Inside

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT delivers exceptional performance in Inside, a 2016 puzzle platformer that is far more demanding on frame rates than its minimalist art style suggests. The benchmark data shows this combination is capable of triple-digit frame rates at every tested setting and resolution, with the only limitation being the game's own engine frame pacing at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data to determine the optimal settings, the balance between CPU and GPU load, and how this specific combo ranks against other tested configurations.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to High settings at 2560x1440 as the sweet spot. This configuration delivers a measured average of 149 FPS, which is well above the 144Hz refresh rate of most high-end monitors. The step up to Ultra settings at this same resolution only drops the average to 142 FPS, a marginal 4.7% reduction that some users might prefer for maximum visual fidelity. However, the High preset at 1440p provides a more comfortable margin above 144 FPS, ensuring smoother frame delivery during the game's more physics-intensive puzzle sequences.

At 1920x1080, the data shows that the CPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The Low preset achieves an average of 415 FPS, while High settings still manage 208 FPS. Medium settings at this resolution produce 332 FPS average with a minimum of 282 FPS and maximum of 382 FPS. These numbers are so far beyond standard display refresh rates that the extra visual quality from High or Ultra settings (198 FPS average) is essentially free. The recommendation for 1080p users is to run Ultra settings, as the 198 FPS average still exceeds any mainstream monitor's capability.

For 4K resolution (3840x2160), the data shows a clearer trade-off. The High preset delivers 94 FPS average, which is suitable for 60Hz displays but falls short of 120Hz panels. The Medium preset at 4K provides 150 FPS average with a minimum of 128 FPS and maximum of 173 FPS, making it the only 4K setting that comfortably drives high-refresh-rate 4K monitors. Ultra at 4K drops to 89 FPS average, which is still playable but not optimal for competitive or fast-paced sections. Given that Inside is a slower-paced puzzle platformer, the Medium preset at 4K offers the best balance of visual quality and frame rate headroom.

The most efficient recommendation is to use High settings at 1440p as the baseline, as it offers no perceptible advantage to drop to Medium (239 FPS average) or Low (299 FPS) given the diminishing returns in visual quality versus the already-excessive frame rates. The data indicates that the GPU is not fully utilized at lower resolutions, so users with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors should prioritize resolution and settings that push the GPU harder without sacrificing the 144 FPS threshold.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate is 415 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. Even the most demanding preset tested, Ultra at 4K, maintains an average of 89 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution compared to 1080p?

A: The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a substantial drop. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 208 at 1080p to 94 at 4K, a reduction of approximately 55%. This indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is the bottleneck, as evidenced by the massive frame rates (415 FPS on Low) that exceed what most GPUs can push. At 4K, the GPU takes over as the limiting component, with frame rates dropping to 89-188 FPS depending on settings.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded in any tested configuration?

A: The lowest minimum frame rate is 128 FPS, recorded at 4K resolution with Medium settings (average 150 FPS, maximum 173 FPS). This is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 7800 XT compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 7800 XT scores an average benchmark of 11627, placing it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 with a score of 11680, a -0.5% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT scores 11842, which is 1.8% higher.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 9950X3D's 128 MB of L3 cache affect in-game performance?

A: The benchmark data for Inside does not isolate cache effects, but the CPU's overall benchmark scores suggest strong gaming performance. The processor achieves a 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 75779. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, scores 75738, a 0.1% difference.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT plays a critical role in determining frame rates at higher resolutions, particularly at 4K where the data shows a clear GPU limitation. The card features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for Inside, a game that does not demand high VRAM capacity, but the bandwidth helps maintain consistent frame delivery at 4K.

The GPU's clock behavior shows a base clock of 1295 MHz, a game clock of 2124 MHz, and a boost clock of 2430 MHz. The difference between game and boost clocks (approximately 14%) allows for dynamic performance scaling based on thermal headroom. In Inside, the GPU's 3840 shading units and 96 ROPs are more than adequate for the game's 2D side-scrolling perspective, which primarily relies on pixel fill rate rather than complex geometry.

At 1080p, the GPU is clearly not the limiting factor. The frame rates at Low settings (415 FPS) are so high that they exceed the capabilities of most display interfaces. The GPU's synthetic benchmarks show a 51st percentile ranking among all GPUs, with a passmark G3D score of 24176 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4157. These scores indicate a mid-range GPU that punches above its weight in this particular game due to Inside's modest rendering requirements.

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU's scaling behavior. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 208 to 94, a 54.8% reduction when resolution quadruples. This is consistent with pixel-bound workloads, where the GPU's 233.3 GPixel/s pixel rate becomes the determining factor. At Medium settings, the 4K average of 150 FPS suggests the GPU still has headroom, but the minimum of 128 FPS indicates occasional spikes in rendering complexity.

The RX 7800 XT's position relative to its nearest rivals is interesting. Its average benchmark score of 11627 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (11680) and the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (11842), despite being a newer architecture. This suggests that for Inside, which does not utilize advanced DirectX 12 Ultimate features, the GPU's raw compute capabilities are what matter most. The card's 37.32 TFLOPS FP32 performance is more than sufficient for this game's requirements.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ranks 919th out of 3716 tested combos in Inside. This places it in the top 24.7% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing for a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU. The rank reflects the game's CPU-friendly nature, where the processor's 16 cores and 32 threads contribute to high frame rates even when the GPU is not fully utilized.

