Inside

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination delivers a highly capable experience in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer. The measured data shows this pairing is heavily GPU-limited at lower resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures frame rates remain exceptionally high across all tested settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS results, contextualizes the performance against the component's synthetic benchmarks, and provides clear guidance on optimal settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a classic performance curve as resolution increases, with the most significant drops occurring at 4K. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 178 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 128 FPS, a reduction of 28.1%. The jump to 4K High further reduces the average to 80 FPS, a 37.5% decline from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern strongly indicates that the GPU becomes the primary limiting component as pixel count rises, a common trait for a title of this era running on modern hardware.

The scaling behavior is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 284 at 1080p, to 204 at 1440p (a 28.2% decrease), and then to 128 at 4K (a 37.3% decrease from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops suggests a predictable relationship between resolution and frame rate, with the GPU's workload scaling almost linearly with pixel count. This is typical for a game that is not heavily dependent on complex physics or AI calculations that would stress the CPU.

At the lowest tested resolution of 1080p, the performance is so high that it suggests the game is no longer solely GPU-bound. The 355 FPS average at Low settings is a massive figure, indicating that the RTX 5060 is capable of rendering the scene far faster than the engine's typical frame pacing may allow, or that the CPU is beginning to play a more significant role in feeding the GPU. The transition from 1080p Low to 1440p Low shows a 28.2% drop to 255 FPS, which is in line with other settings, but the absolute numbers are so high that any CPU bottleneck would be masked by the sheer speed of the renderer.

The data suggests that for the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, 1440p is the sweet spot for this combination. It offers a substantial increase in resolution over 1080p while maintaining average frame rates above 120 FPS even at High settings. The 4K results, while playable at High (80 FPS), show a more pronounced performance cost, with the Ultra preset dipping to 76 FPS. This indicates that while the GPU has enough power for 4K, it is not a high-refresh-rate experience at the higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the High preset offers the most compelling experience for this hardware combination. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 178 FPS, providing a smooth and responsive experience on any high-refresh-rate monitor. At 1440p, the High preset still maintains a very high 128 FPS average, which is ideal for fast-paced gameplay and eliminates any concerns about screen tearing or input lag. Even at 4K, the High preset achieves 80 FPS, which is well within the range of smooth, playable performance for a puzzle platformer.

The Ultra preset provides a marginal increase in visual quality over High but at a significant performance cost. The data shows that at 1440p, the Ultra preset drops to 122 FPS from 128 FPS on High, a 4.7% reduction. The cost is more pronounced at 4K, where Ultra drops to 76 FPS from 80 FPS on High, a 5% reduction. Given that the visual differences between High and Ultra in many titles are subtle, the performance trade-off here does not appear to be worthwhile, especially at higher resolutions where the frame rate is already lower.

The Low preset is not recommended for this configuration. While it produces extremely high frame rates, such as 355 FPS at 1080p, this comes at the cost of visual quality. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p is 284 FPS, which is a 20% decrease in frame rate for a significant improvement in graphical fidelity. The Medium preset provides a better balance, but the High preset still offers a substantial performance headroom.

For users with a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor, the High preset at 1440p is the optimal choice, as it sits comfortably above the refresh rate threshold. For 4K displays, the High preset is the recommended starting point, as it maintains a solid 80 FPS average. The Medium preset could be used if a higher frame rate is desired at 4K, with the data showing 128 FPS, but the visual upgrade to High is likely worth the 48 FPS difference. The data clearly supports High as the best overall setting for this combination.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture. Its benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 41318. However, in a game like Inside, the single-thread performance is often more critical. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2228 and Passmark single-thread score of 4704 indicate excellent per-core capability, which is essential for maintaining high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

The CPU's high clock speeds, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, are a significant factor in its gaming performance. These clocks, combined with the large 96 MB of shared L3 cache, ensure that the CPU can quickly process the game's logic and feed data to the GPU. In the measured FPS data, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at 1080p where frame rates are exceptionally high. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 355 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is capable of handling the game's single-threaded workload with ease.

The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for Inside, a game that is not known for heavy multi-threading. The Passmark physics score of 4171 further indicates strong computational performance, which helps in any game engine calculations. While the CPU is not the primary limiting factor in most of the tested scenarios, its high single-thread performance ensures that it does not hold back the RTX 5060. The data shows that this processor is more than capable of supporting the GPU's maximum output in this title.

The Ryzen 7 9850X3D's benchmark scores place it in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 58386. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900 and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470, with the 9850X3D showing a 0.5% higher average score than the i9-14900 and a 0.7% lower score than the Ryzen AI 9 HX 470. This indicates that while it is a top-tier processor, its gaming performance is expected to be comparable to other high-end chips, with the specific game engine determining the final outcome.

