Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 produces a distinctive performance profile in Inside, a game whose modest visual demands are met with overwhelming frame rates. The measured data shows that this combination is never constrained by the CPU, even at lower resolutions, and that the GPU only becomes a meaningful factor at 4K. The benchmark results indicate a system that is substantially overqualified for the title, delivering playable performance at every tested setting and resolution, with the primary differentiation occurring between the highest and lowest quality presets.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K in Inside reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern, though the absolute numbers remain high throughout. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 309 FPS at 1920x1080 to 222 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 28%, and then to 140 FPS at 3840x2160, another 37% drop. This steep decline as resolution increases is the signature of pixel-pushing becoming the dominant workload, indicating that the graphics card is the limiting component at all three resolutions even on the least demanding preset.

Moving to Medium settings, the same trend persists but with slightly less dramatic percentage drops. The average frame rate goes from 247 FPS at 1080p to 178 FPS at 1440p (a 28% reduction) and then to 112 FPS at 4K (a 37% drop from 1440p). The High preset shows a similar pattern: 155 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these percentage declines across presets suggests that the rendering workload scales predictably with pixel count, and that neither the CPU nor memory bandwidth is introducing a bottleneck that would flatten the curve at higher resolutions.

The Ultra preset, which represents the maximum visual fidelity, produces the lowest frame rates and the most pronounced scaling. The average drops from 147 FPS at 1080p to 106 FPS at 1440p (a 28% reduction) and then to 66 FPS at 4K (a 38% drop). The fact that 4K Ultra yields only 66 FPS, while 1080p Low achieves 309 FPS, highlights how much of the GPU's headroom is consumed by the combination of resolution and graphical effects. The data shows that the RX 9060 is the primary factor in these scaling characteristics, as the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's performance metrics suggest it could sustain much higher frame rates if the GPU were not the limiting resource.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060's specifications directly explain the measured performance in Inside. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for this game's art style and texture requirements. The memory operates at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed, and the core clocks are listed at a base of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. These clock speeds, combined with 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs, determine the rasterization throughput that governs frame rates in this title.

The benchmark results for the GPU place it in the 59th percentile among all tested graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 16014. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti with a score of 16129 (a 0.7% delta), the AMD Radeon R9 370X with 15862 (a 1% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 with 15852 (a 1% delta). This competitive positioning suggests that the RX 9060 is a mid-range performer, which aligns with the Inside results showing it can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease but begins to struggle at 4K Ultra.

The game's performance at 4K is particularly telling. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 66 FPS, while the High preset averages 70 FPS and the Medium preset averages 112 FPS. The relatively small difference between High and Ultra at this resolution (70 vs 66 FPS) suggests that the Ultra preset adds effects that are not heavily taxing, or that the GPU is already nearing its limit. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor here given the game's release date and visual complexity, but the compute throughput and fill rate are what cap performance. The boost clock of 2990 MHz provides the peak single-threaded rendering capability, but at 4K, the sheer pixel workload overwhelms the 64 ROPs and 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Radeon RX 9060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 9060's average benchmark score is 16014, placing it just behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129, a 0.7% delta) and just ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862, a 1% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15852, a 1% delta). This places it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What frame rate can this combo achieve at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 247, with a minimum of 210 and a maximum of 284. This indicates a very smooth experience with substantial headroom above standard 60 Hz or 144 Hz displays.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 7800X3D a bottleneck for the RX 9060 in this game?

A: No, the data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a single-thread score of 959 in 3dmark and a Geekbench single-core score of 2426, are more than adequate. The frame rate scaling patterns across resolutions follow a GPU-bound trajectory, confirming the CPU is not the limiting component.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between presets at the same resolution?

A: At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is substantial: 140 FPS versus 66 FPS, a 74 FPS gap. At 1440p, the gap is 222 FPS (Low) versus 106 FPS (Ultra), a 116 FPS difference, and at 1080p, it is 309 FPS versus 147 FPS, a 162 FPS spread.

Q: Does the combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K on all tested settings?

A: Yes, all tested 4K presets exceed 60 FPS. The lowest measured average is 66 FPS on Ultra settings, while High achieves 70 FPS, Medium reaches 112 FPS, and Low hits 140 FPS. This means even the most demanding preset remains playable.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: The Ryzen 7 7800X3D shows strong scaling from single to multi-threaded workloads. Its 3dmark single-thread score is 959, while the 16-thread score is 7980, and the max-threads score is 7967. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score is 1713 versus a multi-core score of 16817, indicating a roughly 10x scaling across its 8 cores and 16 threads.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how each preset performs across the three tested resolutions. For players targeting a 60 FPS experience at 4K, the Ultra preset delivers 66 FPS on average, which is technically sufficient, but the High preset offers a slightly higher 70 FPS average. Given that the visual difference between High and Ultra in a game like Inside is likely minimal due to its stylized art direction, the High preset presents a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining near-maximum quality.

