Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 produces a wide range of frame rates in Inside, depending entirely on resolution and settings. At 1080p, the combo delivers smooth performance, but as resolution climbs, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. This analysis breaks down the measured data, the roles of the CPU and GPU, and what settings deliver the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a steep drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which points directly at the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo averages 150 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 108 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls to 68 FPS. That is a 54.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, and the pattern holds across all presets.

At High settings, the scaling is similar: 75 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28%, and from 1440p to 4K is another 37%. At Ultra settings, the numbers are 71 FPS, 51 FPS, and 32 FPS respectively, showing a nearly identical relative decline. The Medium preset tells the same story, with 120 FPS at 1080p, 86 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K.

The fact that the frame rate roughly halves when pixel count quadruples (from 1080p to 4K) is a classic sign of GPU-bound rendering. The AMD Radeon RX 580 has to process four times as many pixels at 4K, and its older Polaris architecture (GCN 4.0, 14 nm process) simply cannot keep pace. The CPU, an 8-core/16-thread Ryzen 7 7700 from the Zen 4 Raphael family, is not the limiting factor here; the frame rate scales almost purely with resolution, which is the signature of a graphics bottleneck.

Interestingly, the gap between 1440p and 4K is not as large as the gap between 1080p and 1440p in absolute terms, but in percentage terms it remains significant. For example, at Medium settings, 1080p yields 120 FPS, 1440p yields 86 FPS (a 28.3% drop), and 4K yields 54 FPS (a 37.2% drop from 1440p). This suggests that while the GPU is struggling at all resolutions above 1080p, the relative cost of each additional pixel becomes slightly more manageable as the resolution increases, likely due to diminishing returns in shader complexity per pixel.

The data shows that for a 4K display, this combo is only viable at Low settings (68 FPS) or Medium (54 FPS). High and Ultra fall below 35 FPS, which is playable for a puzzle platformer but not smooth by modern standards. For 1440p, Low and Medium are comfortable (108 and 86 FPS), while High and Ultra sit in the 51-54 FPS range. At 1080p, every preset is above 70 FPS, with Low reaching 150 FPS and Medium at 120 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is a desktop processor from the 7000 series, built on the Zen 4 architecture with the Raphael codename. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The 5 nm process node (TSMC) and 65 W TDP make it a power-efficient part, but for Inside, the key metric is single-thread performance, since the game is not heavily multithreaded.

Benchmark data shows the CPU achieves a single-thread score of 1049 in 3dmark, 1930 in Cinebench R23, and 2525 in Geekbench. Multi-thread scores are far higher: 8479 in 3dmark max threads, 18760 in Cinebench R23 multicore, and 15371 in Geekbench multicore. The 3dmark 16-thread score is 8484, and the 2-thread score is 2043, indicating that doubling threads from 2 to 16 yields roughly a 4x improvement, which is typical for a well-scaled workload.

However, Inside is a puzzle platformer with a 2D side-scrolling perspective, so its rendering demands are modest compared to 3D titles. The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are far more than the game requires. The measured frame rates show that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 150 FPS, which is likely near the game's engine limit or the GPU's capability at that resolution. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 5.30 GHz boost clock ensure that even at 150 FPS, there is no CPU-side stutter or bottleneck.

The CPU's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 87, meaning it outperforms 87% of tested processors. Its average benchmark score is 40081, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40048, deltaPct 0.1%), the Intel Core 5 221E (40144, deltaPct -0.2%), and the AMD Ryzen 9 270 (40246, deltaPct -0.4%). The Intel Core i9-13905H scores 40313, a deltaPct of -0.6%. These rival comparisons show that the Ryzen 7 7700 sits comfortably in the upper tier of desktop CPUs, but for Inside, this performance headroom is irrelevant because the GPU limits frame rates at all resolutions above 1080p.

At 1080p, the CPU can feed the GPU enough frames to reach 150 FPS on Low, but at 1440p and 4K, the RX 580's pixel throughput becomes the ceiling. The CPU's role is to maintain a consistent frame delivery, and with 16 threads at 5.30 GHz boost, it does so without issue. The measured data shows no signs of CPU stutter, and the consistent frame rates across repeated runs (e.g., 120 FPS Medium at 1080p with min 102 FPS and max 138 FPS) suggest a stable CPU-GPU handoff.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in Inside?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 150 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 120 FPS at 1080p Medium, then 108 FPS at 1440p Low.

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K smoothly?*

A: At 4K, the combo averages 68 FPS on Low and 54 FPS on Medium. High and Ultra settings drop to 34 FPS and 32 FPS respectively, which are below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable for a puzzle platformer.

Q: Which settings preset gives the highest FPS at 1440p?

A: Low settings at 1440p yield 108 FPS average, followed by Medium at 86 FPS. High and Ultra produce 54 FPS and 51 FPS, respectively.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck for this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck at resolutions above 1080p. The frame rate drops by roughly 50% when going from 1080p to 4K at every settings preset, which is a pixel-throughput limitation of the AMD Radeon RX 580, not a CPU limitation.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded across all tests?

A: The lowest average FPS is 32, measured at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The second lowest is 34 FPS at 4K High.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 7700 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700 has an average benchmark score of 40081, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40048), 0.2% lower than the Intel Core 5 221E (40144), 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 270 (40246), and 0.6% lower than the Intel Core i9-13905H (40313).

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). Each entry reports average FPS, and only the Medium preset includes minimum and maximum FPS values.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best numbers. Low settings average 150 FPS. Medium averages 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS. High averages 75 FPS. Ultra averages 71 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra is small (4 FPS), suggesting diminishing returns from the highest preset.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop substantially. Low averages 108 FPS. Medium averages 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 99 FPS. High averages 54 FPS. Ultra averages 51 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is 3 FPS, similar to the 1080p pattern.

At 3840x2160, the GPU struggles. Low averages 68 FPS. Medium averages 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. High averages 34 FPS. Ultra averages 32 FPS. This is the only resolution where Low settings fail to reach 100 FPS, and the only resolution where High and Ultra drop below 40 FPS.

The Medium preset's min/max data provides insight into frame pacing. At 1080p, the range is 102-138 FPS (a spread of 36 FPS). At 1440p, the range is 73-99 FPS (a spread of 26 FPS). At 4K, the range is 46-62 FPS (a spread of 16 FPS). The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU's frame time becomes more consistent as it becomes fully saturated, reducing the variance between light and heavy scenes.

Across all 12 measured configurations, the combo never drops below 32 FPS average. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 46 at 4K Medium. For a puzzle platformer where precise timing is less critical than in action titles, even 32 FPS is playable, but the smoother experience clearly lies at 1080p or lower settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the limiting component in this pairing for Inside. Its chip is Polaris 20, based on the GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The GPU has 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. Its base clock is 1257 MHz, with a boost clock of 1340 MHz. Memory consists of 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, running at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective), providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU's pixel rate is 42.88 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 193.0 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 6.175 TFLOPS, with FP16 also at 6.175 TFLOPS (1:1). These specifications are modest by modern standards, and the benchmark scores reflect that. The GPU's percentile ranking against all GPUs is 53, meaning it sits just above the median. Its average benchmark score is 12928, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12940, deltaPct -0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (12986, deltaPct -0.4%), the AMD Radeon 740M (12870, deltaPct 0.5%), and the AMD FirePro W5100 (12847, deltaPct 0.6%).

In Inside, the GPU's role is straightforward: it must fill pixels. At 1080p, the RX 580's 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate is sufficient to deliver 150 FPS on Low settings. At 4K, that same pixel rate is overwhelmed, and the average FPS drops to 68 on Low. The 8 GB VRAM is more than enough for Inside's art style, but the memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s becomes a factor at high resolutions.

The GPU's DirectX 12 support (version 12_0) and Vulkan 1.3 API compatibility mean it can handle modern rendering paths, but its GCN 4.0 architecture lacks the efficiency of newer designs. The 185 W TDP and dual-slot cooler are typical for its era, and the suggested PSU of 450 W is modest. The GPU's end-of-life production status explains why it struggles at 4K, but for a game released in 2016 (the year Inside launched), it remains a capable part.

