Inside

The pairing of AMD’s flagship Ryzen 9 9900X3D processor with NVIDIA’s older GeForce GTX 1070 presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics for Inside. This 2016 puzzle platformer is not graphically demanding by modern standards, yet the data reveals a clear hierarchy where the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution increases. The measured results provide a clean look at how this specific combination scales, offering insights into both the game’s engine efficiency and the hardware’s respective capabilities.

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

The performance trajectory from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, a classic indicator of GPU-bound rendering. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 115 FPS at 1920x1080 to 83 FPS at 2560x1440, a 28% drop. Moving to 3840x2160, the average plummets further to 52 FPS, representing a 55% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This pattern is nearly identical across all presets, suggesting that the scaling factor is resolution itself, not the specific graphical workload.

At 1080p, the GPU is working hard but the frame rates remain high, suggesting the CPU has ample headroom. The jump from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings shows a 32 FPS loss, while the jump from 1440p to 4K shows a further 31 FPS loss. This roughly linear decline in performance per pixel increase points squarely at the GTX 1070’s raw pixel throughput limits. The data implies that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is not the limiting factor at any resolution tested; even at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 50 FPS, the processor’s massive 12-core, 24-thread configuration is likely idling, waiting for the GPU to feed it frames.

The most telling evidence is the Low preset scaling. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo achieves an average of 231 FPS. This high number indicates the CPU can handle the game’s logic at an extremely fast pace. However, at 4K Low, the average falls to 104 FPS. While this is still smooth, the 55% drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings confirms that even with minimal graphical load, the GTX 1070’s memory bandwidth and shading units become the wall. The game’s engine is clearly efficient, but the pixel count at 4K overwhelms the 8 GB frame buffer and 256-bit memory interface.

What is curious is the gap between Medium and Ultra settings. At 1440p, the drop from Medium (133 FPS) to High (83 FPS) is a massive 50 FPS loss, while the drop from High to Ultra (79 FPS) is only 4 FPS. This suggests that the High preset introduces a significant rendering feature (perhaps advanced lighting or shadows) that disproportionately taxes the GTX 1070, while Ultra adds only incremental effects. This non-linear scaling is a strong sign that the GPU’s compute units are the bottleneck, not the CPU or system memory.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, with its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, provides a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. For a game like Inside, which uses a muted color palette and simple geometry, this memory configuration is generally sufficient. However, the data suggests that the 4K resolution is pushing against the limits of this bandwidth. The fact that the 4K Medium preset yields 83 FPS while 4K High yields 52 FPS indicates that texture and shader complexity, which consume memory bandwidth, are the primary stressors.

The GPU’s clock speeds are also a factor. With a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz, the GTX 1070’s 1920 shading units are running at a moderate pace. The measured results show that the card’s raw compute power (6.463 TFLOPS FP32) is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can sustain high frame rates. But at 4K, the sheer number of pixels required per frame means the GPU must process more fragments, and the data shows this is where performance degrades most severely.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 9780 places it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rivals being professional workstation cards like the AMD FirePro W5000 and NVIDIA Quadro M2000M. This indicates the GTX 1070 is a mid-tier performer in the broader landscape. For Inside, this translates to a card that is perfectly capable at lower resolutions but struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K on higher presets. The 4K Ultra average of 50 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, and the 4K High average of 52 FPS is not much better. Only by dropping to 4K Low (104 FPS) or 4K Medium (83 FPS) does the combo achieve comfortable headroom above 60 FPS.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Inside at 4K with a stable 60 FPS?*

A: The data shows it cannot on higher presets. The average FPS at 4K High is 52 and at 4K Ultra is 50. To achieve 60 FPS, you would need to use the Medium preset, which averages 83 FPS, or the Low preset, which averages 104 FPS.

*Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware in Inside?*

A: The benchmark results indicate that 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo averages 83 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. At Medium settings, it reaches 133 FPS, providing a smooth experience with room to spare.

Q: Why is there such a large performance gap between the Medium and High presets?

A: The measured data shows this gap is consistent across all resolutions. At 1080p, the drop is from 184 FPS (Medium) to 115 FPS (High), a 37% reduction. This suggests the High preset enables a specific rendering feature that heavily taxes the GPU, unlike the jump from High to Ultra, which only costs a few FPS.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D holding back the GTX 1070 in this game?

A: No. The frame rates, especially at 1080p Low (231 FPS), show that the CPU is not a bottleneck. The performance scaling with resolution is a classic sign of a GPU limitation, meaning the Ryzen 9 9900X3D has significant headroom left unused.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 1920x1080?

