS at 4K.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, codenamed Battlemage, and it brings a 5 nm process with 19,600 million transistors to the table. Its base and boost clock are both locked at 2500 MHz, which is a modest clock speed for a modern GPU, but it is backed by 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. The card’s pixel rate is 200.0 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 360.0 GTexel/s, which are the raw throughput figures that dictate how fast it can fill pixels and sample textures in a game like Inside, which uses a lot of 2D sprite work and post-processing effects.

The memory configuration is a key differentiator: 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective), yields a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This is a relatively narrow bus for a card in this class, which explains why 4K performance takes a significant hit. The data shows that at 4K Medium, the card’s frame rate drops to 87 FPS average, and at 4K High it falls to 54 FPS. The 160-bit bus is likely the culprit, as the GPU must constantly fetch texture and geometry data from VRAM, and the bandwidth is insufficient to feed the 80 ROPs at high resolutions.

In terms of raw compute, the card offers 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 23.04 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1 ratio), which is more than enough for a puzzle platformer. The benchmark scores reflect a mid-range positioning: a Passmark G3D score of 14195 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649. The GPU’s percentile vs. all GPUs is 65, placing it above the median but below the high-end tier. Its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% faster), the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% slower), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (0.4% slower), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (0.5% slower). This tells us that the Arc B570 is essentially on par with a mobile RTX 3070, which is a strong result for a desktop card at its launch MSRP of 219 USD.

The VRAM capacity of 10 GB is sufficient for Inside’s art style, which relies on dark, monochromatic environments and simple geometry. The measured data shows no signs of texture pop-in or stuttering that would indicate VRAM exhaustion, even at 4K Ultra. The card’s 18 ray tracing cores are irrelevant for this game, but they do contribute to the overall compute throughput. The key takeaway is that the Arc B570’s performance is heavily tied to its memory bandwidth, and the data shows that 1440p is the sweet spot where the 380.0 GB/s is adequate, while 4K pushes it to its limits.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Inside at a solid 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 108. At Medium settings, the average drops to 87 FPS, but the minimum FPS is 74, which is still above 60. High settings yield 54 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS target, so you would need to accept occasional dips.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, High averages 120 FPS while Ultra averages 114 FPS, a 5% difference. At 1440p, High averages 86 FPS and Ultra averages 82 FPS, a 5% difference. At 4K, High averages 54 FPS and Ultra averages 52 FPS, a 4% difference. The visual upgrade from High to Ultra is minimal, but the performance cost is consistent.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the bottleneck at all resolutions, as the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is nearly linear (55% reduction). The Ryzen 7 5700X’s 3DMark single-thread score of 921 and multi-thread score of 6858 show it has ample headroom, and the 240 FPS average at 1080p Low is likely a cap or a GPU limit.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to the Intel Arc A750 in this game?

A: The database shows the Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, while the Arc A750 has a score of 20582, making the A750 0.1% faster. In practical terms, this means the two cards are virtually identical in performance, and the measured FPS for Inside would be nearly the same.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system to avoid frame rate dips?

A: At 1440p, all settings except Ultra stay above 82 FPS, with Medium showing a minimum of 117 FPS. At 1080p, even Ultra maintains a 114 FPS average. For a consistent 60 FPS with no dips, 1440p High is safe, while 4K requires Low settings to guarantee smoothness.

Q: Does the 10 GB VRAM cause any issues at 4K Ultra?

A: The data shows no indication of VRAM-related stuttering. The 4K Ultra average is 52 FPS, which is a performance limit rather than a memory limit. The 10 GB capacity is sufficient for this game’s texture sizes, and the bottleneck is the 160-bit memory bus bandwidth.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal preset for this system depends on your target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 120 FPS average, which is perfect for a 120 Hz monitor, while Ultra only drops to 114 FPS, so the difference is negligible. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 192 FPS, which is overkill for most displays, but it does have a minimum of 163 FPS, ensuring no drops below 144 Hz. For 1080p gaming, High is the recommended choice because it balances visual quality with a high frame rate, and the 6 FPS penalty from Ultra is not worth the extra settings.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more nuanced. The High preset averages 86 FPS, which is smooth on a 60 Hz or 75 Hz monitor, but it leaves no headroom for a 144 Hz display. The Medium preset averages 138 FPS, with a minimum of 117 FPS, which is ideal for 120 Hz panels. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 82 FPS, which is a 5% penalty over High for negligible visual gains. For 1440p, Medium is the best choice because it provides a high average frame rate with a safe minimum, and it avoids the GPU saturation that affects High and Ultra.

