Inside

# Inside — AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer that is far from demanding by modern standards. The measured FPS data shows this combo is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions yet CPU-capable enough to push extreme frame rates at 1080p. With the RTX 5050's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's 8-core/16-thread configuration, this pairing produces average frame rates ranging from 64 FPS at 4K Ultra to 296 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that the component limiting performance shifts dramatically depending on resolution and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals how this game scales with pixel count and where the bottleneck resides. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 148 FPS, which drops to 106 FPS at 1440p High (a 28.4% reduction) and then to 67 FPS at 4K High (a 36.8% further reduction from 1440p). This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-limited scenario: each resolution jump increases pixel count substantially, and the RTX 5050's 13.17 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 320.0 GB/s memory bandwidth become the constraining factors.

Looking at Low settings, the story is more dramatic. At 1080p Low, the system produces 296 FPS, which is nearly double the 4K Low result of 134 FPS. The 1440p Low figure of 213 FPS sits between these extremes. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p Low (a 28.0% drop) and then to 4K Low (a 37.1% drop) is nearly identical in percentage terms to the High settings, suggesting that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary limiter regardless of quality preset. The RTX 5050's pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s directly influence how quickly the renderer can fill those additional pixels.

Medium settings show the same pattern with 237 FPS at 1080p, 170 FPS at 1440p, and 107 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 28.3% and 37.1% respectively, reinforcing that resolution scaling is consistent across quality levels. Interestingly, the gap between High and Ultra is narrow: at 4K, High produces 67 FPS while Ultra produces 64 FPS, a mere 4.5% difference. This suggests that the Ultra preset adds minimal additional GPU workload over High in Inside, likely due to the game's simple art style and limited post-processing demands.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU still has headroom — the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's boost clock of 5.20 GHz and 96 MB of shared L3 cache are more than sufficient for a 2016 puzzle platformer. At 4K, however, the GPU is clearly the limiting component, as the frame rates compress into a narrower band (64–134 FPS across all settings) compared to the wider spread at 1080p (141–296 FPS).

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 1719 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the 59.5th percentile, meaning roughly 40% of all tested pairings perform better in this game. Given that Inside is not a demanding title, this ranking reflects the RTX 5050's modest position in the GPU hierarchy rather than any CPU deficiency. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D itself sits in the 87th percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 39768, while the RTX 5050 ranks in the 66th percentile among GPUs with an average score of 21035.

Examining the GPU's nearest rivals provides context for this ranking. The RTX 5050's average benchmark score of 21035 is only 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153), 1.0% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237), and 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713). It also trails the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379) by 1.6%. These are all older or lower-tier parts, and the deltas are small — within a 1.6% band either way. This suggests the RTX 5050 performs in the same class as these legacy GPUs for general compute, though game-specific results can vary.

The CPU's nearest rivals tell a similar story of tight clustering. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D's average score of 39768 is 0.4% above the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (39603), 0.7% above the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (39485), but 0.7% below the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40048) and 0.8% below the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (40081). These sub-1% differences indicate that for this game, the CPU's raw compute capability is not a differentiator — the combo's rank is driven almost entirely by GPU performance.

The combo rank of 1719 out of 2887, combined with the measured FPS data, suggests that the RTX 5050 is the limiting factor. A stronger GPU paired with the same CPU would likely push this combo significantly higher in the rankings, as the CPU has demonstrated it can sustain frame rates above 290 FPS without becoming a bottleneck.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a desktop processor from the Ryzen 7 9000 series, built on TSMC's 4 nm process with the Zen 5 architecture (codenamed Granite Ridge). 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's 96 MB of shared L3 cache (along with 80 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core) is particularly relevant for gaming workloads, as larger caches reduce memory latency for frequently accessed data.

For Inside, a game released in 2016, the CPU requirements are modest. The game is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer with simple physics and limited simultaneous actors, so it does not stress multi-threaded performance heavily. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D's benchmark scores reflect its strength: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23230 and a single-core score of 2080, alongside a Geekbench multicore score of 18696 and single-core score of 2964. These numbers indicate exceptional single-thread performance, which is often what matters most for older games that rely on a primary game thread.

The 3DMark results further illustrate the CPU's scaling characteristics: 2-thread score of 2394, 4-thread score of 4669, 8-thread score of 8252, and 16-thread score of 10081. The near-linear scaling from 2 to 8 threads, followed by diminishing returns at 16 threads, suggests the CPU can handle well-threaded workloads but also excels in low-thread scenarios. For Inside, which likely uses only 1-4 threads, the 4-thread score of 4669 and single-thread score of 1212 are the most relevant indicators of gaming performance.

The PassMark results reinforce this: single-thread score of 4430, physics score of 4083, and an integer math score of 116709. The fact that the combo achieves 296 FPS at 1080p Low — a frame rate that exceeds most displays' refresh rates — indicates the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU even in the least demanding settings. The CPU's 120 W TDP and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth provide sufficient memory throughput for the game's data streaming needs.

The 9800X3D's nearest CPU rivals (Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS, Ryzen AI 9 365, Ryzen AI 7 450, Ryzen 7 7700) all fall within 0.8% of its average benchmark score, confirming that in this class of processor, the differences are negligible for a game like Inside. The CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo; the data shows that even at 4K Ultra (64 FPS), the CPU is not preventing the GPU from reaching higher frame rates.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo capable of running Inside at 60 FPS at 4K?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 67 FPS at 4K High and 64 FPS at 4K Ultra, both above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K Medium, the average rises to 107 FPS, and at 4K Low, it reaches 134 FPS.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate this combo can achieve?

