Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer. Measured data across three resolutions and four quality presets shows this combination is never below 67 FPS, indicating a system that is largely unconstrained by the game's modest graphical demands. The following analysis breaks down these results, focusing on where the performance limits lie and how the components interact with the game's engine.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is the most telling indicator of this system's behavior in Inside. At the Low preset, the average FPS falls from 310 at 1920x1080 to 223 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 87 FPS, and then further to 140 at 3840x2160. This scaling pattern shows that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is still doing significantly more work as pixel count increases, though the absolute numbers remain high.

The High preset demonstrates a similar but slightly less steep curve. The system produces 155 FPS at 1080p, drops to 111 FPS at 1440p, and settles at 70 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 4K here is 85 FPS, which is nearly identical to the delta seen on Low. This suggests that the engine's cost per pixel is relatively consistent across these two presets, with the GPU being the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The Medium preset, which is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum frame times, shows the most linear scaling. Starting at 248 FPS at 1080p, it drops to 178 FPS at 1440p, and then to 112 FPS at 4K. The interval between each resolution step is 70 FPS and 66 FPS respectively, indicating a very predictable relationship between resolution and performance. The 4K Medium result also has a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS, showing a 34 FPS variance that suggests some scenes are more demanding than others.

The Ultra preset follows the same downward trend, beginning at 147 FPS at 1080p, falling to 106 FPS at 1440p, and reaching 67 FPS at 4K. This is the lowest average frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. The gap between 1080p and 4K on Ultra is 80 FPS, which is slightly smaller than the gaps on High and Low. This compression of the scaling curve at higher settings indicates that the game becomes less dependent on raw resolution and more dependent on other GPU features when the preset is increased.

The data shows that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, all presets exceed 147 FPS, meaning the CPU and engine logic are likely the primary limiters, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly. At 4K, the pressure moves to the GPU, with the RTX 2070 SUPER being the clear constraining factor, as evidenced by the 67 FPS result at Ultra. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D, with its high single-thread performance, does not appear to be a bottleneck at any resolution, as the frame rates scale consistently with GPU load.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process at TSMC. Its specifications include 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz. These figures are relevant because Inside is a visually stylized game that relies more on consistent rendering than on massive texture detail, making the GPU's raw throughput the key factor rather than its memory capacity.

The benchmark results for the GPU show a Passmark G3D score of 18169, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M with a score of 20480 and a deltaPct of -1, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 with a deltaPct of -1.2, and the Intel Arc B570 at 20556 with a deltaPct of -1.3. These close scores indicate that the RTX 2070 SUPER is performing at a level consistent with its expected position in the market, slightly below these newer or mobile counterparts.

The 8 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor in Inside, as the game's art style does not require large texture caches. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra is 67, which is still playable, but the fact that it is the lowest score in the dataset points to the GPU's compute and shading capabilities being the primary limit. The GPU's 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs are being pushed harder at 4K, especially with the added effects of the Ultra preset.

The GPU's memory clock is listed as 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed. This bandwidth is sufficient for the game's data transfer needs, as evidenced by the relatively smooth performance scaling. The GPU's FP32 performance is 9.062 TFLOPS, which provides ample compute for the game's physics and rendering. When comparing the 4K Low result of 140 FPS to the 4K Ultra result of 67 FPS, the difference of 73 FPS can be attributed to the increased shading complexity and post-processing effects in the higher preset, which directly tax the GPU's cores.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data offers a clear hierarchy of presets, with the optimal choice depending on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, every preset delivers an average of at least 147 FPS, making any setting viable for a standard 144 Hz monitor. The Low preset reaches 310 FPS, which is useful for competitive play or for users with very high refresh rate displays, but the Ultra preset at 147 FPS is more visually rich and still exceeds most display capabilities.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 111 FPS, which is a solid target for a 120 Hz display, while the Ultra preset at 106 FPS is nearly identical and offers better visuals for a marginal FPS cost. The Medium preset at 178 FPS is the best option for those who prioritize frame rate above all else, but it is not necessary for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 223 FPS is excessive for most users and sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a game that is not competitive in nature.

The 4K resolution is where settings choices become crucial. The Ultra preset averages 67 FPS, which is technically playable but may feel inconsistent for some users. The High preset improves this to 70 FPS, but the Medium preset offers a significant jump to 112 FPS, providing a much smoother experience. The Low preset at 140 FPS is the best choice for 4K if frame rate is the sole priority, but the Medium preset at 112 FPS is the sweet spot, delivering high frame rates while maintaining a reasonable level of visual quality. The Medium preset also has a recorded minimum of 95 FPS, which ensures that even the most demanding scenes stay above the 90 FPS threshold.

