Inside

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far more demanding on the graphics card than the processor at high resolutions. With a combo rank of 248 out of 2887 tested configurations, this pairing sits comfortably in the top 9% of all systems, offering frame rates that range from silky smooth at 4K to massively overkill at 1080p. The data shows a system that never struggles to maintain playable performance, even at the most demanding settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 120 W. The processor features a substantial 128 MB of L3 cache, which is a hallmark of the X3D series and beneficial for gaming workloads that rely on large data sets. While the CPU has a launch MSRP of $599, its role in Inside is largely secondary due to the game's age and relatively light computational requirements.

The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive but largely irrelevant for this title. In Cinebench R23, it scores 47,737 points in multi-core and 6,739 in single-core tests. Its Geekbench scores are 22,884 multi-core and 3,041 single-core. The processor's PassMark multi-thread score is 56,154, with a single-thread score of 4,646. These numbers place the CPU in the 91st percentile of all processors, indicating top-tier performance. However, for a game like Inside, which was released in 2016, the CPU is never the bottleneck. The measured FPS data confirms this: performance scales directly with resolution and GPU load, not with CPU thread utilization.

The game's engine is not heavily threaded, meaning the 24 threads of the 9900X3D are mostly idle. The strength of the processor here is its high single-thread performance, which ensures that the game's main logic thread never becomes a limiting factor. While the CPU's 3DMark scores (12,490 for 16 threads, 9,002 for 8 threads, and 4,885 for 4 threads) show strong multi-thread scaling, Inside primarily benefits from the higher boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The 128 MB L3 cache also helps reduce memory latency, which can be a factor in maintaining consistent frame pacing, even if the overall frame rates are GPU-bound. In short, the CPU is vastly overqualified for this game, ensuring that the system's performance is entirely dictated by the graphics card.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the combo's overall rank in Inside?*

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT ranks 248th out of 2,887 tested combos. This places it in the top 8.6% of all systems, indicating excellent performance for this specific game.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 425 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. At this resolution, even Ultra settings deliver 236 FPS, showing the immense headroom the hardware has at 1080p.

Q: Does the game perform better at 4K with High or Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 112 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 107 FPS. The difference is only 5 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset is nearly as efficient as High despite the higher visual quality.

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

A: The RX 7900 XT has an average benchmark score of 13,745. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon 660M, which scores 13,812, a delta of -0.5%. The NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile is also close at 13,821 (-0.5%). The RX 7900 XT sits just ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, which scores 13,543, a delta of 1.5%.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at any tested setting?

A: No. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average frame rate is 425 FPS. This high number, coupled with the fact that frame rates drop significantly when resolution increases (e.g., 179 FPS at 4K Medium), indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, not the CPU.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset?

A: For the Medium preset, the minimum FPS recorded is 334 at 1920x1080, 242 at 2560x1440, and 152 at 3840x2160. These minimums are still high enough for a smooth experience, showing consistent performance without major frame drops.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling behavior clearly identifies the GPU as the performance limiter. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 248. Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to 178 FPS, a reduction of 28.2%. Pushing to 3840x2160, the average falls to 112 FPS, a 54.8% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets.

For Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. At 1080p, the system hits 425 FPS. At 1440p, it drops to 356 FPS (-16.2%). At 4K, it falls to 224 FPS (-37.1% from 1080p). The fact that the frame rate drops by over a third when moving from 1080p to 4K on Low settings proves that the RX 7900 XT's rendering pipeline is saturated, while the CPU has ample headroom to feed it frames.

The Medium and Ultra presets show similar trends. Medium drops from 393 FPS at 1080p to 285 FPS at 1440p (a 27.5% reduction) and then to 179 FPS at 4K (a 54.5% reduction from 1080p). Ultra goes from 236 FPS at 1080p to 170 FPS at 1440p (-28.0%) and then to 107 FPS at 4K (-54.7%). The consistent ~55% reduction from 1080p to 4K across all presets indicates a purely GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate at 1080p would cap at a lower value and the percentage drop would be smaller when moving to higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination is ranked 248th out of 2,887 total combos tested in Inside. This places it in the top 8.6% of all systems, which is an impressive standing for a high-end desktop configuration. The rank indicates that the majority of combos above it likely feature more powerful GPUs, such as the RX 7900 XTX or RTX 4090, since the game is so heavily GPU-bound.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU's percentile rank is 91st among all processors, while the GPU's percentile rank is 55th among all GPUs. The discrepancy highlights that the GPU is the lower-performing component in this pairing relative to their respective markets. However, the combo still performs exceptionally well because the game's requirements are low enough that even a mid-pack GPU like the RX 7900 XT delivers high frame rates.

