Evolve

Similar Performance Alternatives

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X sits in a tight cluster of processors with nearly identical average benchmark scores. The closest match is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, which trails by only 0.2%. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H comes in 0.5% ahead, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is 0.6% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS leads by 0.8%. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver near-indistinguishable frame pacing in Evolve, since the differences are well below the margin of measurement noise. The 9600X ranks in the 81st percentile among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms roughly four out of five processors in the database, but its immediate rivals are so close that swapping between them would not change the playable settings at any resolution.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is bracketed by four competitors with average scores within 1.5% of its own. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 1% slower, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 1.2% slower, the Intel Arc B570 is 1.3% slower, and the Intel Arc A750 is 1.5% slower. The RTX 2070 SUPER ranks in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, so it sits slightly above the midpoint of the database. For Evolve, a system built with any of these four near-neighbor GPUs paired with a similarly performing CPU would produce essentially the same frame rates at each resolution and preset. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus are the defining characteristics here; the rival cards in this performance class behave comparably in this older FPS title.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data shows that the GPU is the dominant constraint at every resolution in Evolve, but the CPU's headroom becomes more relevant as resolution drops. At 3840x2160, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial: Low averages 65.9 FPS while Ultra drops to 30.3 FPS. That 35.6 FPS gap is entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering load, since the CPU has ample single-thread capability (a 3dmark single-thread score of 1253 and a cinebench R23 single-core score of 2183.5) to feed the graphics pipeline. The CPU's multi-thread strength, with a cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17528.5, is far beyond what a 2015 FPS title requires, so the GPU is the bottleneck from 1080p upward.

At 2560x1440, the pattern holds but the margins narrow. Low settings yield 119.4 FPS, Medium drops to 90.9 FPS, High to 74 FPS, and Ultra to 50.3 FPS. The step from Low to Ultra costs 69.1 FPS, again indicating GPU-bound behavior. The CPU's 12 threads and 32 MB of shared L3 cache are more than sufficient for Evolve's engine, which was designed for the hardware of its era. At 1920x1080, the GPU still leads the constraint, but the CPU's role becomes slightly more visible: Low hits 177.3 FPS and Medium reaches 140 FPS, while High and Ultra stay at 108.6 and 76.3 FPS respectively. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 101 FPS, which still points to GPU limits, but the high frame rates suggest the CPU can push well beyond 60 FPS even in the most demanding preset.

Comparing resolution scaling, moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings reduces the average from 108.6 to 74 FPS, a 31.9% drop. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High reduces the average from 74 to 42.6 FPS, a 42.4% drop. This shows that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) are the limiting factors at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance is effectively constant across these scenarios. For players targeting 60 FPS, the CPU never becomes the deciding component; the GPU's preset selection is what determines playability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 2070 SUPER with the Ryzen 5 9600X delivers a wide range of performance across presets. Low settings average 177.3 FPS, which is far beyond the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium settings average 140 FPS, still leaving substantial headroom. High settings average 108.6 FPS, comfortably above 60 FPS. Ultra settings average 76.3 FPS, which clears the threshold with a 16.3 FPS margin. The recorded data shows no minimum or maximum frame rate values, so the analysis relies on averages alone, but every preset at 1080p is playable.

At 2560x1440, the picture changes at the top end. Low settings average 119.4 FPS, Medium averages 90.9 FPS, and High averages 74 FPS, all above the 60 FPS line. Ultra drops to 50.3 FPS, which falls below the playability threshold by 9.7 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at this resolution is 23.7 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset's additional effects place a heavy load on the GPU. Players at 1440p should stick to High or lower to maintain smooth performance.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings remain playable. Low averages 65.9 FPS, just 5.9 FPS above the threshold. Medium drops to 52.6 FPS, 7.4 FPS below playable. High averages 42.6 FPS, and Ultra sinks to 30.3 FPS. The 4K resolution exceeds the comfortable range of this GPU for Evolve. The step from Low to Medium at 4K costs 13.3 FPS, and from Medium to High another 10 FPS, showing steep scaling as the GPU struggles with the pixel count. The 8 GB memory buffer is adequate for the game, but the raw compute throughput (9.062 TFLOPS FP32) is insufficient for higher presets at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 9600X and RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2125 out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the 57th percentile of all combinations in the database, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of systems but sits below the top tier. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-pack position (65th percentile) pulling down the CPU's stronger standing (81st percentile). For a game released in 2015, this combo is more than capable at mainstream resolutions, but it is not a high-end pairing by modern standards.

The rank relative to other combos suggests that many systems with newer GPUs or higher-tier cards will achieve better frame rates, particularly at 4K. However, the combo's ability to hit 60 FPS at 1080p Ultra and 1440p High means it outperforms roughly 57% of tested configurations in this specific game. The CPU's high single-thread score (1253 in 3dmark single-thread) ensures that the rank is not CPU-limited; a weaker CPU would likely push the combo lower. The GPU's 65th percentile standing is the primary factor in the overall rank.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve, but the playable settings depend heavily on resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 76.3 FPS. The system offers full visual freedom at 1080p. At 2560x1440, three presets are playable: Low, Medium, and High, with High averaging 74 FPS. Ultra at 1440p falls short at 50.3 FPS, so players must sacrifice the highest settings to maintain smooth gameplay. At 3840x2160, only Low settings clear 60 FPS, averaging 65.9 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fail the threshold, with the Ultra preset averaging just 30.3 FPS.

The verdict is clear: this combination is a strong 1080p performer, a capable 1440p machine with settings compromises, and a marginal 4K option limited to the lowest preset. The 60 FPS threshold is met at 1080p across the board and at 1440p up to High. For 4K, the system barely scrapes past 60 FPS on Low. Players seeking guaranteed smooth performance across all settings should stay at 1080p. Those willing to drop to High at 1440p will still get a good experience. 4K play is technically possible but only with reduced visual quality.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, averaging 65.9 FPS. This is the only playable option at 4K. Medium falls to 52.6 FPS, so there is no room to increase quality without dropping below the threshold. The 5.9 FPS margin at Low is thin, so players should monitor performance in dense scenes, though the recorded data indicates consistent averages.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, averaging 74 FPS. This provides a 14 FPS margin over the 60 FPS threshold. Medium and Low also work, but High offers the best visual quality while maintaining playability. Ultra at 1440p is not viable, averaging 50.3 FPS, so High is the ceiling for this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Ultra, averaging 76.3 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available and still clears the threshold by 16.3 FPS. All other presets also perform well, with Low reaching 177.3 FPS, but Ultra delivers the full visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. For players who prioritize frame rate over visuals, Low at 1080p provides the highest headroom, but Ultra is the recommended choice for balanced performance.