Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer that rarely stresses modern hardware, yet the data for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combo reveals interesting scaling behavior and clear bottlenecks at different resolutions. The benchmark results show a system capable of extreme frame rates, but the relationship between the CPU, GPU, and game settings dictates where those frames are actually delivered. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS rows to explain what this pairing does in this specific title.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieved a rank of 469 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. That places this configuration in the top 16% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a game that is not graphically demanding. The ranking suggests that while the GPU is among the most powerful available, the overall system position is held back by the CPU’s performance relative to newer processors, even though the 5800X3D is no slouch.

The CPU itself sits at the 80th percentile when compared against all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27896. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, which scores 27887 (a delta of 0%), and the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores 27872 (a delta of 0.1%). The 5800X3D also edges out the Intel Core i5-12600KF, which scores 27799 (a delta of 0.3%). These deltas are tiny, indicating that the 5800X3D’s raw processing power is essentially on par with those chips, despite being an older design. For Inside, this level of CPU performance is more than sufficient, which is why the combo ranks as high as it does.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090 D sits at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rivals are interesting because they include mobile and data center parts: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76904 (a delta of 1.1%), while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940 (a delta of -1.6%). The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 16 GB variants score 79396 and 79605, respectively, with deltas of -2.1% and -2.4%. This tells us that the 5090 D is not dramatically ahead of these specific rivals in synthetic benchmarks, but in a game like Inside, its actual frame delivery is far beyond what those scores might suggest, as shown by the measured FPS.

The rank of 469 is not higher because the 5800X3D, while excellent for gaming, is not the absolute fastest CPU in the database. Newer processors with higher single-thread and multi-thread scores will push the overall combo ranking up, even if they do not materially change the frame rate in Inside. The data indicates that the system is GPU-saturated at most settings, but the CPU still defines the ceiling in certain low-resolution, high-FPS scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing, and its memory configuration is a key part of its performance. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, which provides a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is far beyond what a game like Inside requires, as the game was released in 2016 and has modest texture and geometry demands. The high memory bandwidth ensures that there is no chance of a memory bottleneck at any resolution or setting tested.

The GPU’s clock speeds are also substantial. The base clock is 2017 MHz, and the boost clock reaches 2407 MHz. These clocks, combined with the 21760 shading units, allow the card to push extremely high frame rates. In the measured data, we see that at 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS hits 296. This is a clear sign that the GPU is not being fully utilized, as it is capable of rendering far more frames than the game’s engine can produce at that resolution. The GPU’s pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1636.8 GTexel/s are overkill for a 2D-side-scrolling puzzle platformer.

The RTX 5090 D’s role in Inside is to remove any possible GPU limitation. Even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 153, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. The GPU’s performance is so high that the bottleneck shifts entirely to the CPU or the game engine’s frame pacing. The data shows that the GPU is never the limiting factor, which is why the combo ranks highly. The card’s 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs ensure that pixel filling and texture fetching are never a concern.

Synthetic benchmarks confirm the GPU’s strength. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 14326, and the Geekbench Vulkan score is 376915. These numbers place it in the top tier of GPUs, but for Inside, the more relevant metric is the raw FPS, which shows that the card can handle the game with ease. The GPU is essentially idling in terms of utilization, but it still delivers the high frame rates that the CPU allows.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows how the system scales from 1080p to 4K, and the pattern reveals where the bottleneck lies. Starting at 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 296. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 265, a decrease of 31 FPS. Moving to 4K Low, the average drops further to 227, another 38 FPS decrease. This scaling is relatively linear, but the percentage drops tell a different story. From 1080p to 1440p, the FPS drops by approximately 10.5%, while from 1440p to 4K, it drops by another 14.3%. This suggests that the GPU is starting to become more of a factor at higher resolutions, but the CPU is still heavily involved.

Looking at High settings, the pattern is similar but with lower overall numbers. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 228. At 1440p High, it drops to 204, a 24 FPS decrease. At 4K High, it drops to 160, another 44 FPS decrease. The drop from 1440p to 4K is steeper here, indicating that the GPU is doing more work. However, the fact that the FPS at 4K High is still 160 shows that the GPU is not overwhelmed.

The Medium settings row provides the most detail, as it includes min and max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 273 FPS, with a min of 232 and a max of 314. At 1440p Medium, the average is 245 FPS, with a min of 208 and a max of 282. At 4K Medium, the average is 210 FPS, with a min of 178 and a max of 241. The min FPS values are important because they show the worst-case frame delivery. At 4K Medium, the min FPS is 178, which is still extremely smooth. The gap between min and max FPS is about 82 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. This tightening of the range at higher resolutions suggests that the CPU’s frame time variability is being hidden by the GPU’s slower rendering.

The scaling analysis shows that the system is CPU-limited at 1080p, as the FPS does not scale proportionally with the resolution increase. If the GPU were the bottleneck, we would expect a much larger drop from 1080p to 4K. Instead, the drop is moderate, indicating that the CPU is the primary limiter at lower resolutions. At 4K, the GPU becomes more engaged, but the 5800X3D’s 8 cores and 16 threads are still able to feed the GPU enough data to maintain high frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Why does the FPS drop so much from 1080p Low (296 FPS) to 4K Low (227 FPS)?

