Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT delivers a robust experience in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer. The benchmark data shows a combination that scales predictably with resolution and settings, but the underlying dynamic between the CPU’s immense processing power and the GPU’s mid-range capabilities reveals distinct bottlenecks depending on the target frame rate.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about which component is leading at each stage. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 276.7 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, that figure falls to 197.5 FPS, a reduction of roughly 29%. The jump to 3840x2160 Low yields 124.8 FPS, which is another 37% drop from the 1440p result. This scaling pattern is steep, but the frame rates remain highly playable.

The more telling data emerges at higher settings. With High settings, the progression from 1080p (140.4 FPS) to 1440p (99.5 FPS) shows a 29% decline, and then from 1440p to 4K (65.9 FPS) we see a 34% drop. At Ultra, the same pattern holds: 131.7 FPS at 1080p, 95 FPS at 1440p, and 62.5 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests the GPU is the primary scaling factor. The RX 5700 XT, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, is being pushed harder as pixel count rises, and the frame rate penalties reflect that load.

What the data implies is that the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is not the limiting factor in resolution scaling. The CPU’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache and 8 cores are more than adequate for this title. The GPU’s performance curve is the dominant variable. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 62.3 FPS (124.8 vs 62.5), which is a 50% performance hit purely from raising settings. At 1080p, the same Low-to-Ultra gap is 145 FPS (276.7 vs 131.7), a 52% reduction. This proportional consistency across resolutions is a hallmark of GPU-bound scaling. The game’s visual complexity, driven by the GPU’s RDNA 1.0 architecture, dictates the frame rate ceiling at each resolution.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a Zen 4 part with 8 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. In Inside, this hardware appears to be significantly underutilized. The benchmark results show that even at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 276.7 FPS, a figure that far exceeds the refresh rate of most displays. This suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The CPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its strength. In Cinebench R23, it scores 29149 multi-core and 4115 single-core. The passmark multi-thread score is 34293, and single-thread is 3759. These numbers place it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-12700F with an average score of 31543, show a deltaPct of only 0.1%, meaning they are essentially tied. This performance headroom is why the CPU can feed the GPU at high frame rates without breaking a sweat.

The 3DMark scores further illustrate the CPU’s capability. The 16-thread score of 7980 and max-thread score of 7967 show that scaling across cores is efficient. However, Inside is not a multi-threaded beast. The single-thread 3DMark score of 959 and the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 414 indicate that per-core performance is solid, but the game likely relies on a few threads. The data suggests that the CPU’s role here is to provide a stable platform that never limits the GPU. The L3 cache of 96 MB is a unique feature, but its benefit in a puzzle platformer is likely minimal compared to a CPU-bound simulation title. The combo’s rank of 1246 out of 1671 combos in this game suggests that while this CPU is strong, the pairing with the 5700 XT holds the overall result back.

FAQ

Q: Why does the FPS drop so much from 1080p to 4K?

A: The frame rate drops are consistent with GPU-bound scaling. At 1080p High, the average is 140.4 FPS, but at 4K High it drops to 65.9 FPS. This 53% reduction mirrors the increase in pixel count, indicating the RX 5700 XT’s processing power is the limiting factor.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 7800X3D holding back the RX 5700 XT?

A: Benchmark data shows no evidence of CPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 276.7 FPS, which is exceptionally high. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29149 and its 87th percentile ranking indicate it has ample headroom for this game.

Q: What is the best resolution for a smooth experience?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 99.5, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K with High settings, the average is 65.9 FPS, which is playable but closer to the edge. For a higher refresh rate, 1080p with Ultra settings yields 131.7 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1246 out of 1671 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the lower-mid range, indicating that many other CPU-GPU pairings produce better frame rates, likely due to more powerful GPUs.

Q: Does raising settings from Low to Ultra have the same impact at all resolutions?

A: Yes, the impact is proportional. At 1080p, the difference between Low (276.7 FPS) and Ultra (131.7 FPS) is a 52% drop. At 4K, the difference between Low (124.8 FPS) and Ultra (62.5 FPS) is also a 50% drop. This suggests a consistent GPU workload increase.

