Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination delivers a remarkably smooth experience in Inside, a puzzle platformer that is far more demanding on frame rates than its minimalist aesthetic suggests. The data shows this pairing is capable of high refresh rates even at 4K, with the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensuring the GPU is the primary bottleneck across most settings. Benchmark results indicate that this combo ranks in the 1032nd position out of 1671 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database, a position driven by the GPU’s 72nd percentile standing among all graphics cards.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Inside?*

A: The highest recorded average is 294.7 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This indicates the game engine is highly scalable and the hardware is capable of extreme performance when visual fidelity is reduced.

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

A: Yes, it can. At 3840x2160 resolution, the combo produces an average of 66.5 FPS on High settings and 63 FPS on Ultra. While the Ultra setting dips below the 60 FPS threshold, the High preset keeps the experience fluid at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 36029, which places it 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14500HX and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845. It trails the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H by 0.4% and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H by 0.8%.

Q: What is the performance delta between the GPU and its nearest competitor?

A: The Radeon RX 6650 XT’s average benchmark score is 29024, which is statistically tied with the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (0% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 470 (0.1% delta). It is 0.5% faster than the Intel Arc A370M and 0.6% faster than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH.

Q: What is the impact of raising settings from Low to Ultra at 1080p?

A: The frame rate drops by more than half. At 1920x1080, the average FPS falls from 294.7 on Low to 141.2 on Ultra, a significant reduction that shows the GPU’s shading units and ROPs are being heavily utilized by the higher-quality effects.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit performance at 4K?

A: Based on the measured data, no. The average frame rate at 3840x2160 on Ultra is 63 FPS, which is only slightly lower than the 66.5 FPS recorded on High. The consistent performance across resolutions suggests the memory capacity is sufficient for this title’s demands.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a Navi 23 chip. Its role in Inside is defined by its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. This memory configuration is paired with 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs, which handle the game’s lighting and post-processing effects. The GPU’s boost clock of 2635 MHz and game clock of 2410 MHz are critical for maintaining high frame rates, as the measured data shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions.

The GPU’s performance is consistent with its 72nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, and its benchmark scores show a DirectX 11 score of 169 and a DirectX 12 score of 62, indicating that the architecture is better suited for older APIs. In Inside, the GPU’s FP32 compute of 10.79 TFLOPS is sufficient to push frame rates well above 60 FPS at 1440p on Ultra settings, but the data reveals that the jump from Medium to Ultra at 4K incurs a significant cost, dropping from 105.1 FPS to 63 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM does not appear to be a bottleneck, as the frame rate drop from High to Ultra at 4K is modest (66.5 to 63 FPS), suggesting the rendering pipeline is limited by compute rather than memory capacity.

The GPU’s measured performance here is notably higher than its synthetic benchmarks suggest, as the game’s art style relies on simple geometry but complex shaders. The texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s are ample for this title, allowing the card to maintain high utilization without hitting architectural limits.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 9700X and the Radeon RX 6650 XT ranks 1032 out of 1671 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the 62nd percentile of all pairings, a position that reflects the GPU’s mid-range standing rather than the CPU’s high-end capabilities. The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking among all processors (average benchmark score of 36029) means it is never the limiting factor; the data shows that the GPU’s 72nd percentile ranking (average benchmark score of 29024) is the primary determinant of the combo’s overall position.

This ranking is consistent across the measured FPS data, where the system performs well above the 60 FPS target at 1080p and 1440p on all settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 63 FPS is just barely above the playable threshold. When compared to other combos in the database, this pairing’s strength lies in its consistency: it does not have a weak resolution or setting that causes a catastrophic frame rate drop. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-14500HX (0.2% delta) and Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (-0.4% delta), would likely produce similar results in this GPU-bound scenario, confirming that the combo’s ranking is driven by the graphics card.

The benchmark results indicate that this combo is positioned for 1440p gaming as its sweet spot, where it achieves 98.5 FPS on Ultra and 207.4 FPS on Low. This aligns with the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute capabilities, which are well-matched to the game’s requirements at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance scaling. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 294.7 FPS on Low, 237.1 FPS on Medium, 148.4 FPS on High, and 141.2 FPS on Ultra. The gap between High and Ultra is relatively small (7.2 FPS), suggesting that the Ultra preset adds minimal visual benefit for the performance cost at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the numbers are still impressive: 207.4 FPS on Low, 166.2 FPS on Medium, 108 FPS on High, and 98.5 FPS on Ultra. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces frame rates by roughly 30%, which is consistent with the pixel count increase. The system maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS even at the highest settings.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes more demanding. The average FPS drops to 132.8 on Low, 105.1 on Medium, 66.5 on High, and 63 on Ultra. The scaling from Medium to High is steep (a 38.6 FPS drop), while the drop from High to Ultra is minimal (3.5 FPS). This indicates that the High preset is the optimal balance for 4K, as it provides a significant visual improvement over Medium while staying above the 60 FPS threshold.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the difference between Low and Medium is substantial across all resolutions (averaging a 25% increase in FPS), while the difference between High and Ultra is negligible. This suggests that the Ultra settings are not well-optimized for this hardware, as they produce diminishing returns.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080 displays, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, as the 141.2 FPS average is well above the refresh rate of most monitors, and the visual fidelity improvements over High are worth the small performance cost. Even at Ultra, the system has significant headroom, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming.

For 2560x1440, the High preset offers the best experience. At 108 FPS, it provides a smooth and responsive gameplay experience, while the Ultra preset’s 98.5 FPS is also acceptable but offers marginal visual gains. The Medium preset at 166.2 FPS is overkill for most displays and sacrifices too much visual quality.

For 3840x2160, the High preset is the clear winner. The 66.5 FPS average stays above the 60 FPS threshold, delivering a playable 4K experience. The Ultra preset’s 63 FPS is technically playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes, and the Low preset (132.8 FPS) compromises too much visual quality. The Medium preset at 105.1 FPS is a viable alternative for those who prioritize frame rate over detail, but the High preset provides the best balance of performance and fidelity.

The data indicates that the game is well-optimized for this hardware, as the recommended presets all exceed 60 FPS. The key takeaway is that the GPU’s performance is sufficient for high-quality gaming at 1440p, while 4K requires a slight compromise in settings to maintain smooth gameplay.