At 2560x1440, all presets exceed 100 FPS, with the Ultra preset averaging 106 FPS and the High preset averaging 111 FPS. The Medium preset jumps to 178 FPS, and Low reaches 222 FPS. For users with high refresh rate monitors at 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance, as its 178 FPS average with a minimum of 151 FPS ensures consistent frame pacing above most 144 Hz displays' refresh rates. The High preset's 111 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset provides a substantial 67 FPS advantage, which is more likely to be perceptible than the incremental visual quality improvements.

At 1920x1080, the situation is less critical because even the Ultra preset averages 147 FPS. The High preset produces 155 FPS, Medium reaches 247 FPS, and Low hits 309 FPS. The recommendation here depends on the display's refresh rate. For a 240 Hz monitor, the Medium preset's 247 FPS average is the most appropriate choice, as it stays above the refresh threshold with room to spare. For 144 Hz displays, the High preset's 155 FPS is sufficient, though Medium at 247 FPS also works. The Low preset at 309 FPS offers no practical benefit for standard refresh rates and sacrifices visual fidelity unnecessarily. Overall, the data suggests that Medium settings provide the best experience at 1080p and 1440p, while High is the sensible choice for 4K to maintain a solid frame rate cushion.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1615 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the overall distribution. This rank is somewhat surprising given the high absolute frame rates, but it reflects the fact that many other tested combinations likely feature more powerful GPUs that achieve even higher scores in a game that is not particularly demanding. The combo's position at roughly the 56th percentile (1615/2887) indicates that while the performance is solid, it is not exceptional relative to the broader field of hardware pairings.

The CPU's own ranking provides context for this result. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D sits in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 33079, placing it in the top tier of processors. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 8700G and Intel Core i7-13650HX, both with a score of 33089 and a 0% delta, and the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H with a score of 33201 and a -0.4% delta. This high CPU percentile confirms that the processor is not the limiting factor in the combo's overall rank.

The GPU, on the other hand, is in the 59th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014. The delta between the GPU's percentile and the CPU's percentile suggests that the graphics card is the weaker link in this pairing. In a game like Inside, where the CPU's high single-threaded performance and large cache are less relevant than raw pixel throughput, the GPU's mid-range standing drags the combo's rank down. The measured FPS data corroborates this, as the GPU at 4K Ultra produces 66 FPS, which, while playable, does not compete with the triple-digit frame rates that higher-tier GPUs would achieve. The rank indicates that most of the 1272 combos ahead of this one likely pair the same or similar CPUs with more powerful graphics cards.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates for this combo in Inside is as follows. At 3840x2160 resolution, the High preset averages 70 FPS, the Low preset averages 140 FPS, the Medium preset averages 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 128, and the Ultra preset averages 66 FPS. The 4K results show a clear hierarchy, with Ultra and High being close together, while Medium provides a significant step up, and Low doubles the Ultra frame rate.

At 2560x1440 resolution, the High preset averages 111 FPS, the Low preset averages 222 FPS, the Medium preset averages 178 FPS with a minimum of 151 and a maximum of 204, and the Ultra preset averages 106 FPS. The 1440p results follow the same pattern as 4K but with higher absolute values, bringing all presets comfortably above 100 FPS. The difference between Medium and High is 67 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is only 5 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at the upper end of the settings range.

At 1920x1080 resolution, the High preset averages 155 FPS, the Low preset averages 309 FPS, the Medium preset averages 247 FPS with a minimum of 210 and a maximum of 284, and the Ultra preset averages 147 FPS. The 1080p results demonstrate that the combo is never CPU-limited at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset maintains a frame rate above 144 Hz. The Low preset's 309 FPS average is nearly double the Medium preset's 247 FPS, indicating that the lower settings remove significant GPU workload. Across all resolutions, the Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values, showing a consistent frame pacing window that is roughly 30% above and below the average.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D plays a supportive but essential role in this combo's Inside performance. The CPU is built on the Zen 4 architecture with the Raphael codename, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 4.20 GHz with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, and it includes 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a hallmark of the X3D series. The benchmark results show strong single-threaded performance, with a 3dmark single-thread score of 959 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2426, which is critical for a game that relies on a single primary game logic thread.

The multi-threaded capabilities are equally robust, with a 3dmark 16-thread score of 7980 and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16817. The CPU's average benchmark score of 33079 places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 8700G and Intel Core i7-13650HX, both with a 0% delta, and the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H with a -0.4% delta. These scores indicate that the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU in Inside, where the rendering workload is not particularly complex.

The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any tested resolution. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 309 FPS, which is far beyond what most games can deliver, and the frame rate drops to 140 FPS at 4K Low. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, but the measured data shows a clear decline as resolution increases. The CPU's high clock speed of 5.00 GHz and 96 MB of L3 cache ensure that even the most demanding frame-time spikes are handled without stuttering, as evidenced by the minimum FPS values recorded at Medium settings. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D's role in this pairing is to provide a stable, high-frequency platform that allows the RX 9060 to operate at its full potential, and the benchmark results confirm that it succeeds in this capacity.