Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers an exceptionally strong performance profile in Evolve, with the data showing playable frame rates across nearly every resolution and settings combination tested. The benchmark results place this combo firmly in the upper echelon of tested configurations, though the 4K Ultra preset dips below the 60 FPS threshold. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, contextualizes the combo's ranking, and examines the roles each component plays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and presets, with average frame rates ranging from a low of 58.1 FPS to a high of 370.5 FPS. At 1920x1080, the combo produces triple-digit averages at every preset. The Low preset yields an average of 370.5 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure in the entire dataset. Moving up the settings ladder, Medium produces 285.4 FPS, High drops to 226.6 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a robust 154.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is approximately 216 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a significant but manageable load on the hardware.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. The Low preset delivers 246.4 FPS, Medium drops to 192.2 FPS, and High comes in at 152.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution produces 103 FPS, which is roughly one-third lower than the 1080p Ultra result. This resolution step-down from 1080p to 1440p reduces frame rates by about 33% across all presets, a consistent scaling factor that suggests the GPU is the primary driver of performance rather than the CPU.

The 3840x2160 results show the most dramatic impact of resolution scaling. At 4K, the Low preset still delivers a very playable 142.1 FPS, while Medium manages 112 FPS and High reaches 83.4 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, falls to 58.1 FPS, which sits just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This marks the only configuration in the dataset that fails to clear the playable threshold, and it does so by a narrow margin of about 2 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is more severe than the 1080p to 1440p step, with the Ultra preset dropping from 103 FPS to 58.1 FPS, a reduction of roughly 44%.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark data places this CPU-GPU combination at rank 109 out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve, which puts it in the top 3% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the high absolute performance of both components, but it also suggests that there are 108 other combinations that achieve higher average frame rates in this specific game. The percentile data reinforces this picture: the CPU sits at the 92nd percentile among all processors, while the GPU is at the 88th percentile among all graphics cards. These are both strong positions, though neither is at the absolute top of the distribution.

The rank of 109 out of 3700 indicates that while this combo is exceptionally fast, factors other than raw component strength influence the final score. The game's engine, driver optimizations, and the specific balance between CPU and GPU workloads all play a role. The fact that the GPU is slightly lower in its percentile ranking than the CPU suggests that the graphics card may be the limiting factor in certain scenarios, even though it is one of the most powerful consumer GPUs available. The data does not reveal what specific hardware occupies the ranks above this combo, but the narrow margins between percentile positions imply that small performance differences separate many of the top configurations.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS scaling between resolutions and presets provides a clear picture of which component dominates performance in Evolve. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average frame rates across all presets drop by approximately 33%. This consistent reduction indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck, as resolution increases place a heavier load on the graphics card's shading units, texture mapping units, and raster operations pipelines. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, has ample headroom to feed the GPU at these lower resolutions, as evidenced by the extremely high frame rates at 1080p.

The step from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 shows an even more pronounced GPU dependency. The Ultra preset falls from 103 FPS to 58.1 FPS, a drop of nearly 44%, while the Low preset falls from 246.4 FPS to 142.1 FPS, a reduction of about 42%. This steeper scaling curve at 4K is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, where the sheer number of pixels overwhelms the graphics card's fill rate and memory bandwidth. The RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are clearly being taxed at this resolution, but the CPU is not the limiting factor here.

The preset scaling within each resolution tells a similar story. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces frame rates by about 58%, from 370.5 FPS to 154.5 FPS. At 1440p, the same preset change reduces performance by about 58%, from 246.4 FPS to 103 FPS. At 4K, the reduction is about 59%, from 142.1 FPS to 58.1 FPS. This remarkably consistent scaling percentage across all three resolutions indicates that the game's settings primarily affect GPU workload, with the CPU maintaining a steady frame delivery rate. The Ryzen 9 9900X's single-thread performance, as measured by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1286, is sufficient to keep up with the GPU's demands even at the highest settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rival data for the CPU and GPU provides context for what other hardware would behave similarly in this game. For the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, the closest match is the AMD EPYC 9015, which has an average benchmark score of 57555 compared to the 9900X's 57498, a delta of -0.1%. This means the EPYC 9015 performs essentially identically in synthetic benchmarks, though it is a server-class processor with different characteristics. The AMD EPYC 7313 is nearly as close, with a score of 57399 and a delta of 0.2%, indicating it would deliver virtually the same gaming performance.