How This Combo Ranks

In the specific context of Inside, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1125 out of 2887 tested combos. This places it in the 61st percentile of all tested configurations, indicating that it performs better than a majority of systems but is not at the very top of the performance hierarchy. This ranking is influenced by the fact that the game is relatively old and can run at high frame rates on a wide variety of hardware, meaning that many lower-end CPUs paired with high-end GPUs may achieve similar results.

The combo's rank is a reflection of the game's low system requirements relative to the power of this hardware. Since Inside is a puzzle platformer from 2016, it does not heavily tax modern components. Therefore, the RTX 5060, which has a Passmark G3D score of 20891 and ranks in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, is more than sufficient to handle the game's rendering demands. The CPU, being in the 92nd percentile, also provides more than enough processing power. The mid-tier ranking suggests that the combination is not a bottleneck, but the game's simplicity means that the absolute performance ceiling is reached by many other systems.

The data shows that this combo significantly outperforms the average system, but the ranking is not higher because the game is easily playable on lower-end hardware. The measured FPS numbers are excellent, but they do not represent an extreme outlier in the context of a game that can run on integrated graphics. The ranking of 1125 out of 2887 is a solid result, indicating a very capable system for this title, but it is not the top configuration due to the game's low requirements and the fact that many other CPUs can achieve similar frame rates when paired with a powerful GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its clock speeds are a base of 2280 MHz and a boost of 2497 MHz. These specifications are more than adequate for a game like Inside. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 20891 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3628 demonstrate its capability, but the game's visual complexity is low enough that the GPU is not heavily stressed at lower resolutions.

The GPU's role as the primary limiting factor becomes clear when analyzing the resolution scaling. The consistent percentage drops in FPS from 1080p to 4K indicate that the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are the deciding factors at higher resolutions. While the GPU is powerful, the 8 GB VRAM capacity, while sufficient for this game, may be a consideration for future titles. The RTX 5060's performance in this game is excellent, but the data shows that it is the component that determines the frame rate ceiling at 4K.

The RTX 5060's benchmark scores place it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 26331. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550, with the RTX 5060 showing a 0.3% lower average score than both. This is a curious data point, as those are typically lower-tier mobile or integrated graphics, but the comparison is based on average benchmark scores. The RTX 5060's strong performance in Inside is evident in the measured FPS data, where it easily handles the game's demands at all tested settings.

The GPU's 30 RT cores and 120 Tensor cores are features that are not heavily utilized in this particular game, as Inside does not require ray tracing or DLSS. The GPU's compute capabilities, as shown by its Passmark GPU Compute score of 10899, are strong, but the game's rendering pipeline is relatively simple. This means that the RTX 5060 is effectively running at a fraction of its full potential in this title, further confirming that the GPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p or 1440p, but its limits are reached at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination at 2560x1440 with High settings is 128 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in this game?

A: The data shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high (up to 355 FPS at Low settings), suggesting the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU, but the resolution scaling indicates the GPU's workload is the main constraint.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 4K display?

A: Based on the measured data, the High preset is recommended for 4K as it provides an average of 80 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 76 FPS, and while the Medium preset offers 128 FPS, the visual quality trade-off for High is likely worth the 48 FPS difference.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9850X3D has an average benchmark score of 58386. It scores 0.5% higher than the Intel Core i9-14900 and 0.7% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470, indicating comparable performance.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1125 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured minimum FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 242 FPS, with an average of 284 FPS and a maximum of 327 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset. Data is based on the provided FACT PACK.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | ----------: |

| 3840x2160 | High | 80 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 161 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 128 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 76 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 128 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 255 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 204 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 122 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 178 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 355 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 284 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 169 |

The data shows a clear and predictable performance hierarchy. At 1080p, all presets deliver well over 160 FPS, with the Low preset reaching a staggering 355 FPS. This indicates a CPU-bound scenario at the lowest settings, where the GPU can render frames faster than the game's logic can be processed. At 1440p, the performance is still excellent, with the High preset hitting 128 FPS and the Medium preset at 204 FPS. The 4K results are the most demanding, with the High preset at 80 FPS and the Ultra preset at 76 FPS, showing a more pronounced performance cost.

For the Medium preset, which has complete data, the minimum and maximum FPS figures provide additional insight. At 1080p, the frame rate ranges from 242 to 327 FPS, showing a variance of 85 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 174 to 235 FPS, a variance of 61 FPS. At 4K, the range narrows to 109 to 148 FPS, a variance of 39 FPS. This trend suggests that as resolution increases, the frame rate becomes more stable, which is typical as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck and the CPU's variable workload has less impact on the final frame time.