Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 FPS from Turtle Rock Studios, is a demanding title, but the combination of an AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 delivers a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K remains out of reach. The recorded data shows that this pairing clears the 60 FPS threshold at 1440p with Medium settings, and at 1080p it can handle High settings while still averaging well above 60 FPS. At 4K, no preset reaches the playable threshold, with even Low settings falling short.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this configuration are organized by resolution and preset, with average FPS recorded for each combination. The database does not include separate minimum or maximum frame rate values, so the analysis relies on the average figures.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system struggles across all presets. Ultra settings produce an average of 19.6 FPS, which is the lowest recorded result for this pairing. High settings improve the average to 27.6 FPS, while Medium reaches 38 FPS. Low settings are the only viable option at this resolution, yielding an average of 52.4 FPS, but this still falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is substantial, with Low delivering 32.8 FPS more than Ultra, a 167% increase in average frame rate.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the situation improves considerably. Low settings deliver an average of 89.2 FPS, which is well above the playable threshold. Medium settings follow at 69.4 FPS, also clearing the 60 FPS mark. High settings drop to 51.6 FPS, which is below the threshold, and Ultra is only 38.3 FPS. The transition from Low to Medium costs 19.8 FPS, while moving from Medium to High costs another 17.8 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p is playable, but only with the two lower presets.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the configuration shows its strength. Low settings produce an average of 131.5 FPS, the highest recorded result in the entire dataset. Medium settings follow at 102.4 FPS, and High settings average 80.3 FPS. Ultra settings are the only preset that dips below 60 FPS, with an average of 57.8 FPS. This means that at 1080p, the system can run High settings comfortably, with a margin of 20.3 FPS over the playable threshold. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 73.7 FPS, showing that the game scales significantly with preset selection.

The resolution scaling is consistent across presets. For example, Low settings at 1080p average 131.5 FPS, which drops to 89.2 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 42.3 FPS, and further down to 52.4 FPS at 4K. A similar pattern appears with Medium settings: 102.4 FPS at 1080p, 69.4 FPS at 1440p, and 38 FPS at 4K. This demonstrates that resolution has a major impact on performance, with each step up in resolution reducing the average frame rate by roughly 30% to 40%.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database places this CPU and GPU within specific performance tiers, and the nearest rivals help contextualize the expected behavior.

For the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT, the closest alternatives are the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, and the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X. The Ryzen 7 7840H has an average benchmark score of 29868, which is statistically identical to the 5800XT's score, with a delta of 0%. The Ryzen 7 8845HS and Ryzen 7 7840HS both score 29955, which is 0.3% higher than the 5800XT. The Ryzen 5 9600X scores 29713, which is 0.6% lower. These deltas are minor, meaning that in CPU-bound scenarios, any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates. The 5800XT sits at the 81st percentile among all CPUs, indicating that it is a strong processor for gaming, but its rivals in this tier are all within a fraction of a percent in performance.

For the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, the nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro W5000, the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, the NVIDIA Tesla M10, and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070. The FirePro W5000 has an average score of 9803, which is 0.2% higher than the GTX 1070's score of 9780. The Quadro M2000M scores 9832, which is 0.5% higher. The Tesla M10 scores 9724, which is 0.6% lower, and the Tesla C2070 scores 9716, which is 0.7% lower. These are all extremely close, so a user with any of these GPUs would see very similar frame rates in Evolve. The GTX 1070 sits at the 47th percentile among all GPUs, which is a mid-range position, and the rivals reflect that tier.

In practical terms, if a system had a Ryzen 7 7840H instead of the 5800XT, the CPU performance difference would be negligible. Similarly, swapping the GTX 1070 for a Quadro M2000M would not change the FPS by more than a fraction of a percent. The measured FPS for this combo is therefore representative of a broader group of hardware configurations.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database provides a clear recommendation for the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS at each resolution.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The best possible setting, Low, averages 52.4 FPS, which is 7.6 FPS short of the playable threshold. The verdict field confirms that no playable settings exist at this resolution, so the recommendation is to avoid 4K with this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Medium, which averages 69.4 FPS. This is 9.4 FPS above the threshold, providing a modest buffer. Low settings also clear 60 FPS with an average of 89.2 FPS, but Medium is the highest preset that remains playable. High settings at 51.6 FPS and Ultra at 38.3 FPS are both below 60 FPS, so they are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is High, which averages 80.3 FPS. This is 20.3 FPS above the threshold, offering a comfortable margin. Low and Medium also clear 60 FPS, with averages of 131.5 FPS and 102.4 FPS respectively. Ultra settings at 57.8 FPS are just below the threshold, missing it by only 2.2 FPS, which is the closest any non-playable preset comes to 60 FPS in the entire dataset.