A: The Ultra preset averages 110 FPS, while High averages 115 FPS. The difference is minimal, so choosing Ultra for the highest visual fidelity makes sense, as both maintain frame rates far above 60 FPS. Medium runs at 184 FPS if you prefer a competitive edge in response time.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The data places this specific combination at rank 2370 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. This puts it in the lower half of performers, primarily due to the GTX 1070’s age and relative weakness compared to modern GPUs.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 appears to be the optimal configuration. The data shows an average of 133 FPS with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 153 FPS. This provides a consistently smooth experience with no risk of dropping below 60 FPS. The jump to High at this resolution costs a significant 50 FPS (down to 83 FPS) for what the data implies is a marginal visual improvement, given the small difference between High and Ultra.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice. Running at an average of 110 FPS, it offers the highest graphical fidelity without sacrificing frame rate. The difference between Ultra and High is just 5 FPS (110 vs 115), so there is no reason to compromise on settings. The Medium preset at 184 FPS is only useful for users who prioritize maximum frame rates for potential input latency reduction, which is not critical for a puzzle platformer.

For 4K, users must make a clear trade-off. The Low preset at 104 FPS is the only setting that provides a high refresh rate experience. The Medium preset at 83 FPS is the best compromise, offering better visuals while still maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS. The High and Ultra presets, at 52 FPS and 50 FPS respectively, dip below the 60 FPS threshold and are not recommended for a consistently smooth experience. The data suggests that if 4K is the target, accepting the Medium preset’s visual downgrade is necessary to avoid stutter.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 2370 out of 2887 tested combos for Inside. This ranking places it in the bottom 18% of all systems tested, which is a direct reflection of the GPU’s age. The CPU itself is a top-tier part, ranking in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, but the GTX 1070’s 47th percentile GPU score drags the overall combo performance down.

The delta between the CPU and GPU performance is stark. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (with a delta of -0.6%), are all modern, high-core-count processors. In contrast, the GTX 1070’s nearest rivals are older workstation cards like the AMD FirePro W5000 (delta -0.2%) and Quadro M2000M (delta -0.5%), highlighting its legacy status. This pairing is a classic example of a modern CPU being hamstrung by a dated GPU. The CPU is capable of far higher frame rates, as evidenced by the 1080p Low score of 231 FPS, but the GPU cannot keep up at higher resolutions, limiting the combo’s overall rank.

The ranking implies that for Inside, this system is not competitive with modern mid-range or high-end builds. However, the data also shows that the experience is still playable. The bottleneck is entirely on the GPU, meaning an upgrade to a more modern graphics card would likely catapult this combo’s rank significantly, releasing the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s full potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates provides a detailed view of performance across resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 231 FPS. The Medium preset averages 184 FPS, with a minimum of 157 FPS and a maximum of 212 FPS. The High preset averages 115 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 110 FPS. All settings at this resolution are far above the 60 FPS target, making it a very smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 166 FPS. The Medium preset averages 133 FPS, with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 153 FPS. The High preset averages 83 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 79 FPS. The High and Ultra presets still maintain frame rates above 60 FPS, but the margin is thinner than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limitations. The Low preset averages 104 FPS. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. The High preset averages 52 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 50 FPS. The High and Ultra presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that they are not suitable for a consistently smooth 4K experience.

The data for the Medium preset is the only one that includes minimum and maximum frame rate values, which show a variance of roughly 25 FPS at each resolution. This suggests some scene-to-scene variability, but the minimums are still acceptable at 1080p (157 FPS) and 1440p (113 FPS). At 4K, the minimum of 71 FPS is still above 60, but it shows that the GPU is working closer to its limit, as the average of 83 FPS is not far from that floor.

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, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. It features a massive 128 MB of L3 cache and is built on TSMC’s 4 nm process. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737 and a single-core score of 6739. This level of performance is far beyond what Inside requires.

The game’s reliance on the CPU is minimal. The 1080p Low preset result of 231 FPS is likely near the engine’s own frame rate cap or the point where the CPU’s per-core performance becomes a factor. Given the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s high single-core score (3041 in Geekbench), the CPU is more than capable of handling the game’s logic and physics. The data shows that as resolution increases, the frame rate drops proportionally, which is a definitive sign that the CPU is not the bottleneck. The CPU’s utilization is likely low, as the GPU is struggling to fill frames.

The CPU’s 128 MB of L3 cache is a notable feature for gaming, but it does not appear to provide a unique advantage in Inside. The game’s data footprint is likely small enough to fit in the cache, but the GPU limitation masks any potential benefit. The processor’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF and Intel Core i7-14700F, with deltas of -0.6% and 2.1% respectively. These CPUs would likely produce identical results in this game when paired with the GTX 1070, as the GPU is the sole performance limiter. The data strongly indicates that for Inside, the CPU’s role is to ensure the GPU is never waiting for instructions, and it succeeds in that role with considerable headroom to spare.