Inside

# Inside — AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + Intel Arc B370

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a playable but uneven experience in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer. The data shows this combo ranks 2654th out of 2887 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems benchmarked for this title. That low percentile is driven entirely by the GPU, as the CPU is a high-end desktop part while the graphics solution is an integrated-class component with performance comparable to decade-old discrete cards.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4nm TSMC process. It runs at a 4.40 GHz base clock and boosts to 5.50 GHz, with 128 MB of L3 cache spread across the chip. This is a desktop-class CPU on the AM5 socket, released in January 2025 with a launch MSRP of $599. Its benchmark scores confirm it is a top-tier processor: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737 and a single-core score of 6739, while Geekbench shows 22884 multi-core and 3041 single-core results.

In the context of Inside, the CPU is vastly overqualified. The game is a 2D puzzle platformer with modest physics and logic demands. The processor's 3DMark scores highlight its strength: 12490 in the 16-thread test, 9002 in the 8-thread test, and 13795 at max threads. Even the 2-thread score of 2512 is far beyond what this game requires. The 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs means this processor outperforms the vast majority of installed hardware, yet the measured frame rates in Inside are capped by other bottlenecks.

The CPU's nearest rivals in overall benchmark average illustrate its position. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF scores 55093, which is 0.6% lower than the Ryzen's 54762 average — effectively a tie. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K is 1.3% behind, while the Intel Xeon 6505P and Intel Core i7-14700F trail by 2.0% and 2.1% respectively. This places the Ryzen 9 9900X3D in a tight cluster of high-performance desktop CPUs, all delivering far more compute headroom than a puzzle platformer can utilize.

For Inside specifically, the CPU's role is minimal. The game's simple collision detection and scripted sequences do not stress 24 threads. The measured frame rates show no evidence of CPU limitation — the bottleneck shifts entirely based on resolution and settings, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The processor's 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR5 support ensure data flows quickly, but the game's small asset sizes mean even that advantage is barely exercised.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the polar opposite of the CPU — it is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built on the Panther Lake chip with Xe3-LPG architecture at a 3nm Intel process. It runs at a 300 MHz base clock and boosts to 2400 MHz, with system-shared memory for VRAM, bandwidth, and bus width. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, with 10 ray tracing cores. Its FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The GPU's benchmark showing is stark: it scores 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are ancient parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher), and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (1.4% lower). The Arc B370 is effectively performing at the level of a 2010-era discrete GPU, which explains the frame rates in Inside.

With a 25W TDP and no power connectors, this is a low-power integrated solution designed for portability, not gaming performance. The 2400 MHz boost clock is respectable for an IGP, but the system-shared memory is a fundamental constraint. The measured frame rates in Inside reflect this: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 141 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 67 FPS. The GPU's fill rate (48.00 GPixel/s) and texture rate (96.00 GTexel/s) are sufficient for simple 2D scenes, but they become limiting factors as resolution and quality settings increase.

The GPU's 5th percentile ranking means 95% of all GPUs tested perform better. This is the clear bottleneck in the system, and it dictates the entire performance profile of the combo in Inside. The game's visual style — dark silhouettes, atmospheric lighting, and subtle particle effects — does not require a powerful GPU at low settings, but the Ultra preset pushes the Arc B370 past its comfort zone.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 141 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, it drops to 101 FPS (a 28% reduction), and at 4K Low, it falls to 64 FPS (a further 37% reduction from 1440p). This steep drop-off is typical of a GPU that is already near its limit at the lowest resolution.

The scaling is more pronounced at higher settings. At Medium settings, 1080p yields 113 FPS, 1440p yields 81 FPS, and 4K yields 51 FPS. The percentage drops are 28% from 1080p to 1440p, then 37% from 1440p to 4K — nearly identical to the Low settings pattern. At High settings, 1080p produces 70 FPS, 1440p produces 51 FPS, and 4K produces 32 FPS. Here the drops are 27% and 37% respectively. The consistency of these percentages across settings indicates the resolution scaling is purely GPU-limited — the CPU is not a factor at any resolution.

The Ultra preset shows the same trend but with lower absolute values: 67 FPS at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p, and 30 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 30 FPS is the minimum playable threshold, barely hitting the 30 FPS standard for console-like smoothness. The data suggests that the limiting component is unambiguously the Intel Arc B370. The CPU's performance is identical regardless of resolution, as expected for a 12-core part, but the GPU's rendering load increases quadratically with pixel count.

The frame time consistency also degrades with resolution. At Medium settings, the 1080p frame range is 96 to 130 FPS (a 34 FPS spread), while at 1440p it is 69 to 93 FPS (a 24 FPS spread), and at 4K it is 43 to 59 FPS (a 16 FPS spread). The absolute variance shrinks as the average FPS drops, but the percentage variance remains similar — indicating the GPU is consistently loaded without sudden spikes.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy for settings optimization. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 141 FPS, which is more than double the 67 FPS of the Ultra preset. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 113 FPS with a measured minimum of 96 FPS, which is a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. For most players, the Medium preset at 1080p represents the best trade-off between visual quality and performance, as the 113 FPS average and 96 FPS minimum ensure smooth gameplay without visible stutter.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 81 FPS with a 69 FPS minimum, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1440p drops to 51 FPS, which is below 60 and may introduce perceptible judder. For 1440p gaming, Medium is the recommended preset, as it maintains a playable frame rate while offering better visual fidelity than Low (which runs at 101 FPS but may look noticeably flatter).

