Inside

Inside is a puzzle platformer with modest hardware demands, and the measured results for the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the Intel Arc B370 reflect a system that is heavily constrained by its integrated graphics component. The data shows a combination that can handle the game at 1080p and 1440p with playable frame rates, but it falls short of smooth performance at 4K on higher settings. The Arc B370, despite its modern architecture, sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its benchmark scores place it in the company of much older discrete graphics solutions. The Ryzen 9 5900X, by contrast, is a high-end desktop processor from the 5000 series, and its 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is far from being the limiting factor in this configuration. The measured FPS data confirms this analysis, with the CPU providing ample headroom while the GPU struggles at higher resolutions and quality presets.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, and it carries a 64 MB L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance, scoring 16,262 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 14,118 in Geekbench multi-core, while its single-thread scores of 1,527 in Cinebench R23 and 2,083 in Geekbench show solid per-core capability. The CPU's average benchmark score of 41,376 places it just 0.3% above the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H and 0.4% above the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H, making it statistically tied with those recent mobile processors in overall compute performance.

For a puzzle platformer like Inside, the CPU's massive thread count and high boost clock are far more than the game requires. The measured FPS data reveals that even at the lowest settings, the system's performance is dictated by the graphics solution, not the processor. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 141 FPS, and at 1440p Low it achieves 101 FPS, but these numbers are still limited by the GPU's ability to draw frames. The Ryzen 9 5900X's single-thread performance, which is competitive with modern chips, ensures that the game's logic and physics calculations are handled without introducing CPU-side bottlenecks. The 3DMark single-thread score of 941 and the 3DMark 2-thread score of 1,852 suggest that even lightly threaded workloads are processed with ample speed. The CPU's 87th percentile ranking against all CPUs further underscores that this processor is not the constraint in this pairing; it is the integrated Arc B370 that determines the final frame rates.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on Intel's 3 nm process. It features 1,280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its base clock is 300 MHz, with a boost clock of 2,400 MHz, and it relies on system shared memory for both VRAM and bandwidth, meaning its performance is dependent on the host system's memory configuration. The GPU's raw compute is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, and its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. In the single benchmark recorded, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the Arc B370 scores 1,184 points, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1,186 points (0.2% higher), and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1,190 points (0.5% higher). This positions the Arc B370's raw performance in the range of discrete GPUs from over a decade ago.

In the context of Inside, the GPU's performance is the primary factor behind the measured frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers 113 FPS on average with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS, which is a smooth experience for a game of this genre. However, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 30, and at 4K High it is 32 FPS, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are overwhelmed at higher resolutions. The Arc B370's lack of dedicated VRAM means it competes with the CPU for system memory bandwidth, which further hampers performance at 4K. The 3DMark score of 1,184, while low by modern standards, is sufficient for a game like Inside, which was released in 2016 and has modest graphical demands. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU can handle the game at 1080p and 1440p with acceptable settings, but 4K gaming is only viable at the Low preset, where the system achieves 64 FPS.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of which settings preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this system. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 1080p averages 70 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS, both of which are still playable but with less headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 1080p reaches 141 FPS, but the visual downgrade is unnecessary given that Medium already provides a high frame rate. Therefore, at 1080p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it offers a significant improvement in visual fidelity over Low while maintaining a frame rate that is nearly double the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset again stands out, with an average of 81 FPS and a minimum of 69 FPS. This is a playable experience, although the lower minimum frame rate suggests occasional dips. The High preset at 1440p averages 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and the Ultra preset averages 48 FPS, making these presets less desirable for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 1440p averages 101 FPS, but as with 1080p, the visual compromise is not worth the extra frame rate when Medium is already above 60 FPS. Thus, for 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation, delivering a playable frame rate with acceptable visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset averages 64 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that achieves a playable frame rate. The Medium preset averages 51 FPS with a minimum of 43 FPS, which may be tolerable for a slower-paced puzzle game, but it is risky. The High preset averages 32 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 30 FPS, both of which are too low for a smooth experience. Given these numbers, the best experience at 4K is achieved with the Low preset, which maintains a 64 FPS average. However, users who prioritize visual quality over smoothness might opt for Medium at 4K, accepting the 51 FPS average and the potential for dips to 43 FPS. Overall, the data suggests that Medium at 1080p or 1440p is the sweet spot for this system, while 4K should be reserved for the Low preset.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B370 in Inside?