*Q: Is the CPU’s performance in other benchmarks relevant to Inside?*

A: The CPU’s benchmark scores are relevant for context. Its 3DMark single-thread score of 959 and Cinebench R20 single-core score of 1728 confirm strong per-core performance. However, since the GPU is the bottleneck in most scenarios, these scores are more indicative of future-proofing than current game performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT achieves a rank of 1246 out of 1671 tested combinations in Inside. This puts it in the bottom 25% of tested systems. The rank is not a reflection of the CPU, which is a high-end part, but rather the GPU. The RX 5700 XT, while capable, is an older RDNA 1.0 architecture that is end-of-life and sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs.

The data shows that this pairing is imbalanced. The CPU is in the 87th percentile, while the GPU is in the 68th percentile. This gap explains why the combo’s rank is lower than the CPU’s percentile. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile with an average score of 24763, show a deltaPct of -0.1%, which means they are nearly identical in performance. This indicates that the 5700 XT is a solid mid-range card, but it cannot push frame rates high enough to fully utilize the 7800X3D’s potential in this game.

For context, the CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-12700F, has an average benchmark score of 31543 with a deltaPct of 0.1%, meaning the 7800X3D is marginally ahead. This shows that the CPU is competitive with modern parts. However, the combo rank suggests that in a game like Inside, a more powerful GPU would move the needle significantly more than a faster CPU. The ranking implies that users with a 5700 XT are leaving performance on the table, but the experience is still functional.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a full picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average is 276.7 FPS. Medium settings reduce this to 221.6 FPS. High settings yield 140.4 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 131.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 145 FPS, showing a significant cost for higher visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down accordingly. Low settings average 197.5 FPS. Medium settings average 157.9 FPS. High settings drop to 99.5 FPS, and Ultra settings average 95 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 102.5 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are the lowest but remain playable. Low settings average 124.8 FPS. Medium settings average 98.4 FPS. High settings drop to 65.9 FPS, and Ultra settings average 62.5 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap is 62.3 FPS.

The data shows that the step from Low to Medium is consistently the largest jump in FPS loss at each resolution. At 1080p, the drop is 55.1 FPS; at 1440p, it is 39.6 FPS; and at 4K, it is 26.4 FPS. The step from High to Ultra is much smaller, with only 8.7 FPS lost at 1080p, 4.5 FPS at 1440p, and 3.4 FPS at 4K. This suggests that the Medium preset is a sweet spot for performance, while High and Ultra are visually similar in cost.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience depends on the target display and frame rate goals. For 1080p users, the Ultra preset is recommended, as it still yields an average of 131.7 FPS, which is well above 60 FPS and provides the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 140.4 FPS is a marginal improvement in FPS but a noticeable drop in settings, making Ultra the better choice.

For 1440p users, the High preset is the optimal balance. It averages 99.5 FPS, which is a smooth experience for most displays. The Medium preset at 157.9 FPS offers more headroom but at a visual cost. The Ultra preset at 95 FPS is also viable, but the 4.5 FPS difference between High and Ultra is minimal, so High is more efficient.

For 4K users, the Medium preset is the safest recommendation. It averages 98.4 FPS, which is excellent for 4K. The High preset at 65.9 FPS is still playable but is closer to the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 124.8 FPS is an option for high-refresh 4K monitors, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. The data indicates that Medium at 4K provides a strong balance, as the step from Low to Medium costs 26.4 FPS, but the step from Medium to High costs 32.5 FPS, making High a heavier penalty.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the limiting component in this combo. Its architecture is RDNA 1.0, built on a 7 nm process with 10,300 million transistors. The GPU has a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU’s benchmark scores show its position. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2134. The passmark G3D score is 16277, and the passmark G2D score is 922. These numbers place it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile, has an average score of 24763 with a deltaPct of -0.1%, meaning the 5700 XT is essentially tied. This indicates that the GPU is a competent mid-range card, but it is not a high-end performer.

In Inside, the GPU’s role is clear. The frame rates at 4K Ultra drop to 62.5 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS standard. This suggests that the GPU is working near its limit at higher resolutions. The FP32 performance of 9.754 TFLOPS and the pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s are sufficient for this game, but they are not overkill. The 64 ROPs and 160 TMUs handle the game’s rendering demands, but the data shows that the GPU is the reason the combo ranks 1246th. A more powerful GPU would push the frame rates higher, especially at 4K. The GPU’s 8 GB of VRAM is not a limiting factor in this title, as the game is not VRAM-heavy, but the raw compute power is what caps performance.