Inside

The pairing of an AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D with an AMD Radeon RX 6600 presents a striking contrast in capabilities, and the measured frame rates in Inside reflect that imbalance clearly. This 2016 puzzle platformer is not a demanding title by modern standards, yet the data shows how even a lighter game can expose the relationship between a high-end processor and a mid-range graphics card. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D, a 12-core, 24-thread Zen 5 processor with a 128 MB L3 cache, is paired with an RX 6600 that has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. The benchmark results across resolutions and settings reveal where the bottleneck lies and what users can expect from this specific combination.

Resolution Scaling

The most telling pattern in the measured data is how average frame rates scale from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo delivers 257 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 185 FPS, a reduction of 72 FPS or roughly 28%. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 116 FPS, which is 45 FPS below the 1440p result and 141 FPS below the 1080p figure. This scaling is steep and consistent, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases. The RX 6600’s 8 GB frame buffer and 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are being pushed harder at higher resolutions, and the frame rate drops accordingly.

Looking at Medium settings, the same trend appears but with slightly different magnitudes. At 1080p Medium, the average is 206 FPS with a minimum of 175 FPS and a maximum of 237 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 148 FPS, with a range of 126 to 170 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 93 FPS, with minimum and maximum values of 79 and 107 FPS respectively. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 28%, and from 1440p to 4K it is about 37%. This suggests that the scaling is not perfectly linear; the jump to 4K imposes a heavier penalty per pixel, which is typical when a GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources become saturated.

High settings show a similar trajectory. At 1080p High, the average is 129 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 92 FPS, a 29% reduction. At 4K High, the average is 58 FPS, which is a 37% drop from 1440p. Ultra settings follow the same pattern: 122 FPS at 1080p, 88 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these drops across all settings indicates that resolution scaling is independent of the quality preset. The limiting component is clearly the GPU, as the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s single-thread performance, measured at 1269 in 3dmark_single_thread and 3041 in geekbench_singlecore, is far beyond what a game like Inside would require at these frame rates.

The data implies that at 1080p, the CPU has headroom to spare. The 257 FPS Low result is close to what one might expect from a GPU-limited scenario, but the fact that it drops so sharply with resolution confirms that the RX 6600 is the ceiling. At 4K, the 55-58 FPS results on High and Ultra are borderline playable, but the 116 FPS on Low shows that even at 4K, the GPU can deliver high frame rates if the visual load is reduced. This suggests that for users targeting 4K, the RX 6600 is the bottleneck, and lowering settings is the only way to achieve higher frame rates. For those with high-refresh 1080p monitors, the combo is more than sufficient, as even Ultra settings at 122 FPS exceed typical 60 Hz and 120 Hz refresh rates.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for settings at each resolution, and the data allows for specific recommendations based on the desired frame rate target. At 1080p, all settings are playable, but the differences are notable. Low settings produce 257 FPS, Medium produces 206 FPS, High produces 129 FPS, and Ultra produces 122 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 51 FPS reduction, which is significant, but Medium still offers more than double the frame rate of a standard 60 FPS target. High and Ultra are nearly identical in performance, with only a 7 FPS difference between them. This suggests that for 1080p, the best experience per the measured rows would be High settings, as it delivers 129 FPS while presumably offering better visual quality than Medium. The difference between High and Ultra is negligible in frame rate, so Ultra could also be considered if the user prioritizes maximum visual fidelity, but High provides the same performance with a lower chance of hitting the minimum frame rate threshold.

At 1440p, the recommendations shift. Low settings produce 185 FPS, Medium produces 148 FPS, High produces 92 FPS, and Ultra produces 88 FPS. Here, High and Ultra are again close, with only a 4 FPS difference. Medium offers a substantial 56 FPS advantage over High, which could be crucial for users with 144 Hz monitors. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot at 1440p, as it delivers 148 FPS, which is above the 144 Hz threshold, while High and Ultra fall below 100 FPS. For users with 60 Hz displays, High would still be viable, but for those seeking smoother motion, Medium is the better choice based on the measured results.

At 4K, the options are more constrained. Low settings produce 116 FPS, Medium produces 93 FPS, High produces 58 FPS, and Ultra produces 55 FPS. The data indicates that Low is the only setting that comfortably exceeds 100 FPS, while Medium is still above 60 FPS. High and Ultra both hover around 55-58 FPS, which is just below a 60 FPS target. For 4K, the recommendation would be Medium, as it delivers 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS, ensuring that frame times remain consistent. High and Ultra would be acceptable for cinematic play at 55-58 FPS, but they risk dropping below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. Low is an option for competitive play, but the visual sacrifice in a puzzle platformer may not be worth the frame rate gain. Overall, the best experience per the measured rows at 4K is Medium, as it balances visual quality and performance, while at 1080p and 1440p, High and Medium respectively offer the best trade-offs.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is a RDNA 2.0 architecture GPU with 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its boost clock is 2491 MHz, with a game clock of 2044 MHz, and it has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory running at 1750 MHz with a 128-bit bus, yielding 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus is 63, meaning it outperforms 63% of all GPUs in the benchmark database. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 with an average score of 19030 and a deltaPct of 0%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile with an average score of 19049 and a deltaPct of -0.1%. These comparisons show that the RX 6600 is a mid-range performer, and in Inside, its role is to render the game’s 2D side-scrolling visuals with minimal strain.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is not a limiting factor in Inside, as the game’s art style and simple geometry do not require large textures. The measured frame rates at 4K Ultra, which average 55 FPS, suggest that the GPU’s compute power, not its memory capacity, is the constraint. The 8.928 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 159.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for this title, but the scaling from 1080p to 4K shows that the GPU is working harder at higher resolutions. The memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s is also a factor, as higher resolutions require more data to be transferred per frame.

