Inside

# Inside: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D + AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT Benchmark Analysis

This combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D processor and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card achieves a rank of 808 out of 3716 tested combos in Inside, placing it in the top 22% of all tested configurations. The data indicates a well-balanced pairing where neither component consistently bottlenecks the other across the tested resolution and settings matrix, though the scaling patterns reveal nuanced performance characteristics worth examining.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 808 out of 3716 tested combinations places this pairing firmly in the upper quartile of all configurations benchmarked for Inside. This positioning is supported by the individual component standings: the CPU sits at the 95th percentile against all tested processors, while the GPU ranks at the 85th percentile against all tested graphics cards. The performance data suggests the CPU's high percentile ranking provides ample headroom for the GPU to operate near its full potential in this puzzle platformer.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 75779 places it marginally ahead of its nearest rivals, with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 scoring 75738 (a 0.1% delta), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D scoring 75716 (also 0.1% delta), and the AMD EPYC 8224P scoring 75582 (0.3% delta). The Intel Core Ultra 9 285 trails slightly at 75488, representing a 0.4% delta. These narrow margins indicate that the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is operating at the very top of the current CPU performance envelope.

On the GPU side, the RX 6800 XT's average benchmark score of 48477 shows it outpacing the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile (47743, 1.5% delta) but trailing the Intel Arc A550M (49737, -2.5% delta), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (49957, -3% delta), and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (50001, -3% delta). The GPU's 85th percentile ranking confirms it as a strong performer, though not at the absolute pinnacle of graphics hardware.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 203 FPS, which represents the lowest performance tier at this resolution but still delivers a smooth experience well above typical display refresh rates.

Q: What is the highest frame rate achieved in this testing matrix?

A: The maximum measured average FPS is 427, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 342 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 307 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the frame rates range from 92 FPS (Ultra) to 193 FPS (Low), with the scaling pattern suggesting the GPU becomes increasingly significant at higher resolutions, though the CPU's strong performance prevents severe bottlenecks.

Q: How consistent are frame times at Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset is the only setting tier with complete min/max data. At 4K, frames range from 131 to 178 FPS (average 154), at 1440p from 209 to 283 FPS (average 246), and at 1080p from 291 to 393 FPS (average 342), showing tighter consistency at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 307 FPS while Ultra produces 146 FPS, representing a 52.5% reduction in frame rate from the lowest to highest quality preset. The High preset sits at 154 FPS, nearly matching Ultra.

Q: How does this combo compare to its nearest GPU rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The RX 6800 XT's average benchmark score of 48477 places it 1.5% above the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile but 3% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, with the Intel Arc A550M 2.5% ahead.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D brings substantial processing capability to this pairing, featuring 16 cores and 32 threads built on the Zen 5 architecture with Granite Ridge codename. The processor operates on the AMD Socket AM5 platform with a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, backed by a 170 W TDP. The 128 MB L3 cache, combined with 80 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 cache per core, provides substantial data locality benefits that can aid game performance.

In Inside, which is a puzzle platformer with relatively modest computational demands compared to large-scale open-world titles, the CPU's extensive resources ensure it is rarely the limiting factor. The benchmark results show the CPU achieving a 3DMark 16-thread score of 16374 and a max-thread score of 17184, with the 2-thread score of 2549 indicating strong single-thread performance. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018 and single-core score of 2259 further confirm robust processing capability.

The CPU's 95th percentile ranking against all processors means it outperforms the vast majority of alternatives on the market. The nearest rivals show extremely tight clustering, with the Ryzen 9 9950X3D leading by only 0.1% over the Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 and Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D, and 0.4% over the Intel Core Ultra 9 285. This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the 9950X3D provides a marginal but measurable advantage.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a complete matrix of average frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the performance ranges from 427 FPS at Low settings to 203 FPS at Ultra, with Medium achieving 342 FPS and High reaching 214 FPS. The Medium preset shows the only complete min/max data at this resolution, ranging from 291 to 393 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, frame rates scale down notably. Low settings produce 307 FPS, Medium achieves 246 FPS (with a range of 209 to 283 FPS), High delivers 154 FPS, and Ultra drops to 146 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows significantly at this resolution compared to 1080p, with only an 8 FPS difference.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens further. Low settings maintain 193 FPS, Medium produces 154 FPS (ranging from 131 to 178 FPS), High achieves 97 FPS, and Ultra yields 92 FPS. The scaling from High to Ultra at 4K shows only a 5 FPS difference, suggesting diminishing returns from the highest quality preset at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals distinct scaling patterns as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 427 FPS at 1080p to 307 FPS at 1440p (a 28.1% reduction), then to 193 FPS at 4K (a 37.1% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline indicates the GPU becomes increasingly significant at higher resolutions, even with minimal graphical demands.

