Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER pairing in Inside presents a fascinating case study in bottleneck dynamics. At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-bound, delivering exceptional frame rates that showcase the processor's strength. However, as resolution scales, the GPU's limitations become pronounced, creating a performance curve that is steep but predictable. The data indicates a configuration that excels in high-refresh 1080p gaming, yet struggles to maintain the same fluidity at 4K, particularly on higher presets. This analysis examines the measured results to determine where this combo stands among the 2,887 tested configurations and what settings provide the optimal experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process at TSMC. It is an 8-core, 16-thread part with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. With a TDP of 65 W, it is designed for efficiency, but its performance metrics tell a story of high capability. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile of all processors, and its average benchmark score of 69,996 places it in direct competition with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.2% ahead), the Intel Core i7-14700KF (0.2% behind), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.7% ahead), and the Intel Core i7-14700K (0.9% ahead). These rivals are all high-end parts, indicating the 9700F is a top-tier performer.

In Inside, a game that is not typically demanding on multi-threaded workloads, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates. The benchmark results demonstrate that the Ryzen 7 9700F is more than capable of this task, even at low resolutions where the CPU's workload is highest relative to the GPU. The PassMark scores support this, with a single-thread score of 4,691 and a multithread score of 36,470. The CPU's high single-thread performance is critical for a game like this, which relies on consistent frame pacing rather than massive parallel computation. With 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 per core, the CPU has ample on-die memory to handle the game's logic and physics without stalling. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 310 FPS, a number that is likely limited by the CPU's ability to process the game state, not the GPU's ability to render it. This is a clear sign of a CPU that is not a bottleneck in this specific scenario.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700F compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The benchmark data shows the Ryzen 7 9700F is statistically tied with its closest competitors. It is 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, 0.2% slower than the Intel Core i7-14700KF, 0.7% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and 0.9% faster than the Intel Core i7-14700K. These differences are negligible for real-world gaming.

Q: What is the measured performance of the RTX 2070 SUPER in DirectX benchmarks?

A: The GPU's PassMark scores show a DirectX 12 score of 67, a DirectX 11 score of 151, and a DirectX 10 score of 132. The DirectX 12 score is notably lower than the others, but the overall PassMark G3D score is 18,169, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER more powerful than the Intel Arc B570?

A: The nearest rival data indicates the Intel Arc B570 has an average score of 20,556, which is 1.3% higher than the RTX 2070 SUPER's score of 20,282. Therefore, the Arc B570 is slightly faster in this metric, though the difference is small.

Q: Does the CPU's performance vary significantly from its rivals in this game?

