Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer that is far more forgiving on hardware than most modern titles, and the measured results for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination reflect that. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions but maintains exceptionally high frame rates regardless of settings. This combination delivers a flawless experience on standard displays, with performance headroom that suggests the CPU is rarely the limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop is telling. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces an average of 220 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset, the average drops to 158 FPS, a reduction of 62 frames. Stepping up to 4K at High settings yields an average of 99 FPS, which is another 59-frame drop from the 1440p result. This indicates that while the GPU is increasingly stressed at higher resolutions, the performance remains exceptionally high, never falling below the 90 FPS threshold at 4K with High settings.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings shows a total performance reduction of 121 FPS, or roughly 55%. This steep drop-off is consistent with a game that is primarily GPU-bound, as the RTX 3080's workload increases significantly with pixel count. However, the absolute numbers are what matter most: even at 4K Ultra, the combination maintains an average of 95 FPS. The data suggests that resolution scaling is smooth and predictable, with no anomalous bottlenecks or stutters that would indicate a CPU limitation at lower resolutions.

When examining the Low preset, the scaling is even more dramatic. At 1080p Low, the system hits 296 FPS average. At 1440p Low, it drops to 265 FPS, and at 4K Low, it still manages 199 FPS. The difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low is 97 FPS, which is a smaller absolute drop than the High preset's 121 FPS drop. This suggests that at Low settings, the GPU is less stressed, and the performance ceiling is more likely to be influenced by other factors, though still far above playable levels.

The Medium preset provides the only complete dataset with minimum and maximum frame times. At 1080p Medium, the average is 273 FPS with a minimum of 232 FPS and a maximum of 314 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 245 FPS with a minimum of 208 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 159 FPS with a minimum of 135 FPS and a maximum of 183 FPS. The minimum frame rates remain comfortably high, indicating consistent frame pacing without severe dips. The data shows that the limiting component at 4K is the GPU, as the frame rate drops are proportional to the pixel count increase, while the CPU's 8-core, 16-thread configuration provides ample headroom at all tested resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a Zen 3 architecture processor on the AMD Socket AM4 platform, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The processor has a 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is a defining feature for gaming performance. In the context of Inside, a game that is not particularly demanding on CPU resources, this processor's capabilities far exceed what the game requires.

Benchmark results for the CPU show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14317 and a single-core score of 1452. The Geekbench multi-core score is 11765, and the single-core score is 2017. These scores place the CPU in the 80th percentile when compared to all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performance part. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U with a delta of 0%, the Intel Core i9-10900K with a delta of 0.1%, and the Intel Core i5-12600KF with a delta of 0.3%. This shows the 5800X3D is competitive with these parts in general compute tasks.

For Inside specifically, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates. The measured data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 296 FPS on average. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck, as it is able to process the game logic and draw calls quickly enough to sustain such performance. The 3DMark scores further support this: the 16-thread score is 7299, and the single-thread score is 884. While these are synthetic benchmarks, they indicate the processor has the raw throughput to handle the demands of a puzzle platformer with ease.

The 96 MB L3 cache is particularly relevant for gaming. This large cache helps reduce memory latency, which can improve performance in scenarios where the same data is accessed repeatedly. For a game like Inside, which may have relatively simple scene geometry but complex physics interactions, this cache can help maintain smooth frame times. The data shows that at 1080p Ultra, the system still achieves 210 FPS average, which confirms the CPU's ability to handle the game's processing load without causing frame rate drops.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is based on the Ampere architecture and the GA102 chip, manufactured on an 8 nm process. It has 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, with a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1440 MHz, and the boost clock is 1710 MHz. With 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, this is a high-end graphics card designed for 4K gaming.

In the context of Inside, the GPU is the primary determinant of performance at higher resolutions. The measured data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 95, while at 1080p Ultra, it is 210 FPS. This significant drop is due to the increased pixel workload on the GPU. The RTX 3080's 10 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, which does not require large texture pools. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s ensures that data can be transferred quickly, preventing any memory-related stutters.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23172. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA P106-100 with a delta of -0.3%, and the AMD Radeon RX 6600M with a delta of -0.4%. These comparisons show that the RTX 3080 is a solid performer, though not at the very top of the hierarchy. For Inside, this is more than adequate. The game is not graphically intensive, and the GPU is able to render at high frame rates even at 4K.