The measured FPS data shows that the RX 580's performance scales predictably with resolution. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces FPS by 28-30% across all presets, and from 1440p to 4K reduces FPS by another 35-40%. This is consistent with the GPU's pixel throughput limits, not any CPU or memory constraint.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the target resolution. For 1080p displays, Medium settings offer the best balance: 120 FPS average, with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience for a puzzle platformer. High settings at 1080p drop to 75 FPS, and Ultra to 71 FPS, which are still playable but offer diminishing visual returns for a 45 FPS loss from Medium.

For 1440p, Low settings are the only preset that comfortably exceeds 100 FPS (108 FPS). Medium at 1440p averages 86 FPS, which is also smooth, and includes a minimum of 73 FPS. High and Ultra at 1440p (54 and 51 FPS) are borderline; they are playable but may feel less fluid. The recommendation is Medium at 1440p if visual quality matters, or Low if frame rate is the priority.

For 4K, Low settings are the only viable option for smooth gameplay, averaging 68 FPS. Medium at 4K averages 54 FPS, which is acceptable for this genre, but the minimum of 46 FPS could result in occasional hitches. High and Ultra at 4K (34 and 32 FPS) are below the standard 60 FPS target and should be avoided unless the user prioritizes visuals over frame rate.

The data shows that the Medium preset consistently delivers the best balance of frame rate and visual quality across all resolutions. At 1080p, it offers 120 FPS; at 1440p, 86 FPS; and at 4K, 54 FPS. The min/max values for Medium are also the only ones recorded, and they show acceptable variance: 102-138 FPS at 1080p, 73-99 FPS at 1440p, and 46-62 FPS at 4K. The 16 FPS spread at 4K is tight, indicating consistent frame pacing.

For users with a 60 Hz display, the sweet spot is 1440p Medium (86 FPS) or 4K Low (68 FPS). For 144 Hz displays, 1080p Medium (120 FPS) or 1440p Low (108 FPS) are the best options. Ultra settings are never recommended, as they provide only marginal improvements over High while costing 4-5 FPS at every resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 3386 out of 3716 tested combos for Inside. That places it in the bottom 8.9% of all tested configurations, which is expected given the GPU's age and the CPU's high-end nature. The rank reflects the combo's overall FPS performance across all tested settings, and the RX 580's 53rd percentile GPU score drags the ranking down despite the CPU's 87th percentile score.

The combo's rank is not a measure of playability, but rather of absolute performance relative to other hardware pairs. Many of the 330 combos ranked lower likely use even older or weaker GPUs. The Ryzen 7 7700 is capable of far higher frame rates in Inside if paired with a stronger GPU, but in this pairing, the RX 580 caps performance.

The GPU's nearest rivals provide context for its performance ceiling. The RX 580's average benchmark score of 12928 is nearly identical to the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12940, -0.1%), GTX 1660 SUPER (12986, -0.4%), Radeon 740M (12870, 0.5%), and FirePro W5100 (12847, 0.6%). All of these GPUs would likely produce similar FPS in Inside, and none of them would rank significantly higher in this combo.

The CPU's nearest rivals, meanwhile, all score within 0.6% of the Ryzen 7 7700's average of 40081, confirming that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this ranking. If the same RX 580 were paired with a weaker CPU, the ranking might drop only slightly, since the game is GPU-bound at 1440p and 4K. At 1080p, a weaker CPU might reduce the 150 FPS Low result, but the ranking is already low due to the GPU.

For a puzzle platformer like Inside, the combo's rank of 3386/3716 is acceptable because the game's minimum requirements are modest. The measured FPS data shows that even at 4K Low, the combo delivers 68 FPS, which is smooth. The rank becomes more relevant for users comparing this combo against modern hardware, where the RX 580's limitations are clear. The CPU's 87th percentile ranking suggests that upgrading only the GPU would dramatically improve the combo's rank, while upgrading only the CPU would have minimal effect on Inside's performance.