Inside

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), with a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. For a game like Inside, a puzzle platformer with a 2016 release date, the demand on CPU resources is fundamentally different from modern AAA titles. The data shows that the processor’s massive thread count is largely secondary; what matters more is its single-thread performance and the 128 MB of shared L3 cache. This cache capacity helps maintain high frame pacing in scenes with many interactive objects, though Inside’s side-scrolling perspective rarely stresses physics or AI subsystems to the point where 16 cores would be fully engaged.

In benchmark terms, the 9950X3D posts a single-thread score of 1292 in 3dMark and 8430 in Cinebench R23, with a Passmark single-thread result of 4737. These figures place it in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, indicating that its per-core speed is sufficient for even the most frame-time-sensitive titles. The 3dMark 16-thread score of 16374 and max-thread score of 17184 show that when Inside does spawn background tasks, the processor has ample headroom, but the game’s average frame rates across all settings suggest that the CPU is never the bottleneck. The processor’s 170 W TDP and dual-chiplet design with 2x 70.6 mm² dies contribute to thermal behavior that allows sustained boost clocks, but for this specific title, the CPU’s role is to ensure that the GPU is fed with a consistent stream of draw calls, which it does without breaking a sweat.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a combo rank of 2 out of 1671 tested combinations for Inside. This places it in the top 0.1% of all systems, a position that reflects the synergy between a top-tier CPU and the flagship GPU. The data indicates that only one other combination outperforms it, though the gap is narrow; the deltaPct values for the CPU’s nearest rivals show that the 9950X3D is 0.9% ahead of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 in average benchmark score, 1.8% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, and 2.2% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700KF. Conversely, it trails the Intel Xeon 6517P by 1.9%.

For the GPU, the RTX 5090’s average benchmark score is 84306, placing it 0.1% ahead of the RTX 5090 D, 0.2% ahead of the RTX 5050 Mobile, and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6600, while being 1.6% behind the NVIDIA CMP 40HX. These margins are within noise for most workloads, but in Inside, the combo’s rank is driven by the fact that the game is not graphically demanding enough to separate these high-end parts. The rank of 2 suggests that the specific combination of a 16-core Zen 5 CPU with a 32 GB GDDR7 GPU is nearly optimal, but the game’s low complexity means that even mid-range hardware could achieve playable frame rates. The benchmark results indicate that the combo’s position is more evidence of raw hardware capability than to the game’s requirements.

FAQ

*Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D’s multi-threaded performance affect Inside?*

A: The CPU’s 3dmark max-thread score of 17184 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 59712 show extreme parallel capability, but Inside is a 2016 puzzle platformer that rarely utilizes more than a few threads. The game’s average frame rates are more dependent on single-thread speed and cache, so the 32 threads provide no measurable benefit in this title.

Q: What is the significance of the RTX 5090’s memory bandwidth for this game?

A: The RTX 5090 has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. For Inside, a game with a muted color palette and simple 2D-style environments, this bandwidth is vastly overprovisioned. The GPU’s memory is not a limiting factor at any resolution or setting, as evidenced by the frame rates exceeding 300 FPS at lower settings.

Q: Why does the combo rank 2nd out of 1671 combinations if the hardware is so powerful?

A: The rank reflects that one other combination of CPU and GPU achieves a higher average frame rate in Inside. Given the game’s low graphical fidelity, the difference likely stems from subtle driver or clock behavior rather than raw compute. The deltaPct values for the CPU rivals show margins under 2.2%, indicating that the top combos are nearly indistinguishable in practice.

*Q: How does the CPU’s 3D V-Cache (128 MB L3) influence performance in Inside?*

A: The 128 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency for frequently accessed game data. In Inside, which features physics-based puzzles and environmental interactions, this cache can improve frame time consistency. However, the measured average FPS at 4K Ultra is 147.9, and at 1080p Low it is 435.1, suggesting that the cache is sufficient but not the primary driver of performance.