The measured FPS data at 4K High shows an average of 99 FPS, which is just below the 100 FPS mark. This is a strong result for 4K gaming. The GPU's compute capabilities, with a FP32 performance of 29.77 TFLOPS, allow it to handle the game's shader workloads efficiently. The data indicates that the GPU is fully utilized at 4K, as the frame rates drop consistently with increased resolution. At 1080p, the GPU is likely underutilized, as the CPU and other system components may limit performance, but the frame rates are still exceptionally high, showing no signs of a bottleneck that would harm the experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination ranks 1123 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the top 30% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. This rank reflects the system's ability to maintain high frame rates across all settings and resolutions. While it is not the absolute top performer, it is well above average, and the data suggests that any performance difference from higher-ranked combos would not be perceptible given the already high frame rates.

The rank is influenced by both the CPU and GPU performance. The CPU's 80th percentile ranking and the GPU's 68th percentile ranking combine to produce a system that is balanced and capable. The combo's rank of 1123 indicates that there are many systems with more powerful components, but for a game like Inside, which is not demanding, this rank is more than sufficient. The data shows that the system can achieve over 200 FPS at 1080p with High settings, which is well beyond what any standard display can show.

In comparison to other combos, this setup performs exceptionally well. The high frame rates at 4K Ultra, with an average of 95 FPS, suggest that the system is capable of delivering a smooth experience even at the highest settings. The rank affirms the synergy between the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's high fill rate. The data indicates that this combo is not a bottleneck for Inside, and users can expect consistent, high-quality performance without needing to compromise on settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 95 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's single-core performance compare to its multi-core performance for this game?

A: The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score is 1452, while the multi-core score is 14317. For a game like Inside, which may not utilize all cores, the strong single-core performance helps maintain high frame rates, as evidenced by the 296 FPS average at 1080p Low.

Q: Is the GPU's VRAM sufficient for 4K gaming in Inside?

A: Yes, the RTX 3080 has 10 GB of GDDR6X memory. The measured data shows no signs of VRAM limitation, as the system maintains an average of 99 FPS at 4K High settings.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p High and 1440p High?

A: The average FPS at 1080p High is 220, while at 1440p High it is 158. This is a difference of 62 FPS, indicating the increased GPU load at the higher resolution.

Q: Does this system show any signs of a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions?

A: The data shows high frame rates at 1080p, with an average of 296 FPS at Low settings. This suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor, as it can process the game's logic quickly enough to support these high frame rates.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 135 FPS, with an average of 159 FPS and a maximum of 183 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for this combo is achieved with the High preset at 1440p or 4K. At 1440p High, the system produces an average of 158 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. At 4K High, the average is 99 FPS, which provides a smooth experience on 60 Hz displays and is also suitable for higher refresh rate monitors that support variable refresh rate technology.

For users with a 1080p display, the Ultra preset is recommended, as it delivers an average of 210 FPS. This ensures maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing performance. The Medium preset at 1080p offers an average of 273 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and Ultra is likely to be more noticeable than the frame rate difference, especially on a standard 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitor.

At 4K, the Ultra preset yields an average of 95 FPS, which is only 4 FPS lower than the High preset's 99 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is minimal in terms of frame rate, so users can choose either based on their visual preferences. However, the Medium preset at 4K provides a significant boost to 159 FPS average, with a minimum of 135 FPS, which may be preferable for those who prioritize frame rate over graphical detail.

The Low preset is not recommended for this system, as it unnecessarily sacrifices visual quality for frame rates that are already far beyond what is necessary. The data shows that even at Low settings, the system achieves high frame rates, but the visual downgrade is not worth the marginal performance gain. The best balance of visual fidelity and performance is the High preset at 1440p, offering 158 FPS average, or the High preset at 4K, offering 99 FPS average. Both provide a smooth, responsive experience that fully utilizes the capabilities of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination.