Inside

Inside is a 2D puzzle-platformer from 2016, but the measured frame-rate data for this specific hardware pairing—AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and Intel Arc B390—reveals a performance profile that is heavily dictated by the graphics solution. The dataset provides a clear picture of how resolution and settings interact, with the CPU showing substantial headroom while the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. This analysis walks through the measured FPS values, the role of each component, and what the numbers suggest for an optimal experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame-rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about which component is under load. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 156 FPS on average. Moving to 1440p Low, that figure drops to 112 FPS, a reduction of 28.2%. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 70 FPS, which is 55.1% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline indicates that the Intel Arc B390 is being saturated as pixel count rises, even at the lowest settings.

The pattern is consistent across all quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 78 at 1080p to 56 at 1440p, then down to 35 at 4K. The 4K High result is less than half of the 1080p High result. For Ultra settings, the numbers are 74, 53, and 34 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. The scaling factor from 1080p to 4K is roughly 2.2x to 2.3x across these presets, which aligns with the pixel count increase from 2.07 million to 8.29 million.

What does this say about the limiting component? The CPU, an AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D with 8 cores and 16 threads, is almost certainly not the bottleneck. The frame-rate drops proportionally with resolution, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were limiting, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, since the CPU workload per frame does not scale with pixel count. The data shows a consistent halving of performance from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the Intel Arc B390's rendering throughput is the primary constraint. At 4K, even Low settings only yield 70 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the GPU is fully utilized.

The Medium preset provides the most granular data, with min and max FPS values recorded. At 1080p Medium, the average is 125 FPS, with a min of 106 and max of 144. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 90 FPS, with a min of 76 and max of 103. At 4K Medium, the average is 56 FPS, with a min of 48 and max of 65. The spread between min and max FPS remains consistent across resolutions, suggesting that frame-time variance is not worsening with resolution, but the overall level is shifting downward due to GPU load.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its performance percentile is notably low, ranking in the 9th percentile versus all GPUs. The benchmark data shows a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which places it in the company of much older discrete parts. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GeForce GT 625 OEM, and GeForce GT 710, with score deltas of 1.3%, 1.5%, 2.5%, and 2.7% respectively. This indicates the Arc B390 is performing at a level comparable to entry-level GPUs from over a decade ago.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz. The memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a critical detail because the bandwidth is "System Dependent," and the memory bus width is also "System Shared." For a game like Inside, which is not visually demanding by modern standards, the shared memory architecture may not be a severe handicap, but it does contribute to the overall performance ceiling. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. These specifications, combined with a 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, suggest a part designed for basic rendering tasks, not high-end gaming.

The measured FPS data confirms this. At 1080p Low, the GPU manages 156 FPS, which is acceptable for a 2D platformer. However, the drop to 70 FPS at 4K Low shows that the GPU is quickly overwhelmed by the increased pixel workload. The fact that the GPU is an IGP with system-shared memory means that the CPU's memory bandwidth, rated at 89.6 GB/s for the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, becomes a factor. The GPU has no dedicated VRAM, so it must access the same DDR5 memory pool as the CPU, which can lead to contention. This is likely why the frame rates are as low as they are; the GPU is not only limited by its compute units but also by memory access latency and bandwidth.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The CPU is built on a 4 nm process and features a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is typical of the X3D line. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22807 and a single-core score of 2228. In PassMark tests, it scores 41318 for multithread and 4704 for single-thread. The CPU's percentile versus all CPUs is 92, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market.

For a game like Inside, the CPU requirements are modest. The game is a 2D side-scroller with limited physics and AI, so even a mid-range CPU would suffice. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D is far more powerful than needed, and the measured FPS data reflects this. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 156 FPS, but this is likely limited by the GPU, not the CPU. The fact that the CPU has 16 threads and a 5.60 GHz boost clock means it can easily feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (delta of 0.1%), Intel Xeon w5-2545 (delta of -0.2%), Intel Core i9-14900 (delta of 0.5%), and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 (delta of -0.7%). These deltas are all within 1%, showing that the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is competitively positioned among high-end processors.

