Evolve

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU in this pairing, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, sits in a performance tier where its nearest rivals are enterprise and high-end desktop parts. The data shows the Intel Core i9-14900 is about 1.1% ahead in average benchmark score, while the AMD EPYC 9015 trails by a negligible 0.1%. The AMD EPYC 7313 is essentially tied at 0.2% behind, and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M leads by 1.4%. For gaming workloads that lean on single-thread performance, the Ryzen 9 9900X's strong showing in single-core tests (Cinebench R23 score of 2253, Geekbench single-core of 3010) means it behaves similarly to these rivals in CPU-bound scenarios, though the EPYC and Xeon parts are designed for server workloads.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is bracketed by a mix of mobile and workstation parts. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile is 0.4% behind in average benchmark score, making it the closest analog for raw compute performance. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 trails by 0.5%, while the AMD Radeon RX 460 and Intel Arc A770M are 1.5% and 1.6% behind, respectively. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth gives it a distinct advantage over the RX 460 in memory-heavy scenes, but the benchmark scores suggest these alternatives would deliver comparable frame rates in Evolve at similar settings.

For this specific game, the bottleneck profile matters more than raw scores. Evolve is a 2015 FPS title, and the recorded data shows the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. A system builder considering alternatives should look at the RTX 3060 Mobile or Radeon Pro 5700 as GPU swaps that would produce nearly identical results, while the CPU rivals would only matter if the game were heavily threaded, which the frame data does not support.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a clear division of labor between the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the GPU is the primary constraint. The frame rates scale dramatically with settings: Low delivers 157.8 FPS, Medium drops to 126 FPS, High falls to 99.3 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 68.6 FPS. This steep decline with increased graphical load shows the RTX 2060 SUPER is doing the heavy lifting, and the CPU has ample headroom to feed it frames.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU's workload intensifies further. Low settings produce 106.7 FPS, Medium 84.2 FPS, High 68 FPS, and Ultra 44.1 FPS. The percentage drop from Low to Ultra is roughly 59%, which is steeper than the 57% drop at 1080p. This indicates the GPU is becoming more saturated as resolution increases, but the CPU still has enough single-thread performance to avoid becoming a bottleneck at these settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is fully saturated. Low settings yield 59.8 FPS, Medium 46 FPS, High 37.5 FPS, and Ultra 27.6 FPS. The CPU's role here is minimal, as the RTX 2060 SUPER simply cannot push enough frames regardless of the processor's capability. The Ryzen 9 9900X's 12 cores and 24 threads, along with its 5.60 GHz boost clock, are more than sufficient for this game's thread utilization, which the benchmark data suggests is modest. The scaling between resolutions confirms that the GPU is the dominant factor for playability, with the CPU only mattering if the game were run at very low settings and high refresh rates, where the 157.8 FPS result at 1080p Low shows the CPU can keep up.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded frame rates for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination show a wide range of performance across resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the results are consistently above the 60 FPS playable threshold. Low settings produce an average of 157.8 FPS, which is the highest recorded value in the entire dataset. Medium settings deliver 126 FPS, High settings drop to 99.3 FPS, and Ultra settings still maintain a comfortable 68.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 89.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU's rendering load scales significantly with preset quality.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. Low settings average 106.7 FPS, Medium settings 84.2 FPS, and High settings 68 FPS, all clearing the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings fall below playable at 44.1 FPS, a drop of 24 FPS from High. This suggests that Ultra presets at 1440p require more GPU headroom than the RTX 2060 SUPER can provide.

At 3840x2160, no settings reach the 60 FPS threshold. Low settings come closest at 59.8 FPS, just missing the mark. Medium averages 46 FPS, High drops to 37.5 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 27.6 FPS. The variance between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 32.2 FPS, reflecting the extreme load placed on the GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth.

The data shows no min or max FPS values recorded, only averages, so the consistency of frame delivery cannot be assessed from these measurements. The average values alone, however, indicate a clear trend: the RTX 2060 SUPER is a 1080p and 1440p part for this game, with 4K being out of reach even at the lowest settings.

The Verdict

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination can run Evolve, but the playable envelope is limited by resolution and settings. The verdict data shows that at 1920x1080, all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold. The best playable setting is Ultra, which delivers 68.6 FPS on average. This is the only resolution where the full range of settings is playable.

At 2560x1440, three settings are playable: High, Low, and Medium. High is the best playable setting with an average of 68 FPS, while Low and Medium average 106.7 FPS and 84.2 FPS respectively. Ultra settings at 1440p fall below playable at 44.1 FPS, so users must avoid the highest preset at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, no settings are playable. The closest result is Low at 59.8 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall well below playable at 46 FPS, 37.5 FPS, and 27.6 FPS respectively. For 4K gaming, this combination is not viable for Evolve.

The verdict is clear: this PC runs Evolve at 1080p with maximum settings and at 1440p with High settings. For 4K, the GPU is insufficient, and users should target 1440p or lower for a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's ranking of tested combinations for Evolve, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2564 out of 3700 combos. This places it in the lower third of all tested configurations, which is consistent with the GPU's age and performance tier. The RTX 2060 SUPER's percentile of 62 against all GPUs indicates it outperforms a majority of graphics cards, but the game's demands at higher resolutions outweigh its capabilities.

The CPU's percentile of 92 against all CPUs shows the Ryzen 9 9900X is a top-tier processor, but its performance advantage does not translate into a higher combo ranking because the GPU is the limiting factor. The ranking reflects the system's overall ability to run Evolve, and the data shows that many combinations with weaker CPUs but stronger GPUs would likely outperform this pairing at 1440p and 4K.

The rank of 2564 out of 3700 means roughly 69% of tested combos deliver better results for this game. This is a below-average result, driven almost entirely by the GPU's inability to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions. For users prioritizing Evolve specifically, a GPU upgrade would yield a much larger performance gain than a CPU change.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 60 FPS on 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 68.6 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the best playable setting at this resolution.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER the bottleneck for Evolve?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The frame rates drop significantly with higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2253) is more than sufficient for this game. The 3840x2160 results, where Low settings only reach 59.8 FPS, confirm the GPU limits performance.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: High settings is the best playable preset at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 68 FPS. Low and Medium settings also clear the 60 FPS threshold at 106.7 FPS and 84.2 FPS respectively, but Ultra falls below playable at 44.1 FPS.

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

A: This combination ranks 2564 out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the lower third of results. The ranking is limited by the GPU's performance, despite the CPU being in the 92nd percentile against all CPUs.

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

A: No. At 3840x2160, no settings reach the 60 FPS threshold. Low settings average 59.8 FPS, just under the playable mark, while Medium, High, and Ultra deliver 46 FPS, 37.5 FPS, and 27.6 FPS respectively.

Q: What settings should I use for the smoothest experience?

A: For the highest frame rates, use Low settings at 1920x1080, which averages 157.8 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, High settings at 2560x1440 provides 68 FPS, or Ultra at 1920x1080 provides 68.6 FPS.