Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a mid-range combination that handles Evolve well at mainstream resolutions, but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K. The data measured across three resolutions and four quality presets shows a clear performance ceiling, with the system delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p when settings are managed appropriately.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, this combination delivers its strongest results. The Low preset averages 137 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS playable threshold. Stepping up to Medium yields an average of 106 FPS with a minimum of 90 FPS and a maximum of 122 FPS, confirming that even the frame dips remain well above playable levels. High settings produce an average of 83 FPS, still comfortably ahead of the threshold. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 58 FPS, slightly below the 60 FPS target, indicating that the most demanding settings are just out of reach at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 92 FPS, providing a large performance buffer. Medium settings deliver an average of 71 FPS with a recorded minimum of 60 FPS and maximum of 82 FPS, meaning the system barely clears the playable mark at the low end. High settings fall to 56 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings are significantly more demanding, averaging only 39 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Arc B570 begins to run out of headroom. Low settings average 52 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. Medium settings drop to 40 FPS average, with a minimum of 34 FPS and maximum of 47 FPS. High settings average only 32 FPS, and Ultra is largely unplayable at 22 FPS. No preset at 4K reaches the 60 FPS target.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals which component becomes the bottleneck. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is approximately 79 FPS (from 137 to 58), suggesting the GPU is the primary limiting factor as settings increase. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads from the Core 14th Gen series, provides sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at this resolution.

At 1440p, the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 53 FPS (from 92 to 39). This compression indicates that the GPU is increasingly strained as pixel count rises, but the CPU still keeps up with the demands of the game. The Medium preset's minimum of 60 FPS shows that the system can hold its ground when settings are moderate.

At 4K, the performance collapse is dramatic. The difference between Low and Ultra is only 30 FPS (from 52 to 22), and even Low settings fail to hit 60 FPS. This pattern clearly shows the GPU becoming the dominant bottleneck, as the additional resolution demands more from the Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21645 and single-core score of 3055 indicate it has ample processing power, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's limits at 4K.

The transition from 1080p Low to 4K Low shows a 85 FPS drop (from 137 to 52), a 62% reduction in performance. Similarly, moving from 1440p Medium to 4K Medium drops from 71 FPS to 40 FPS, a 44% decrease. These figures underscore that the Arc B570 is the limiting component at higher resolutions, while the i5-14400F maintains consistent performance throughout.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3700 tested combinations in the database, this pairing ranks 2971st for Evolve. This places it in the lower quartile of all tested systems, indicating that while it can run the game, it does so with less headroom than most other configurations in the database.

The CPU itself performs admirably in isolation. The i5-14400F sits in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U with a score of 32233 (a 0.1% difference), the Intel Core i9-11900 at 32226 (0.2% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS at 32354 (0.2% behind). The Core i7-12800H trails at 32121, putting the i5-14400F 0.5% ahead. These margins are negligible, showing that this CPU performs on par with several strong laptop and desktop chips.

The GPU, however, is more modest. The Arc B570 sits in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (0.1% ahead), the Intel Arc A750 at 20582 (0.1% behind), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20480 (0.4% ahead), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X at 20662 (0.5% behind). The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 14195 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649 place it as a competent mid-range option, but its 65th percentile ranking shows it is not a high-end performer.

The Verdict

This system can run Evolve at playable frame rates, but only at certain resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold on Low, Medium, and High presets, with High being the most demanding playable option at 83 FPS average. The Ultra preset falls just short at 58 FPS, which is playable but below the target.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable on Low (92 FPS) and Medium (71 FPS) presets. The Medium preset's minimum of 60 FPS is exactly at the threshold, making it the recommended setting for a consistent experience. High settings at 56 FPS and Ultra at 39 FPS fall below playable levels.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The best result is Low at 52 FPS, which is below playable. This resolution is not viable for this combination without significant compromises.

The verdict is clear: this PC is suitable for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Evolve, provided settings are chosen carefully. It is not suitable for 4K play.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Evolve at 1080p with High settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1080p High is 83 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system?

A: According to the verdict data, the best playable settings at 1440p are Medium with an average of 71 FPS, while at 1080p the best playable settings are High with an average of 83 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this setup?

A: No. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only achieve 52 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. No preset at 4K is playable.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to other GPUs in the database?

A: The Arc B570's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534 compared to the Arc's 20556, a 0.1% difference. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20582, placing it 0.1% ahead of the B570.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance drops only slightly when moving from 1080p to 4K, while the GPU's frame rates fall dramatically, indicating the Arc B570 is the bottleneck.

Q: What is the playable threshold for this game?

A: The playable threshold is set at 60 FPS. Any preset averaging below this is considered not playable.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is High, which averages 83 FPS. This provides the best visual quality while keeping a comfortable margin above the threshold. The Ultra preset at 58 FPS is close but technically below the playable mark, so High is the recommended maximum.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is Medium, averaging 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS. This delivers solid performance with a reasonable visual balance. High settings at 56 FPS fall short of the threshold.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset. The highest average is Low at 52 FPS, which remains below the 60 FPS target. Users with a 4K display should consider lowering the resolution or upgrading the GPU for a playable experience.