Evolve

Evolve, an FPS released on 2015-02-09, presents an interesting test for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 pairing. The CPU sits at the 91st percentile among all tested processors, while the GPU rests at the 58th percentile. For this title, the combo ranks 2910th out of 3700 tested combinations. The recorded data reveals a system where the processor far outclasses the graphics card, and the frame rates reflect that imbalance.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 3700 tested combinations, this pairing ranks 2910th. That places it in the lower third of all recorded combos. The CPU alone is exceptional, with an average benchmark score of 54762 and a percentile rank of 91. The GPU, however, has an average benchmark score of 15290 and a percentile rank of 58. The combo rank is dragged down by the GPU. In Evolve, the game's demands are largely on the graphics card. The CPU's raw power, as shown by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737 and a single-core score of 6739, is far beyond what this game requires. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 14111 indicates a mid-range part. The combination rank suggests that many other pairings with a more balanced GPU would outperform it in this specific title. The data implies a severe bottleneck: the CPU is effectively idle while the GPU struggles to keep up.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU show how close the top-tier processors are. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF has an average score of 55093, a delta of -0.6% from the 9900X3D. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scores 54053, a delta of 1.3%. The Intel Xeon 6505P scores 53701, a delta of 2%. The Intel Core i7-14700F scores 53620, a delta of 2.1%. Swapping the 9900X3D for any of these would yield nearly identical CPU-bound performance, since the deltas are all within a couple of percent. On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 has an average score of 15283, a delta of 0% from the RTX 2060. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, a delta of 0.1%. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, a delta of 0.6%. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171, a delta of 0.8%. These four GPUs are effectively interchangeable with the RTX 2060 in terms of raw benchmark score. In practice, for Evolve, choosing any of these GPU alternatives would result in very similar frame rates. The data suggests that a user with this combo would see the same performance with a significantly less powerful CPU, because the GPU is the limiting factor.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS scaling across resolutions and presets reveals the division of labor. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 146 FPS, Medium delivers 113 FPS, High delivers 89 FPS, and Ultra delivers 62 FPS. At 2560x1440, the numbers drop to 98, 76, 60, and 41 respectively. At 3840x2160, they fall to 56, 43, 34, and 23. The drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is from 146 to 56, a 62% reduction. This steep decline as resolution increases is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU has ample headroom; its Passmark multi-thread score of 56154 and single-thread score of 4646 are far beyond what a 2015 FPS needs. The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz, provide enormous compute capacity that Evolve cannot utilize. The GPU, with a Passmark G3D score of 14111, is the limiting factor. The scaling between presets at a fixed resolution also points to the GPU. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra cuts FPS from 146 to 62, a 58% loss. At 1440p, the same preset change drops from 98 to 41, a 58% loss. The consistent percentage loss across resolutions indicates that the GPU's shading and memory bandwidth are the constraints. The RTX 2060 has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s, which is modest by current standards. The GPU's boost clock of 1680 MHz and 1920 shading units are the hardware that determines the frame rate. The CPU, on the other hand, has 128 MB of L3 cache and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, which never becomes a limiting factor in this game.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Evolve? The verdict by resolution is clear. At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings. All presets, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The highest average recorded is 56 FPS on Low, which is not playable. At 2560x1440, the system becomes playable. The playable settings are High, Low, and Medium. The best setting is High, which achieves an average of exactly 60 FPS. Low runs at 98 FPS, and Medium runs at 76 FPS. Ultra falls below the threshold at 41 FPS. At 1920x1080, the system is fully playable. All four presets, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, clear 60 FPS. The best setting is Ultra, which averages 62 FPS. High averages 89 FPS, Medium averages 113 FPS, and Low averages 146 FPS. Therefore, this combo can run Evolve smoothly at 1080p with maximum settings, and at 1440p with high settings. It cannot handle 4K at any playable level. The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS, and the data shows that the system meets this only at 1080p and 1440p.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting for Evolve at 1920x1080 with this combo?

A: The best setting is Ultra, which achieves an average of 62 FPS, clearing the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 3840x2160?

A: No. The recorded data shows no playable settings at 4K. The highest average FPS is 56 on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54762. Its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, scores 55093, a delta of -0.6%, meaning they are statistically tied.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile rank among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 sits at the 58th percentile.

Q: At 2560x1440, which presets are playable?

A: High, Low, and Medium are playable. High is the best playable preset at 60 FPS average.

Q: What is the combo's rank in the database for Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 2910 out of 3700 tested combinations.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The highest average is 56 FPS on Low, which is not playable. At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is High, which averages exactly 60 FPS. Low and Medium also clear the threshold, at 98 and 76 FPS respectively, but High offers the best visual quality while staying at the threshold. At 1920x1080, the most demanding playable preset is Ultra, which averages 62 FPS. This is the maximum quality setting and it stays above the 60 FPS line. Low, Medium, and High are also playable, with averages of 146, 113, and 89 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following lists the exact measured FPS values for each resolution and preset combination.

At 3840x2160:

• High: average 34 FPS, no min or max recorded.
• Low: average 56 FPS, no min or max recorded.
• Medium: average 43 FPS, min 37, max 50.
• Ultra: average 23 FPS, no min or max recorded.

At 2560x1440:

• High: average 60 FPS, no min or max recorded.
• Low: average 98 FPS, no min or max recorded.
• Medium: average 76 FPS, min 65, max 87.
• Ultra: average 41 FPS, no min or max recorded.

At 1920x1080:

• High: average 89 FPS, no min or max recorded.
• Low: average 146 FPS, no min or max recorded.
• Medium: average 113 FPS, min 96, max 130.
• Ultra: average 62 FPS, no min or max recorded.

The data shows that the RTX 2060, with its 6 GB memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth, is the primary constraint. The CPU's massive compute resources, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737, remain underutilized. For users targeting 4K, this combo is insufficient. For 1440p, it is playable at High settings. For 1080p, it offers a fully playable experience at Ultra. The launch MSRP of the CPU is $599, and the GPU is 349 USD, but the performance gap between them is evident in the frame rates. The system is balanced only at 1080p, where the GPU can keep up with the CPU's demands. At higher resolutions, the GPU's limitations become the sole determinant of playability, and the CPU's power offers no benefit.