Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, places specific demands on a PC. This analysis examines the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, using measured frame rate data to determine performance at three common resolutions. The data shows a system capable of high refresh rate play at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring a settings adjustment to maintain smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K (3840x2160) that maintains at least 60 FPS?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding playable option, producing an average of 67.3 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold at 42.4 FPS, while Low and Medium presets achieve 107 and 81 FPS respectively.

Q: Can this combo run Evolve at Ultra settings on a 1440p monitor?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 79.2 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold. This is the highest quality setting that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, scores 32233, a 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i9-11900 is also close at 32226 (0.2% delta), while the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS is slightly higher at 32354 (-0.2% delta).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking compared to all other graphics cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT sits in the 55th percentile, meaning it performs better than 55% of all GPUs in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score is 13745.

Q: According to the measured data, which resolution provides the highest frame rate at Low settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 280.1 FPS. This is the highest average frame rate recorded across all tested resolutions and settings combinations.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested systems for Evolve?

A: This specific combination of CPU and GPU ranks 702nd out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the top 19% of all configurations.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1080p gaming, the data indicates no compromises are necessary. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 yields an average of 119.8 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS playability threshold. This makes Ultra the clear choice for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

Moving to 1440p, the situation remains excellent. The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 produces an average of 79.2 FPS. While this is lower than the 1080p result, it still clears the 60 FPS threshold with a substantial margin. The data shows that players can enjoy the highest quality settings at this resolution without needing to drop to High.

At 4K resolution, the picture changes. The Ultra preset drops to 42.4 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. The most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is High, which delivers an average of 67.3 FPS. This represents a significant step down from Ultra but still allows for a smooth experience with high-quality visuals. The Medium preset at 81 FPS and Low preset at 107 FPS also remain viable options for players seeking even higher frame rates at 2160p.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals how the workload shifts between the Intel Core i5-14400F and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, with Low settings reaching 280.1 FPS. This suggests the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution, and the CPU is capable of feeding it enough data to maintain these high rates.

When moving from 1080p to 1440p, the average frame rates drop by roughly 32-35% across all settings. For example, the Ultra preset falls from 119.8 FPS to 79.2 FPS, while the Low preset drops from 280.1 to 190.3 FPS. This scaling indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor as the pixel count increases, since the CPU workload remains relatively constant across resolutions.

The transition from 1440p to 4K shows an even more pronounced GPU bottleneck. The High preset drops from 117.7 FPS at 1440p to 67.3 FPS at 2160p, a reduction of approximately 43%. The Ultra preset falls from 79.2 FPS to 42.4 FPS, a 46% decline. These substantial drops confirm that the RX 7900 XT's rendering capacity is the dominant constraint at 4K, while the i5-14400F's processing power remains sufficient to avoid becoming the limiting factor.

The data also shows that the CPU's role is more critical at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 160.3 FPS (from 280.1 to 119.8), which demonstrates how the CPU must maintain high frame rates when the GPU is not fully stressed. At 4K, the same settings spread narrows to 64.6 FPS (from 107 to 42.4), as the GPU's workload dominates the frame time budget.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination achieves a rank of 702 out of 3700 tested configurations for Evolve. This places the system in the 81st percentile of all combos tested for this game, indicating strong overall performance relative to the broader hardware landscape.

This ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU. The i5-14400F sits in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279. The RX 7900 XT, while only in the 55th percentile among GPUs, still provides sufficient power for high-refresh gaming at most resolutions. The combination's rank suggests that the CPU is a stronger component relative to its peers than the GPU is relative to its own category.

The rank of 702 out of 3700 also indicates that while this system is not at the absolute top tier, it outperforms the vast majority of configurations tested. For a game like Evolve, which is not among the most demanding modern titles, this hardware combination provides a wide margin of playability across all tested settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U has an average score of 32233, a 0.1% delta from the i5-14400F. This suggests nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Evolve. The Intel Core i9-11900 (32226, 0.2% delta) and Intel Core i7-12800H (32121, 0.5% delta) would also deliver very similar frame rates in CPU-limited scenarios. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32354, -0.2% delta) is marginally faster in synthetic benchmarks, which could translate to a negligible frame rate advantage.

On the GPU side, the nearest rivals are somewhat surprising given the RX 7900 XT's high-end positioning. The AMD Radeon 660M (13812, -0.5% delta) and NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13821, -0.5% delta) have average scores within 0.5% of the RX 7900 XT's 13745. The AMD Radeon RX 570X (13871, -0.9% delta) is also close, while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (13543, 1.5% delta) is slightly lower in score.

These GPU comparisons are based on average benchmark scores across all tested workloads, which may not directly translate to Evolve-specific performance. However, the data suggests that systems with these alternative GPUs would likely produce similar frame rates in this game, assuming the CPU is not the limiting factor.

The Verdict

The data clearly indicates that this PC can run Evolve successfully at all tested resolutions with appropriate settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves playable frame rates at every settings level, with the Ultra preset reaching 119.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets remain above 60 FPS, with Ultra delivering 79.2 FPS. This makes 1440p the sweet spot for this hardware, offering high visual quality while maintaining smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more nuanced. The Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold at 42.4 FPS, which would result in noticeable stuttering during intense gameplay. However, the High preset at 67.3 FPS provides a playable experience, and the Medium preset at 81 FPS offers a comfortable margin above the threshold. Players with 4K displays should use High settings to balance visual fidelity with performance.

The system's rank of 702 out of 3700 combos reinforces that this is a well-matched configuration for Evolve. The CPU's strong 83rd percentile ranking ensures it will not bottleneck the GPU at any tested resolution, while the GPU's mid-pack percentile ranking is sufficient for this game's requirements.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the frame rates show a clear progression based on settings. The Low preset produces an average of 107 FPS, which is the highest at this resolution. Medium settings deliver 81 FPS, while High settings achieve 67.3 FPS. The Ultra preset drops significantly to 42.4 FPS, representing a 60% reduction from the Low setting's performance. This steep decline indicates that Ultra settings at 4K place substantial demands on the GPU's rendering pipeline.

At 2560x1440, performance improves markedly across all settings. The Low preset reaches 190.3 FPS, while Medium delivers 148.3 FPS. High settings produce 117.7 FPS, and even the Ultra preset maintains a solid 79.2 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 111.1 FPS, showing that the GPU has enough headroom to handle increased visual complexity without sacrificing playability.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its maximum potential. The Low preset achieves an impressive 280.1 FPS, while Medium settings reach 222.1 FPS. High settings deliver 172.9 FPS, and Ultra settings still manage a strong 119.8 FPS. The data shows that at 1080p, the system is capable of driving high refresh rate monitors even at maximum quality settings.

The measured data contains only average frame rates, with minimum and maximum values not recorded for any resolution or settings combination. This limits the analysis to sustained performance rather than frame time consistency. The data also confirms that the playable threshold of 60 FPS is exceeded by every settings combination at 1080p and 1440p, while at 4K only the Ultra preset fails to meet this requirement.