At 4K, the choices are stark. The Ultra preset averages 52 FPS, which is borderline playable but will feel inconsistent. The High preset averages 54 FPS, which is barely an improvement. The Medium preset averages 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that provides a comfortable experience above 60 FPS. The Low preset averages 108 FPS, which is excellent, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. For 4K, Medium is the recommended preset because it offers the best combination of playability and visual quality, with a minimum FPS that stays above 70.

The data shows that the game’s Ultra preset is not worth the performance cost on this hardware. The difference between High and Ultra is consistently around 5% across all resolutions, but the absolute FPS loss is more significant at 4K (2 FPS) than at 1080p (6 FPS). For the best experience, users should stick with High at 1080p, Medium at 1440p, and Medium at 4K, as these settings provide the highest frame rates while maintaining a visually acceptable presentation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive look at how the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X + Intel Arc B570 combo performs across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 240 FPS, Medium averages 192 FPS with a minimum of 163 and a maximum of 221, High averages 120 FPS, and Ultra averages 114 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 20% reduction, while the jump from Medium to High is a 38% reduction, and from High to Ultra is a 5% reduction. This indicates that the transition from Medium to High is the most demanding step, likely due to increased texture filtering and shadow quality.

At 2560x1440, the numbers scale down proportionally. Low averages 172 FPS, Medium averages 138 FPS with a minimum of 117 and a maximum of 159, High averages 86 FPS, and Ultra averages 82 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings: 28% for Low, 28% for Medium, 28% for High, and 28% for Ultra. This uniform scaling reinforces the GPU-bound nature of the workload. The minimum FPS for Medium at 1440p is 117, which is still above 60, making it a safe choice for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops are more pronounced. Low averages 108 FPS, Medium averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 and a maximum of 100, High averages 54 FPS, and Ultra averages 52 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 37% for Low, 37% for Medium, 37% for High, and 37% for Ultra, again showing a consistent pattern. The 4K Medium result is particularly notable because it is the only 4K preset with a reported minimum FPS, and it sits at 74, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The 4K High and Ultra results are too close to 60 FPS (54 and 52, respectively) to be considered reliable for a consistent experience.

The data shows that the GPU’s performance scales almost perfectly with pixel count, which means that the CPU is never a bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 5700X’s 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for this game, and the measured FPS at 1080p Low (240 FPS) is likely limited by the GPU’s maximum output or a frame rate cap. The minimum FPS values are only provided for Medium settings, which is the preset that shows the widest range of frame times. At 1080p Medium, the spread from min to max is 58 FPS (163 to 221), while at 1440p Medium it is 42 FPS (117 to 159), and at 4K Medium it is 26 FPS (74 to 100). This suggests that higher resolutions reduce frame time variance, which is a counterintuitive but useful observation for users who prioritize consistency.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is a Zen 3 (Vermeer) processor on the AM4 socket, with 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, and its boost clock is 4.60 GHz, which is a high frequency for a 65 W TDP part. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a 32 MB shared L3 cache. The 32 MB L3 is particularly important for games like Inside, which can easily fit its working set in cache, reducing the need to access system memory. The CPU supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel configuration, offering a theoretical bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, which is more than adequate for this game.

In terms of benchmark scores, the 5700X shows a strong single-thread performance of 921 in 3DMark single-thread and 1499 in Cinebench R23 single-core. Its multi-thread scores are 6858 in 3DMark max threads and 13184 in Cinebench R23 multicore. The Passmark single-thread score is 3385, and the multithread score is 26612. These numbers place the CPU in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms the majority of processors on the market. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i5-12600K (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (0.2% faster), the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (0.2% slower), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (0.3% faster). This shows that the 5700X is effectively tied with the i5-12600K, which is a strong endorsement for its gaming performance.

The measured FPS data confirms that the CPU is not a limiting factor in Inside. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 240 FPS, which is likely a frame rate cap or a GPU limit, as the CPU’s single-thread score is high enough to handle the game’s physics and logic at much higher frame rates. The consistent 28% and 37% FPS drops when moving to 1440p and 4K, respectively, are purely a function of GPU pixel throughput. Even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is 52, the CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate scales perfectly with resolution.

The CPU’s 16 threads are overkill for a puzzle platformer, but they do ensure that background tasks and driver overhead do not cause stutters. The 32 MB L3 cache is a hidden advantage, as it can hold a significant portion of the game’s assets, reducing the load on the memory bus. The 5700X’s boost clock of 4.60 GHz is sufficient to feed the Arc B570 even at 1080p Medium, where the GPU is already producing 192 FPS. The data suggests that users could pair this CPU with a more powerful GPU for higher 4K frame rates, but for Inside, the 5700X is more than enough, and the bottleneck is squarely on the GPU’s 160-bit memory bus.