Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far more demanding at high refresh rates than its minimalist aesthetic suggests. The benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions, while the CPU’s substantial cache and multi-threading capabilities ensure frame rates remain consistently high even at 4K. This analysis examines how this specific pairing scales across resolutions and settings, interpreting the measured FPS to understand where the bottlenecks lie and what the optimal configuration is.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K with this hardware shows a classic GPU-bound scaling curve, but the magnitude of the drop is surprisingly modest for a game of this age. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 209 FPS at 1920x1080 to 187 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 22 FPS. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average drops to 160 FPS, representing a 49 FPS decrease from the 1080p baseline. This indicates that while the RTX 5090 D is powerful enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K, the pixel throughput demand is still the primary scaling factor.

The Low preset tells a more revealing story. At 1080p Low, the system produces 272 FPS, which is remarkably high. Dropping to 1440p Low yields 244 FPS, and at 4K Low, it still manages 209 FPS. The difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low is only 63 FPS, or about 23%. This relatively small percentage drop, compared to what one might expect from a 4x pixel increase, strongly suggests that the CPU is beginning to limit performance at the lower resolution. The Ryzen 7 5700X3D’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache and 3.00 GHz base clock are sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, but the frame rate ceiling is being approached.

The Medium preset offers the most complete data, as it is the only setting with min and max FPS recorded. At 1080p Medium, the average is 251 FPS with a minimum of 213 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 225 FPS (min 191), and at 4K Medium, it falls to 193 FPS (min 164). The scaling here is almost perfectly linear with the pixel count increase, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The fact that the minimum frame rates also scale proportionally reinforces that the RTX 5090 D is the limiting component across all three resolutions at this setting.

The Ultra preset shows the smallest absolute differences between resolutions. The 1080p Ultra average is 206 FPS, 1440p Ultra is 184 FPS, and 4K Ultra is 153 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is just 53 FPS. This compression of the scaling curve at the highest settings suggests that the game’s Ultra preset introduces effects that are more computationally expensive per pixel, but the overall trend remains consistent: the GPU is the bottleneck. The data implies that for players targeting 4K, the RTX 5090 D still provides a playable and smooth experience, but the headroom for higher refresh rates is significantly reduced compared to 1440p.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combination in Inside?*

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 272 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset. The second-highest is 251 FPS at 1080p Medium, showing that the Low preset is the only setting that pushes past 270 FPS.

Q: Does the 4K Ultra preset provide a smooth gaming experience?

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 153 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. While this is lower than other presets, it remains well above common 60 Hz and 120 Hz display refresh rates, indicating a fluid experience. No minimum FPS is recorded for this preset, but the average is high.

Q: How much performance is gained by dropping from High to Low settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 187 FPS, while the Low preset averages 244 FPS. This represents a 57 FPS increase, or roughly a 30% improvement in frame rate, which is a substantial gain for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The evidence suggests yes, but with nuance. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 272 FPS, which is extremely high. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low (272 to 244 FPS) is a drop of 28 FPS, which is less than the 49 FPS drop seen at High settings (209 to 160 FPS). This indicates that at Low settings, the CPU is closer to its limit, but the GPU is still the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the most consistent performance profile based on the available min/max data?

A: The Medium preset has the only complete min/max data. At 4K Medium, the average is 193 FPS with a minimum of 164 FPS and a maximum of 221 FPS. This 57 FPS range between min and max is relatively tight, suggesting good frame pacing and a stable experience.

*Q: How does the 5700X3D’s single-thread performance relate to Inside’s demands?*

A: The CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score is 804, and its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 3157. Given that the game runs at over 200 FPS at 1080p High, the single-thread performance is clearly sufficient to avoid being a major limiting factor, although the 3DMark 2-thread score of 1575 indicates that multi-threading is also being utilized.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the star of this show, and its specifications heavily dictate the performance envelope. With 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, the theoretical bandwidth is 1.79 TB/s. This immense bandwidth is crucial for feeding the GPU’s 21,760 shading units at high resolutions. The memory clock is listed as 1750 MHz, with a boost clock of 2407 MHz for the core. These clocks, combined with the massive 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, are what allow the card to push 160 FPS at 4K High in a game like Inside.

The benchmarks confirm the RTX 5090 D’s position in the top tier. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 14326, and it ranks in the 92nd percentile for all GPUs. The nearest rivals in the data are interesting: the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT has a delta of -1.6%, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB is -2.4% behind. This means the RTX 5090 D is only about 2% faster than these mobile and datacenter parts in aggregate benchmarks, yet in Inside, the 4K High score of 160 FPS is exceptionally high. The PassMark G3D score of 44065 reinforces the GPU’s raw power.

The VRAM capacity of 32 GB is far beyond what Inside requires, but it eliminates any concern about memory swapping or texture loading stutters. The game’s data shows that the Medium preset at 4K has a minimum FPS of 164, which is only 29 FPS below the average. This small delta suggests that the GPU’s memory subsystem is not a source of frame drops. The RTX 5090 D’s role is to provide a massive compute and bandwidth headroom, which translates into high averages and stable minimums. The data indicates that this GPU is not being stressed to its absolute limit, as reducing settings from Ultra to Low yields a significant FPS increase, proving the card has more performance to give.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For players with a 4K 120 Hz or 144 Hz display, the High preset is the most balanced choice. It delivers an average of 160 FPS, which is above 144 Hz, and while the Ultra preset only drops to 153 FPS, the visual difference between High and Ultra in a game like Inside is likely minimal. The High preset provides a 7 FPS advantage over Ultra while maintaining a higher average.