*Q: Is the RTX 5090’s 575 W TDP justified for a game like Inside?*

A: From a pure performance standpoint, the TDP is irrelevant because the game does not stress the GPU’s compute units. The GPU’s 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are far beyond the requirements of a 2D side-scroller. The measured FPS numbers show that the GPU is rarely the bottleneck, so the high power draw is not a factor in achieving the results.

Q: What does the 96th percentile ranking for the CPU mean for this game?

A: The 96th percentile means the 9950X3D outperforms 96% of all CPUs in general benchmarks. For Inside, this translates to the CPU being able to handle any draw call or physics calculation instantly, leaving the GPU as the sole determinant of frame rate. The game’s low CPU overhead means that even a mid-range processor from 2020 could likely achieve similar FPS, but the combo’s high rank is a product of the GPU’s raw power.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 435.1, which drops to 403.0 at Medium, 335.2 at High, and 318.5 at Ultra. The spread between Low and Ultra is 116.6 FPS, indicating that the GPU’s rendering load increases with settings, but even at Ultra, the frame rate is over three times the refresh rate of a standard 144 Hz monitor. The 1080p results show a clear scaling pattern: each step from Low to Medium reduces FPS by 32.1, from Medium to High by 67.8, and from High to Ultra by 16.7. This nonlinearity suggests that certain settings, like shadows or post-processing, have a larger impact than others.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but exhibit a wider gap between settings. Low yields 386.6 FPS, Medium produces 359.4 FPS, High drops to 241.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 227.4 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 159.2 FPS, which is proportionally larger than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU’s pixel fill rate becomes more relevant at higher resolutions. The transition from Medium to High causes a 118.3 FPS drop, the largest single-step decline in the dataset, suggesting that a specific High-setting feature (likely texture filtering or ambient occlusion) is particularly demanding. Even at 1440p Ultra, the 227.4 FPS average ensures a fluid experience on high-refresh-rate displays.

At 3840x2160, the combo still produces very playable numbers, but the impact of settings is most pronounced. Low settings yield 305.6 FPS, Medium drops to 246.1 FPS, High reduces to 154.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 147.9 FPS. The gap from Low to Ultra is 157.7 FPS, mirroring the 1440p spread. However, the drop from Medium to High is 91.5 FPS, which is the most significant reduction in the entire dataset. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate is still above 144 FPS, meaning that the RTX 5090’s 32 GB memory and 512-bit bus are more than adequate for this game’s 4K textures, which are likely simple. The data shows that this combo can run Inside at maximum settings on a 4K 120 Hz display without dropping below the refresh rate threshold.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB202 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs, with a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The GPU’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory operates at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) with a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. For Inside, these specifications are extraordinarily overkill, but they dictate the frame rates in a predictable manner.

The GPU’s pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are the primary drivers of performance at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 147.9 is limited by the GPU’s ability to fill pixels, but the 176 ROPs handle the task with ease. The FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS is largely irrelevant for a game with simple shaders, but the GPU’s 680 tensor cores and 170 RT cores are unused in Inside, which has no ray tracing or DLSS requirements. The GPU’s 575 W TDP and suggested 950 W PSU are not constraints in this context, as the measured FPS never approaches the thermal or power limits.

The RTX 5090’s benchmark scores, including a Passmark G3D score of 39650 and a 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14411, place it in the 94th percentile of all GPUs. In Inside, the GPU’s role is to maintain high frame rates even at 4K, which it does by leveraging its massive memory bandwidth. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming is never a bottleneck, even in scenes with rapid camera movement. At 1080p Low, the 435.1 FPS average is likely CPU-limited, as the GPU is capable of far more, but the game’s engine caps the frame rate or the CPU’s draw call submission becomes the limiting factor. Overall, the RTX 5090 dominates this title, and the measured FPS data confirms that its specifications are more than sufficient for Inside’s modest graphical demands.