Inside

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 lands at rank 2301 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. That places this configuration in the bottom 20% of all systems tested, which is a surprising result given the hardware involved. The data shows this is not a case of weak components, but rather a combination that is dramatically overqualified for the game's demands at most settings. The combo rank reflects how the pairing performs specifically in this title, not its general compute capability. With the CPU sitting in the 87th percentile of all CPUs and the GPU in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, the low combo rank suggests the game's engine simply cannot leverage the available hardware. The measured frame rates are high in absolute terms, but the rank compares against every other pairing tested, and many mid-range or older combos likely achieve similar or better results in this lightweight puzzle platformer.

The nearest rivals for the CPU tell an interesting story. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D's average benchmark score is 39768, sitting between the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS at 39603 (0.4% lower) and the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 at 40081 (0.8% higher). The Ryzen AI 9 365 sits at 40048, just 0.7% above. These are all very close scores, indicating the 9800X3D's performance is well-balanced but not exceptional in synthetic tests. However, the 3D V-Cache and high boost clock of 5.20 GHz should theoretically benefit gaming workloads. For the GPU, the Arc B570's average score of 20556 places it within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and 0.1% below the Intel Arc A750. These are comparable mid-range performers. The fact that this combo still ranks so low in Inside points to the game being far more dependent on single-threaded CPU performance or simply not stressing the GPU enough to differentiate.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data presents a clear hierarchy across the four settings presets. At 1080p, Low settings deliver 240 FPS average, Medium drops to 192 FPS, High to 120 FPS, and Ultra to 114 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 48 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 6 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset offers diminishing returns over High, with only a small performance penalty but likely marginal visual improvements. For the best experience balancing smoothness and visual quality, Medium settings at 1080p appear optimal. The 192 FPS average is well above typical display refresh rates, and the minimum FPS of 163 ensures no perceptible stutter. High settings at 120 FPS is also viable for standard 120Hz displays, but Medium provides a 60% higher frame rate for what is likely a modest visual difference in a 2D puzzle platformer.

At 1440p, the pattern shifts. Low delivers 172 FPS, Medium 138 FPS, High 86 FPS, and Ultra 82 FPS. The Medium preset again shows the best balance, with a 52 FPS advantage over High and a minimum FPS of 117 that stays comfortably above 60. High at 86 FPS is playable but leaves less headroom. At 4K, the situation becomes more constrained. Low delivers 108 FPS, Medium 87 FPS, High 54 FPS, and Ultra 52 FPS. Here, Medium is the clear recommendation for 4K, as it maintains a playable 87 FPS average with a 74 FPS minimum. High and Ultra dip below 60 FPS, which is marginal for a game like Inside that benefits from smooth motion. The data indicates that Medium is the sweet spot across all resolutions, offering the largest performance margin while still providing acceptable visual quality for this title's art style.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, but with surprising headroom. At Medium settings, the transition from 1080p to 1440p costs 54 FPS (192 to 138), and from 1440p to 4K costs another 51 FPS (138 to 87). This is a linear scaling pattern typical of a GPU-limited workload. However, at High settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34 FPS (120 to 86), and from 1440p to 4K is 32 FPS (86 to 54). The scaling is consistent, suggesting the Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient even at 4K, but the GPU's compute throughput becomes the limiting factor. The 4K High result of 54 FPS indicates the GPU is approaching its limits, while the 4K Medium result of 87 FPS shows there is still headroom if settings are reduced.

The 1080p Low result of 240 FPS is telling. This is likely near the game's engine cap or the CPU's single-threaded limit. Given the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's single-thread score of 1212 in 3DMark and 2080 in Cinebench R23, the CPU is not the bottleneck at 1080p Low. The 240 FPS figure is likely an engine limit for Inside, which was released in 2016 and has modest hardware requirements. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings shows 240 to 172 to 108 FPS, a drop of 28% then 37%. This is less severe than the Medium or High scaling, indicating that at Low settings, the GPU still has significant headroom even at 4K. The limiting component shifts from the GPU at 4K High/Ultra to the engine or CPU at 1080p Low. The data suggests that for most resolutions and settings, the Arc B570 is the primary constraint, but the CPU is so capable that it never becomes a bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measurements show a wide spread across settings. Low settings produce an average of 240 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 192 FPS with a minimum of 163 and maximum of 221, showing consistent frame delivery. High settings average 120 FPS, while Ultra settings average 114 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is minimal, suggesting Ultra may not be worth the extra visual load. The 1080p results indicate this combo can easily drive high refresh rate displays at any setting. Even at Ultra, the 114 FPS average exceeds 100 FPS, making it suitable for 100Hz+ monitors. The minimum FPS is only recorded for Medium settings, but the 163 FPS floor indicates no major frame drops.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results scale down predictably. Low settings deliver 172 FPS, Medium averages 138 FPS with a minimum of 117 and maximum of 159, High averages 86 FPS, and Ultra averages 82 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p provides the best experience for high refresh rate gaming, staying above 100 FPS on average. High and Ultra both hover around 82-86 FPS, which is suitable for 75Hz or 85Hz displays but leaves less headroom. The minimum FPS of 117 at Medium ensures smooth gameplay even during intense scenes. At 1440p, the gap between High and Ultra narrows to just 4 FPS, reinforcing that Ultra offers little benefit over High in this game.

