Inside

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers an exceptionally strong performance profile in Inside, a puzzle platformer from 2016. The measured data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions but capable of extreme frame rates at 1080p, placing this combo in the top tier of all tested configurations. The combination of a 12-core, 24-thread Zen 5 processor with an 8 GB Ampere graphics card produces results that are both predictable and revealing about the game's engine characteristics.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces 190.8 FPS, but this drops to 135.2 FPS at 1440p and further to 83.2 FPS at 4K. This represents a 56.4% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, a substantial loss that scales almost linearly with the pixel count increase. The data strongly suggests that the RTX 3070's rendering pipeline is saturated well before the Ryzen 9 9900X's processing capabilities are challenged.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced when examining the Low settings preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 375.6 FPS, which is remarkable for any game. However, this drops to 269.3 FPS at 1440p and 170.3 FPS at 4K. The fact that even at 4K Low the system maintains over 170 FPS indicates that Inside's visual style—characterized by its atmospheric lighting and 2.5D perspectives—does not place extreme demands on modern hardware. The RTX 3070's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth appear sufficient even at the highest pixel counts.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases, which is typical of GPU-bound scenarios. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 197.6 FPS, while at 4K it narrows to 87.3 FPS. This compression at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU's compute units, rather than its memory subsystem, become the limiting factor. The 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance in the RTX 3070 is being fully utilized at 4K, whereas at 1080p the frame rate is likely constrained by other factors such as draw call processing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070's specifications provide context for its measured performance. With 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output processors, the card is a well-balanced mid-range offering from the Ampere generation. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory operates at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus, yielding 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. These figures explain why the card performs admirably in a game like Inside that does not feature complex texture streaming or massive open-world environments.

The GPU's clock behavior is also relevant. The base clock of 1500 MHz and boost clock of 1725 MHz are modest by modern standards, yet the card still delivers 83 FPS at 4K Ultra. This suggests that Inside's rendering workload is more dependent on raw throughput rather than sustained high clock speeds. The 46 ray tracing cores are likely underutilized in this title, as the game's release in 2016 predates the widespread adoption of ray tracing technology.

The measured frame rates demonstrate that the RTX 3070 is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system hits 304 FPS, which is well beyond the refresh rate of most displays. The GPU's pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s are more than adequate for the game's visual complexity. The RTX 3070's 72nd percentile ranking among all GPUs in the database further underscores its capability in this context, though its nearest rivals—the AMD FirePro S7150 and Radeon RX 6600 XT—show that it sits in a competitive performance envelope.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 9900X and RTX 3070 achieves a rank of 629 out of 1671 tested combinations in Inside, placing it in the 62.4th percentile of all systems tested. This is a solid result, though not exceptional, given that the CPU is a high-end 2024 release while the GPU is an end-of-life 2020 product. The ranking suggests that the GPU's age relative to the CPU creates a performance ceiling that prevents the system from breaking into the top tier of configurations.

Benchmark data for the individual components provides additional context. The Ryzen 9 9900X scores 46438 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 6555 in single-core, with a 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, scores 54681 in average benchmark score, a delta of -0.4%. The GPU, meanwhile, scores 22214 in Passmark G3D and sits at the 72nd percentile. These relative positions suggest that the CPU's performance headroom is not being fully exploited in Inside, which is consistent with the game's modest threading requirements.

The 629th rank out of 1671 indicates that approximately 62% of tested combinations outperform this specific pairing. This is not surprising given the RTX 3070's age, but the frame rates achieved are still high enough to provide an excellent gaming experience. The data implies that users seeking higher rankings would need to pair the Ryzen 9 9900X with a more modern GPU, though the current combination remains highly playable across all tested settings.

FAQ

*Q: Why does the frame rate drop so significantly from 1080p to 4K in Inside?*

A: The data shows a 56.4% reduction in FPS from 1080p High (190.8 FPS) to 4K High (83.2 FPS). This indicates the RTX 3070 becomes the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the GPU's compute resources are saturated by the increased pixel workload.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X bottlenecking the RTX 3070 in this game?

