Inside

Inside, the 2016 puzzle platformer from Playdead, is not a demanding title by modern standards, and the benchmark data for the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination reflects this. The pairing delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested settings, with the primary bottleneck shifting from the GPU at 4K to the CPU at 1080p. The data indicates that this system is overqualified for the game, providing a flawless experience at any resolution, though the performance scaling patterns reveal distinct component limitations that are worth analyzing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Inside shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 310 FPS, which drops to 223 FPS at 1440p and further to 140 FPS at 4K. This represents a 55% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that even at the lowest graphical preset, the GPU is still being pushed harder at higher resolutions, but the absolute numbers remain so high that gameplay is never compromised.

The High settings preset tells a similar story with less dramatic scaling. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 155, which drops to 111 FPS at 1440p and 70 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is approximately 55%, nearly identical to the Low preset. This consistency suggests that the game's rendering workload scales linearly with pixel count, and the RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames.

At Medium settings, the only preset with complete min/max FPS data, the scaling shows a similar trend. The 1080p Medium average of 248 FPS drops to 178 FPS at 1440p and 112 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS values also scale predictably: 210 FPS at 1080p, 151 FPS at 1440p, and 95 FPS at 4K. These minimums indicate that even in the most demanding moments, the system never dips below 95 FPS at 4K, which is far above the threshold for smooth gameplay.

The Ultra preset follows the same pattern, with 147 FPS at 1080p, 106 FPS at 1440p, and 67 FPS at 4K. The fact that Ultra at 4K still achieves 67 FPS average is notable for a game of this era, but it also highlights that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the component being stressed at this resolution. The scaling from 1080p to 4K on Ultra is roughly 54%, mirroring the other presets, which underscores that the GPU workload is the dominant factor in resolution scaling.

Interestingly, the data shows that the frame rate drop from 1080p to 1440p is proportionally smaller than from 1440p to 4K. For example, at High settings, the 1080p to 1440p drop is 44 FPS (from 155 to 111), while the 1440p to 4K drop is 41 FPS (from 111 to 70). This suggests that the GPU is becoming increasingly saturated as pixel count grows, and the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this game at all resolutions, but the raw compute power of 9.062 TFLOPS is the limiting factor at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for Inside with this hardware depend primarily on the target resolution. At 1080p, every preset delivers an average frame rate above 147 FPS, meaning the user can select Ultra settings without any concern for performance. The 147 FPS average at 1080p Ultra is more than triple the refresh rate of standard 60 Hz monitors and comfortably exceeds 144 Hz displays, making Ultra the clear choice at this resolution.

At 1440p, the data shows that Ultra settings still provide a smooth experience with 106 FPS average. This is sufficient for 60 Hz panels and even some 100 Hz displays, but users with 144 Hz monitors might prefer High settings, which deliver 111 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is only 5 FPS, so the visual fidelity gain from Ultra comes at a negligible performance cost. The Medium preset at 1440p offers 178 FPS, which is excessive for most displays, so it is not recommended unless the user prioritizes maximum frame rates for competitive play, which is unlikely for a puzzle platformer.

At 4K, the recommendations become more nuanced. Ultra settings yield 67 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh displays. High settings at 4K provide 70 FPS, only 3 FPS more than Ultra, suggesting that the Ultra preset is not significantly more demanding than High in this game. The Medium preset at 4K delivers 112 FPS, which is a substantial improvement over High and Ultra. For users with 4K 60 Hz displays, Medium settings are the sweet spot, offering a 60% performance increase over Ultra with minimal visual differences in a game with a muted, atmospheric art style.

The Low preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it provides 310 FPS at 1080p, 223 FPS at 1440p, and 140 FPS at 4K, but the visual degradation is unnecessary given the high performance of even the Ultra preset. The data indicates that the best experience per the measured rows is achieved by selecting Ultra at 1080p or 1440p, and Medium at 4K. The only caveat is that the 4K Ultra preset's 67 FPS average is still above 60 FPS, so users with 60 Hz panels can safely choose Ultra if they prioritize image quality over frame rate headroom.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is a Zen 4 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, base clock of 3.80 GHz, and boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18760 and a single-core score of 1930. The Geekbench multicore score of 15371 and single-core score of 2525 further confirm its strong performance. The CPU's percentile rank of 87 among all CPUs indicates it is in the top 13% of processors, and its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 and Intel Core 5 221E, have average scores within 0.2% of the 7700, showing it is a well-balanced mid-range to high-end chip.

In Inside, the CPU's role is relatively minor due to the game's low computational demands. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 310 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's frame generation limit for this game. The fact that increasing resolution from 1080p to 4K at Low settings reduces FPS from 310 to 140 indicates that the CPU can generate frames faster than the GPU can render them at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU has minimal work to do, and the 310 FPS ceiling reflects the CPU's single-thread performance.

