Inside

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER produces a dataset for Inside that is defined by the GPU's limits. Across the twelve measured configurations, the combo demonstrates a clear pattern: the CPU, a 12-core Zen 5 flagship, is never the bottleneck. The data shows that frame rates scale almost entirely with resolution and preset, which is the signature of a GPU-bound workload. The result is a playable experience at most settings, with the combo ranking in the 1486th position out of 1671 tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals how quickly the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER becomes the limiting component. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo delivers an average of 215.9 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops that to 157.7 FPS, a reduction of 58.2 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 95.9 FPS. This roughly 55% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings indicates that pixel throughput is the primary constraint.

The Ultra preset tells a similar story but with lower absolute numbers. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 103.1 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it dips to 74.9 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it bottoms out at 45 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution highlights the GPU's workload: at 1080p, there is a 112.8 FPS difference between the two presets, but at 4K, that gap narrows to 50.9 FPS. This compression suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is saturated even on Low settings, leaving less headroom for preset changes to impact performance.

The data indicates that this combo is not capable of maintaining a 60 FPS average at 4K on the High or Ultra presets, as the measured values are 50.5 FPS and 45 FPS respectively. However, the Medium preset at 4K achieves 76 FPS, which is a substantial improvement. The scaling pattern across resolutions points to a GPU that is fully utilized, while the Ryzen 9 9900X's ample single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1286, ensures that CPU-side frame pacing is not a factor in these results.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimal playability. For users targeting a high refresh rate at 1080p, the Low preset delivers 215.9 FPS, which far exceeds the needs of a puzzle platformer. The Medium preset at 173.5 FPS is also well above the 144 Hz threshold, making it a strong choice for smoother motion without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 103.1 FPS remains entirely playable on a standard 60 Hz display.

At 1440p, the recommendations shift. The Low preset produces 157.7 FPS, which is still excellent, but the Medium preset at 124.7 FPS offers a better balance for most users. The High preset at 77.2 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz monitors, while the Ultra preset at 74.9 FPS is nearly identical in performance. The data shows that the jump from Medium to High at 1440p costs 47.5 FPS, which is a significant trade-off for marginal visual gains.

For 4K, the choices become more constrained. The Low preset is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS barrier comfortably, hitting 95.9 FPS. The Medium preset at 76 FPS is also viable, making it the recommended setting for 4K users who want better visuals while maintaining a smooth frame rate. The High and Ultra presets, at 50.5 FPS and 45 FPS respectively, fall short of the 60 FPS target and should be avoided unless the user is tolerant of sub-60 FPS gameplay. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for this resolution, offering a 25.4 FPS improvement over High while staying above 60 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the decisive factor in this combo's performance. With 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, it provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock of 1785 MHz and base clock of 1530 MHz drive its 1408 shading units, producing a texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s. These specifications align with its benchmark results, where it scores 12699 in Passmark G3D and 5076 in Passmark GPU Compute.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 55 against all GPUs indicates it sits in the mid-range. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, are within a 0.7% deltaPct in average score, confirming that it is a solid but not exceptional performer. In Inside, this translates to the FPS drops observed at higher resolutions. The GPU's 6 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game, as the data does not show any anomaly that would suggest memory capacity is a limiting factor. Instead, the raw compute and fill rate are what cap performance.

The measured results show that the GPU is the bottleneck across all tested scenarios. The Ryzen 9 9900X, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, is far more capable than what this game requires. The GPU's end-of-life production status and 12 nm process node (with 6,600 million transistors on a 284 mm² die) place it well behind modern parts, but the data confirms it can still handle a 2016 puzzle platformer at playable frame rates, provided settings are adjusted appropriately.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1486 out of 1671 tested combinations places it in the lower 11% of all pairings. This is a direct consequence of the GPU's mid-tier standing, as the CPU is a high-end part. The Ryzen 9 9900X alone holds a 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54450. In contrast, the GTX 1660 SUPER's 55th percentile ranking and average score of 14286 drag the overall combo down.

When comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the data shows it is competitive. The Ryzen 9 9900X has an average score that is 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, 0.7% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700F, and 1.5% to 1.8% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K and 245KF. This indicates that the CPU is not the source of the combo's low rank. The GPU, however, is only 0.2% to 0.7% away from its nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 and Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, which are integrated or low-end discrete solutions.

The rank of 1486 suggests that most other tested combos feature either a more powerful GPU or a more balanced pairing. For a game like Inside, which is not graphically demanding, the CPU's power is largely wasted. The benchmark results indicate that a user would see similar frame rates with a much weaker CPU, as the GTX 1660 SUPER is the sole determinant of performance in this title.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X plays a minimal role in this game's performance. Its 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, provide far more processing power than Inside requires. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 46438 and single-core score of 6555 demonstrate its capability, but these numbers have little bearing on the measured FPS.

The data shows that the CPU is never the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, where CPU overhead is typically highest, the combo still achieves 215.9 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. The Ryzen 9 9900X's single-thread performance, as measured by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1286, is sufficient to feed the GPU without creating a bottleneck. Its 64 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth further ensure that data delivery is not an issue.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 94th percentile, with an average score of 54450. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, scores 54681, which is a 0.4% difference. This level of performance is overkill for a puzzle platformer, and the data confirms that the GPU is the only component that matters for frame rates in this specific game. The CPU's role is effectively to stay out of the way, which it does admirably.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 delivers an average of 76 FPS, which is the highest frame rate above 60 FPS at that resolution. The Low preset achieves 95.9 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual experience while remaining smooth.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, all four presets at 2560x1440 exceed 60 FPS. The lowest measured value is 74.9 FPS on the Ultra preset, while High, Medium, and Low produce 77.2, 124.7, and 157.7 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X compare to its nearest CPU rival?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X has an average benchmark score of 54450, which is 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D's score of 54681. It is 0.7% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700F's score of 54097.

Q: Is the GTX 1660 SUPER a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor even at 1080p. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1920x1080 is 112.8 FPS, showing that the GPU's workload scales significantly with settings, while the CPU's capacity is never challenged.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1486th out of 1671 tested combinations. This low ranking is due to the GPU's mid-tier performance, as the CPU is a high-end part.

Q: Does the CPU's 12-core configuration help in this game?

A: No, the benchmark results show that the CPU is not a limiting factor. The game's frame rates are entirely determined by the GPU, as evidenced by the consistent scaling with resolution and settings. The CPU's high multi-core and single-core scores do not translate to higher FPS in this title.