At 4K, the situation becomes more constrained. The Medium preset produces 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard but still playable with adaptive sync. The Low preset runs at 64 FPS, which is above 60 and provides a smoother experience. The High and Ultra presets at 4K produce 32 and 30 FPS respectively, which are borderline for playability. For 4K, the Low preset is the safest choice, as it maintains a consistent 64 FPS while the Medium preset's 51 FPS may be too close to the edge for some users.

The Ultra preset is never recommended with this combo. At every resolution, it delivers the lowest frame rates with no corresponding benefit in the measured data for this game. The difference between High and Ultra is 3 FPS at 1080p (70 vs 67), 3 FPS at 1440p (51 vs 48), and 2 FPS at 4K (32 vs 30) — a negligible visual improvement for a significant performance cost. The data shows that Medium provides the best balance across all resolutions, with 1080p Medium being the standout choice for most users.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2654th out of 2887 tested combinations in Inside, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems. This low ranking is directly attributable to the Intel Arc B370's 5th percentile GPU performance. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations, as the game's rendering demands outstrip the integrated graphics solution's capabilities.

The GPU's nearest rivals underscore this point. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, and AMD Radeon HD 7650M all score within 0.7% of the Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad result. These are GPUs from 2010-2012, indicating the Arc B370's performance level is over a decade old. The AMD FirePro M2000 is 1.4% slower, which is the only rival that the Arc B370 beats by a meaningful margin.

In the context of Inside, this ranking means the combo is at the lower end of playable systems. The game is not demanding by modern standards, but the Arc B370's integrated nature means it struggles at higher resolutions and settings. The 2654th rank places it below the vast majority of discrete GPU configurations, which can run this game at 4K Ultra with ease. However, the combo does achieve playable frame rates at lower settings, which is more than many older integrated solutions can manage.

The ranking also reflects the CPU+GPU mismatch. This is a high-end desktop CPU paired with an IGP designed for portable devices. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D's power is entirely wasted in this configuration for Inside, as the GPU saturates far before the CPU can demonstrate its capability. A weaker CPU paired with a discrete GPU would likely rank higher in this game, demonstrating that the combo's ranking is a product of its weakest link.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. The Low preset achieves 141 FPS on average, which is smooth and responsive. Medium settings produce 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS, showing consistent frame delivery. High settings drop to 70 FPS, which is still above 60. Ultra settings yield 67 FPS, only slightly below High, suggesting diminishing returns at the top end. The 1080p results span from 67 to 141 FPS, a 74 FPS range that demonstrates the GPU's sensitivity to settings.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings run at 101 FPS, which remains above 60. Medium settings produce 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. High settings fall to 51 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings yield 48 FPS. The 1440p range is 48 to 101 FPS, a 53 FPS spread. The Medium preset at 1440p is the only setting that maintains a minimum above 60 FPS, making it the sole viable option for smooth play at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playability. Low settings run at 64 FPS, which is just above 60. Medium settings produce 51 FPS with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS — the minimum is notably low, indicating potential frame drops during intense scenes. High settings yield 32 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 30 FPS. The 4K range is 30 to 64 FPS, a 34 FPS spread. Only the Low preset at 4K stays above 60 FPS on average, while Medium dips below for sustained periods.

The data also reveals that the Medium preset is the only setting with complete min/max measurements at all three resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 96-130 FPS; at 1440p, it is 69-93 FPS; and at 4K, it is 43-59 FPS. These measurements show that the frame delivery remains stable across resolutions, with no sudden spikes or crashes, but the average FPS drops linearly with pixel count.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at specific settings. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 141 FPS and Medium achieves 113 FPS, both well above 60. At 1440p, Low runs at 101 FPS and Medium at 81 FPS. At 4K, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS with 64 FPS. All other settings fall below 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo?

A: The Medium preset offers the best balance across all resolutions. At 1080p it delivers 113 FPS with a 96 FPS minimum, at 1440p it delivers 81 FPS with a 69 FPS minimum, and at 4K it delivers 51 FPS with a 43 FPS minimum. The Ultra preset provides only marginal visual gains for 3-4 FPS less than High settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% higher), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher). The AMD FirePro M2000 is the only rival the Arc B370 beats, scoring 1168 (1.4% lower).

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D ranks in the 91st percentile among CPUs with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737, while the Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile among GPUs with a 3DMark score of 1184. The frame rate drops consistently with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of GPU limitation.

Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which produces 64 FPS. Medium settings at 4K yield 51 FPS with a 43 FPS minimum, which may be playable but risks noticeable drops. High and Ultra settings at 4K produce 32 FPS and 30 FPS respectively, which are below the smooth playability threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 2654th out of 2887 tested combinations in Inside, placing it in the bottom 8% of systems. The low ranking is driven by the GPU's 5th percentile performance, despite the CPU's 91st percentile ranking. The GPU's nearest rivals are all decade-old parts, highlighting its limited capabilities.