Inside

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination delivers a remarkably fluid experience in Inside, a game that is far more demanding on frame rates than its minimalist aesthetic suggests. The data shows a pairing where the CPU’s immense processing power ensures that even at lower resolutions, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck, yet the RX 7700 still provides enough headroom for high-refresh-rate gaming. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, interprets the CPU's role, and provides actionable recommendations based strictly on the benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic shift in system bottleneck, moving decisively from the CPU to the GPU as pixel count increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 353 FPS. This incredibly high frame rate indicates that the Ryzen 9 9900X is feeding the Radeon RX 7700 as fast as it can render, with the CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads providing an insurmountable amount of headroom for a title like this.

Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 254 FPS, a 28% reduction from the 1080p figure. This substantial drop is a clear indicator that the graphics card's rendering workload is now becoming the primary limiting factor, even though the absolute frame rates remain exceptionally high. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 160 FPS, which is a 37% drop from the 1440p result and a 55% drop from 1080p. This steep decline as resolution increases confirms that the RX 7700's pixel-pushing capabilities are the primary constraint in this scenario, while the 9900X remains largely underutilized.

When we move to the High preset, the scaling pattern persists but the frame rates are lower across the board. The 1080p High average is 177 FPS, which drops to 127 FPS at 1440p (a 28% decrease) and then to 80 FPS at 4K (a 37% decrease from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops between resolutions—regardless of the preset—strongly suggests that the GPU's fill rate and shading power are the dominant factors limiting performance. The Ultra preset follows the same trend, with averages of 168 FPS at 1080p, 121 FPS at 1440p, and 76 FPS at 4K.

The data indicates that for this specific game and hardware combination, the "resolution scaling" is almost purely a function of GPU load. The CPU is so powerful that its performance ceiling is not reached until frame rates are far beyond what the GPU can deliver at 1080p. The fact that 4K Ultra (76 FPS) is only slightly lower than 4K High (80 FPS) suggests that the additional graphical fidelity of the Ultra preset doesn't impose an insurmountable strain on the GPU, which is a valuable insight for users seeking maximum visual quality at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, with its 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, is an absolute powerhouse. Its benchmark results, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32172 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3010, place it in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs. This immense processing capability is not a bottleneck in Inside. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU is most likely to be stressed, the system delivers 353 FPS, a figure that far exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors.

The game's genre as a Puzzle Platformer means it likely does not rely heavily on complex AI or physics simulations that would stress multi-core performance. However, the 9900X's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1286 and Passmark single-thread score of 4672, ensures that even the game's primary game logic thread is handled with ease. The CPU's boost clock of 5.60 GHz and base clock of 4.40 GHz provide the raw speed necessary to process the game's input and game state without introducing latency.

Comparing it to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 9900X's average benchmark score of 57498 is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 9015 (57555) and AMD EPYC 7313 (57399), with delta percentages of -0.1% and 0.2% respectively. It also holds its own against the Intel Core i9-14900, which scores 58115, a difference of -1.1%. This places the 9900X in a performance tier with some of the most capable server and desktop processors available. In the context of Inside, this CPU's role is to provide a virtually unbreakable foundation, ensuring that the only thing limiting frame rates is the GPU's ability to render the image.

The 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth and DDR5 support further contribute to this fluidity, ensuring that data can be fed to the CPU cores quickly, preventing any stutters or hitches that could occur from memory bottlenecks. The 64 MB of L3 cache also helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency. In summary, the CPU is not just "enough" for this game; it is an over-provisioned component that guarantees the GPU is always the limiting factor, which is the ideal scenario for consistent performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how each preset impacts performance. For users with a 1080p 60Hz or 144Hz monitor, the Ultra preset is the clear choice. The average of 168 FPS at 1080p Ultra not only exceeds any standard display's refresh rate but also provides ample headroom to prevent frame drops. There is no reason to lower the settings to High (177 FPS) or Medium (282 FPS) when the Ultra preset already delivers a flawless experience at that resolution.

