Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and Intel Arc B390 combination presents a stark picture for Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. The recorded data shows a system that is severely constrained by its graphics component, with the Intel Arc B390 ranking in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. While the CPU is a high-end 8-core, 16-thread part with an 87th percentile ranking, the GPU holds the system back across most settings and resolutions, delivering playable performance only at 1440p Low and 1080p Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern of performance decline as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. On Low settings, the average FPS is 34, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings at 4K yield an average of 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30 FPS, indicating significant frame pacing issues. High settings drop the average to 21 FPS, while Ultra settings produce an average of just 14 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable at this resolution regardless of settings.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains limited. Low settings achieve exactly 60 FPS on average, which clears the playable threshold. Medium settings at 1440p produce an average of 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 and a maximum of 53 FPS, showing that the system cannot maintain a consistent 60 FPS at this quality level. High settings drop to 36 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 25 FPS, both well below the playable mark.

The 1920x1080 resolution offers the most viable experience. Low settings deliver a strong 89 FPS average. Medium settings achieve 69 FPS on average, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 79 FPS, which is technically above the threshold but with occasional dips below 60. High settings produce 54 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 37 FPS, neither of which maintains a playable experience.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: performance scales inversely with both resolution and preset quality. The gap between Low and Ultra settings is substantial at every resolution, with the 1080p Low to Ultra difference being 52 FPS, and the 4K Low to Ultra difference being 20 FPS. This suggests the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU should have ample headroom for a game of this era.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the Intel Arc B390 is the dominant bottleneck in this configuration. The GPU's benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the Ryzen 7 7700's scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18760 and a single-core score of 1930, place it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. This massive disparity in relative performance strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting factor.

The scaling between resolutions confirms this analysis. When moving from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 89 to 60, a 33% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings drops the average from 60 to 34, a 43% reduction. These proportional drops are characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the same workload is spread across more pixels, directly reducing frame output.

The CPU's role in this pairing is mostly to provide a stable platform without introducing its own bottlenecks. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, the Ryzen 7 7700 has a PassMark multi-thread score of 34470 and a single-thread score of 4063, both well above what Evolve would require. The CPU's 3DMark scores also show strong scaling, from 2043 with 2 threads to 8484 with 16 threads, indicating it can handle both lightly and heavily threaded workloads efficiently.

The integrated nature of the Arc B390, which uses system shared memory and has a TDP of 80 W, further emphasizes its limitations. The GPU's pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are modest figures that explain the frame rates observed. The data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield far greater performance gains than upgrading the CPU in this configuration.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for both components provides context for what other hardware might behave similarly. For the Ryzen 7 7700, the nearest CPU rivals are all within a fraction of a percent in average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 scores 40048, just 0.1% below the 7700's 40081 average. The Intel Core 5 221E scores 40144, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD Ryzen 9 270 scores 40246, 0.4% higher, and the Intel Core i9-13905H scores 40313, 0.6% higher. Any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical results in this game, confirming that the processor is not the performance bottleneck.

For the Intel Arc B390, the nearest rivals are all NVIDIA GPUs from much older generations, and they are remarkably close in score. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, just 1.3% below the Arc B390's 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% lower. This clustering indicates that the Arc B390 performs at a level comparable to entry-level GPUs from over a decade ago, which explains its difficulty running Evolve at higher settings.

The implication of these rival comparisons is that any system using a CPU from the 7700's performance class paired with a GPU from the Arc B390's performance class would exhibit nearly identical frame rates in Evolve. The CPU's headroom is irrelevant because the GPU is saturated regardless of which similar CPU is used. Conversely, pairing the Arc B390 with a much weaker CPU might not change the outcome significantly, as the GPU would still be the limiting factor.

The Verdict

Based on the recorded data, this PC can run Evolve, but only under specific conditions. At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings. The best result is 34 FPS at Low settings, which is well below the 60 FPS threshold. The verdict for 4K is clear: this combination cannot deliver a playable experience at any preset.

At 2560x1440, the system just barely clears the threshold with Low settings, achieving exactly 60 FPS on average. This is the highest resolution where playable performance is possible, but it requires the lowest graphical preset. Medium settings at 1440p fall short at 46 FPS, so players at this resolution must accept Low quality to maintain 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the system offers more flexibility. Low settings deliver 89 FPS, and Medium settings achieve 69 FPS, both above the threshold. High settings at 54 FPS and Ultra at 37 FPS are not playable. The best playable preset at 1080p is Medium, which provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS with occasional dips to 59 FPS.

The overall verdict is that this system is viable for Evolve only at 1080p Medium or 1440p Low. Players with a 4K monitor would need to either significantly reduce resolution or upgrade the GPU. The data suggests that the Arc B390 is simply too weak for modern gaming expectations, even with a capable CPU like the Ryzen 7 7700.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3288 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, a position that reflects the GPU's poor performance relative to other options. The ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU, as the CPU is a high-end part that would rank much higher on its own.

This low ranking has practical implications. Among the 3700 tested combos, only 412 perform worse than this pairing. The system is more capable than some older or lower-end configurations, but it is far below what would be considered a good experience for Evolve. The 9th percentile GPU ranking and the 87th percentile CPU ranking create a lopsided system where the weak link is obvious.

The data suggests that this combo is best suited for older games or less demanding titles at lower resolutions. For Evolve specifically, the system's rank indicates it is not a recommended configuration, but it can still meet the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p Medium. The ranking also implies that small GPU upgrades would dramatically improve the system's standing, as the CPU has plenty of headroom to support a more powerful graphics card.

FAQ

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

A: No. The best result at 3840x2160 is 34 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Ultra settings produce only 14 FPS.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1440p?

A: Low settings at 2560x1440 achieve exactly 60 FPS on average. Medium settings fall short at 46 FPS, so Low is the only playable preset at this resolution.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in Evolve?

A: The Intel Arc B390 GPU is the limiting factor. The GPU ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the Ryzen 7 7700 ranks in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, showing a massive performance gap.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 1080p?

A: Medium settings at 1920x1080 achieve 69 FPS on average, with a minimum of 59 FPS. Low settings deliver 89 FPS, but Medium is the highest preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This pairing ranks 3288 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve, placing it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems.

Q: What GPU performance level is comparable to the Arc B390?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is within 2.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, GT 625 OEM, GeForce 800M, and GT 520MX, indicating similar performance to those older entry-level GPUs.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves the 60 FPS threshold. The highest average FPS is 34 at Low settings, but this is not playable. There is no recommended setting for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the only playable setting is Low, which delivers exactly 60 FPS on average. This is the recommended preset for 1440p, as Medium drops to 46 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Medium, which achieves 69 FPS on average with a minimum of 59 FPS. This provides the highest visual quality while maintaining a playable frame rate. Low settings at 1080p deliver 89 FPS if higher frame rates are preferred, but Medium is the optimal balance of quality and performance.

The data clearly indicates that this system is best used at 1080p, where it can handle Medium settings comfortably. Moving to 1440p requires dropping to Low quality, and 4K is not viable. For players seeking the best experience with this hardware, 1080p Medium is the recommended configuration.