Inside

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Intel Arc B390 combination delivers a highly unusual performance profile in Inside, a 2016 Puzzle Platformer. The data shows a system where the 12-core, 24-thread Zen 5 processor, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost of 5.50 GHz, is paired with an integrated graphics solution that struggles to keep pace. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a clear bottleneck, with the GPU limiting performance far more than the CPU in almost every scenario.

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

The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a desktop processor built on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, and manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 12 cores and 24 threads, a configuration that is far beyond what a puzzle platformer like Inside typically requires. The processor’s large 128 MB L3 cache and high boost clock of 5.50 GHz are excellent for maintaining high single-thread performance, which is often the most critical factor for game logic and physics in titles of this genre. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 1269 in 3dmark single-thread and 6739 in Cinebench R23 single-core, indicating strong per-core capability.

However, the benchmark results show that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing. The data indicates the GPU is the primary constraint at nearly all settings. For example, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 156 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 74 FPS. This scaling pattern, where performance is heavily influenced by graphical settings, points directly to the graphics processor. The CPU has ample headroom; its 3dmark max-thread score is 13795, and its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 47737. These numbers suggest that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D can handle far more complex workloads than what Inside presents, leaving the Arc B390 as the definitive performance ceiling.

The processor's role here is to provide a stable base. Its 24 threads ensure that no background process or game thread will starve the main rendering loop. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth from dual-channel DDR5 support is also more than sufficient for this title. In comparison to its nearest rivals, the CPU’s average benchmark score of 54762 is just 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, and 1.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K. This places the 9900X3D in a strong performance tier, but that strength is entirely untapped in this specific game combination.

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

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

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 156 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This drops to 112 FPS at 2560x1440 Low and 70 FPS at 3840x2160 Low.

Q: How does the combo perform at the highest graphical preset?

A: At Ultra settings, the performance is consistently below 60 FPS across all resolutions. The average FPS is 74 at 1080p, 53 at 1440p, and 34 at 4K. This indicates that the Ultra preset is too demanding for the Intel Arc B390 in this title.

Q: Is there a significant difference between Low and High settings?

A: Yes, the difference is substantial. At 1080p, the average FPS nearly doubles from 78 FPS on High to 156 FPS on Low, a 100% increase. At 1440p, it goes from 56 FPS on High to 112 FPS on Low, also a 100% increase. At 4K, the jump is from 35 FPS on High to 70 FPS on Low, again exactly doubling.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures recorded for the Medium preset?

A: The only preset with recorded minimum FPS values is Medium. At 1080p, the minimum FPS is 106; at 1440p, it is 76; and at 4K, it is 48. The corresponding average FPS for these settings are 125, 90, and 56, respectively.

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

A: The combo ranks 2547 out of 2887 tested combinations in Inside. This places it in the lower percentile of all systems tested, consistent with the GPU’s low benchmark score.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking compared to all other GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has a percentile ranking of 9 against all GPUs. Its only recorded benchmark score is 1482 in 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12, which is just 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX.

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

The resolution scaling data provides a clear picture of the system's bottleneck. Moving from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K causes frame rates to fall in a manner that is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. At Low settings, performance scales from 156 FPS at 1080p, to 112 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 70 FPS at 4K. This represents a 28% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 38% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total decline from 1080p to 4K is 55%.

This pattern is repeated across other settings. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 78 at 1080p, to 56 at 1440p, and to 35 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28%, and from 1440p to 4K is 38%. The consistency of these percentage drops across different presets strongly indicates that the rendering resolution is the dominant factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance delta between resolutions, as the CPU workload would remain constant while the GPU workload changes.

The data suggests that the Intel Arc B390, with its 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs, is saturated by the increasing pixel count. The memory being "System Shared" with "System Dependent" bandwidth further compounds this issue, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access. The fact that the FPS roughly halves when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings illustrates that the GPU's fillrate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints, not the processor's ability to feed it data.

