Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Inside, a puzzle platformer where the GPU is rarely the limiting factor. Across all tested settings and resolutions, the measured average frame rates are far above the thresholds required for smooth gameplay, making this combination overkill for the game's modest visual demands. The data indicates that users can prioritize visual fidelity without sacrificing performance, as even the most demanding preset yields triple-digit frame rates at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows a clear hierarchy across the four available presets at every resolution. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 105.1 FPS, which is more than sufficient for a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate displays. However, dropping to High increases the average to 112.8 FPS, a modest 7.3% improvement that may not be visually discernible given the game's art style. The Medium preset jumps to 176.4 FPS, while Low reaches 220.9 FPS. The most balanced choice for 4K is the High preset, as it retains the full visual effects of the game while providing a comfortable margin above 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance envelope expands considerably. The Ultra preset averages 170.9 FPS, High reaches 180.8 FPS, Medium hits 282 FPS, and Low peaks at 332.3 FPS. The gap between Ultra and High is narrow, suggesting that High is the optimal preset for 1440p users who want the best visual quality without any perceptible performance trade-off. The Medium preset offers a substantial 56% improvement over Ultra, which could be relevant for users with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors seeking to maximize headroom.

At 1920x1080, the data shows that even the Ultra preset, at 237.9 FPS, exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. The High preset at 245.1 FPS is nearly identical, while Medium reaches 344.2 FPS and Low tops out at 373.8 FPS. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, as the performance difference between Ultra and High is negligible, and the visual enhancements are fully realized. The measured results indicate that this combination is never CPU-bound at any resolution, as the frame rates scale consistently with GPU load from Low to Ultra.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the primary driver of frame rate in Inside, as evidenced by the scaling across presets. The GPU features 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. For a game with the relatively simple geometry and textures of Inside, this memory subsystem is overwhelmingly sufficient, and the data shows no signs of memory-related bottlenecks even at 4K Ultra. The GPU's base clock of 1387 MHz and boost clock of 2394 MHz, with a game clock of 2025 MHz, are more than adequate to sustain the high frame rates observed.

The GPU's compute resources—5,376 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 192 ROPs—are heavily underutilized in this title. The measured pixel rate of 459.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 804.4 GTexel/s are far above what Inside requires, allowing the card to operate at high efficiency without thermal or power constraints. The GPU's percentile rank of 82 among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 38,358, places it in the upper tier of hardware, yet the game's low graphical complexity means the card rarely approaches its full capability.

The performance deltas between presets reveal the GPU's headroom. At 4K, moving from Ultra (105.1 FPS) to Medium (176.4 FPS) represents a 68% increase, while at 1080p, the jump from Ultra (237.9 FPS) to Medium (344.2 FPS) is a 45% improvement. These figures indicate that the GPU is not the bottleneck at any setting, and the frame rate is primarily determined by the rendering resolution and preset's effect on shader complexity. The Radeon RX 7900 XT's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) ensures full compatibility with the game's rendering pipeline, though the title's age means it likely does not leverage the latest API features extensively.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combination?

A: The maximum measured average is 373.8 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The highest at Ultra settings is 237.9 FPS at 1080p.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average is 105.1 FPS, while at 1920x1080 Ultra, it is 237.9 FPS. This represents a 126% increase in frame rate when moving from 4K to 1080p.

Q: Is the RX 7900 XT overkill for this game?

A: The data suggests yes. Even at 4K Ultra, the average of 105.1 FPS exceeds the 60 FPS standard, and at 1440p High, the average of 180.8 FPS is more than triple that threshold. The GPU's resources are largely underutilized.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Medium at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 180.8 FPS, while Medium averages 282 FPS. The Medium preset delivers a 56% higher frame rate, but the visual quality reduction may not be justified given that High already exceeds 170 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance at any resolution?

A: No. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution and preset changes, indicating the GPU is the sole performance driver. The Ryzen 7 7700's 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for the game's single-threaded physics and logic.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to Low at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 105.1 FPS, while Low averages 220.9 FPS. The Low preset is 110% faster, but the Ultra preset still provides a smooth experience, making the trade-off unnecessary for most users.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT ranks 203rd out of 1,671 tested combos for Inside, placing it in the top 12.1% of all configurations in the database. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU, which sits in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 91st percentile among all CPUs. The combination's high standing reflects the exceptional performance of both components, though the game's low system requirements mean that many lower-tier configurations also achieve playable frame rates.

The GPU's nearest rivals illustrate its competitive position. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile has an average score of 38,349, a 0% delta from the RX 7900 XT's 38,358, indicating near-identical synthetic performance. The NVIDIA CMP 70HX scores 38,225, a 0.3% deficit, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 scores 38,494, a 0.4% advantage, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38,135, a 0.6% deficit. These tiny deltas show that the RX 7900 XT is remarkably well-positioned among its peers, though the ranking in Inside may vary due to driver optimizations and game-specific features.

The CPU's nearest rivals show a similarly tight grouping. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940H averages 40,431, a 0.1% difference from the Ryzen 7 7700's 40,468. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 scores 40,262, a 0.5% delta, while the Intel Core i9-13905H scores 40,712, a -0.6% delta, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 235T scores 39,995, a 1.2% delta. These benchmarks confirm that the CPU is not a differentiator in this game, as all rivals produce functionally equivalent performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700, with 8 cores and 16 threads, is a high-end desktop processor based on the Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Raphael) on a 5 nm process. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz, combined with a 65 W TDP, provide ample single-threaded performance for Inside, which is a puzzle platformer that relies on straightforward game logic rather than complex simulations. The CPU's L3 cache of 32 MB (shared) and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for the game's data streaming requirements.

The measured CPU benchmarks demonstrate its capability. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29,302 and single-core score of 4,136 indicate strong all-around performance, while the 3DMark 16-thread score of 8,484 and single-thread score of 1,049 show balanced scaling. The PassMark multithread score of 34,470 and single-thread score of 4,063 place the CPU in the 91st percentile among all processors, meaning it outperforms 91% of tested CPUs. However, in Inside, the CPU's role is minimal, as the frame rate is dominated by the GPU's rendering throughput.

The measured FPS data confirms the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 1080p, where CPU load is typically highest relative to GPU, the frame rates scale predictably with preset changes: Low (373.8 FPS), Medium (344.2 FPS), High (245.1 FPS), and Ultra (237.9 FPS). This scaling is entirely attributable to GPU workload, not CPU limitations. The CPU's 16 threads are likely underutilized, as the game's logic is primarily single-threaded, but the high boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures that even the least optimized code paths execute with minimal latency. The processor's 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40,468, further reinforces that it is not a limiting factor in this title.