At 3840x2160, the results show where the GPU starts to struggle. Low settings average 108 FPS, which is still highly playable. Medium averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 and maximum of 100, providing a solid 4K experience. High settings drop to 54 FPS, and Ultra to 52 FPS. Both High and Ultra fall below the 60 FPS threshold, making them less desirable for 4K gaming. The 4K results highlight the Arc B570's limits, but the Medium preset proves capable of delivering a smooth 4K experience. The minimum FPS of 74 at 4K Medium is respectable and indicates the GPU can maintain playable frame rates even in demanding scenes. For 4K gaming, Medium is the recommended setting, as it offers nearly double the frame rate of High while still providing acceptable visual quality for Inside's minimalist art direction.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D overkill for Inside?

A: The data indicates yes. The CPU has 8 cores, 16 threads, and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, with a 96 MB shared L3 cache. Yet even at 1080p Low, the game only reaches 240 FPS, which is likely an engine cap. The CPU's percentile rank of 87% and its benchmark scores show it is far more powerful than what Inside requires.

Q: Can the Intel Arc B570 handle 4K in this game?

A: Yes, with caveats. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 87 with a minimum of 74, which is smooth. However, at 4K High, the average drops to 54 FPS, and at Ultra to 52 FPS. The GPU's 10 GB memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient, but the compute performance limits higher settings at 4K.

Q: What is the best setting for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: Medium settings deliver 138 FPS average with a 117 FPS minimum, which is below 144 FPS but close. Low settings at 172 FPS would fully saturate a 144Hz display. High settings at 86 FPS would not take full advantage of a 144Hz monitor.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20556, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.1% lower than the Intel Arc A750 (20582). The AMD Radeon R9 M390X is 0.5% higher at 20662, and the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 0.4% lower at 20480.

Q: Is there a significant difference between High and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, High averages 120 FPS and Ultra averages 114 FPS, a 6 FPS difference. At 1440p, High averages 86 FPS and Ultra averages 82 FPS, a 4 FPS difference. At 4K, High averages 54 FPS and Ultra averages 52 FPS, a 2 FPS difference. The Ultra preset offers minimal performance cost but likely negligible visual gains.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The data suggests no. At 1080p Low, the game hits 240 FPS, which is likely an engine limit. The CPU's single-thread score of 1212 in 3DMark and 4430 in PassMark indicates it is not the limiting factor. The GPU becomes the bottleneck at 4K High and Ultra, where frame rates drop below 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a Zen 5 architecture processor on the Granite Ridge codename, built on TSMC's 4 nm process. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. The 96 MB shared L3 cache is a defining feature, designed to improve gaming performance by reducing memory access latency. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration and a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 23230 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2080 in single-core, along with 18696 in Geekbench multi-core and 2964 in single-core. The PassMark multi-thread score is 40009, and single-thread is 4430.

In Inside, the CPU's role is minimal due to the game's 2016 release and simple puzzle platformer nature. The measured FPS at 1080p Low hits 240 FPS, which is likely an engine cap rather than a CPU limitation. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1212 and 2-thread score of 2394 indicate strong single and dual-core performance, which is what older games typically rely on. The 8-core configuration is overkill for this title, as the game likely uses only a few threads. The data shows that even at 1080p Medium, where the GPU is more stressed, the CPU easily keeps up, delivering 192 FPS. The CPU's 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its high-end positioning, but this does not translate to a high combo rank in Inside because the game simply does not demand much processing power.

The nearest CPU rivals have nearly identical average benchmark scores: the Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS at 39603 (0.4% lower), Ryzen AI 9 365 at 40048 (0.7% higher), Ryzen AI 7 450 at 39485 (0.7% lower), and Ryzen 7 7700 at 40081 (0.8% higher). These small deltas show that the 9800X3D is not significantly ahead of mid-range mobile and desktop chips in general compute, but its gaming-specific features like the large L3 cache and high boost clock are meant to excel in games. However, Inside does not benefit from these features, as the low combo rank of 2301 out of 2887 demonstrates. The CPU's 120 W TDP and unlocked multiplier suggest it is designed for enthusiasts, but for this specific game, a much simpler processor would deliver identical results.