For a balanced experience, the Medium preset at 4K is the recommended choice, as it provides a substantial FPS boost over High and Ultra while still looking significantly better than Low. At 1440p, the High preset offers the best combination of visual fidelity and performance, with the Ultra preset being a close second for users who want maximum quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1587 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the 45th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of other systems but is far from the top of the leaderboard. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the high frame rates, but it likely reflects the fact that many other test configurations include more powerful GPUs that can push even higher numbers in this undemanding title.

The CPU's percentile rank is 92, meaning it outperforms 92% of all CPUs in general benchmarks. Its average benchmark score is 58386, with nearest rivals including the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M with a score of 58323 and a deltaPct of 0.1, the Intel Xeon w5-2545 at 58504 with a deltaPct of -0.2, and the Intel Core i9-14900 at 58115 with a deltaPct of 0.5. This indicates that the 9850X3D is a top-tier processor, but its performance is nearly identical to these other high-end chips, suggesting that the CPU is not the differentiating factor in the game's ranking.

The GPU's percentile rank is 65, with an average benchmark score of 20282. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20480 (deltaPct -1), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (deltaPct -1.2), and the Intel Arc B570 at 20556 (deltaPct -1.3). The RTX 2070 SUPER is a mid-range GPU by today's standards, and its performance in Inside is good but not exceptional. The combo's rank of 1587 suggests that the system is held back by the GPU, as the CPU has the headroom to support a faster graphics card. If a more powerful GPU were installed, the frame rates at 1080p and 1440p would likely be even higher, improving the overall ranking.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 4K with the High preset?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with the High preset is 70 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core benchmark compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M, has an average benchmark score that is 0.1% higher, while the Intel Xeon w5-2545 is 0.2% lower.

Q: Is the GPU's memory capacity a limiting factor in this game?

A: No, the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on the RTX 2070 SUPER is sufficient for Inside. The game's art style does not require large texture caches, and the performance scaling is more dependent on the GPU's compute throughput.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this system?

A: The highest average FPS is 310, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Inside?*

A: It ranks 1587 out of 2887 total tested combos, placing it in the middle of the pack.

Q: What is the FPS difference between the Ultra and Medium presets at 2560x1440?

A: The Ultra preset averages 106 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 178 FPS, a difference of 72 FPS in favor of Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high. The Low preset achieves an average of 310 FPS. The Medium preset averages 248 FPS, with a minimum of 210 FPS and a maximum of 285 FPS. The High preset averages 155 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 147 FPS, which is the lowest at this resolution but still well above common refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the results scale down predictably. The Low preset averages 223 FPS. The Medium preset averages 178 FPS, with a minimum of 151 FPS and a maximum of 205 FPS. The High preset averages 111 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 106 FPS, which is the second-lowest score in the dataset.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is under the most load. The Low preset averages 140 FPS. The Medium preset averages 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS. The High preset averages 70 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 67 FPS, which is the lowest recorded score. The data shows that the Medium preset at 4K provides a significant performance advantage over High and Ultra, at 112 FPS versus 70 and 67 FPS respectively.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, based on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The CPU has a 96 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus. These specifications make it a high-end processor, and its Passmark single-thread score of 4704 reflects its strong single-core performance.

In Inside, the CPU's role is minimal, as the game is not computationally intensive. The measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 310, which is likely near the engine's rendering limit rather than a CPU limit. The high frame rates across all presets indicate that the CPU is never the bottleneck. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 shows it can handle demanding workloads, but this is not relevant for this game.

The CPU's release date is 2026-01-28, and its launch MSRP is $499. It has a TDP of 120 W and uses the AMD Socket AM5. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Core i9-14900, which has a deltaPct of 0.5, meaning the 9850X3D performs slightly better in this metric. The Passmark physics score of 4171 and the Passmark multithread score of 41318 are strong, but again, these do not translate to a significant advantage in Inside because the game does not utilize many threads effectively.

The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for the game's logic, and the high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures that any single-threaded tasks are handled quickly. The fact that the combo's ranking is 1587 out of 2887, despite the CPU's top-tier status, confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor in this specific pairing. The 9850X3D is a powerful processor that will not hold back the RTX 2070 SUPER in this title, and it has ample headroom for future GPU upgrades.