Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that, on paper, should not stress a 2024 flagship-tier pairing like the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER. The measured data confirms this, but the numbers reveal a fascinating pattern about where the performance ceiling truly lies. This analysis walks through the benchmark results to explain which settings offer the best experience, how the CPU and GPU divide their responsibilities, and what the frame rates tell us about the system's behavior at different resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a complete matrix of four quality presets across three resolutions. The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low is always the fastest, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra being the most demanding. However, the frame rates are so high across the board that the choice of preset depends entirely on the user's refresh rate and desire for visual fidelity.

At 1920x1080, the differences are minimal. The Low preset delivers an average of 318 FPS, while Medium drops slightly to 294 FPS. High comes in at 245 FPS, and Ultra is 241 FPS. All four presets are far beyond the 144Hz standard, and even the most demanding Ultra preset remains above 240 FPS. For users with a 360Hz or 500Hz esports monitor, the Low preset's 318 FPS is the only option that approaches those extreme refresh rates, but for virtually any other display, the visual quality improvements of High or Ultra are essentially free.

At 2560x1440, the pattern holds. Low averages 285 FPS, Medium 263 FPS, High 195 FPS, and Ultra 186 FPS. The step from Medium to High is the largest single drop, a 68 FPS reduction, which suggests that the High preset enables significantly more computationally expensive effects. Still, 186 FPS at Ultra is more than sufficient for a high-refresh-rate 1440p panel.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the scaling becomes more interesting. Low averages 244 FPS, Medium 196 FPS, High 123 FPS, and Ultra 117 FPS. Here, the gap between Low and High is a substantial 121 FPS. The 4K High and Ultra presets are the first settings where the frame rate drops below the 144Hz threshold, but they remain perfectly playable on a 120Hz display.

The best experience, balancing the measured performance against the implied quality settings, appears to be the High preset. At 1080p it delivers 245 FPS, at 1440p it delivers 195 FPS, and even at 4K it maintains 123 FPS. The Ultra preset offers only marginal frame rate differences from High (241 vs. 245 at 1080p, 186 vs. 195 at 1440p, and 117 vs. 123 at 4K), suggesting that the visual uplift from High to Ultra is not worth the performance cost. The Medium preset is a viable alternative for users seeking maximum frame rates, but the data indicates that High provides the most balanced combination of speed and quality. Given that the game is a 2D side-scroller, the High preset's visual effects likely contribute to the atmospheric lighting and shadow work that defines the game's aesthetic, making it the recommended choice.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average frame rate is 318 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The next highest is 294 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 285 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: Does the system maintain a playable frame rate at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the average frame rate is 117 FPS. While this is the lowest measured result, it remains above the 60 FPS standard and is suitable for a 120Hz display.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K on the High preset?

A: The High preset at 1080p averages 245 FPS, while at 4K it averages 123 FPS. This represents a 50% reduction in average frame rate when quadrupling the pixel count.

Q: What is the difference between the Medium and High presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 263 FPS with a minimum of 224 FPS and a maximum of 303 FPS. The High preset averages 195 FPS. The difference of 68 FPS indicates a significant increase in rendering workload.

Q: Does the game show any signs of CPU limitation at lower resolutions?

A: The data suggests a degree of CPU limitation at 1080p. The frame rate difference between 1080p Low (318 FPS) and 1440p Low (285 FPS) is only 33 FPS, while the difference between 1440p Low and 4K Low (244 FPS) is 41 FPS. The relatively small gap between 1080p and 1440p indicates that the CPU is likely the limiting factor at the lower resolution.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like for the Medium preset?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum frame times. At 1080p, it ranges from 250 to 338 FPS. At 1440p, it ranges from 224 to 303 FPS. At 4K, it ranges from 167 to 226 FPS. The spread is consistent, suggesting stable frame pacing.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, code-named Vermeer. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores are strong: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26017 and a single-core score of 1614. It also achieves a Geekbench multi-core score of 15233 and a single-core score of 2083.

For a game like Inside, which is a 2D puzzle platformer, the workload is not heavily multi-threaded. The game's rendering is primarily a GPU task, but the CPU must still handle game logic, physics, and draw call submission. The 5950X's single-thread performance is excellent, evidenced by its Passmark single-thread score of 3470 and its 3DMark single-thread score of 944. This high single-thread performance is crucial for maintaining high frame rates, as the main game thread often becomes the bottleneck at very high FPS.

The data shows that the 5950X is more than capable of feeding the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 318 FPS, which is a frame time of roughly 3.1 milliseconds. This is a demanding target for any CPU, but the 5950X handles it without dropping the average below this figure. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 1856 and 4-thread score of 3595 further indicate that the processor has the headroom for lightly-threaded workloads. The percentile ranking of 91 compared to all CPUs confirms that this is a top-tier processor for gaming, even in a title that does not utilize its full 16-core capacity. The CPU's role here is to ensure that the GPU is never starved for data, and the measured FPS suggests it does so effectively up to the 4K resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 5950X and the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER ranks 598th out of 3716 tested combinations for Inside. This places it in the top 16.1% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a game that is not particularly demanding.