The CPU's memory support is DDR5, dual-channel, with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. This is the same memory path used by the GPU, which is system-shared. While the CPU has ample compute headroom, the shared memory architecture means that the GPU's performance is tied to the CPU's memory subsystem. In this case, the CPU's high L3 cache (96 MB) may help mitigate some memory latency, but it does not directly accelerate the GPU's pixel rendering. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck; the bottleneck is the GPU's raw compute and memory bandwidth.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 78 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390 capable of running Inside at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 70. At 4K Medium, it drops to 56 FPS, and at 4K High and Ultra, it falls to 35 and 34 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score is 1482. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower). The Arc B390 is slightly faster than all of them.

Q: What is the highest FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 156, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The maximum FPS recorded at any point is 144, which occurs at 1080p Medium (as a max value).

Q: Does the CPU limit performance in this game?

A: No. The CPU, AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, has 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its benchmark scores (e.g., 22807 in Cinebench R23 multicore) are far above what Inside requires. The frame-rate drops with resolution, indicating a GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the combo's rank in this game?

A: The combo ranks 2547 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the target resolution. At 1080p, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 125 FPS, with a minimum of 106 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without any noticeable dips. High settings at 1080p yield 78 FPS, which is still playable, but the drop from 125 to 78 is significant for a game that is not visually complex. Ultra settings at 1080p only provide 74 FPS, which is barely better than High and not worth the potential visual gain. Low settings at 1080p hit 156 FPS, but this is likely unnecessary for a 2D platformer, and the visual trade-off may be undesirable.

At 1440p, Medium is again the recommended preset. It achieves an average of 90 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS, which is comfortable for most displays. High settings at 1440p drop to 56 FPS, which is borderline for smooth motion, and Ultra falls to 53 FPS. Low settings at 1440p produce 112 FPS, but again, the visual quality may suffer. For a game like Inside, which relies on atmospheric lighting and shadows, sticking with Medium is a good balance.

At 4K, the options are limited. Medium settings provide an average of 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS, which is playable but may feel slightly stuttery on some displays. Low settings at 4K give 70 FPS, which is smoother, but the visual downgrade is noticeable. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended, as they produce averages of 35 and 34 FPS respectively, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. The best experience at 4K is Low settings, as it offers the highest average FPS (70) while still being visually acceptable for a 2D game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data is as follows:

3840x2160 (4K):

• High: 35 FPS average
• Low: 70 FPS average
• Medium: 56 FPS average, 48 FPS min, 65 FPS max
• Ultra: 34 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• High: 56 FPS average
• Low: 112 FPS average
• Medium: 90 FPS average, 76 FPS min, 103 FPS max
• Ultra: 53 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• High: 78 FPS average
• Low: 156 FPS average
• Medium: 125 FPS average, 106 FPS min, 144 FPS max
• Ultra: 74 FPS average

The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low is always the fastest, followed by Medium, then High, and Ultra is the slowest. The gap between Low and Medium is consistent across resolutions (about 30-35 FPS at 1080p, 22 FPS at 1440p, and 14 FPS at 4K). The gap between Medium and High is smaller (about 47 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K). The Ultra preset is only slightly slower than High, with differences of 4 FPS at 1080p, 3 FPS at 1440p, and 1 FPS at 4K. This suggests that Ultra offers minimal graphical improvements over High for a small performance cost, but the baseline performance is too low at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and Intel Arc B390 combo ranks 2547 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems. This low ranking is almost entirely due to the GPU. The CPU is a top-tier part, ranking in the 92nd percentile versus all CPUs, but the GPU's 9th percentile performance drags the overall combo down. The measured FPS data supports this: the combo struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p with High settings, and at 4K, it can only hit 70 FPS on Low.

The GPU's nearest rivals are all ancient NVIDIA parts (GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, GT 710), which highlights its limited capability. While the CPU has headroom to spare, the GPU cannot leverage it. The result is a system that is unbalanced for gaming, with a CPU that could handle far more demanding titles paired with an IGP that is suited for basic tasks. The rank of 2547 out of 2887 is a direct reflection of this mismatch. For context, the CPU's nearest rivals (e.g., Intel Core i9-14900) would likely achieve much higher frame rates when paired with a discrete GPU, but this data is not provided. The key takeaway is that the combo's rank is a function of the GPU's low performance relative to the CPU's high performance, and the measured FPS numbers confirm that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing.