Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination delivers a stellar experience in Inside, a puzzle-platformer where frame rate headroom is abundant across all tested settings and resolutions. The measured data places this pairing at rank 329 out of 1,671 tested combos for this specific game, putting it in the top 20% of all configurations. While the ranking is strong, the more telling story is the raw performance: this combo never dips below 97 frames per second (FPS) even at maximum settings in 4K, and it scales to over 400 FPS at 1080p on Low, indicating that the hardware is rarely the bottleneck in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 329 out of 1,671 tested configurations is a clear indicator of high-tier performance. It places the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 3080 in the 80th percentile or higher among all tested pairings for Inside. This ranking is driven by the synergy between a top-tier CPU and a high-end, though last-generation, GPU. The benchmark results suggest that for this game, the combination offers near-flagship-level frame rates, with the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensuring that the GPU is fed efficiently even at lower resolutions where CPU overhead is typically the limiting factor. The data shows that the combo is not just about raw power; it is about balance, as the score distribution across resolutions indicates no significant weak point where either component drags the other down.

CPU Role

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. Its substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a key asset for gaming, as it reduces memory latency and improves data access for physics and game logic. In Inside, which is not heavily multi-threaded, the CPU’s single-core performance is paramount. Benchmark data supports this: the CPU scores 4,800 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 3,341 in Geekbench single-core. These scores place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, and it sits in a tight cluster with rivals like the Intel Core i5-13600KF (average score 38,028, -0.7% delta) and Intel Core i9-13900HK (average score 38,020, -0.6% delta). For Inside, the processor's high boost clock and cache hierarchy ensure that even at 1080p with Low settings, the CPU does not become a limiting factor, allowing the GPU to push out frame rates exceeding 400 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 uses the Ampere architecture on an 8 nm process from Samsung, featuring the GA102 chip. It has 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's memory configuration is more than sufficient for a game like Inside, which has modest texture requirements. The RTX 3080’s boost clock is 1710 MHz, and it offers 8,704 shading units. Its compute capabilities are strong, with an FP32 throughput of 29.77 TFLOPS. In the GPU benchmark hierarchy, it achieves an 80th percentile standing among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (average score 36,101, -0.9% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile (average score 35,435, 1% delta). For Inside, the GPU's raw throughput is the primary driver of the frame rates seen at 4K Ultra, where it maintains an average of 97.4 FPS. The 10 GB VRAM is ample for the game’s art style, ensuring no texture pop-in or stutter is observed in the data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance scaling across resolutions and settings. The trend is consistent: frame rates are exceptionally high at lower resolutions, and the drop-off to 4K is smooth and predictable.

At 1920x1080, the combo is heavily CPU-bound in the best way possible. On Low settings, the average FPS is 403.2. Moving to Medium yields 353.1 FPS, High drops to 220.3 FPS, and Ultra settles at 206.9 FPS. The performance difference between Low and Ultra is roughly 49%, which is a significant gap, but even the lowest figure is far beyond the refresh rate of any standard monitor.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain buttery smooth. Low settings produce an average of 318.7 FPS, while Medium achieves 254.7 FPS. High settings drop to 158.8 FPS, and Ultra runs at 151.9 FPS. The scaling between High and Ultra is minimal here, suggesting the GPU is still well within its comfort zone, and the CPU is providing consistent frame pacing.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to assert its dominance. Low settings still deliver a very playable 200.8 FPS, and Medium manages 156.8 FPS. However, High and Ultra settings converge to 97.6 FPS and 97.4 FPS, respectively. This indicates that at 4K, the RTX 3080 is nearing its pixel-pushing limits, but the performance is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for a smooth experience. The data shows a clear inflection point at 4K where the frame rate advantage of lower settings compresses, but the absolute numbers remain impressive for a 2016 title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and setting combo for a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 2560x1440, the combo achieves 151.9 FPS on Ultra and 158.8 FPS on High, both of which are above 144Hz. At 1920x1080, even Ultra settings hit 206.9 FPS, so a 144Hz monitor can be fully saturated at both resolutions with any settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival in terms of average score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 37,780. Its closest rival, the Intel Xeon 6353P, scores 37,811, which is a -0.1% delta, meaning the Ryzen is effectively tied with it. The gap to the Intel Core i5-13600KF is also narrow, at -0.7%.

Q: Is the 10 GB VRAM on the RTX 3080 sufficient for this game?

A: Yes, the measured data shows no performance anomalies that would indicate VRAM limitations. The game runs at high frame rates even at 4K Ultra, demonstrating that the 10 GB GDDR6X memory and its 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are more than enough for Inside's requirements.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rate on Low is 200.8 FPS, while on Ultra it is 97.4 FPS. This represents a drop of approximately 51% when moving from the lowest to the highest settings at that resolution.

Q: How does the GPU rank compared to the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE?

A: The RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 35,787, while the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE scores 36,101. This puts the RTX 3080 at a -0.9% delta relative to the RX 7900 GRE, indicating they are very closely matched in synthetic tests.

Q: Does the CPU's performance bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: No, the data suggests the opposite. At 1920x1080 on Low, the combo hits 403.2 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. This indicates that the CPU’s 5.20 GHz boost clock and 96 MB L3 cache are capable of feeding the RTX 3080 to its full potential, even in a scenario with minimal GPU load.