Inside

Inside is a 2D puzzle platformer from 2016, and this particular pairing of an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D with an AMD Radeon RX 570 creates an interesting bottleneck dynamic. The data shows a system where the CPU is drastically overqualified for the task, while the GPU, an end-of-life Polaris 20 part with 4 GB of VRAM, becomes the primary constraint at higher settings. This combination ranks 1575th out of 1671 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower quartile of performance pairings. The benchmark results indicate a playable experience is achievable, but only by making deliberate compromises on visual fidelity and resolution.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process at TSMC. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. The CPU has a 120 W TDP and supports DDR5 memory through a dual-channel bus, offering 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. Its 96 MB of shared L3 cache is substantial, though the 8,315 million transistors and 70.6 mm² die size are more relevant to general compute than to this specific game’s frame pacing.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU posts strong numbers: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 34004 and a single-core score of 4800. The Geekbench multicore result is 18413, with a single-core score of 3341. Its 3DMark 16-thread score is 10081, and the single-thread score is 1212. These results place the CPU in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37780. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6353P, scores 37811, which is a negligible 0.1% difference, indicating that this chip is effectively tied with that server part in aggregate compute. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D sits 0.6% behind the Intel Core i9-13900HK and 0.7% behind the Intel Core i5-13600KF in average score.

For Inside, a game that is not CPU-intensive, these scores are far beyond what is required. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 135.2 FPS, which is likely limited by the GPU rather than the CPU. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is heavily taxed, the CPU’s 16 threads and high boost clock ensure that it does not become the bottleneck. The data suggests that the 8 cores and 16 threads are effectively idle headroom; the processor’s role here is to provide consistent frame delivery without stutter, which its high single-thread performance supports. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2394 and 4-thread score of 4669 confirm that even lightly threaded workloads are handled with ease.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is a much older piece of hardware, released in 2017, based on the Polaris 20 chip and GCN 4.0 architecture. It uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries, with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die. The GPU has a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). It comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is 5.095 TFLOPS.

In GPU benchmarks, the RX 570 scores 880 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 44915 in Geekbench Metal, 32084 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 42752 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its average benchmark score is 30158, placing it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. Interestingly, its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (scoring 30109, a 0.2% difference) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (scoring 30097, also 0.2% ahead of the RX 570). This is an artifact of the benchmark scoring, as the newer cards are far more capable in modern titles, but in this specific database, they are comparable.

For Inside, the RX 570’s 4 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s art style, but the GPU’s raw compute limits performance. The data shows a clear pattern: as settings increase, the frame rate drops sharply, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the card delivers 135.2 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 62.3 FPS. This is a 54% reduction in frame rate from Low to Ultra, which points to the GPU’s shading units and memory bandwidth being saturated by the higher-quality effects. The 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p but becomes strained at higher resolutions.

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

The measured FPS data shows a steep decline as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. At Low settings, the frame rate goes from 135.2 FPS at 1080p to 97.9 FPS at 1440p, then to 61.5 FPS at 4K. That is a 27.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 37.2% further drop from 1440p to 4K. This scaling is consistent with a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput.

At High settings, the drop is from 68.5 FPS at 1080p to 47.5 FPS at 1440p (a 30.7% reduction), and then to 32.4 FPS at 4K (a 31.8% reduction from 1440p). The pattern is similar at Medium and Ultra settings. For example, at Ultra, the system goes from 62.3 FPS at 1080p to 45.1 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 30.6 FPS at 4K.

These numbers indicate that the CPU is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting performance, we would expect the frame rates to be similar across resolutions, since the CPU workload does not scale with pixel count. Instead, the frame rate drops proportionally with the number of pixels, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s 3DMark max threads score of 10067 and Passmark multithread score of 40009 are irrelevant here, as the game is not utilizing them. The RX 570’s 32 ROPs are likely the limiting factor at 4K, as the pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s is insufficient for that resolution.

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

Based on the measured data, the best experience depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience, the Low preset is the only option at 4K, delivering 61.5 FPS. At 1440p, Low gives 97.9 FPS, which is excellent, but Medium at 80.6 FPS is also highly playable and will look notably better. At 1080p, Low delivers 135.2 FPS, while Medium hits 108.6 FPS. High at 1080p is 68.5 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS, but the jump to Ultra drops it to 62.3 FPS.

For a balance of visuals and performance, the Medium preset at 1080p is the sweet spot, offering 108.6 FPS, which is more than enough for a smooth experience. If the user has a 1440p monitor, Medium at 80.6 FPS is recommended, as it stays above the 60 FPS threshold while providing better detail than Low. At 4K, the data shows that only Low is viable for a playable frame rate, as Medium drops to 49.5 FPS and High to 32.4 FPS, which are too low for a platformer requiring precise timing.

The data does not support using Ultra at any resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the frame rate is 62.3 FPS, which is playable but not a significant improvement over High’s 68.5 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 45.1 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it is 30.6 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Therefore, the recommendation is to stick with Medium at 1080p or 1440p, and Low at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Inside at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The measured data shows 61.5 FPS at 3840x2160 with Low settings. Medium settings drop to 49.5 FPS, which is below 60 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The frame rates scale heavily with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of GPU limitation. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s benchmark scores are far above what this game requires, while the RX 570’s 4 GB VRAM and 32 ROPs are the limiting factors.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Medium is the best choice for 1440p. It delivers 80.6 FPS, which is above 60 FPS, and provides a better visual experience than Low, which runs at 97.9 FPS. High drops to 47.5 FPS, which is not smooth enough.

Q: How does the RX 570 compare to its nearest rivals in this benchmark database?

A: The RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 30158. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, scores 30109, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT scores 30097, also 0.2% higher. The NVIDIA Tesla M60 scores 29969, which is 0.6% lower.

Q: Does the CPU’s 3D V-Cache help in Inside?

A: The data does not show a specific benefit. The CPU has 96 MB of shared L3 cache, but since the game is GPU-bound, the cache size does not influence the measured frame rates. The CPU’s single-thread score of 4800 in Cinebench R23 is sufficient for the game’s logic.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low delivers 135.2 FPS, while Ultra delivers 62.3 FPS. This is a 72.9 FPS difference, or a 54% reduction, indicating that the higher preset significantly taxes the GPU.

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

The following table summarizes the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset. All values are exact from the data.

• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• Low: 135.2 FPS
• Medium: 108.6 FPS
• High: 68.5 FPS
• Ultra: 62.3 FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• Low: 97.9 FPS
• Medium: 80.6 FPS
• High: 47.5 FPS
• Ultra: 45.1 FPS

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• Low: 61.5 FPS
• Medium: 49.5 FPS
• High: 32.4 FPS
• Ultra: 30.6 FPS

The data shows that the highest playable frame rate is achieved at 1080p Low (135.2 FPS), while the lowest playable frame rate is at 4K Ultra (30.6 FPS). The gap between Low and Ultra is consistent across resolutions, with Ultra being roughly half the frame rate of Low at each resolution. For example, at 1440p, Low is 97.9 FPS and Ultra is 45.1 FPS, which is a 54% reduction. This consistency reinforces the conclusion that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the performance penalty scales linearly with the increased workload of higher settings.