The Ryzen 7 7700's single-thread performance, as measured by the 3DMark single-thread score of 1049 and PassMark single-thread score of 4063, is more than sufficient for Inside. The game does not heavily utilize multi-threading, as evidenced by the fact that the 3DMark 2-thread score of 2043 is roughly half the 4-thread score of 3931, and the 8-thread score of 6933 is only slightly higher than the max-thread score of 8479. This scaling suggests that Inside is not optimized for more than a few CPU cores, and the Ryzen 7 7700's 8 cores and 16 threads are overkill for this title.

The CPU's 32 MB shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are also more than adequate for Inside's data requirements. The PassMark data compression score of 405084 and integer math score of 110295 indicate strong general-purpose performance, but these are unlikely to impact game FPS in a puzzle platformer. The CPU's 65 W TDP and 5 nm process node make it efficient, but in the context of Inside, the CPU is rarely stressed, and the system's frame rates are primarily determined by the GPU at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this hardware in Inside?

A: The highest average FPS in the measured data is 310 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next highest is 248 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 223 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Inside?

A: Yes, the system achieves an average of 70 FPS at 4K High settings and 67 FPS at 4K Ultra. For a smoother experience, 4K Medium delivers 112 FPS average, with a minimum of 95 FPS, ensuring no drops below 60 FPS.

Q: Which preset offers the best balance of performance and quality at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset provides 111 FPS average, while Ultra delivers 106 FPS. The difference is minimal, so Ultra is recommended for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness, as both are well above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Inside?

A: At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the system reaches 310 FPS, which is close to the CPU's frame generation ceiling. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, as evidenced by the significant FPS drop to 140 FPS at Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20282, which is 1% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, 1.2% lower than the RTX 3070 Mobile, 1.3% lower than the Intel Arc B570, and 1.5% lower than the Intel Arc A750. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 95 FPS, observed at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 151 FPS, and at 1920x1080 Medium, it is 210 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a Turing architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and it features 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU's FP32 performance is 9.062 TFLOPS, and it has 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, though these are unlikely to be utilized in Inside, which does not support ray tracing or DLSS. The GPU's percentile rank of 65 among all GPUs places it above the median, and its nearest rivals include the Quadro M4000M, RTX 3070 Mobile, Arc B570, and Arc A750, all within 1.5% of its average benchmark score of 20282.

In Inside, the GPU's role becomes increasingly important as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the GPU is underutilized, as evidenced by the 310 FPS average, which is likely CPU-limited. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU is pushed to its limit, achieving only 67 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings (310 to 140 FPS) shows that the GPU's rendering workload is the primary factor in FPS reduction, as the CPU has ample headroom to maintain high frame generation rates.

The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Inside, which is a visually modest game with simple textures and lighting. The 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is also not a bottleneck, as the game's data requirements are low. The GPU's texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s are more than adequate for the game's 2D side-scrolling perspective, which renders at a relatively low polygon count.

The RTX 2070 SUPER's performance in Inside is best summarized by its ability to maintain high frame rates at 1440p and below. At 1440p Ultra, the GPU delivers 106 FPS, which is excellent for a game of this type. At 4K, the GPU can still achieve 67-70 FPS at High and Ultra settings, but the Medium preset at 112 FPS is the recommended choice for smoother gameplay on 4K displays. The GPU's 12 nm process node and 215 W TDP are notable specifications, but they do not directly impact game performance in this context.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Inside with the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER covers four resolutions and four settings presets, with the Medium preset providing full min/max FPS data. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 310 at Low to 147 at Ultra. The Medium preset at 1080p achieves 248 FPS average, with a minimum of 210 FPS and maximum of 285 FPS. The High preset at 1080p delivers 155 FPS average, but lacks min/max data.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 223 FPS average, Medium delivers 178 FPS with a minimum of 151 FPS and maximum of 205 FPS, High provides 111 FPS, and Ultra yields 106 FPS. The 1440p data shows a clear hierarchy, with Low being nearly twice as fast as High and Ultra, while Medium sits between them. The minimum FPS at 1440p Medium (151 FPS) is still higher than the average FPS at 1440p Ultra (106 FPS), indicating that the Medium preset is a safe choice for consistent performance.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 140 FPS average, Medium delivers 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and maximum of 129 FPS, High provides 70 FPS, and Ultra yields 67 FPS. The 4K data shows that Low is exactly twice as fast as Ultra (140 vs 67 FPS), and Medium is nearly twice as fast as High (112 vs 70 FPS). The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (95 FPS) is above 60 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience, while the High and Ultra presets do not have min/max data, but their averages are close to the 60 FPS threshold.

The complete dataset reveals that the system is capable of running Inside at over 100 FPS average at any resolution and settings combination except 4K High and 4K Ultra, which still achieve 70 and 67 FPS respectively. The combo rank of 2087 out of 3716 combos suggests that this hardware pairing is in the upper-middle range for this game, but the absolute FPS numbers indicate that the game is never a challenge for this system. The data is measured, not estimated, adding confidence to the reliability of these results for users considering this hardware for Inside.