A: The highest measured average is 296 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The Medium preset at 1080p produces 237 FPS with a minimum of 201 FPS and maximum of 272 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5050's average benchmark score of 21035 is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, 1.0% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M, 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, and 1.6% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile.

Q: Does this combo rank well among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 1719 out of 2887 combos for Inside. While this is in the lower-middle range, the game's low system requirements mean even this rank delivers playable frame rates at all resolutions and settings tested.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 296 FPS, but frame rates drop consistently as resolution increases regardless of settings. The CPU's benchmark scores (e.g., 23230 in Cinebench R23 multicore, 2080 in single-core) indicate it has ample headroom for this title.

*Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 5050 sufficient for Inside?*

A: Based on the measured FPS, yes. The game achieves 67 FPS at 4K High and 64 FPS at 4K Ultra without apparent VRAM-related stuttering. The GPU's 320.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 128-bit bus handle the game's textures without issue.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is a GeForce 50-series graphics card built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB207 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. It has 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units, along with 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores. The GPU's base clock is 2317 MHz with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, producing 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Memory is 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s.

For Inside, the GPU's role is straightforward: render a 2D side-scrolling game with simple lighting and effects at high frame rates. The RTX 5050's pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are more than adequate for this title's visual complexity. The measured FPS data confirms that the GPU handles even 4K resolution well, though frame rates at 4K Ultra (64 FPS) are noticeably lower than at 1080p Ultra (141 FPS).

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context: a PassMark G3D score of 17326, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 90334, and a Vulkan score of 89381. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2502 indicates moderate DirectX 12 performance, though Inside likely relies on older APIs given its 2016 release date. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 are forward-looking but not required for this game.

The RTX 5050's nearest rivals — the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, AMD Radeon HD 8970M, AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, and NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile — all have average benchmark scores within 1.6% of the RTX 5050. This clustering means that in Inside, the RTX 5050's performance is similar to these older or mobile parts, which aligns with its 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

The GPU's 130 W TDP and 1x 8-pin power connector indicate it is a modestly powered card, and the 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Inside's textures. The fact that the 4K Ultra preset only drops to 64 FPS (from 67 FPS at High) suggests that the Ultra preset adds minimal additional GPU load, likely only increasing shadow quality or draw distance that has little impact on this game's simple visuals.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target display resolution and desired frame rate. For 4K displays, the High preset at 67 FPS is the best balance, as it stays above 60 FPS while Ultra drops to 64 FPS — a marginal difference that may not justify the quality increase. The Medium preset at 107 FPS is excellent for 4K if a higher frame rate is preferred, offering more than 60% improvement over High while presumably sacrificing some visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 170 FPS with a minimum of 145 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 106 FPS is also viable, while Ultra at 101 FPS is close enough that either could be chosen based on visual preference. The Low preset at 213 FPS exceeds most displays' capabilities, making it unnecessary unless chasing maximum frame rates.

For 1080p, the Medium preset at 237 FPS (minimum 201 FPS) provides an excellent experience for 240 Hz displays. The High preset at 148 FPS is suitable for 144 Hz monitors, and Ultra at 141 FPS is nearly identical. The Low preset at 296 FPS is only relevant for esports-style play or if the display supports 300 Hz or higher.

The data suggests that Medium settings offer the best combination of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS of 201 ensures no drops below 200 FPS; at 1440p Medium, the minimum of 145 FPS stays above 144 Hz; and at 4K Medium, the 107 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS standard. The Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, providing substantial improvements over Low while maintaining much higher frame rates than High or Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 296 FPS, the Medium preset averages 237 FPS with a minimum of 201 FPS and maximum of 272 FPS, the High preset averages 148 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 141 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 59 FPS (a 24.9% reduction), while the gap between Medium and High is 89 FPS (a 37.6% reduction). The High-to-Ultra drop is only 7 FPS (a 4.7% reduction), indicating that Ultra adds little over High at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. The Low preset averages 213 FPS, Medium averages 170 FPS with a minimum of 145 FPS and maximum of 196 FPS, High averages 106 FPS, and Ultra averages 101 FPS. The percentage reductions from 1080p are 28.0% for Low, 28.3% for Medium, 28.4% for High, and 28.4% for Ultra — remarkably consistent across settings. The Medium-to-High gap at 1440p is 64 FPS (a 37.6% reduction), identical to the 1080p percentage, while High-to-Ultra drops by only 5 FPS (4.7%).

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Low preset averages 134 FPS, Medium averages 107 FPS with a minimum of 91 FPS and maximum of 123 FPS, High averages 67 FPS, and Ultra averages 64 FPS. The reduction from 1440p is 37.1% for Low, 37.1% for Medium, 36.8% for High, and 36.6% for Ultra. The Medium-to-High gap at 4K is 40 FPS (a 37.4% reduction), and High-to-Ultra is only 3 FPS (4.5%). Notably, the 4K Medium minimum FPS of 91 is still above 60, meaning even the lowest measured frame rate at Medium settings is smooth.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset provides the only complete data set with min/max values, showing frame time consistency. At 1080p, the spread from min to max is 71 FPS (201 to 272); at 1440p, it is 51 FPS (145 to 196); and at 4K, it is 32 FPS (91 to 123). This narrowing spread at higher resolutions further confirms the GPU-bound nature of 4K performance, where frame times become more consistent as the GPU's workload becomes more uniform.