Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016, and the measured data places this specific pairing—AMD Ryzen 7 9700X with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB—near the bottom of the database for this title. The benchmark results show a combo rank of 1501 out of 1671 tested combinations. That puts this system in the bottom 10% of all recorded configurations for Inside, which is a significant indicator of a GPU-bound bottleneck at higher settings, given that the CPU is a modern high-end part.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1501 out of 1671 is a clear statement about performance headroom. This is not a reflection of the CPU’s capability; the Ryzen 7 9700X ranks in the 89th percentile against all CPUs and holds an average benchmark score of 36029. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14500HX (delta of 0.2%), the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (delta of -0.4%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (delta of 0.6%). These are all close scores, indicating the 9700X is a mid-to-upper tier processor in synthetic tests.

However, in this game, the data shows the combination falls far behind. The ranking implies that for a 2016 puzzle platformer, the limiting factor is almost entirely the graphics card. The RTX 3050 4 GB sits at the 50th percentile for all GPUs, which is average, but its performance in this specific title is hampered by its memory configuration and raw throughput. The data suggests that while the CPU is doing its job, the GPU is holding the entire system back, especially as resolution and settings increase.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is the primary driver of the frame rates here. Its specifications include a base clock of 1545 MHz and a boost clock of 1740 MHz. The memory is 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s. The memory clock is listed as 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective. This is a dual-slot card with a 90 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 250 W.

The 4 GB VRAM capacity is the critical detail. In Inside, the measured FPS drops sharply when moving from Low to Ultra settings, which indicates that the card is running out of memory or fill rate at higher presets. The GPU has 2048 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The pixel rate is 55.68 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 111.4 GTexel/s. These numbers are modest by modern standards, and for a game like Inside, which relies on smooth, consistent frame pacing, the GPU’s limitations become apparent at 4K with High or Ultra settings. The card’s FP32 performance is 7.127 TFLOPS, which is sufficient for older titles but not for high-resolution high-detail work.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a classic scaling pattern that confirms the GPU is the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system hits 199 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 41.2 FPS. This is a massive reduction of over 79% from the peak. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K shows a linear relationship that is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario.

At High settings, the FPS drops from 101.3 at 1080p to 70.6 at 1440p, and then to 43.6 at 4K. This is a clear indication that the GPU is struggling to maintain performance as the pixel count increases. The CPU is not the issue here; the Ryzen 7 9700X has 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, which is more than enough for a game from 2016. The resolution scaling shows that the RTX 3050 4 GB is the limiting component, and the frame rates at 4K are only playable on Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Here is the exact data from the benchmark results for this combo.

1920x1080:

• Low: 199 FPS
• Medium: 160.3 FPS
• High: 101.3 FPS
• Ultra: 95.1 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 144.1 FPS
• Medium: 114.8 FPS
• High: 70.6 FPS
• Ultra: 67.5 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 90.2 FPS
• Medium: 70.7 FPS
• High: 43.6 FPS
• Ultra: 41.2 FPS

At 1080p, the system is very capable. The jump from Low to Medium costs about 38 FPS, which is significant, but the game remains playable. The difference between High and Ultra is smaller, only about 6 FPS, suggesting that Ultra’s additional effects are not heavily taxing at this resolution. At 1440p, the pattern holds, but the High to Ultra gap narrows to about 3 FPS. At 4K, the performance collapses. Low is the only playable setting, delivering 90.2 FPS, while High and Ultra are both in the low 40s, which is not ideal for a platformer that requires precise timing.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to a specific sweet spot. At 1080p, Medium settings at 160.3 FPS offer a great balance of visual quality and smoothness, especially for a game where frame timing matters. High at 101.3 FPS is also fine, but the jump to Ultra at 95.1 FPS provides minimal visual benefit for the performance loss. For 1440p, Medium is again the optimal choice at 114.8 FPS, providing a high refresh rate experience. Low at 144.1 FPS is also viable, but Medium is a better visual compromise.

At 4K, the choices are stark. Low at 90.2 FPS is the only way to get a smooth experience. Medium at 70.7 FPS is borderline playable, but High and Ultra drop below 44 FPS, which is not recommended. The data suggests that this GPU is not meant for 4K High or Ultra in this title. For most users, 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium will provide the best combination of visual fidelity and performance, avoiding the steep drop-offs seen at higher presets.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a Zen 5 architecture processor on the AM5 socket. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The TDP is 65 W, and it supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus. The cache structure includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. Its synthetic benchmarks are strong: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 31588 and a single-core score of 4459.

In this game, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The benchmark results show that the frame rates are dictated by the GPU’s performance at higher resolutions and settings. The CPU’s single-thread performance, as shown by the Passmark single-thread score of 4654, is more than sufficient for a puzzle platformer. The data does not show any CPU-related stutters or bottlenecks; the FPS scales directly with the GPU load. The 9700X is a high-end processor that is effectively wasted in this pairing for Inside, as the RTX 3050 4 GB simply cannot keep up. The CPU’s 16 threads are far more than this game needs, making it a future-proof choice for other titles, but for this specific game, it does not influence the outcome.