The data suggests that users should prioritize 1080p High settings for the best visual quality within the playable range, or 1440p Medium settings if they prefer a higher resolution with a slightly lower preset.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve, but the playable range is limited by resolution and preset selection. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous.

At 3840x2160, the answer is no. The recorded data shows no playable settings, meaning no preset reaches an average of 60 FPS. The best result is Low settings at 52.4 FPS, which is below the threshold. Users targeting 4K would need to accept frame rates in the 20s to 50s range, which is not smooth enough for an FPS.

At 2560x1440, the answer is yes, but with restrictions. The playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the highest recommended preset at 69.4 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 9.4 FPS buffer, which is acceptable for most gameplay. High and Ultra are not playable, as they fall to 51.6 FPS and 38.3 FPS respectively.

At 1920x1080, the answer is a clear yes. The playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best choice at 80.3 FPS. This is well above the threshold, and even Ultra settings at 57.8 FPS are only 2.2 FPS short of playable, which means users could potentially tolerate Ultra with minor dips. The overall ranking for this combo is 3046 out of 3700 tested combinations, placing it in the lower half of systems tested with this game.

Ultimately that this configuration is best suited for 1080p gaming with High settings, or 1440p gaming with Medium settings. 4K is not viable for smooth play.

CPU and GPU Roles

The relative importance of the CPU versus the GPU in this game can be inferred from the scaling patterns between resolutions and presets.

The CPU, an AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT, is a high-end processor with 8 cores and 16 threads. It sits at the 81st percentile among all CPUs, and its benchmark scores are strong, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23794 and a single-core score of 3359. The GPU, a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, is a mid-range card from 2016, sitting at the 47th percentile among all GPUs. Its PassMark G3D score is 13498, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad score is 1082.

The data shows that performance scales heavily with resolution, which points to the GPU being the primary bottleneck. Moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces average FPS by roughly 30% across all presets, and moving from 1440p to 4K reduces it by another 40% or more. For example, Low settings go from 131.5 FPS at 1080p to 89.2 FPS at 1440p, a drop of 42.3 FPS, and then to 52.4 FPS at 4K, another drop of 36.8 FPS. This consistent degradation with resolution is a classic sign of GPU limitation.

Preset scaling also supports the GPU-bound conclusion. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 73.7 FPS, which is a large range. At 1440p, the same spread is 50.9 FPS, and at 4K it is 32.8 FPS. The fact that the spread narrows at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is saturated even at Low settings when the pixel count is high. At 4K, even Low settings only reach 52.4 FPS, indicating that the GTX 1070 is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and higher presets. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 57.8 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS threshold. Here, the CPU's single-thread performance (a 3DMark single-thread score of 959) is likely sufficient, but the GPU is still the main constraint. The Ryzen 7 5800XT has high multi-threaded scores, such as a PassMark multi-thread score of 28053, but Evolve, as an older title, may not use all 16 threads effectively. Nevertheless, the CPU is not the reason for the frame rate drops at 4K.

In summary, the GPU is the dominant factor at all resolutions, but especially at 1440p and 4K. The CPU is strong enough to avoid being a bottleneck at 1080p, and its high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3359) ensures that even the most CPU-intensive moments in the game are handled. If a user were to upgrade the GPU, the CPU would still have headroom, as evidenced by its 81st percentile ranking. Conversely, upgrading the CPU would yield little benefit for this game, since the GTX 1070 is already the limiting component.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K resolution?

A: No. The recorded data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The best average FPS is 52.4 at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings average 19.6 FPS, so 4K is not recommended.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p?

A: Medium settings are the highest playable preset at 2560x1440, with an average of 69.4 FPS. Low settings also work at 89.2 FPS, but Medium offers better visuals while staying above 60 FPS.

Q: Does the game run at 1080p with High settings?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, High settings average 80.3 FPS, which is 20.3 FPS above the playable threshold. This is the recommended setting for 1080p.

Q: How close does 1080p Ultra get to 60 FPS?

A: Ultra settings at 1080p average 57.8 FPS, which is just 2.2 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. It is not officially playable according to the database, but it is very close.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck. Performance drops significantly as resolution increases, from 131.5 FPS at 1080p Low to 52.4 FPS at 4K Low, indicating that the GTX 1070 is limiting. The Ryzen 7 5800XT is a high-end CPU with strong benchmark scores, so it is not the constraint.

Q: How does this system compare to other hardware?

A: The CPU is close in performance to the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, with a delta of 0%, and the GPU is close to the AMD FirePro W5000, with a delta of -0.2%. This means similar frame rates would be expected with those components.