Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination delivers extreme performance in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer. With an 8-core, 16-thread Zen 5 CPU boosting to 5.50 GHz and the Blackwell-based GPU featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, this system is designed to obliterate frame rate targets. The measured data confirms that this pairing ranks in the top percentile of all tested combos, offering frame rates that far exceed display refresh rates even at 4K Ultra settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 7 9700X is a desktop processor from AMD's 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using TSMC's 4 nm process. It features 8 physical cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB L3 cache. This configuration supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes.

For a game like Inside, which is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer rather than a heavily threaded simulation, the single-thread performance is often more critical than raw multi-core output. The 9700X's benchmark results support this: it scores 1280 in 3dmark single-thread and 4654 in Passmark single-thread. In multi-threaded tests, it scores 9824 in 3dmark with 16 threads and 9771 with max threads, showing that scaling beyond 8 cores yields diminishing returns. The Cinebench R23 scores of 2211 (single-core) and 20485 (multi-core) further illustrate a strong balance, but the single-core figure is what drives responsiveness in older game engines.

The data indicates this CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 426 FPS, which is a 33% jump over the 1080p High result of 327 FPS. This scaling suggests that even at the lowest settings, the CPU can feed the GPU adequately. The 9700X's 86th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37943, places it slightly ahead of rivals like the Intel Core i9-14901E (deltaPct 0.1) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (deltaPct 0.1). For a 2016 title, this processor is overkill, but it ensures that frame pacing remains consistent without CPU-induced stutters.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Ryzen 7 9700X and RTX 5090 D achieves a combo rank of 12 out of 2887 tested combinations in Inside. This places it in the top 0.4% of all systems benchmarked for this game. The percentile ranking is exceptionally high, reflecting that this pairing is among the fastest configurations available for this title.

The rank of 12 is notable because it indicates that only 11 other combos (out of 2887) produce higher average frame rates. Given the game's age and its modest graphical demands, the limiting factor for higher scores is likely the CPU's single-thread ceiling at extreme frame rates, not the GPU. The RTX 5090 D's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (deltaPct -1.6) and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (deltaPct -2.4), but those GPUs are not typically paired with a CPU of this caliber. The data shows that the 9700X's own nearest rivals (Intel Core i9-14901E, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370) have nearly identical average scores (deltaPct 0.1), meaning the CPU choice among top-tier options has minimal impact on the final ranking.

The high combo rank is a direct result of both components operating without a significant bottleneck. At 1080p, the system averages over 320 FPS on Ultra settings, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. Even at 4K Ultra, the 153 FPS average is above the 144 Hz threshold, making this combo suitable for high-refresh-rate 4K displays. The rank of 12 suggests that only a few exotic configurations (likely with higher-clocked CPUs or more overclocking headroom) can exceed these numbers, but for practical purposes, this combo is near the apex of performance.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

Analyzing the measured FPS across resolutions reveals where the bottleneck shifts. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 426 FPS. Dropping to 1440p Low yields 381 FPS, a 10.6% reduction, and at 4K Low it falls to 321 FPS, a 24.6% reduction from 1080p. This pattern indicates that at Low settings, the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases, but the CPU still has headroom.

For High settings, the scaling is more pronounced: 1080p High is 327 FPS, 1440p High is 255 FPS (a 22% drop), and 4K High is 160 FPS (a 51% drop from 1080p). The steep drop between 1440p and 4K High (from 255 to 160 FPS) is a clear sign that the GPU's rendering workload is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of VRAM is not a factor here, as Inside is a lightweight title, but the pixel fill rate and shading throughput (104.8 TFLOPS FP32) become limiting.

The Ultra settings show a similar trend: 1080p Ultra at 322 FPS, 1440p Ultra at 243 FPS (24.5% drop), and 4K Ultra at 153 FPS (52.5% drop from 1080p). The fact that the FPS nearly halves from 1080p to 4K on both High and Ultra presets indicates that the GPU is the scaling bottleneck. The CPU's single-thread score of 1280 in 3dmark and 4654 in Passmark is sufficient to maintain over 300 FPS at 1080p, but as resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows faster than the CPU's ability to feed it, resulting in the observed frame rate declines.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The dataset provides average FPS for three resolutions and four settings presets, with min/max values only for Medium settings. Here is the full breakdown:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 426 FPS average
• Medium: 393 FPS average, with a min of 334 and max of 452
• High: 327 FPS average
• Ultra: 322 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 381 FPS average
• Medium: 352 FPS average, with a min of 299 and max of 405
• High: 255 FPS average
• Ultra: 243 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 321 FPS average
• Medium: 256 FPS average, with a min of 218 and max of 295
• High: 160 FPS average
• Ultra: 153 FPS average

