Inside

Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that is remarkably forgiving on modern hardware, and the measured data for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT confirms this. The combination delivers extremely high frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the performance profile shifting from a CPU-bound scenario at 1080p to a GPU-bound one as resolution increases. The following analysis breaks down the scaling behavior, optimal settings, and the role each component plays in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a classic resolution scaling curve that clearly identifies the bottleneck at each setting tier. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 279.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 199.8 FPS, a reduction of approximately 28.4%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 125.7 FPS, which is another 37.1% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline indicates that while the CPU is capable of feeding frames at very high rates, the GPU's workload becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The High preset tells a similar but more compressed story. At 1080p High, the average is 143 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 98.7 FPS, a 31% reduction. At 4K High, the average is 63.4 FPS, which is a 35.8% drop from 1440p. The scaling between 1440p and 4K is slightly less severe than between 1080p and 1440p, which suggests that the GPU is approaching its saturation point at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the smallest relative drops: 135.7 FPS at 1080p, 98.6 FPS at 1440p (a 27.3% reduction), and 59.4 FPS at 4K (a 39.8% reduction from 1440p).

The most telling data point is the difference between Low and Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the gap is 143.4 FPS (279.1 vs 135.7), which shows that the CPU can handle the extra draw calls without issue. At 4K, the gap narrows to 66.3 FPS (125.7 vs 59.4), indicating that the GPU is struggling to maintain the same level of headroom. The conclusion is that at 1080p, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the primary driver of performance, while at 4K, the RX 6600 XT becomes the clear limiting component. The 16-core processor with its 128 MB of shared L3 cache provides ample bandwidth for the game's logic, but the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are what ultimately cap frame rates at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting a consistent 60 FPS experience, the data shows that the Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it averages 135.7 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 98.6 FPS, which is still comfortably above 60, but at 4K Ultra, the average falls to 59.4 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset offers a better balance for 4K gaming, with an average of 63.4 FPS that provides a small buffer above the critical 60 FPS mark.

The Medium preset is the most interesting option for high-resolution play. At 4K Medium, the combo averages 99.6 FPS, which is a substantial improvement over the 63.4 FPS seen at High. This represents a 57% performance uplift for what is likely a modest visual difference in a game with a minimalist art style. At 1440p Medium, the average jumps to 163.6 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, it reaches 223 FPS. For players with high-refresh-rate displays, the Medium preset at 1440p or 1080p is the sweet spot, as it provides frame rates well above 144 FPS.

The Low preset is only necessary for extreme frame rate chasing. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 279.1 FPS, which is nearly double the Medium preset's 223 FPS. However, given that the Medium preset already delivers 223 FPS at 1080p and 163.6 FPS at 1440p, the visual quality trade-off for Low is rarely justified. The data suggests that Medium is the optimal preset for most users, as it offers the best combination of visual fidelity and frame rate headroom across all three resolutions. For 4K users who prioritize smoothness over absolute visual quality, Medium is the clear choice, as it nearly doubles the frame rate of Ultra while maintaining a playable experience.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 6600 XT, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a Navi 23 chip, plays a decisive role in this game's performance at higher resolutions. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for Inside's relatively simple textures but becomes the limiting factor at 4K. The measured data shows that the GPU's boost clock of 2589 MHz and game clock of 2359 MHz are not the primary constraints; rather, the memory subsystem and the 2048 shading units are what determine the scaling curve.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 71st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27985. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, scores 27956, a delta of just 0.1%. This near-identical performance profile is reflected in the game's frame rates, where the GPU's capabilities are clearly strained at 4K Ultra. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 16461 and DirectX 12 score of 61 indicate that it is a mid-range part that can handle modern games at 1080p and 1440p with ease, but 4K Ultra is beyond its comfort zone.

The role of the GPU is most evident when comparing the 4K Low and 4K Ultra results. The jump from 125.7 FPS to 59.4 FPS represents a 47.2% performance loss, which is entirely attributable to the GPU's increasing workload. In contrast, the CPU's 16 cores and 32 threads are barely taxed by this title, as evidenced by the 1080p Low result of 279.1 FPS. The GPU's 10.60 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 165.7 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for the game's side-scrolling presentation, but the 4K resolution demands more than the 8 GB memory buffer can efficiently deliver. The GPU's end-of-life production status and RDNA 2.0 architecture mean it is a previous-generation part, but for a game like Inside, it remains a capable performer at mainstream resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT ranks 1183 out of 1671 tested combos for Inside. This places it in the 29th percentile of all tested configurations, which is a surprisingly low ranking given the absolute frame rates achieved. The reason for this discrepancy is that the combo rank considers the overall balance of the system, not just raw performance. The CPU is a top-tier part, ranking in the 96th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 71660, while the GPU ranks in the 71st percentile with an average score of 27985. This imbalance means that the CPU is vastly overqualified for the GPU, which drags down the combo ranking.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which scores 70420 on average, a delta of 1.8% behind the 9950X3D. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 scores 71056, a 0.9% deficit, while the Intel Xeon 6517P scores 73050, which is 1.9% ahead. These small deltas indicate that the 9950X3D's 3D V-Cache and 128 MB L3 cache provide only marginal benefits in this game, which is not heavily dependent on cache-sensitive workloads. The GPU's nearest rivals show a similar pattern, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 scoring 28238, a 0.9% lead over the RX 6600 XT, and the AMD FirePro S7150 scoring 28409, a 1.5% lead.

The ranking data suggests that for Inside, the GPU choice matters more than the CPU. The combo's rank of 1183 out of 1671 indicates that there are many other configurations that achieve better relative performance, likely by pairing a more balanced CPU with a stronger GPU. The CPU's 3DMark max threads score of 17184 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 59712 are wasted on this title, which does not scale beyond a few threads. The practical takeaway is that this combo is overkill for Inside at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the combo's rank reflects this inefficiency.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K with High settings?

A: The measured average is 63.4 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Low preset at 1080p compare to Ultra at 1080p?

A: Low produces 279.1 FPS, while Ultra produces 135.7 FPS, a difference of 143.4 FPS. The CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: Is the RX 6600 XT the bottleneck at 4K?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 4K, the frame rate drops from 125.7 FPS on Low to 59.4 FPS on Ultra, a 47.2% reduction. This indicates the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations for Inside?

A: It ranks 1183 out of 1671 combos, placing it in the 29th percentile. The CPU-GPU imbalance contributes to this lower ranking.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X?

A: The 9950X3D has an average benchmark score of 71660, which is 1.8% higher than the 9950X's 70420. This small delta suggests limited performance benefit in this game.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Medium is the best choice, with an average of 163.6 FPS. This is significantly higher than High at 98.7 FPS and Ultra at 98.6 FPS, while Low at 199.8 FPS offers diminishing returns.