Inside

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, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. This CPU carries a 64 MB L3 cache, 512 KB L2 per core, and 64 KB L1 per core, which provides substantial on-die storage for game assets and physics calculations. The processor is built on TSMC's 7 nm process with 8,300 million transistors across a dual-chiplet design measuring 2x 74 mm².

For a puzzle platformer like Inside, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining consistent frame pacing and handling the game's deterministic physics and entity updates. The game is not heavily threaded, but the Ryzen 9 5900X's single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 941 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4680. The multi-thread capabilities are equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33,150 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 39,002. The processor ranks in the 90th percentile versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 39,453.

When compared to nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 5900X sits within a tight performance band. It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8845HS by 0.7% (39,747 vs. 39,453 average score) and the Intel Core i7-13700 by 1% (39,857 vs. 39,453). It leads the AMD EPYC 4245P by 0.2% (39,383 vs. 39,453) and the Intel Core i7-13700F by 0.9% (39,095 vs. 39,453). In the context of Inside, these differences are negligible; the game's demands are far below what this CPU can provide, even at lower resolutions where CPU overhead becomes more pronounced.

The measured FPS data supports this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 219 FPS, which suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor even in the most CPU-sensitive scenario. The GTX 1660 Ti, with its 1,536 shading units and 96 TMUs, is the more likely bottleneck, especially at higher settings and resolutions. The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks and any future game updates that might add more complex simulation logic.

FAQ

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 5900X bottleneck the GTX 1660 Ti in Inside?

A: No. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 219 FPS, and at 1440p Low it hits 158.4 FPS. These figures indicate the CPU has sufficient headroom; the GPU becomes the limiting component as resolution and settings increase.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance in relation to this game?

A: The CPU scores 941 in 3DMark single-thread and 10,075 in 3DMark max-threads. Inside is a light-threaded title, so single-thread performance matters more, but both are far above the game's requirements.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a high frame rate?

A: At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 174 FPS, and at 1080p High it delivers 107.4 FPS. These are the highest frame rates with visual quality intact. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 50.2 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 Ti's performance in this game compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 13,925. It trails the NVIDIA Tesla K10 by 0.7% (14,029 vs. 13,925) and leads the AMD Radeon RX 570X by 0.4% (13,871 vs. 13,925), the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile by 0.8% (13,821 vs. 13,925), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 by 0.8% (13,812 vs. 13,925).

Q: Is this CPU-GPU combination well-balanced for Inside specifically?

A: Yes. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking (average score 39,453) far exceeds the GPU's 55th percentile ranking (average score 13,925). The data shows the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates across most settings and resolutions.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1440p Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 Ultra is 76.6 FPS, which is a smooth experience for a puzzle platformer. This is only 3.3% lower than the 1440p High result of 79.2 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns from the Ultra preset.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 26% to 28% across all settings. For instance, at High settings, the frame rate falls from 107.4 FPS at 1080p to 79.2 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 28.2 FPS. At Low settings, the drop is from 219 FPS to 158.4 FPS, a reduction of 60.6 FPS, which represents a 27.7% decrease.

The transition from 1440p to 4K shows a more substantial performance hit. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 79.2 FPS to 46.8 FPS, a 40.9% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 158.4 FPS to 99.8 FPS, a 37% reduction. This steeper decline indicates that at 4K, the GTX 1660 Ti's 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus (288.0 GB/s bandwidth) are increasingly taxed, moving the bottleneck squarely onto the GPU's fill rate and shading capacity.

The scaling behavior tells a story about the limiting component. At 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance (941 in 3DMark single-thread) ensures that frame rates are high across all settings, with the GPU handling the pixel work. At 4K, the GPU's 84.96 GPixel/s pixel rate and 169.9 GTexel/s texture rate become the primary constraints. The data shows that the CPU's contribution to the frame rate is essentially constant, while the GPU's workload scales with pixel count, which is the expected behavior for a puzzle platformer with limited scene complexity.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 104.2 FPS, which is only 3% lower than the High preset's 107.4 FPS. The Medium preset offers 174 FPS, which is a 62% improvement over Ultra, but the visual difference between Medium and High in a game like Inside is likely minimal given the game's art style. The Low preset reaches 219 FPS, which is more than double the Ultra result, but this comes at the cost of reduced shadow quality and post-processing effects.