The Medium preset shows the narrowest range between min and max FPS across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the variance is 118 FPS (334-452), while at 4K Medium, the variance is 77 FPS (218-295). This suggests that Medium settings provide a stable frame time experience, with the 4K Medium average of 256 FPS being 60% higher than the 4K High average of 160 FPS.

The difference between High and Ultra is minimal at all resolutions: at 1080p, High is 327 FPS versus Ultra's 322 FPS (a 1.5% difference); at 1440p, the gap is 255 to 243 FPS (a 4.7% difference); at 4K, it is 160 to 153 FPS (a 4.4% difference). This implies that the Ultra preset adds visual features that are nearly free in performance terms, making it a viable option even at high resolutions.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a powerhouse from the GeForce 50-series, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process. It houses the GB202 chip with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2017 MHz and boosts to 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides a staggering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth.

For Inside, the GPU's role is primarily to push pixels at high fill rates. The RTX 5090 D has 176 ROPs, which deliver a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s, and 680 TMUs for a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS is overkill for a 2D platformer, but it ensures that the game runs at maximum frame rates without any GPU-related stutter. The 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores are unused in this title, but they contribute to the GPU's overall benchmark score of 77712, placing it in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs.

The GPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904, deltaPct 1.1) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940, deltaPct -1.6). Despite these rivals having similar average scores, the RTX 5090 D's raw specs (32 GB VRAM, 512-bit bus) make it more future-proof for other titles. In Inside, the GPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p, as evidenced by the 426 FPS on Low settings. However, at 4K Ultra, the 153 FPS average shows that the GPU is being pushed, albeit still delivering high performance.

The memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s is particularly relevant for high-resolution rendering, as it allows the GPU to quickly access textures and frame buffers. With 32 GB of GDDR7, there is no risk of VRAM exhaustion in this game, even at 4K with maximum settings. The GPU's 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested PSU are high, but the measured performance justifies the power consumption for users seeking the absolute highest frame rates.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Given the measured data, the choice of settings depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, all presets deliver over 320 FPS, making the Ultra preset the best choice. The 322 FPS average on Ultra is only 1.5% lower than High (327 FPS), so there is no practical reason to drop below Ultra at this resolution. The Medium preset at 393 FPS is higher, but the visual fidelity loss is not worth the 22% frame rate increase when the system already exceeds 300 FPS.

For 1440p, the Ultra preset at 243 FPS is still above the 240 Hz refresh rate of the fastest gaming monitors. The High preset at 255 FPS offers a 4.9% improvement, but again, the difference is negligible in real-world terms. The Medium preset at 352 FPS is tempting for competitive play, but Inside is a single-player puzzle game, so the visual quality of Ultra is preferable. The 4.7% FPS difference between High and Ultra at 1440p does not justify lowering settings.

For 4K, the decision is more nuanced. The Ultra preset at 153 FPS is above 144 Hz but below 165 Hz or 240 Hz. The High preset at 160 FPS provides a 4.6% improvement, which might be enough to hit a 160 Hz refresh rate. However, the Medium preset at 256 FPS is a substantial 60% faster than High, and it includes min/max FPS of 218-295, indicating consistent frame pacing. For 4K users with high-refresh-rate displays (240 Hz), the Medium preset is the best balance, as it delivers 256 FPS average with a minimum of 218 FPS, ensuring no drops below 200 FPS. The Low preset at 321 FPS is even higher but sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that relies on atmospheric lighting and shadows.

In summary, the recommended settings are: Ultra for 1080p and 1440p, and Medium for 4K. The data shows that Medium at 4K provides the best combination of frame rate and stability, with a 256 FPS average and a narrow 77 FPS range between min and max. For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, Ultra at 4K is still playable at 153 FPS, but the Medium preset offers the smoothest experience without visible stutter. The 2016 game engine benefits from high frame rates, and this combo ensures that the GPU is never the bottleneck at 1080p or 1440p, allowing the CPU's 8 cores to deliver consistent performance.