A: No. The Ryzen 9 5900X has a 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 41,376, while the Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of GPUs. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales with resolution and settings in a way that indicates the GPU is the limiting component, not the CPU.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rivals in raw GPU performance?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1,184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1,186, which is 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1,190, 0.5% higher, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1,168, which is 1.4% lower than the Arc B370.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gaming with this system?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 delivers an average of 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS. This is the recommended preset, as it provides a high frame rate well above 60 FPS while offering better visual quality than the Low preset, which averages 141 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Inside?

A: Yes, but only at the Low preset, which achieves an average of 64 FPS at 3840x2160. The Medium preset at 4K averages 51 FPS with a minimum of 43 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets average 32 FPS and 30 FPS, respectively, which are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 5900X has an average benchmark score of 41,376, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H's score of 41,263 and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H's score of 41,215. It is also 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440's score of 41,208.

Q: Does the Arc B370 have dedicated VRAM, and how does that affect performance?

A: The Arc B370 uses system shared memory for its VRAM, with a memory type of "System Shared" and bandwidth that is "System Dependent." This means it relies on the host system's memory, which can limit performance at higher resolutions. The measured FPS drop from 113 FPS at 1080p Medium to 51 FPS at 4K Medium illustrates this constraint.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component in this system. At the Medium preset, the average frame rate drops from 113 FPS at 1920x1080 to 81 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 28.3%, and then to 51 FPS at 3840x2160, a further reduction of 37.0% from 1440p. This scaling is consistent with a GPU that is struggling to fill more pixels, as the workload on the shading units and memory bandwidth increases disproportionately with resolution. The Low preset shows a similar trend, with 141 FPS at 1080p, 101 FPS at 1440p, and 64 FPS at 4K, representing a 54.6% drop from 1080p to 4K. The High preset follows the same pattern, with 70 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K, a 54.3% drop.

The fact that the frame rate drops by roughly half from 1080p to 4K at the Low and High presets suggests that the GPU's compute and memory resources are the primary constraint. A CPU-bound system would not exhibit such a dramatic resolution-dependent scaling, as the CPU's workload remains largely unchanged regardless of resolution. The Ryzen 9 5900X, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, is more than capable of feeding frames to the GPU, as evidenced by its high benchmark scores. The 4K Ultra preset's 30 FPS average and the 4K High preset's 32 FPS average further highlight the GPU's limitations, as these settings require the most pixel shading and memory bandwidth. The data indicates that for a smooth 60 FPS experience, users must stay at 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings, or drop to Low at 4K, confirming that the GPU is the bottleneck in this configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following breakdown details the exact measured average frame rates for each resolution and settings combination, providing a comprehensive view of the system's performance in Inside.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates. The Low preset delivers an average of 141 FPS. The Medium preset averages 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS. The High preset averages 70 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS. All 1080p presets are playable, though the Low and Medium presets offer the most headroom above the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, performance remains respectable but begins to show the GPU's limits. The Low preset averages 101 FPS. The Medium preset averages 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. The High preset averages 51 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 48 FPS. The Medium preset is the only 1440p option that maintains an average above 60 FPS, while the High and Ultra presets fall below that threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates on higher settings. The Low preset averages 64 FPS, which is the only 4K preset to exceed 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 51 FPS, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS. The High preset averages 32 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 30 FPS. The data shows that 4K gaming is only viable at the Low preset, and even then, the frame rate is only marginally above 60 FPS, leaving little room for demanding scenes. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown confirms that the system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming at Medium settings, with 4K reserved for the Low preset.