The GPU’s clock speeds are relevant to the results. The boost clock of 2491 MHz is relatively high for a mid-range card, and the game clock of 2044 MHz indicates sustained performance under load. The fact that Inside is not a graphically intensive game means the GPU is unlikely to hit its thermal or power limits, allowing it to maintain high clocks. The TDP of 132 W and suggested PSU of 300 W are modest, but these are not directly reflected in the frame rates. The data shows that the RX 6600 is the bottleneck at 4K, as the CPU’s performance is far above what the game requires. At 1080p, the GPU is also the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 122 FPS Ultra result, which is below what the CPU could theoretically push if the GPU were faster. The GPU’s role in this combo is to cap the frame rate, and the measured results indicate that it does so consistently across all settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 2223 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the lower 23% of all combinations. This rank is surprising given the CPU’s high performance, but it underscores the GPU’s limiting role. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has a percentileVsAllCpus of 91, meaning it outperforms 91% of all CPUs, and its avgBenchmarkScore is 54762. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF with an avgScore of 55093 and a deltaPct of -0.6%, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K with an avgScore of 54053 and a deltaPct of 1.3%. These rivals are close in CPU performance, but the GPU’s rank drags the combo down.

The comboRankInGame of 2223 out of 2887 suggests that most other combinations, even those with weaker CPUs, achieve higher frame rates in Inside because they pair them with more capable GPUs. The data implies that the CPU is overkill for this game, as even a mid-range processor could deliver similar results with the RX 6600. The rank is a reflection of the GPU’s position in the overall hierarchy, not the CPU’s. If the same CPU were paired with a stronger GPU, the rank would likely improve significantly. Conversely, if the RX 6600 were paired with a weaker CPU, the rank might not change much, as the GPU is the bottleneck. This ranking highlights the importance of balance in a system, and it suggests that users with this combo should focus on the GPU as the upgrade path for better performance in Inside.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average frame rate at 1920x1080 with High settings is 129 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average frame rate is 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS.

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

A: The data shows the GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has a single-thread score of 1269 in 3dmark, while the RX 6600’s frame rates drop consistently with resolution, indicating GPU saturation.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2223 out of 2887 tested combos in Inside.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate recorded across all tests?

A: The maximum frame rate is 257 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Does the RX 6600 have enough VRAM for this game?

A: The RX 6600 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, and the measured results show no indication that VRAM is a constraint, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates are organized by resolution and settings, providing a complete picture of performance. At 1920x1080, Low settings yield an average of 257 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium settings produce an average of 206 FPS, with a minimum of 175 FPS and a maximum of 237 FPS. High settings deliver an average of 129 FPS, and Ultra settings produce an average of 122 FPS, with no min or max values for either. At 2560x1440, Low settings average 185 FPS, Medium settings average 148 FPS with a range of 126 to 170 FPS, High settings average 92 FPS, and Ultra settings average 88 FPS. At 3840x2160, Low settings average 116 FPS, Medium settings average 93 FPS with a range of 79 to 107 FPS, High settings average 58 FPS, and Ultra settings average 55 FPS.

These numbers show a clear progression: increasing resolution reduces frame rates across all settings, and increasing settings reduces frame rates at all resolutions. The Medium settings rows are the only ones with min and max values, indicating that the benchmark captured frame time variance for those configurations. At 1080p Medium, the variance is 62 FPS between min and max, which is substantial but still within playable territory. At 1440p Medium, the variance is 44 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 28 FPS. This suggests that lower resolutions and higher frame rates lead to more variance, possibly due to CPU or driver overhead, while higher resolutions are more stable. The Ultra settings at 1080p and 1440p are close in performance, with only a 4 FPS difference, while High and Ultra at 4K are also close, with a 3 FPS difference. The data is consistent and reliable, as indicated by the dataIsMeasured field being true.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, and built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 120 W. The CPU’s cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a 128 MB L3 cache, which is substantial for gaming. Its memory support is DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU’s benchmarks are strong: it scores 47737 in cinebench_r23_multicore and 6739 in cinebench_r23_singlecore, and 22884 in geekbench_multicore and 3041 in geekbench_singlecore. Its avgBenchmarkScore is 54762, and it ranks in the 91st percentile among all CPUs.

In Inside, the CPU’s role is minimal because the game is not CPU-intensive. The 12 cores and 24 threads are far beyond what a puzzle platformer requires, and the high single-thread performance ensures that no frame rate is CPU-limited. The measured results show that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 257 FPS, which is likely near the GPU’s maximum output, not the CPU’s. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at higher resolutions, but instead they drop, confirming that the GPU is the constraint. The L3 cache of 128 MB is beneficial for gaming, but in a title like Inside, its impact is negligible. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.50 GHz ensures that any single-threaded tasks are handled quickly, but the game’s simple logic does not push the processor.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF with a deltaPct of -0.6% and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K with a deltaPct of 1.3%, show that the 9900X3D is competitive with other high-end parts. However, in this combo, the CPU’s performance is wasted, as the RX 6600 cannot keep up. The data implies that for Inside, a less powerful CPU would deliver identical frame rates when paired with the same GPU. The CPU’s role is to provide headroom, which is evident in the fact that frame rates are consistent across settings at a given resolution, with no signs of CPU-induced stuttering or drops. The CPU’s 16,630 million transistors and 2x 70.6 mm² die size are irrelevant to the game’s performance, but they contribute to the processor’s overall capability in other workloads. The launch MSRP of $599 for the CPU reflects its high-end positioning, but in this context, it is not the differentiator.