The nearest CPU rivals show how competitive the 9900X3D is. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF has an average score of 55,093, which is -0.6% relative to the 9900X3D's 54,762 average. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scores 54,053 (1.3% delta), and the Intel Xeon 6505P scores 53,701 (2.0% delta). These margins are minimal, confirming the CPU is not a differentiator in this game. The GPU's rivals are similarly close in synthetic benchmarks, but none of them are relevant to the actual game performance, which is dominated by the RX 7900 XT's 20 GB of GDDR6 memory and 800.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 425 FPS average
• Medium: 393 FPS average, with a minimum of 334 FPS and maximum of 452 FPS
• High: 248 FPS average
• Ultra: 236 FPS average

At 1080p, the system is heavily GPU-limited. The jump from Low to Medium costs 32 FPS, but moving from Medium to High costs 145 FPS, indicating that the High preset introduces significant shading or texture effects that strain the GPU. The Ultra preset is only 12 FPS slower than High, suggesting diminishing returns at the highest quality settings.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 356 FPS average
• Medium: 285 FPS average, with a minimum of 242 FPS and maximum of 328 FPS
• High: 178 FPS average
• Ultra: 170 FPS average

At 1440p, the scaling is more linear. Low to Medium drops 71 FPS, Medium to High drops 107 FPS, and High to Ultra drops only 8 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 242 FPS ensures a flawless experience on high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors. The High and Ultra presets still maintain high averages, comfortably above 144 Hz for most displays.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 224 FPS average
• Medium: 179 FPS average, with a minimum of 152 FPS and maximum of 206 FPS
• High: 112 FPS average
• Ultra: 107 FPS average

At 4K, the GPU is fully saturated. Low to Medium drops 45 FPS, Medium to High drops 67 FPS, and High to Ultra drops just 5 FPS. The minimum FPS of 152 at Medium settings is noteworthy, as it means the system can maintain a 120 Hz+ experience even during demanding scenes. The High and Ultra presets both hover around 110 FPS, which is excellent for 4K gaming.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate.

For 4K (3840x2160) , the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. It delivers an average of 179 FPS with a minimum of 152 FPS, ensuring a consistently smooth experience on 144 Hz displays. The High preset drops to 112 FPS, which is still playable but loses the headroom for 120 Hz+ gaming. The Ultra preset at 107 FPS offers negligible visual gains over High (only 5 FPS difference) and is not worth the performance cost. The Low preset at 224 FPS is only recommended for competitive play, which is unnecessary for a puzzle platformer.

For 1440p (2560x1440) , the High preset is the sweet spot. It delivers 178 FPS average, which is more than sufficient for 165 Hz monitors. The Ultra preset at 170 FPS is also viable if you prefer maximum quality, as the 8 FPS difference is minor. The Medium preset at 285 FPS is overkill unless you have a 240 Hz+ display. Low settings at 356 FPS provide no tangible benefit for this genre.

For 1080p (1920x1080) , the Ultra preset is recommended. At 236 FPS average, it far exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors, making the visual quality the only consideration. The High preset at 248 FPS is nearly identical in performance, but Ultra offers better image quality for a minimal 12 FPS cost. The Medium preset at 393 FPS is excessive, and Low at 425 FPS is pointless for this game.

In summary, the data indicates that a 4K Medium, 1440p High, or 1080p Ultra preset provides the best experience for the respective resolutions. The system's performance is so high that users should prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, as even the most demanding settings rarely dip below 100 FPS. The only scenario where lower settings make sense is if you are using a 240 Hz or 360 Hz monitor at 1080p, where the Medium preset's 393 FPS average can be fully utilized.