Evolve

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a challenging scenario for running Evolve. The recorded data shows that this combination is heavily GPU-limited, with the Arc B390’s benchmark scores placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU, by contrast, sits in the 68th percentile, indicating it has ample headroom. The practical result is that playable frame rates are only achievable at lower resolutions and settings, and the 4K experience is not viable. The following analysis details the exact measured performance across all tested configurations.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no settings preset achieves the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest recorded average frame rate is 34 FPS at Low settings, which is far below the target. The Ultra preset drops to 14 FPS, making the experience unplayable. There is no "best" setting here because none meets the minimum performance bar.

At 2560x1440, the best settings preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, which delivers an average of 60 FPS. This is the only playable option at this resolution. Medium settings fall to 46 FPS, and High drops further to 36 FPS, so the Low preset is the definitive choice for maintaining smooth gameplay.

At 1920x1080, the best settings preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 69 FPS. This provides a meaningful visual upgrade over the Low preset while still clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset averages 54 FPS, which misses the mark, so Medium is the optimal balance of quality and performance at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate recorded is 34 FPS at Low settings. Medium averages 26 FPS, High averages 21 FPS, and Ultra averages 14 FPS. None of these reach the 60 FPS playable threshold, so the verdict for 4K is that no settings are playable.

Q: What is the highest quality setting that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The Low preset is the only playable option at 2560x1440, with an average of 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 46 FPS, and the High preset averages 36 FPS, both of which fall short of the 60 FPS target.

Q: Is the Medium preset at 1080p a good choice?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold and offers a better visual balance than the Low preset, which averages 89 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 scores 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower). The Arc B390 leads this group, but the margins are small.

Q: What is the performance delta between the CPU and its closest alternatives?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6756E, scores 14163, which is 0.2% slower. The AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115, 0.5% slower. On the other side, the Intel Core 7 160UL scores 14232, 0.3% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277, 0.6% faster. These differences are negligible for gaming.

Q: What is the Ultra preset performance at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 37 FPS. This is well below the 60 FPS threshold, making it unsuitable for smooth play despite being the highest visual quality option.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database contains measured frame rate data for three resolutions and four settings presets. The following breakdown details the average, minimum, and maximum frame rates recorded.

At 3840x2160, the results are consistently below playable levels. The Low preset averages 34 FPS. The Medium preset averages 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS. The High preset averages 21 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 14 FPS. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that reaches the playable threshold, averaging 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. The High preset averages 36 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 25 FPS. Minimum and maximum values were not recorded for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are notably higher. The Low preset averages 89 FPS. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. The High preset averages 54 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 37 FPS. Minimum and maximum values were not recorded for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution.

The data reveals a clear pattern: the GPU is the limiting factor across all configurations. Even at 1080p, the drop from Low to Medium is 20 FPS, and the drop from Medium to High is another 15 FPS. The jump to Ultra costs an additional 17 FPS, resulting in a 52 FPS difference between the lowest and highest presets at 1080p. This steep scaling curve is typical of a GPU that is severely underpowered for the game's demands.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Evolve depends entirely on resolution and settings. The verdict data is unambiguous. At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings. The best average frame rate is 34 FPS at Low, which is far below the 60 FPS target. This resolution is not viable for this combination.

At 2560x1440, the system can run the game, but only on the Low preset. The average frame rate at Low is exactly 60 FPS, which clears the playable threshold. However, there is no headroom; any increase in settings drops the average to 46 FPS on Medium and 36 FPS on High. Users at this resolution must accept Low settings for a smooth experience.

At 1920x1080, the system is genuinely playable on two presets. The Low preset averages 89 FPS, providing substantial headroom. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS, which is still comfortably above 60 FPS and offers a better visual experience. The High preset falls short at 54 FPS, and Ultra is far off at 37 FPS. For the best experience, Medium at 1080p is the recommended configuration, as it delivers a solid 69 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS.

In summary, this PC can run Evolve, but only at 1080p with Medium settings or lower, and at 1440p with Low settings. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs accurately reflects its performance ceiling. The CPU is not the bottleneck; the 68th percentile ranking for the i5-10400F indicates it has sufficient processing power for this title. The Arc B390 is simply too weak for higher presets or resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B390's nearest rivals are all NVIDIA parts with very similar benchmark scores. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% slower. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% slower. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% slower. The GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% slower. In practical terms, any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Evolve, meaning they would all struggle to exceed the Low preset at 1440p and would be limited to Medium at 1080p. The performance deltas are so small that swapping between them would not change the playability verdict.

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-10400F's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163, 0.2% slower, a negligible difference), the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115, 0.5% slower), the Intel Core 7 160UL (14232, 0.3% faster, negligible in gaming workloads), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277, 0.6% faster for general compute). None of these CPU alternatives would meaningfully alter the gaming experience in Evolve, as the bottleneck is unequivocally the GPU in every measured configuration.

The takeaway is that this combo's performance is defined by the GPU. If a user were to pair the i5-10400F with a substantially stronger GPU, the frame rates would improve dramatically, as the CPU benchmark data confirms the CPU's headroom, the recorded data shows the processor has plenty of multi-threaded strength for this game's demands with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 3dmark max threads score of 4735 indicating a solid multi-threaded foundation. The GPU suite of 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 performance, the Intel Arc B390 compute rating of 7.680 TFLOPS FP32, this is a low-end part that requires aggressive settings reductions to achieve playable gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 390 combination combination ranks 3700 combos rank in-game performance ranks, the combination ranks 3288th out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve. This puts it in the bottom 10% of all recorded configurations. This rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's low 9th percentile standing. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking does not compensate for the GPU's weakness, resulting in a combination that sits near the bottom of the database for this title.

The practical implication of this rank is that most other tested combinations will deliver better performance in Evolve. The data shows that only a small fraction of tested systems are slower. For comparison, the GPU's nearest rivals, such as the GeForce GT 710 and GT 625 OEM, would likely land in a similar rank when paired with a comparable CPU. The 3700 combo rank underscores the importance of the GPU in this pairing; upgrading the graphics card would be the single most effective change to improve this system's standing and playability in Evolve.

The recorded data indicates no 4K playable settings, one playable preset at 1440p, and two playable presets at 1080p. This is a system that can run Evolve at a baseline level, but it is not a configuration that allows for high visual fidelity or high resolutions. The verdict is clear: 1080p Medium is the peak experience for this hardware, and anything beyond that demands a different GPU.