Inside

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Inside across three resolutions reveals a GPU-bound scenario at higher settings, but one that scales unusually well when settings are reduced. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 136 FPS to 98 FPS, a reduction of roughly 28%. Continuing to 3840x2160 at High settings, the average falls further to 61 FPS, which represents a 55% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that at High settings, the Intel Arc B580 is the primary limiting component, as the resolution increase directly impacts the pixel fill rate demands placed on the GPU.

The picture changes dramatically at Low settings. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo produces 271 FPS average. At 2560x1440 Low, this drops to 195 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low, the average is 123 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings costs 76 FPS, while moving from 1440p to 4K costs another 72 FPS. Interestingly, the 4K Low result of 123 FPS is still higher than the 1080p Ultra result of 129 FPS, suggesting that the game's rendering load at Low settings is substantially lighter, allowing the GPU to maintain high throughput even at 4K resolution.

Medium settings provide the most complete data set, with minimum and maximum FPS recorded. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 217 FPS with a minimum of 185 FPS and maximum of 250 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average drops to 156 FPS, with minimum 133 FPS and maximum 180 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 98 FPS, with minimum 83 FPS and maximum 113 FPS. The consistent spread between minimum and maximum FPS across resolutions — roughly 30% of the average value — suggests that Inside's frame pacing remains stable even as the GPU load increases with resolution.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling penalties. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 129 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, this drops to 93 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, the average falls to 58 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this is the most demanding setup tested. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra represents a 55% reduction in average FPS, nearly identical to the scaling observed at High settings.

Examining the resolution scaling across all settings, the data shows that Inside is not heavily CPU-bound at higher resolutions. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D provides substantial headroom, and the FPS drops track closely with the increase in pixel count. At 4K, the GPU's 12 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus become more relevant, as the higher resolution demands more memory bandwidth and capacity. The measured results suggest that players targeting 4K should expect playable frame rates at Medium settings, while those wanting Ultra quality will need to accept frame rates in the high 50s.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, codenamed Battlemage, and fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The GPU contains 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die, with a transistor density of 72.1M per mm². The chip features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, along with 20 ray tracing cores. Clock speeds are fixed at 2670 MHz for both base and boost, which is unusual for a modern GPU and indicates a locked operating point.

Memory configuration plays a significant role in the measured results. The card ships with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, running at 2375 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed. This configuration yields a memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for the demands of Inside at 4K resolution. The pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s provide the computational throughput needed to maintain the frame rates observed in the benchmark data.

In terms of compute performance, the Arc B580 delivers 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 27.34 TFLOPS of FP16 performance. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with modern graphics APIs. The card's 190 W TDP and dual-slot design, along with a single 8-pin power connector, suggest a mid-range power envelope that aligns with its performance class.

The benchmark data shows the Arc B580 performing at the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23021. Nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (avgScore 23061, deltaPct -0.2), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (avgScore 22895, deltaPct 0.6), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (avgScore 23172, deltaPct -0.7), and NVIDIA P106-100 (avgScore 23249, deltaPct -1). These comparisons indicate that the Arc B580 sits in a competitive position relative to these older and newer cards, with deltas of less than 1% in either direction.

The GPU's role in Inside's performance is clearly demonstrated by the scaling patterns. At 1080p, the game runs at very high frame rates across all settings, suggesting the GPU has ample headroom. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, particularly at High and Ultra settings. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is never fully stressed by Inside, but the memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s helps maintain smooth performance at 4K Medium where the average FPS stays above 90.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Arc B580 achieves a combo rank of 2764 out of 3716 tested combos in Inside. This places the pairing in the 74th percentile of all tested combinations, indicating that it outperforms roughly three-quarters of the systems in the benchmark database for this specific game.

The CPU component of this combo is exceptionally strong, ranking at the 95th percentile among all CPUs. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D has an average benchmark score of 75779, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (avgScore 75738, deltaPct 0.1), AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D (avgScore 75716, deltaPct 0.1), AMD EPYC 8224P (avgScore 75582, deltaPct 0.3), and Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (avgScore 75488, deltaPct 0.4). These deltas are all under 0.5%, showing that the CPU is essentially tied with its closest competitors in synthetic benchmarks.

The GPU, however, is the limiting factor in this combo's ranking. At the 68th percentile among all GPUs, the Arc B580's average benchmark score of 23021 places it near the RTX 2080 and RX 580 2048SP in overall performance. The combo rank of 2764 out of 3716 reflects this GPU limitation, as the CPU's high percentile ranking cannot compensate for the mid-range GPU performance in a game like Inside that scales significantly with resolution.

The ranking is more favorable at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the combo delivers frame rates well above 120 FPS at all settings, which places it in the upper tier of systems for competitive or high-refresh-rate play. At 1440p, the combo still performs admirably, with all settings above 90 FPS. Only at 4K Ultra does the combo fall below 60 FPS, which is a limitation of the GPU rather than the CPU.

Considering the CPU's 95th percentile ranking and the GPU's 68th percentile ranking, the combo's overall position at the 74th percentile of all tested combos makes sense. The CPU is clearly not the bottleneck in Inside, as evidenced by the resolution scaling patterns. The GPU's mid-range performance holds the combo back from higher rankings, particularly at 4K resolution where the Arc B580's 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 performance becomes the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 271 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 217 FPS, with a minimum of 185 FPS and maximum of 250 FPS. High settings average 136 FPS, while Ultra settings average 129 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 1080p is only 7 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns from the highest quality preset.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the expected decline from 1080p. Low settings average 195 FPS, which is still well above the refresh rate of most monitors. Medium settings average 156 FPS, with a minimum of 133 FPS and maximum of 180 FPS. High settings average 98 FPS, while Ultra settings average 93 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 1440p narrows to just 5 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset's additional rendering demands have minimal impact at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop more substantially, particularly at higher settings. Low settings average 123 FPS, which remains playable for most users. Medium settings average 98 FPS, with a minimum of 83 FPS and maximum of 113 FPS. High settings average 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings average 58 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS threshold and representing the only measured configuration that cannot maintain a consistent 60 FPS average.

The Medium settings data provides the most complete picture, with minimum and maximum FPS recorded at all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range from 185 FPS to 250 FPS represents a 35% spread around the 217 FPS average. At 1440p Medium, the range from 133 FPS to 180 FPS represents a 30% spread around the 156 FPS average. At 4K Medium, the range from 83 FPS to 113 FPS represents a 31% spread around the 98 FPS average. This consistency in frame pacing across resolutions suggests that the game's performance is stable and predictable.

Comparing settings within each resolution, the scaling from Low to Ultra shows consistent patterns. At 1080p, Low produces 271 FPS, Medium produces 217 FPS (20% lower), High produces 136 FPS (50% lower), and Ultra produces 129 FPS (52% lower). At 1440p, the pattern is similar: Low produces 195 FPS, Medium produces 156 FPS (20% lower), High produces 98 FPS (50% lower), and Ultra produces 93 FPS (52% lower). At 4K, Low produces 123 FPS, Medium produces 98 FPS (20% lower), High produces 61 FPS (50% lower), and Ultra produces 58 FPS (53% lower). The consistency of these scaling patterns indicates that the rendering demands of each preset scale uniformly across resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo in Inside?

A: The highest average FPS measured is 271 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at Low, Medium, and High settings. The 4K averages are 123 FPS at Low, 98 FPS at Medium, and 61 FPS at High. At Ultra settings, the average drops to 58 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (23061, 0.2% higher), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895, 0.6% lower), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (23172, 0.7% higher), and NVIDIA P106-100 (23249, 1% higher).

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2764 out of 3716 tested combinations in Inside, placing it in the 74th percentile of all tested systems.

Q: Which settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings produce 156 FPS average with a minimum of 133 FPS, while High settings produce 98 FPS average. Medium settings offer a significant performance advantage while still providing enhanced visual quality over Low settings.

Q: How much performance is gained by dropping from Ultra to Medium at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 58 FPS while Medium averages 98 FPS, representing a 69% performance increase when dropping from Ultra to Medium settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, Ultra settings at 129 FPS average provide the best visual quality while still maintaining frame rates well above 120 FPS. The minimal gap between High (136 FPS) and Ultra (129 FPS) at 1080p means that players lose only 7 FPS by selecting the highest quality preset, making Ultra the clear recommendation for 1080p displays.

At 1440p, Medium settings at 156 FPS average offer the best combination of visual quality and performance headroom. High settings at 98 FPS are still playable, but the jump from Medium to High costs 58 FPS, which is a substantial reduction for a single preset tier. Ultra settings at 93 FPS provide only 5 FPS more than High, indicating diminishing returns at the highest quality level. For players with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, Medium settings ensure the frame rate stays above 130 FPS even in demanding scenes.

At 4K resolution, Medium settings at 98 FPS average are the clear recommendation for smooth gameplay. Low settings at 123 FPS provide additional headroom for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, but the visual quality reduction may be noticeable. High settings at 61 FPS are just above the 60 FPS threshold, making them viable for players who want better visuals and have adaptive sync displays. Ultra settings at 58 FPS fall below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided unless the player is willing to accept occasional frame rate dips below 60 FPS.

The Medium preset consistently provides the best balance across all resolutions. At 1080p, it delivers 217 FPS average. At 1440p, it delivers 156 FPS average. At 4K, it delivers 98 FPS average. In every case, the Medium preset offers at least 50% higher frame rates than High settings, while providing a meaningful visual improvement over Low settings. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings (185 FPS at 1080p, 133 FPS at 1440p, 83 FPS at 4K) confirm that even the most demanding scenes remain comfortably playable.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge. It operates with a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, with a TDP of 170 W. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The processor is built on a 4 nm process at TSMC, containing 16,630 million transistors across two 70.6 mm² dies.

The cache hierarchy is substantial, with 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a large 128 MB of L3 cache. This 128 MB L3 cache is a defining feature of the X3D series, providing significant benefits for gaming workloads that exhibit high cache locality. The CPU also includes integrated Radeon Graphics, though the Arc B580 GPU handles all rendering in this benchmark configuration.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D demonstrates exceptional performance. Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 42018, while single-core scores 2259. Geekbench multi-core scores 26736, with single-core at 3064. PassMark multi-thread scores 70255, with single-thread at 4737. The 3DMark scores range from 1292 for single-thread to 17184 for max-threads, showing strong scaling across thread counts.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 95 among all CPUs confirms its position as one of the fastest processors available. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (75738, deltaPct 0.1), AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D (75716, deltaPct 0.1), AMD EPYC 8224P (75582, deltaPct 0.3), and Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (75488, deltaPct 0.4). All of these deltas are less than 0.5%, indicating that the CPU is essentially tied with its closest competitors.

In the context of Inside, the CPU's role is minimal due to the game's relatively low computational requirements. The resolution scaling data shows that the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU easily keeps up with the game's physics and logic demands. The 16 cores and 32 threads provide massive headroom for any background tasks or streaming workloads that might run concurrently with the game. The high boost clock of 5.70 GHz ensures excellent single-threaded performance, which is important for games that rely on a single main thread for game logic.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s and dual-channel DDR5 support ensure that the system memory is not a bottleneck, even when the GPU is processing large amounts of data at 4K resolution. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 24 lanes provides ample bandwidth for the Arc B580, which uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 connection. The CPU's 128 MB L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which can benefit frame pacing in games like Inside that have frequent data access patterns.