A: No. The benchmark results for the CPU are consistent with its synthetic scores. The Ryzen 7 9700F's performance is effectively identical to its rivals, with all deltas being less than 1%. The frame rates in Inside are therefore not a differentiator between these high-end CPUs.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded in the measured data is 310 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset. This demonstrates the system's capability for extremely high refresh rates at lower graphical settings.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 67 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra preset. This is the only configuration in the data that dips below the 70 FPS threshold, indicating a significant performance drop at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how different presets affect performance. For the best experience, the choice of settings depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, the system is incredibly powerful, with the Low preset delivering 310 FPS, Medium at 248 FPS, High at 155 FPS, and Ultra at 147 FPS. All of these are well above the 144 Hz threshold for high-refresh monitors, so players have the freedom to choose any preset. The Medium preset offers an excellent balance, with a 210 FPS minimum, ensuring smooth gameplay even in complex scenes. The High and Ultra presets are also viable, sacrificing some frame rate for visual improvements, but still maintaining very high performance.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to show its limits, but the system remains highly capable. The Low preset delivers 223 FPS, Medium 178 FPS, High 111 FPS, and Ultra 106 FPS. For a 1440p 144 Hz monitor, the Medium preset is the sweet spot, providing a 151 FPS minimum that is still above the refresh rate. The High and Ultra presets are playable but will not fully saturate a 144 Hz display. At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. The Low preset delivers 140 FPS, which is excellent for 4K, but the Medium preset drops to 112 FPS with a 95 FPS minimum. The High preset (70 FPS) and Ultra preset (67 FPS) are below the 72 FPS threshold often considered the minimum for smooth console-like gameplay, making them less desirable. The data suggests that at 4K, the Low or Medium presets are the best options, as they prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. For a balanced experience across all resolutions, the Medium preset is the most consistent, offering the best trade-off between performance and visual quality, with the 4K Medium setting still maintaining a 95 FPS minimum.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER places this configuration at rank 1,587 out of 2,887 tested combos for Inside. This puts it in the 55th percentile of all systems, which is a solid result but not exceptional. The ranking reflects the fact that while the CPU is a top-tier performer (94th percentile), the GPU is only in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. This mismatch means the system is held back by its graphics card, especially at higher resolutions. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU's performance headroom is not fully utilized at 4K. The combo's rank is therefore a reflection of the GPU's age and mid-range standing in the current market, rather than the CPU's capability. The system is clearly not a top-tier 4K machine, but it is a very capable 1080p and 1440p performer, which is where it will likely be used. The ranking indicates that there are 1,300 other configurations that outperform this one in Inside, but it also shows that this combo is ahead of a significant portion of the tested systems.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases, which highlights the bottleneck in this system. At 1920x1080, the average FPS across all presets is 215 (calculated from 310, 248, 155, 147). This is a very high number, indicating that the system is not constrained by the GPU at this resolution. When moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS across all presets drops to 154.5 (223, 178, 111, 106), a decrease of about 28%. This is a significant drop, but the frame rates remain high. At 3840x2160, the average FPS falls to 97.25 (140, 112, 70, 67), a further reduction of about 37% from 1440p. This steep decline is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. The RTX 2070 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, is being increasingly taxed as the pixel count rises.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game. The Ryzen 7 9700F can easily push frame rates above 300 FPS at 1080p Low, but the GPU cannot keep up at higher resolutions. For example, the 4K Ultra preset only achieves 67 FPS, a massive drop from the 1080p Ultra score of 147 FPS. This represents a 54% reduction in performance. In contrast, the 1080p to 4K drop for the Low preset is from 310 FPS to 140 FPS, a 55% reduction. This consistent percentage drop across presets suggests that the GPU's rendering capability is the primary constraint. The CPU's role is to prepare frames, and it is doing so efficiently, leaving the GPU as the sole bottleneck at higher resolutions. The system's performance is therefore dictated by the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth, not the CPU's computational power.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination in Inside.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: The average FPS is 310, with no minimum or maximum data provided. This is the highest score recorded for this combo and indicates the CPU is the primary driver of performance at this setting.
• Medium: The average FPS is 248, with a minimum of 210 and a maximum of 285. This is a highly playable setting with a strong minimum frame rate, ensuring smooth gameplay.
• High: The average FPS is 155. No minimum or maximum data is available, but this is still a very high score, suitable for high-refresh monitors.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 147. This is the lowest score at 1080p but remains above the 144 Hz threshold, making it a viable option for competitive play.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: The average FPS is 223. This is a substantial drop from 1080p, but still excellent for high-refresh 1440p gaming.
• Medium: The average FPS is 178, with a minimum of 151 and a maximum of 205. This is the recommended setting for 1440p, as the minimum FPS is still above 144 FPS.
• High: The average FPS is 111. This is a playable frame rate but may not fully utilize a 144 Hz monitor.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 106. This is very close to the High preset and offers a marginal visual improvement at a slight cost to performance.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: The average FPS is 140. This is a surprisingly high score for 4K and suggests the game is well-optimized at this setting.
• Medium: The average FPS is 112, with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 129. This is the best balance for 4K, as the minimum FPS remains above 60.
• High: The average FPS is 70. This is a playable frame rate but is below the 72 FPS threshold for the smoothest experience.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 67. This is the lowest score recorded and indicates the GPU is heavily taxed at this setting, making it less ideal for a consistent experience.

The data shows a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. The system is most capable at 1080p, where it can max out any preset, and becomes progressively more constrained at higher resolutions. The Medium preset consistently provides the best balance between frame rate and visual quality, while the Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p gaming.