Inside

# Inside: AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + AMD Radeon RX 570

The pairing of AMD's top-tier Ryzen 9 9900X3D processor with the end-of-life Radeon RX 570 graphics card creates a stark imbalance in this 2016 puzzle platformer. The combo ranks 2749th out of 2887 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 5% of all tested combos for Inside. This low ranking stems almost entirely from the GPU side of the equation, as the RX 570's 4 GB VRAM and Polaris 20 chip architecture struggle to push the game's atmospheric visuals at higher settings, while the CPU's substantial 12-core, 24-thread configuration sits largely underutilized in a title that rarely demands such processing muscle. Benchmark results indicate that this combo delivers playable, but not exceptional, frame rates across most resolution and settings combinations, with the GPU acting as the definitive bottleneck throughout.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2749 out of 2887 tested configurations places it in the 5th percentile, a position that reflects the fundamental mismatch between the processor and graphics card. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D sits in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54762, while the RX 570's 74th percentile GPU standing and average score of 28766 demonstrate that the graphics card is the limiting component. The data shows a 2749th rank for this specific pairing, meaning 138 tested combos perform worse in Inside. This ranking is not a reflection of the CPU's capability—it is a direct consequence of the GPU's age and specifications.

When examining the GPU's nearest rivals, the performance picture becomes clearer. The RX 570's average benchmark score of 28766 sits within 1.2% of the AMD Radeon R9 M295X (28580) and 1.2% of the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 (28421). It trails the AMD Radeon RX 6800M by 0.4% and the RX 470 by 0.8%. These narrow deltas indicate that the RX 570 performs essentially at parity with mobile and older workstation GPUs, none of which are designed for modern high-refresh gaming. The CPU's nearest rivals tell a different story: the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF scores 55093 (0.6% higher), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scores 54053 (1.3% lower than the 9900X3D), and the Intel Core i7-14700F scores 53620 (2.1% lower). The CPU is competitive with the best mid-range desktop processors, but that advantage is wasted when paired with a GPU from 2017.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is the primary determinant of this combo's Inside performance. Its 4 GB GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for 1080p but becomes strained at higher resolutions. The GPU's clocks run at 1168 MHz base and 1244 MHz boost, with memory at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). These specifications, combined with 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, deliver a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 5.095 TFLOPS is modest by modern standards, and the 14 nm GlobalFoundries process node limits efficiency.

In Inside, the GPU's role becomes evident when examining frame rates across settings. At 1920x1080, the card delivers 135 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 64 FPS on Ultra—a 52.6% reduction. The pattern intensifies at 2560x1440, where Low yields 97 FPS but Ultra falls to 46 FPS. At 3840x2160, the card manages only 61 FPS on Low and 29 FPS on Ultra. These numbers reveal that the RX 570's 4 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's art style at lower settings, but the GPU's raw compute limits high-setting performance. The measured Medium settings at 1080p (108 FPS average, 92 min, 124 max) show the card's sweet spot, while Ultra settings at 4K (29 FPS) are clearly unplayable. The GPU's 74th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28766, confirms that while the card is not at the bottom of the barrel, it lacks the headroom for demanding scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data indicates that Medium settings provide the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for this combo. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 108 FPS average with a 92 FPS minimum and 124 FPS maximum—numbers that comfortably exceed the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. High settings at 1080p drop to 68 FPS average, which remains playable but leaves less margin for demanding scenes. Ultra at 1080p falls to 64 FPS, a marginal improvement over High in visual terms but with a significantly lower average.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts to Low settings, where the combo achieves 97 FPS. Medium at this resolution drops to 78 FPS (66 min, 89 max), which is still acceptable for a puzzle platformer, but High (49 FPS) and Ultra (46 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS comfort zone. For 3840x2160, only Low settings (61 FPS) are viable; Medium drops to 49 FPS (42 min, 56 max), and High (31 FPS) and Ultra (29 FPS) are not recommended for consistent gameplay. The data suggests that players prioritizing smooth motion over visual detail should select Medium at 1080p or Low at 1440p, while 4K requires Low settings for playable frame rates.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo capable of running Inside at 60 FPS?*

A: Yes, at certain settings. The combo achieves 135 FPS at 1080p Low, 108 FPS at 1080p Medium, 97 FPS at 1440p Low, and 61 FPS at 4K Low. High settings at 1080p (68 FPS) also exceed 60 FPS, but Ultra at 1080p (64 FPS) and any setting above Low at 4K fall below the threshold.

Q: How does the RX 570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 570's average benchmark score of 28766 is 0.4% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (28874), 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon R9 M295X (28580), 0.8% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 470 (28996), and 1.2% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 (28421). These deltas indicate near-parity performance with these competitors.

Q: What is the CPU's benchmark standing relative to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D's average benchmark score of 54762 is 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55093), 1.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54053), 2% higher than the Intel Xeon 6505P (53701), and 2.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700F (53620).