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

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo shows its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 156. Moving to Medium settings, the average FPS is 125, with a minimum of 106 and a maximum of 144. High settings produce an average of 78 FPS. The Ultra preset yields an average of 74 FPS. This shows a clear step-down in performance as visual fidelity increases, with a 52% reduction in FPS from Low to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the performance decreases noticeably. Low settings deliver an average of 112 FPS. Medium settings average 90 FPS, with a minimum of 76 and a maximum of 103. High settings average 56 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 53 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is now 53%, similar to the 1080p scaling, but the absolute numbers are lower across the board.

At 3840x2160, the 4K resolution, the system is heavily challenged. Low settings produce an average of 70 FPS. Medium settings average 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65. High settings average 35 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 34 FPS. This demonstrates that 4K gaming is only viable on the Low preset, which achieves a playable 70 FPS, while all other presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The data shows a 51% reduction in FPS from Low to Ultra at this resolution.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, codenamed Panther Lake, and manufactured on a 3 nm process by Intel. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Critically, it has no dedicated VRAM; its memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory. The bandwidth is also "System Dependent," which is a significant limiting factor.

The GPU's performance is remarkably low for a modern architecture. Its only benchmark score is 1482 in 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This puts it in direct competition with very old discrete graphics cards; its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which it beats by only 1.3%. The GT 625 OEM and GT 710 are also close, with the Arc B390 leading them by 2.5% and 2.7%, respectively. This context is essential: the B390 is not a gaming GPU by modern standards.

In Inside, this low performance translates directly into the frame rates observed. The GPU's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is not enough to handle the game's rendering at high resolutions and settings. The 24 ROPs are likely the bottleneck for pixel fillrate, which explains why the FPS drops so steeply as resolution increases. The system shared memory architecture also means that the GPU's memory bandwidth is tied to the CPU's DDR5 memory, which, while fast, is not optimized for the high-bandwidth, low-latency access patterns of a dedicated graphics card. The result is a system that can only achieve 60+ FPS on Low settings at 1080p and 1440p.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data suggests that Low settings are the only reliable choice. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 156 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth. At 1440p Low, it maintains 112 FPS, also well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K Low, it drops to 70 FPS, which is still playable but close to the edge.

The Medium preset offers a marginal improvement in visual quality but at a significant cost. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 125, which is still excellent. At 1440p Medium, it falls to 90 FPS, which is acceptable. However, at 4K Medium, the average drops to 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS, which may result in noticeable stuttering. The High preset is not recommended for any resolution if aiming for 60 FPS, as it only achieves 78 FPS at 1080p and falls to 56 FPS at 1440p and 35 FPS at 4K.

The Ultra preset provides the worst performance-to-quality trade-off. It yields 74 FPS at 1080p, but drops to 53 FPS at 1440p and 34 FPS at 4K. Given that Inside is a puzzle platformer with a specific art style, the visual difference between Low and Ultra may not justify the massive FPS penalty. The data indicates that the best experience is achieved by using the Low preset at 1080p or 1440p, where the frame rate is high enough to ensure a fluid and responsive experience. If visual fidelity is more important than smoothness, Medium at 1080p is the highest preset that maintains an average FPS above 100.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the grand scheme of all tested hardware combinations for Inside, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2547 out of 2887. This places it in the bottom 12% of all systems tested. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU, as the CPU is a high-end part with a percentile ranking of 91 against all CPUs.

The disparity between the CPU and GPU performance is stark. The processor's average benchmark score of 54762 places it in the top tier of desktop processors, while the GPU's average benchmark score of 1482 places it in the bottom tier. This combo represents an extreme case of imbalance, where a top-tier processor is paired with an entry-level integrated GPU. The rank of 2547 reflects this reality: the system can run the game, but its performance is in the lower quartile of all possible configurations.

For context, the CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, are within a 1% performance delta, but the GPU's rivals are over a decade old. This suggests that the combo's ranking is not a reflection of the CPU's capabilities but rather a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations. The data shows that this is a system where the processor is ready for a much more powerful discrete graphics card, but in its current configuration, it is held back by the integrated graphics. The rank of 2547 serves as a clear indicator that this is not a gaming-focused build, and the measured FPS data provides the evidence for that conclusion.