The CPU's contribution to this ranking is substantial. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D achieves a 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 75779. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (75738, 0.1% difference) and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D (75716, 0.1% difference). These are essentially identical scores, indicating that the 9950X3D's performance is at the top of the current desktop CPU landscape.

The GPU, in contrast, ranks in the 51st percentile among all GPUs, which is a below-average position. This disparity between CPU and GPU performance tiers explains why the combo ranks in the 919th position rather than higher. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield significantly better results, but the RX 7800 XT still delivers playable frame rates in Inside due to the game's low system requirements.

The combo's rank is more impressive when considering the game's release date of 2016-07-06. The hardware is nearly a decade newer than the game, which explains the high frame rates across all settings. The rank of 919 out of 3716 represents a configuration that is well-suited for this title, but not in the top tier due to the GPU's mid-range positioning. Users with this combo can expect a smooth experience without needing to compromise on settings, as even the most demanding preset (Ultra at 4K) maintains an average of 89 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic pattern of CPU-to-GPU bottleneck transition. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high (198-415 FPS depending on settings) that the CPU is clearly the limiting factor. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D's single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1292 and Geekbench single-core score of 3064, enables these extreme frame rates. The game's logic and physics updates happen fast enough to feed the GPU at these rates.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain high but show a modest reduction. At High settings, the average drops from 208 FPS at 1080p to 149 FPS at 1440p, a 28.4% decrease. This is less than the 33% increase in pixel count (from 2.07 million to 3.69 million pixels), suggesting the GPU is starting to become more relevant but the CPU still has headroom. At Medium settings, the drop is from 332 FPS to 239 FPS, a 28.0% decrease, which follows a similar pattern.

At 4K, the scaling becomes more pronounced. The High settings average drops from 149 FPS at 1440p to 94 FPS at 4K, a 36.9% decrease for a 125% increase in pixel count (from 3.69 million to 8.29 million pixels). This indicates the GPU is now the primary bottleneck. The Medium settings show a similar trend: 239 FPS at 1440p to 150 FPS at 4K, a 37.2% decrease. The minimum frame rate at 4K Medium is 128 FPS, which is still above most displays' refresh rates.

The Low settings show the most dramatic scaling, from 415 FPS at 1080p to 299 FPS at 1440p (28.0% decrease) to 188 FPS at 4K (37.1% decrease from 1440p). This consistent pattern across all settings confirms that the GPU's pixel throughput is the determining factor at higher resolutions. The RX 7800 XT's 624.1 GB/s memory bandwidth and 233.3 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for 4K in this game, but the frame rates drop by roughly half when moving from 1080p to 4K.

The limiting component analysis is clear: at 1080p, the CPU is the bottleneck, as evidenced by the 415 FPS maximum that exceeds what most GPUs can render. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, with frame rates dropping to 89-188 FPS. The crossover point appears to be somewhere between 1440p and 4K, where the GPU's capabilities start to constrain performance. For users with 1440p or 4K monitors, the GPU is the primary consideration, while 1080p users are limited by the CPU's ability to feed the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

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

1920x1080 (Full HD):

• Low: Average 415 FPS. This is the highest frame rate recorded in any configuration, demonstrating the CPU's ability to push extreme frame rates when the GPU is not stressed.
• Medium: Average 332 FPS, minimum 282 FPS, maximum 382 FPS. The 50 FPS spread between minimum and maximum suggests occasional frame pacing variations, but the minimum is still exceptionally high.
• High: Average 208 FPS. This setting provides a good balance of visual quality and performance, with the frame rate well above any display's refresh rate.
• Ultra: Average 198 FPS. Nearly identical to High settings, indicating diminishing returns in GPU load from High to Ultra at this resolution.

2560x1440 (QHD):

• Low: Average 299 FPS. A 28% reduction from the 1080p Low setting, confirming the GPU is now contributing to the rendering load.
• Medium: Average 239 FPS, minimum 203 FPS, maximum 275 FPS. The minimum frame rate of 203 FPS is still exceptionally high, ensuring smooth gameplay even during complex scenes.
• High: Average 149 FPS. This setting crosses the critical 144 FPS threshold, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.
• Ultra: Average 142 FPS. Marginally below the 144 FPS threshold, this setting may cause occasional dips below the refresh rate on 144Hz displays.

3840x2160 (4K UHD):

• Low: Average 188 FPS. This shows the GPU's scaling under pixel-heavy load, with a 37% reduction from the 1440p Low setting.
• Medium: Average 150 FPS, minimum 128 FPS, maximum 173 FPS. This is the only 4K setting with recorded minimum and maximum values, showing a 45 FPS spread that indicates more variable frame times.
• High: Average 94 FPS. This is suitable for 60Hz displays but not for 120Hz or 144Hz panels. The frame rate is 55% lower than the 1080p High setting.
• Ultra: Average 89 FPS. The most demanding configuration tested, this still provides a playable experience but with less headroom for frame time spikes.

The data shows consistent scaling patterns across all settings. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution is approximately 52-55%, indicating that the GPU's workload scales predictably with visual quality. The Medium settings consistently provide the best minimum frame rate headroom, with the 4K Medium minimum of 128 FPS being the lowest recorded value across all tests. This suggests that for 4K users, Medium settings offer the best safety margin for maintaining smooth gameplay.