For those on a 1440p 240 Hz monitor, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. The 225 FPS average at 1440p Medium exceeds 240 Hz only slightly, but the minimum of 191 FPS ensures it stays above 144 Hz consistently. The Low preset offers 244 FPS, but the jump from Medium to Low is only 19 FPS, while the visual quality reduction is more pronounced. The Medium preset’s min/max data (191-258) shows excellent consistency, making it the best option for high-refresh-rate play.

At 1080p, the situation is less critical. The High preset at 209 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it offers a balance of quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 206 FPS is nearly identical in performance, so players seeking maximum visual fidelity can choose Ultra without a significant penalty. The Low preset’s 272 FPS is only useful for extreme esports-style scenarios, but Inside is a single-player puzzle game, so the extra frames are not necessary. The Medium preset at 251 FPS is also a strong candidate, but High provides a better visual experience for only a 42 FPS reduction.

The data strongly suggests that the Ultra preset is not worth the performance cost. Across all resolutions, the delta between High and Ultra is small (e.g., 209 to 206 FPS at 1080p), but the Medium preset offers a significant FPS boost (251 vs 209 at 1080p) for what is likely a modest visual downgrade. Therefore, the recommendation is to prioritize High or Medium settings, avoiding Ultra unless the user has a 60 Hz display and wants maximum quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured data provides a clear picture of performance across all nine resolution/settings combinations.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high. The Low preset leads with an average of 272 FPS. The Medium preset follows with 251 FPS (min 213, max 289). The High preset achieves 209 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the slowest at 206 FPS. The difference between the fastest and slowest settings is 66 FPS, showing a wide range of performance headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease as expected. The Low preset averages 244 FPS, which is still remarkably high. The Medium preset drops to 225 FPS (min 191, max 258). The High preset falls to 187 FPS, and the Ultra preset is at 184 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 60 FPS, slightly less than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is starting to feel the load.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains excellent but shows the most variance. The Low preset averages 209 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p High setting. The Medium preset averages 193 FPS (min 164, max 221). The High preset drops to 160 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the lowest at 153 FPS. The range between Low and Ultra is 56 FPS, which is the narrowest spread, confirming that the GPU is the bottleneck at this resolution.

The Medium preset’s min/max data is the only complete set, and it shows a consistent pattern: the delta between min and max is 76 FPS at 1080p, 67 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. This narrowing of the frame time variance as resolution increases suggests that the CPU-side stutters are being masked by the GPU’s workload, leading to smoother frame pacing at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D plays a supporting but critical role in this configuration. With 8 cores and 16 threads, it provides ample multi-threading capability, which is reflected in its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22366 and PassMark multithread score of 26318. However, the more interesting data for Inside is the L3 cache: 96 MB of shared cache. This large cache is designed to reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for gaming workloads.

The CPU’s base clock is 3.00 GHz, with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. While these clocks are not extreme, the 3DMark single-thread score of 804 and the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 318 indicate that single-thread performance is adequate for the game’s logic. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 1575 shows that the CPU can scale well with a couple of threads, which is often what older games utilize.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. At 1080p Low, the system hits 272 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate that the CPU is likely approaching its limit, but the GPU is still the main constraint. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D, has a delta of -0.1%, meaning the 5700X3D is essentially tied with it in aggregate benchmarks. The Intel Core i5-12450HX is 0.5% faster, and the Intel Core i5-11600 is 0.6% faster. These tiny deltas suggest that the CPU is not a differentiator in this game; the 5700X3D provides enough performance to keep the GPU fed, but no more.

The high L3 cache is likely the reason why the frame rates do not plummet at 1080p. The 96 MB cache can hold a significant portion of the game’s working set, reducing the need to access slower system memory. This is supported by the fact that the 1080p High preset (209 FPS) is only 7 FPS higher than the 4K High preset (160 FPS) in terms of absolute performance, but the CPU’s influence is more visible at the lower resolution where the GPU has more headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Inside, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D holds a combo rank of 695 out of 2,887 total combinations. This places it in the top 24% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing given the age of the CPU and the sheer power of the GPU.

The rank of 695 is somewhat surprising given the GPU’s high percentile (92nd for all GPUs). This indicates that other combinations, likely with newer CPUs, are able to extract slightly higher frame rates in Inside. The CPU’s percentile rank against all CPUs is 77th, which is lower than the GPU’s rank, suggesting that the Ryzen 7 5700X3D is the weaker link in this pairing. The data implies that while the RTX 5090 D is capable of higher frame rates, the CPU’s architecture, despite its large cache, limits the absolute maximum FPS.

The delta between the CPU and its nearest rivals is minuscule (within 0.6%), meaning that swapping the 5700X3D for a slightly faster chip would not materially change the ranking. The bottleneck is more likely the game’s engine and its ability to utilize the available hardware. The combo rank of 695 out of 2887 means there are 694 other configurations that perform better, but it also means this setup outperforms over 2,100 others. For a system with a 2024 CPU and a 2025 GPU, this rank is respectable, but it shows that Inside is not a title that scales perfectly with the most high-end hardware, leaving the RTX 5090 D’s potential partially untapped.