The ranking is influenced by the fact that many combinations with newer, more expensive hardware will achieve higher frame rates, but the absolute numbers here are already exceptionally high. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX, which has an average benchmark score of 52073 (a delta of -0.2% compared to the 5950X's 51947), and the Intel Core i9-13900F at 51730 (a delta of +0.4%). These rival processors are comparable in overall compute performance, but the ranking in-game depends on the synergy with the GPU.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 (average score 31206, delta -0.4%) and the NVIDIA TITAN RTX (average score 31676, delta -1.9%). The 4070 Ti SUPER's average benchmark score is 31087, which is notably lower than the TITAN RTX, but the in-game performance of the 4070 Ti SUPER benefits from its modern architecture and higher clock speeds. The ranking of 598 out of 3716 suggests that while this is a high-end combination, there are a significant number of systems that can match or exceed its performance in this specific game, likely due to newer GPUs with higher memory bandwidth or more shading units. However, for the vast majority of users, a rank in the top 16% is more than sufficient for a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear trend of decreasing performance as resolution increases, but the rate of decline varies significantly by preset. This variation is key to understanding which component is the bottleneck.

For the Low preset, the frame rates are 318 FPS at 1080p, 285 FPS at 1440p, and 244 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 33 FPS (a 10.4% decrease), and the drop from 1440p to 4K is 41 FPS (a 14.4% decrease). This is a relatively shallow curve, indicating that the GPU is not fully saturated even at 4K. The CPU is likely the primary limiter at 1080p, and as the resolution increases, the GPU begins to take on more work, but the frame rates remain high.

For the Medium preset, the frame rates are 294 FPS at 1080p, 263 FPS at 1440p, and 196 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 31 FPS (10.5%), and the drop from 1440p to 4K is 67 FPS (25.5%). The larger drop at higher resolution indicates that the GPU is becoming more heavily utilized.

For the High preset, the frame rates are 245 FPS at 1080p, 195 FPS at 1440p, and 123 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 50 FPS (20.4%), and the drop from 1440p to 4K is 72 FPS (36.9%). This is a much steeper curve, showing that the High preset's visual effects are heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions.

For the Ultra preset, the frame rates are 241 FPS at 1080p, 186 FPS at 1440p, and 117 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 55 FPS (22.8%), and the drop from 1440p to 4K is 69 FPS (37.1%). This is similar to High, confirming that the higher presets are GPU-limited.

The data indicates that at 1080p and Low/Medium settings, the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU has plenty of headroom. As the resolution and quality settings increase, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The 4K High and Ultra settings are where the GPU is most stressed, dropping to 123 FPS and 117 FPS respectively, showing a 50% reduction from the 1080p High result.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete FPS breakdown is as follows:

1920x1080 (Full HD)

• Low: Average 318 FPS
• Medium: Average 294 FPS, Minimum 250 FPS, Maximum 338 FPS
• High: Average 245 FPS
• Ultra: Average 241 FPS

2560x1440 (Quad HD)

• Low: Average 285 FPS
• Medium: Average 263 FPS, Minimum 224 FPS, Maximum 303 FPS
• High: Average 195 FPS
• Ultra: Average 186 FPS

3840x2160 (4K Ultra HD)

• Low: Average 244 FPS
• Medium: Average 196 FPS, Minimum 167 FPS, Maximum 226 FPS
• High: Average 123 FPS
• Ultra: Average 117 FPS

At 1080p, the system is capable of exceeding 300 FPS on the Low preset, and even the Ultra preset maintains a 241 FPS average. The Medium preset's minimum of 250 FPS ensures no noticeable stutters. At 1440p, the Low preset still hits 285 FPS, but the High and Ultra presets drop to around 190 FPS, which is still excellent for a 144Hz monitor. At 4K, the Low preset is the only one that stays above 240 FPS, while the High and Ultra presets fall to 123 and 117 FPS respectively. The Medium preset at 4K offers a balanced 196 FPS with a minimum of 167 FPS, making it the highest quality preset that remains above the 144Hz threshold at this resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, using the AD103 chip manufactured on a 5 nm process. It features 8448 shading units, 264 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines. It has 66 ray tracing cores and 264 tensor cores. The GPU has a base clock of 2340 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz. It is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s.

The GPU's benchmark scores are substantial. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 31811 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 199267. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 5569. The percentile ranking of 76 compared to all GPUs places it in the upper quartile, though its nearest rivals show that it is not the absolute fastest. The NVIDIA Quadro M5000 has a similar average score (31206 vs 31087, a delta of -0.4%), but the 4070 Ti SUPER's gaming performance is far superior due to its dedicated RT and tensor cores.

In Inside, the GPU's role is to render the game's atmospheric 2D graphics, which include dynamic lighting, shadows, and particle effects. The 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, even at 4K, as the game's textures are not large. The high memory bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s ensures that texture data is quickly accessible, but it is unlikely to be a bottleneck. The boost clock of 2610 MHz is high, allowing for rapid shader execution. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the system drops to 117 FPS, which is still high but demonstrates the GPU's increasing workload. The FP32 performance of 44.10 TFLOPS is ample for this title, and the GPU is never pushed to its absolute limit, as evidenced by the fact that even at 4K Low, the system achieves 244 FPS. The GPU's performance is consistent with its high-end positioning, providing a smooth experience across all tested configurations.