A: No. The consistent frame rates across resolutions suggest the CPU has ample headroom. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 375.6 FPS, demonstrating that the 12-core processor is not a limiting factor in this title.

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

A: The High preset at 4K delivers 83.2 FPS, while Ultra is nearly identical at 83 FPS. Medium offers 136.9 FPS, and Low provides 170.3 FPS. Users prioritizing smoothness may prefer Medium, while those wanting maximum visual quality can use Ultra with minimal performance impact.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 3070's nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 3070 scores 22214 in Passmark G3D, which is 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti. The measured frame rates in Inside are consistent with these relative positions.

Q: Does the game benefit from the 8 GB VRAM of the RTX 3070?

A: The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient. The minimal difference between High and Ultra at 4K (0.2 FPS) suggests the game does not exceed the VRAM capacity at these settings.

*Q: Is the 94th percentile CPU ranking reflected in Inside performance?*

A: Not fully. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking among all processors does not translate to top-tier game performance because Inside is not CPU-intensive. The combo's 629th rank out of 1671 reflects the GPU's relative age more than CPU capability.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X brings substantial processing power to this combination. With 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, the CPU operates at a base clock of 4.40 GHz and boosts to 5.60 GHz. The 64 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth provide ample data throughput for any gaming workload. The 16,630 million transistors on a 4 nm process from TSMC represent a modern, efficient design.

In Inside, the CPU's role appears minimal based on the measured data. The game's 2016 release date suggests it was designed for much older hardware, and the frame rates achieved indicate that even a single core of the Ryzen 9 9900X could likely handle the game's logic. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6555 and 3DMark single-thread score of 1286 demonstrate the CPU's per-core strength, but these capabilities are largely unused in this title.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 54450 places it among the top 6% of all processors, with its nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D at 54681 (-0.4% delta). This performance headroom means the CPU is never the bottleneck in Inside, as evidenced by the 375.6 FPS at 1080p Low. The 24 threads are likely underutilized, as the game probably uses only a handful of cores effectively, but the high single-thread performance ensures smooth frame pacing even in complex scenes.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings based on resolution priorities. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 178 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display refresh rate up to 165 Hz. The difference between High (190.8 FPS) and Ultra (178 FPS) is minimal, so Ultra is recommended for maximum visual quality at this resolution. The Low preset's 375.6 FPS is only relevant for extreme competitive play or very high refresh rate monitors.

For 1440p gaming, the High preset at 135.2 FPS represents the sweet spot, offering a 4% performance improvement over Ultra (130 FPS) while maintaining near-identical visual quality. The Medium preset at 215.2 FPS is available for users with 240 Hz displays who prioritize frame rate over fidelity. The Low preset at 269.3 FPS is likely unnecessary given the High preset already exceeds 120 FPS.

At 4K, the choice becomes more nuanced. The High preset (83.2 FPS) and Ultra preset (83 FPS) are essentially identical in performance, so users should choose Ultra for the best visuals without penalty. The Medium preset at 136.9 FPS offers a significant performance boost for those with 120 Hz displays, while the Low preset at 170.3 FPS ensures compatibility with 144 Hz monitors. For most users, the Medium preset at 4K provides the best balance of visual quality and smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured frame rate data reveals a consistent pattern across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 375.6 FPS on Low, 304 FPS on Medium, 190.8 FPS on High, and 178 FPS on Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 52.6% performance reduction, highlighting the significant impact of visual effects on frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the results are 269.3 FPS on Low, 215.2 FPS on Medium, 135.2 FPS on High, and 130 FPS on Ultra. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces frame rates by approximately 28-30% across all settings, which aligns with the 1.78x pixel count increase. This proportional scaling confirms the GPU-bound nature of the workload.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are 170.3 FPS on Low, 136.9 FPS on Medium, 83.2 FPS on High, and 83 FPS on Ultra. The 4K results show a more dramatic drop from 1440p, with frame rates falling by 37-39% across settings. Notably, the difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 0.2 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional effects have minimal impact on the GPU's workload at this resolution. The measured data indicates that the RTX 3070's performance envelope is fully utilized at 4K, while the Ryzen 9 9900X provides more than enough processing headroom to support any settings configuration.