Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT delivers a highly capable experience in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far more demanding on frame rates than its minimalist art style suggests. The measured data shows a configuration that scales predictably across resolutions, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck at higher settings, while the CPU provides ample headroom for the game's physics and logic.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and clearly illustrates where the system's limits lie. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 295 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low reduces that to 212 FPS, a 28% decrease, and at 4K Low the average falls to 133 FPS, which is 55% below the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that even at the lowest graphical preset, the rendering load at higher pixel counts is substantial.

The trend continues across all presets. With High settings, the average FPS drops from 147 at 1080p to 106 at 1440p (a 28% loss) and further to 67 at 4K (a 54% loss). The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 236 FPS at 1080p, 170 FPS at 1440p, and 107 FPS at 4K. Interestingly, the Medium preset at 4K is the only configuration in the data that reports a minimum FPS (91) and maximum FPS (123) alongside the average, suggesting some variance in frame pacing at that resolution.

The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, sees the largest relative drop. The system manages 140 FPS at 1080p, 101 FPS at 1440p, and only 63 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K here is 55%, mirroring the Low preset's percentage loss. This consistency across presets strongly suggests that the resolution itself, not the specific graphical features, is the dominant factor in performance degradation.

What does this say about the limiting component? At 1080p, the frame rates are so high (140-295 FPS) that the CPU's processing power is likely the ceiling; a slower processor would probably not sustain these numbers. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become the constraints. The 4K results, ranging from 63 to 133 FPS depending on settings, indicate a GPU that is working hard but still delivering playable performance. The 1440p results are the sweet spot for this pairing, offering a balance where the CPU and GPU are both sufficiently utilized without either becoming a severe bottleneck.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 33 chip, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. This memory configuration provides 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a significant asset for a game like Inside that relies on streaming environments and subtle texture details. The GPU's boost clock is listed at 2755 MHz, with a game clock of 2470 MHz, indicating a high-operating-frequency design that helps maintain consistent frame delivery.

The VRAM capacity of 16 GB is notably generous for a game released in 2016. While Inside's art style does not require massive texture files, the ample memory ensures that the card never struggles with allocation at any resolution. The benchmark scores support the card's overall capability: it achieves a PassMark G3D score of 17132 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2348. Its percentile ranking is 60, meaning it outperforms 60% of all GPUs in the database.

The GPU's role in the measured FPS is clear when examining the difference between Low and Ultra presets at the same resolution. At 1080p, the gap is 155 FPS (295 vs 140), which shows the rendering pipeline reacts strongly to settings changes. At 4K, the gap is 70 FPS (133 vs 63), a smaller absolute difference but a larger percentage drop. This behavior is typical of a mid-range GPU that has enough raw compute for 1080p and 1440p gaming but begins to show its limits at 4K with higher presets. The card's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, which has an average score of 17208 (a -0.7% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 at 17037 (a 0.3% delta), placing the RX 7600 XT in a competitive mid-range tier.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Ryzen 7 9700X and RX 7600 XT ranks 2301 out of 3716 total combos for Inside. This places it in the 62nd percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly 62% of the configurations in the database for this specific game. While this rank might seem modest, it is important to consider that the database includes many high-end pairings with flagship components.

The combo's rank is likely held back by the GPU rather than the CPU. The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37943 and sits in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a top-tier processor. In contrast, the RX 7600 XT has an average score of 17083 and sits in the 60th percentile of all GPUs. The combination of a very strong CPU with a mid-range GPU means the system's overall performance is capped by the graphics card, particularly at higher resolutions.

For a game like Inside, which is not graphically intense by modern standards, this pairing still achieves excellent frame rates. The rank of 2301 suggests that many other combos have more balanced GPU-CPU pairings, but the actual gameplay experience is smooth. The data shows that at 1440p Medium, the system delivers an average of 170 FPS with a minimum of 144 FPS, which is far above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The combo's rank reflects its position in a broad field, but the measured FPS demonstrates that it is more than sufficient for this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 140 FPS.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with High settings?

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 67 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much faster is the combo at 1080p Low compared to 4K Ultra?

A: The 1080p Low average is 295 FPS, while the 4K Ultra average is 63 FPS, making the 1080p Low result roughly 4.7 times faster.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 144 FPS.

Q: Which component has a higher percentile ranking in the database?

A: The CPU (Ryzen 7 9700X) has a percentile ranking of 86, while the GPU (RX 7600 XT) has a percentile ranking of 60.

Q: How does the combo rank in the overall database for this game?

A: The combo ranks 2301 out of 3716 tested configurations for Inside.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), manufactured on a 4 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features 32 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

For Inside, a game that involves physics-based puzzles and continuous environmental interactions, the CPU's single-thread performance is critical. The 9700X excels here, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1280 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2211. These numbers place it among the fastest consumer processors for lightly-threaded workloads. The multi-threaded performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20485 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 17906, though a puzzle platformer rarely utilizes all 16 threads.

The CPU's benchmark scores indicate it is not the limiting factor in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 295 FPS, which is a frame rate that many CPUs cannot sustain. The 9700X's high boost clock and efficient architecture ensure that the GPU receives data fast enough to avoid stalls. The nearest CPU rivals in the database include the Intel Core i9-14901E (avg score 37911, delta 0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (avg score 37904, delta 0.1%), showing that the 9700X is statistically tied with these processors in overall performance.

The CPU's role in the measured FPS becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. The difference between 1080p and 1440p results at the same settings is significant, but the 1440p to 4K drop is even more pronounced. This suggests that the CPU can handle the game's logic at any resolution, but the GPU's rendering load increases disproportionately with pixel count. For a game like Inside, the 9700X provides more than enough processing power, ensuring that frame rates are only limited by the GPU's capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For those with a 1080p display, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 140 FPS, which is more than adequate for a smooth experience. However, the Medium preset offers a substantial improvement at 236 FPS, with a minimum of 201 FPS, making it the best choice for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Low preset at 295 FPS is unnecessary unless chasing maximum frame rates.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the standout performer, providing an average of 170 FPS with a minimum of 144 FPS. This is the recommended configuration for 1440p users, as it balances visual fidelity with performance. The High preset at 106 FPS is also playable, but the 64 FPS difference between High and Medium is substantial. The Ultra preset at 101 FPS is close to High but does not offer enough of a visual upgrade to justify the lower frame rate.

For 4K gaming, the situation is more nuanced. The Low preset achieves 133 FPS, which is excellent for 4K, but the visual quality may be too compromised for a game with atmospheric lighting. The Medium preset at 107 FPS is the best balance, offering a minimum of 91 FPS, which ensures consistent gameplay. The High preset at 67 FPS is playable but close to the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is not recommended, as it provides the lowest frame rate and the visual difference from High is minimal.

In summary, the data suggests using Medium settings for 1440p and 4K, while 1080p users can comfortably use Ultra or High. The Medium preset at 1440p, with its 170 FPS average and 144 FPS minimum, is the most impressive result in the entire dataset, demonstrating that this combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at that resolution.