Medium settings show similar proportional scaling: 342 FPS at 1080p drops to 246 FPS at 1440p (28.1% reduction) and then to 154 FPS at 4K (37.4% reduction from 1440p). High settings follow the pattern with 214 FPS at 1080p, 154 FPS at 1440p (28.0% reduction), and 97 FPS at 4K (37.0% reduction).

Ultra settings exhibit the most dramatic scaling: 203 FPS at 1080p falls to 146 FPS at 1440p (28.1% reduction) and then to 92 FPS at 4K (37.0% reduction from 1440p). The consistent percentage reductions across all settings presets suggest that resolution scaling is governed primarily by GPU workload, with the CPU maintaining sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck at any tested configuration.

The narrowing gap between High and Ultra at higher resolutions — 11 FPS at 1080p, 8 FPS at 1440p, and 5 FPS at 4K — indicates that the additional GPU work required by Ultra settings yields progressively smaller returns as resolution increases. This pattern points to the GPU as the primary limiting component at 4K, while the CPU's strong performance ensures it does not constrain results at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, Medium settings provide the most compelling option across all tested resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 342 FPS with a range of 291 to 393 FPS, offering excellent smoothness while maintaining moderate visual fidelity. The 1440p Medium preset achieves 246 FPS (209 to 283 FPS range), which remains well above the threshold for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 4K, Medium settings produce 154 FPS (131 to 178 FPS range), which is substantially better than High's 97 FPS and Ultra's 92 FPS while still providing acceptable visual quality. The jump from Medium to High at 4K costs 57 FPS (a 37% reduction), which is a significant sacrifice for incremental visual improvements.

For users prioritizing maximum visual quality, Ultra at 1080p provides 203 FPS, which remains highly playable. At 1440p, Ultra's 146 FPS is still smooth, but the 4K Ultra result of 92 FPS approaches the threshold where some users might notice reduced responsiveness on high-refresh displays. Low settings offer the highest frame rates (427 FPS at 1080p, 307 FPS at 1440p, 193 FPS at 4K), but the visual compromises are substantial and likely unnecessary given the strong performance at higher presets.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT employs the Navi 21 chip built on RDNA 2.0 architecture using a 7 nm process at TSMC. The GPU contains 4608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, and 128 raster operation pipelines, along with 72 ray tracing cores. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory operates across a 256-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Clock speeds are substantial, with a base clock of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. The GPU's 20.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 41.47 TFLOPS of FP16 performance (2:1 ratio) provide ample compute capability for Inside's rendering requirements. The 300 W TDP and 700 W suggested PSU indicate this is a power-hungry component, though the dual-slot design with 2x 8-pin connectors accommodates standard case configurations.

The GPU's 85th percentile ranking against all tested graphics cards places it above the majority of alternatives, though the benchmark scores show it trailing the Intel Arc A550M by 2.5%, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti by 3%, and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 by 3%. The RX 6800 XT's average benchmark score of 48477 exceeds the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile's 47743 by 1.5%, confirming its position in the upper mid-range of GPU performance.

In Inside, the GPU's role becomes increasingly prominent at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the consistent ~28% frame rate reduction from 1080p to 1440p and ~37% reduction from 1440p to 4K across all settings presets. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for this game's requirements at any tested resolution or quality setting, meaning memory capacity does not constrain performance. The GPU's 512.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 288.0 GPixel/s pixel rate provide the throughput necessary to maintain the high frame rates observed at 1080p and 1440p.