*Q: Can this combo handle Inside at 4K resolution?*

A: Only at Low settings, where it achieves 61 FPS average. Medium at 4K drops to 49 FPS (42 min, 56 max), while High (31 FPS) and Ultra (29 FPS) are not playable. The GPU's 4 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for high-setting 4K performance.

Q: What is the GPU's production status and how does it affect the combo ranking?

A: The RX 570 is marked as end-of-life, with a release date of 2017-04-17. Its 74th percentile ranking among all GPUs and 28766 average benchmark score place it well below modern cards, contributing to the combo's 2749th rank out of 2887 tested configurations.

Q: Does the CPU compensate for the GPU's limitations in this game?

A: No. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D's 91st percentile CPU ranking and 54762 average benchmark score are largely irrelevant for Inside, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor in all tested settings. The game's puzzle platformer nature does not leverage the CPU's 12 cores, 24 threads, or 128 MB L3 cache.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a GPU-bound scenario at every settings level. At Low settings, the combo delivers 135 FPS at 1920x1080, 97 FPS at 2560x1440, and 61 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 28.1% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 37.1% drop from 1440p to 4K—a total reduction of 54.8% from 1080p to 4K. Medium settings follow a similar pattern: 108 FPS at 1080p, 78 FPS at 1440p (27.8% drop), and 49 FPS at 4K (37.2% drop from 1440p), totaling a 54.6% reduction. High settings show 68 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p (27.9% drop), and 31 FPS at 4K (36.7% drop from 1440p), a total reduction of 54.4%. Ultra settings deliver 64 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p (28.1% drop), and 29 FPS at 4K (37.0% drop from 1440p), totaling 54.7% reduction.

The consistent percentage drops across all settings—approximately 28% from 1080p to 1440p and 37% from 1440p to 4K—indicate that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. The RX 570's 39.81 GPixel/s pixel rate and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth scale predictably with resolution, and the CPU's 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth (DDR5, dual-channel) is never the bottleneck. The 4K Low result of 61 FPS versus 1080p Low at 135 FPS shows that the GPU is stretched to its limits at higher resolutions, even with the game's relatively simple visuals. This scaling behavior confirms that upgrading the GPU would yield substantial frame rate improvements at all resolutions, while the CPU would remain underutilized.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D represents the current pinnacle of AMD's desktop processor lineup, but its role in this combo is largely passive. The CPU features 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge codename), manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process with 16,630 million transistors across a 2x 70.6 mm² die size. Its 128 MB L3 cache, 80 KB L1 cache per core, and 1 MB L2 cache per core provide substantial data storage for workloads that benefit from cache, while the 4.40 GHz base clock and 5.50 GHz boost clock deliver strong single-thread performance. The CPU's 120 W TDP and DDR5 memory support (dual-channel, 89.6 GB/s bandwidth) round out a specification sheet that places it in the 91st percentile among all CPUs.

Benchmark results underscore the CPU's capability: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 47737 and single-core 6739, Geekbench multicore reaches 22884 with single-core at 3041, and 3DMark max-threads scores 13795. PassMark multithread scores 56154, with single-thread at 4646. These numbers place the 9900X3D within 2.1% of its nearest rivals (Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF at 55093, Intel Core Ultra 5 245K at 54053, Intel Xeon 6505P at 53701, and Intel Core i7-14700F at 53620). However, in Inside, a puzzle platformer with minimal CPU demands, the processor's power is untapped. The measured frame rates are consistent across the CPU's performance envelope, showing no signs of CPU limitation at any resolution or settings combination. The combo's 2749th rank out of 2887 configurations is entirely attributable to the GPU, not the CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive picture of this combo's performance in Inside. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo achieves its best results: Low settings produce 135 FPS average, Medium delivers 108 FPS (92 min, 124 max), High yields 68 FPS, and Ultra drops to 64 FPS. The 71 FPS spread between Low and Ultra demonstrates the GPU's sensitivity to settings changes at 1080p. At 2560x1440, performance scales down predictably: Low hits 97 FPS, Medium averages 78 FPS (66 min, 89 max), High reaches 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 46 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 51 FPS, indicating that the GPU's compute resources are becoming more constrained.

At 3840x2160, the RX 570's limitations become pronounced. Low settings deliver 61 FPS, which is barely above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 49 FPS (42 min, 56 max), High drops to 31 FPS, and Ultra yields only 29 FPS. The 32 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K shows that even the lowest settings struggle to maintain playable frame rates at this resolution. The Medium settings at each resolution provide the most complete data, with min/max values that reveal frame time consistency: 92-124 FPS at 1080p, 66-89 FPS at 1440p, and 42-56 FPS at 4K. These ranges indicate that the combo maintains relatively stable frame pacing at Medium settings, with the 4K result being the only configuration where the minimum falls below 60 FPS. The data confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p Medium or 1440p Low gaming, with 4K reserved for Low settings only.