The Intel Core i9-14900 sits slightly above the 9900X with a score of 58115, a delta of -1.1% from the 9900X's perspective. This means the i9-14900 would provide about 1% higher average performance in CPU-bound scenarios. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M is further ahead with a score of 58323, a delta of -1.4%, though this is still a very small margin. For gaming purposes, all four of these processors would likely produce frame rates within a few percent of each other in Evolve, making them reasonable substitutes depending on platform preferences.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090's nearest rival is the Intel Arc Pro A60, which has an average score of 60326 versus the RTX 4090's 60347, a delta of 0%. This is a remarkable coincidence in synthetic benchmarks, but the two cards have vastly different real-world profiles. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 is also close with a score of 60140 and a delta of 0.3%, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is slightly higher at 61896 with a delta of -2.5%. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 is the outlier, scoring 58657 with a delta of 2.9%, meaning the RTX 4090 outperforms it by nearly 3% in average benchmark scores.

Best Settings per Resolution

The verdict data identifies the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS for each resolution. At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is High, which achieves an average of 83.4 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold while still delivering substantial visual quality. The Ultra preset at this resolution falls short at 58.1 FPS, so it cannot be recommended for 4K play. The Medium preset yields 112 FPS and Low yields 142.1 FPS, both of which are viable but offer diminishing returns in visual fidelity compared to High.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are capped at Ultra, which delivers an average of 103 FPS. This is well above the playable threshold and represents the maximum visual quality the game offers. The data shows that all four presets at this resolution are playable, with High at 152.4 FPS, Medium at 192.2 FPS, and Low at 246.4 FPS. Since Ultra is the highest preset available, it is the recommended choice for 1440p gaming, as it provides the best visual experience without compromising frame rates.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 154.5 FPS, which is the highest playable setting at this resolution. All presets are playable here, with High at 226.6 FPS, Medium at 285.4 FPS, and Low at 370.5 FPS. The Ultra setting is the obvious choice for 1080p, as it provides the richest visual detail while still maintaining frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most monitors. The data suggests that this resolution is where the combo's performance is most overqualified, as even the most demanding preset leaves substantial headroom.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: this PC can run Evolve at playable frame rates in nearly every configuration. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with the best setting being Ultra at 154.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra being the best at 103 FPS. At 3840x2160, three of the four presets are playable, with High being the best at 83.4 FPS. The only configuration that fails to clear the 60 FPS threshold is 4K Ultra at 58.1 FPS, which misses by a narrow margin of about 2 FPS.

For gamers targeting 1080p or 1440p, this combo provides maximum settings with substantial performance headroom. For 4K gaming, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering 83.4 FPS with a comfortable margin above the playable threshold. Those who insist on 4K Ultra would need to accept a frame rate slightly below 60 FPS, or potentially adjust other settings to gain a few frames. Overall, the data shows that this is a top-tier configuration for Evolve, with performance that exceeds the requirements of most displays and gaming scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Evolve?

A: The highest recorded average is 370.5 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Can this combination run Evolve at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, the 4K Ultra preset produces an average of 58.1 FPS, which falls just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best 4K setting is High at 83.4 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Evolve?

A: It ranks 109th out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the top 3% of all configurations.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck at higher resolutions?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates drop consistently by 33-44% when moving from 1080p to 1440p and from 1440p to 4K, while the CPU maintains steady performance.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset is recommended, as it delivers an average of 103 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Which CPU is the closest rival to the Ryzen 9 9900X in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The AMD EPYC 9015 is the closest match, with an average benchmark score of 57555 versus the 9900X's 57498, a delta of -0.1%.