For a 1440p display, the High preset at 79.2 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it provides a smooth experience while retaining most of the game's atmospheric lighting effects. The Ultra preset at 76.6 FPS is nearly identical in performance, so users can enable Ultra without a meaningful frame rate penalty. The Medium preset at 124.8 FPS offers a significant headroom for those who prioritize frame rate over fidelity, while the Low preset at 158.4 FPS is suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 4K, the data suggests a trade-off is necessary. The Ultra preset at 50.2 FPS is playable but may not feel entirely fluid for a game that requires precise timing in its puzzle sequences. The High preset at 46.8 FPS is slightly lower, while the Medium preset at 78.5 FPS provides a much more comfortable margin. The Low preset at 99.8 FPS is the only 4K setting that breaks the 60 FPS threshold, making it the practical choice for 4K displays unless visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate. Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset at 1440p or 1080p offers the best experience, delivering 124.8 FPS and 174 FPS respectively, which are well above the thresholds for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti ranks 1,448 out of 1,671 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the lower portion of the benchmark database. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier position (55th percentile versus all GPUs) rather than the CPU's high-end status (90th percentile versus all CPUs). The CPU is capable of far more demanding workloads, as evidenced by its average benchmark score of 39,453, which is 0.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4245P and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13700F.

The GTX 1660 Ti's average benchmark score of 13,925 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 (13,812, 0.8% lower) and the AMD Radeon RX 570X (13,871, 0.4% lower). The combo rank of 1,448 out of 1,671 indicates that most other tested combinations deliver higher frame rates in this game, but this is largely a function of the GPU's age and tier. The GPU's predecessor is the GeForce 10-series, and its successor is the GeForce 20-series, positioning it as a transitional product.

Within the context of Inside, the combo rank is somewhat misleading because the game is not graphically demanding. The measured FPS at 1080p High (107.4 FPS) and 1440p High (79.2 FPS) are perfectly playable, and the 4K Medium result of 78.5 FPS is also respectable. The low rank likely reflects that many other combos in the database include newer GPUs with higher pixel rates and more shading units, which naturally produce higher frame rates in a GPU-bound title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers four resolutions and four settings presets, providing 16 data points. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 219 FPS, the Medium preset achieves 174 FPS, the High preset achieves 107.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset achieves 104.2 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 1080p is 3.2 FPS, which is a 2.9% difference, indicating that the Ultra preset adds minimal additional load.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 158.4 FPS, the Medium preset delivers 124.8 FPS, the High preset delivers 79.2 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers 76.6 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is 2.6 FPS, a 3.3% reduction, which is consistent with the 1080p pattern. The Medium preset at 1440p is 45.6 FPS higher than High, showing that the Medium preset avoids the heavier post-processing and shadow effects that tax the GTX 1660 Ti.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 99.8 FPS, the Medium preset achieves 78.5 FPS, the High preset achieves 46.8 FPS, and the Ultra preset achieves 50.2 FPS. Notably, the Ultra preset at 4K is 3.4 FPS higher than the High preset, which is a 7.3% improvement. This anomaly suggests that the Ultra preset may use a different rendering path or that the High preset has a particular effect that is disproportionately expensive at 4K. The Medium preset at 4K is 31.7 FPS higher than High, making it the only 4K setting above 60 FPS besides Low.

The data shows consistent scaling ratios across resolutions. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 219 (1080p) to 158.4 (1440p) to 99.8 (4K). At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 174 (1080p) to 124.8 (1440p) to 78.5 (4K). At High settings, the FPS drops from 107.4 (1080p) to 79.2 (1440p) to 46.8 (4K). At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 104.2 (1080p) to 76.6 (1440p) to 50.2 (4K). The High preset at 4K is the only measured configuration below 48 FPS, which may present minor stutter in fast-moving scenes.