At 1440p, the decision becomes more nuanced. The High preset, with an average of 127 FPS, is excellent for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors. It provides a smooth and responsive experience. The Ultra preset at 121 FPS is also viable, and the difference is marginal. However, for those with a 144Hz or higher refresh rate display, the Medium preset's 203 FPS average is the most optimal choice to truly maximize the display's potential, though it sacrifices some graphical fidelity. Given the game's art style, the visual difference between High and Medium may be less noticeable than the frame rate increase.

For 4K gaming, the High preset at 80 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance. It provides a smooth experience on a 60Hz display and is a significant improvement over the Medium preset's 128 FPS, which, while faster, may not offer a substantial visual upgrade. The Ultra preset at 76 FPS is also a strong contender, showing that the GPU can handle the maximum settings at this resolution with playable frame rates. The Low preset at 160 FPS is only necessary for those chasing extremely high refresh rates at 4K, which is uncommon. The data suggests that for this combo, 4K High or Ultra is the sweet spot, offering a visually rich experience without sacrificing gameplay fluidity.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand database of tested combinations, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 pair ranks 1161 out of 2887 combos for Inside. This places it in the top 40% of all systems tested. This rank is somewhat surprising given the CPU's immense power, but it perfectly illustrates the GPU-bound nature of this specific game at higher resolutions. The CPU's high percentile ranking (92nd) is effectively neutralized by the RX 7700's more modest standing in the 58th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's performance, as measured by its Passmark G3D score of 20974, is comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (avg score 16129, delta -1.7%) and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (avg score 16014, delta -1%). This places the RX 7700 in a solid mid-to-high range tier. When paired with a top-tier CPU, the overall system performance is held back by the GPU, but the combination still achieves very high frame rates in Inside. The rank of 1161 suggests that while there are many faster combos, this pairing is far from a slouch. It represents a well-balanced system for 1080p and 1440p high-refresh-rate gaming, and a capable 4K 60Hz machine for this title. The high rank of the CPU ensures that this combo will not suffer from stuttering or frame-time inconsistencies, which is often a bigger problem than a lower average FPS.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K 60 FPS?*

A: Yes, the data confirms this. At 4K High settings, the system averages 80 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it averages 76 FPS. Both are comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for a smooth experience.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the definitive limiting factor. Evidence for this is the steep frame rate drop when moving from 1080p to 4K (e.g., 353 FPS to 160 FPS on Low settings), which indicates the rendering load is the primary constraint. The CPU's performance is far in excess of what the GPU can utilize.

Q: What is the best setting for a 1440p 144Hz monitor?

A: For maximum refresh rate utilization, the Medium preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 203 FPS. If you prefer higher visual fidelity and your monitor has a refresh rate closer to 120Hz, the High preset at 127 FPS is also an excellent option.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X compare to the Intel Core i9-14900?

A: The average benchmark scores are very close. The Ryzen 9 9900X scores 57498, while the Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58115, making the Intel part roughly 1.1% faster on average. In practical terms, there is no meaningful difference in gaming performance for Inside.

Q: Is the Ultra preset too demanding for this system?

A: No. The system handles the Ultra preset exceptionally well at all tested resolutions. The lowest average FPS recorded for the Ultra preset is 76 FPS at 4K, which is still perfectly playable. At 1080p, it achieves 168 FPS.

Q: What kind of performance can I expect at 1080p?

A: You can expect exceptional performance. The average FPS ranges from 168 FPS on Ultra to 353 FPS on Low. Even the most demanding preset provides a frame rate that is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate 1080p monitor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table presents the exact measured average FPS values for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination in Inside. For the Medium preset, the minimum and maximum FPS were also recorded.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

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

| 1920x1080 | Low | 353 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 282 | 240 | 325 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 177 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 168 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 254 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 203 | 173 | 234 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 127 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 121 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 160 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 128 | 108 | 147 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 80 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 76 | - | - |