A: The drop indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, allowing the GPU to render frames faster than the CPU can process. At 4K, the GPU has to render more pixels, which reduces its frame output, but the 227 FPS average shows it is still well ahead of the CPU’s limits.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D overkill for a game like Inside?

A: The data suggests yes. The GPU’s performance is so high that even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 153. The game’s simple visuals do not stress the 32 GB of GDDR7 memory or the 21760 shading units. The GPU is never the limiting factor in any measured configuration.

Q: How does the 5800X3D compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The 5800X3D scores 27896 on average, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (27887) and the Intel Core i9-10900K (27872). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Core i5-12600KF (27799) by 0.3%. These are negligible differences, meaning the CPU’s performance is on par with those chips.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Inside?

A: If you want the highest frame rates, 1080p Low delivers 296 FPS. However, the difference between 1080p and 1440p is small at most settings. At 1440p High, the average is 204 FPS, which is still excellent. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 1440p High is a strong choice.

Q: Does the GPU’s 32 GB of VRAM matter for Inside?

A: No, the game does not require that much memory. The 32 GB capacity is far more than Inside needs, so it does not impact performance. The high memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s is also unused, as the game’s textures are not large enough to saturate it.

Q: Why does the combo rank 469th if the GPU is so powerful?

A: The ranking is based on the entire system’s performance, and the CPU holds it back slightly. The 5800X3D is not the fastest CPU in the database, so combos with newer processors will rank higher even if they do not achieve higher FPS in Inside. The GPU’s strength is not enough to overcome the CPU’s relative position in the rankings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, but it only yields 153 FPS at 4K, 201 FPS at 1440p, and 224 FPS at 1080p. These numbers are still very high, but the performance drop from High to Ultra is significant in some cases. At 4K, the drop from High (160 FPS) to Ultra (153 FPS) is only 7 FPS, which is not worth the extra visual fidelity if you are chasing maximum frame rates.

The High preset is the sweet spot for this combo. At 1080p, it delivers 228 FPS, which is only 4 FPS less than Ultra. At 1440p, it delivers 204 FPS, which is 3 FPS less than Ultra. At 4K, it delivers 160 FPS, which is 7 FPS more than Ultra. The High preset offers nearly identical performance to Ultra but with slightly less demanding settings, which can reduce GPU load and improve frame time consistency. The data shows that High is the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions.

The Medium preset is also a strong option if you want to prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. At 1080p, it delivers 273 FPS, which is 45 FPS more than High. At 1440p, it delivers 245 FPS, which is 41 FPS more than High. At 4K, it delivers 210 FPS, which is 50 FPS more than High. The Medium preset also has the most detailed min/max FPS data, showing a min of 178 FPS at 4K, which is still incredibly smooth. If you have a high refresh rate monitor and want to push it to its limits, Medium is the way to go.

The Low preset offers the highest frame rates, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. At 1080p, it hits 296 FPS, which is the highest measured result. However, the difference between Low and Medium is only 23 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K. Given the small performance gain, Low is not recommended unless you are trying to achieve the absolute maximum FPS possible. The data suggests that Medium offers a better trade-off, providing a large boost over High without the visual compromise of Low.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, with 96 MB of shared L3 cache. This large cache is a key feature, as it allows the CPU to store more game data for quick access, which is beneficial for gaming. The CPU’s TDP is 105 W, and it supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. For a game like Inside, which is not heavily threaded, the CPU’s single-thread performance is more important than its multi-thread capabilities.

The synthetic benchmarks show the CPU’s strengths. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 14317, and the single-core score is 1452. The Geekbench multi-core score is 11765, and the single-core score is 2017. These scores indicate that the CPU is well-balanced, but its single-thread performance is what matters most for Inside. The 3DMark tests show similar results: 2-thread score is 1746, 4-thread score is 3392, and 8-thread score is 5906. The fact that the 8-thread score is not much higher than the 4-thread score suggests that the game does not scale well with more threads, which is typical for a puzzle platformer.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU’s role is evident in the resolution scaling. At 1080p Low, the FPS is 296, but this is not because the GPU is fast; it is because the CPU is able to feed the GPU enough frames. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.50 GHz ensures that it can handle the game’s logic and physics without bottlenecking. The 5800X3D’s performance is on par with its nearest rivals, as shown by the deltaPct values. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800U is a 0% delta, and the Intel Core i9-10900K is a 0.1% delta, meaning they are essentially identical in performance. This is why the combo ranks where it does.

The CPU’s 96 MB of L3 cache is a significant advantage for gaming, as it reduces the need to access slower system memory. However, for Inside, this advantage is not fully utilized because the game’s data footprint is small. The CPU’s multi-thread performance, as shown by the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14317, is more than enough for the game, but it is not the deciding factor. The data shows that the CPU is the limiting component at lower resolutions, which is why the FPS does not increase dramatically when moving from 1080p to 1440p. The 5800X3D provides a solid foundation for this GPU, but it is not the primary reason the combo performs well in Inside.