Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a highly playable experience in Evolve, but the quality of that experience is strictly tied to resolution. The measured frame rates show a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p, yet struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K with higher visual presets. The data reveals a clear hierarchy where the RTX 4060’s performance ceiling is tested most aggressively at 3840x2160, while the i5-14400F provides ample headroom for the CPU-light workloads typical of this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this combination are consistent and provide a clear picture of performance scaling. At 1920x1080, the system is overwhelmingly capable. With Low settings, the average frame rate hits 191.7 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates the GPU is far from being a bottleneck. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 148.7 FPS, still a massive margin above the 60 FPS playability threshold. High settings produce an average of 116.2 FPS, and even the most demanding preset, Ultra, maintains a solid 79.8 FPS average. This resolution shows no weakness; every preset is comfortably playable.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but the scaling pattern changes. Low settings yield an average of 127.5 FPS, a significant step down from 1080p but still excellent. Medium settings average 100.1 FPS, and High settings maintain a healthy 75.6 FPS. The first sign of strain appears at Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 54.1, dipping just below the 60 FPS threshold. This indicates that 1440p Ultra is the first setting where the GPU’s resources become insufficient for a locked 60 FPS experience.

The 3840x2160 results show a dramatic drop in performance, highlighting the RTX 4060’s limitations at 4K. Low settings are the only playable option, averaging 72.3 FPS. Medium settings drop to 53.6 FPS, which is below the playability threshold. High settings average 46.9 FPS, and Ultra settings plummet to 32.3 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is a massive 40 FPS, demonstrating how sensitive this GPU is to pixel count and shader complexity. There are no min or max FPS values recorded in the data, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates, which are sufficient to establish the performance tiers.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data suggests that the Intel Core i5-14400F is rarely the limiting factor in this game. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055, indicate a powerful processor that can easily feed the GPU at high frame rates. The fact that the 1080p Low preset reaches 191.7 FPS implies the CPU is capable of generating frames far beyond what the RTX 4060 can render at higher settings. The bottleneck shifts decisively to the GPU as resolution increases.

This is evidenced by the scaling between resolutions. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average FPS drops from 116.2 to 75.6, a reduction of roughly 35%. The drop from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at the same preset is even steeper, falling from 75.6 to 46.9, a reduction of about 38%. This consistent, large percentage drop is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions. The i5-14400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, provides more than enough processing power for Evolve, which is not known for heavy multi-threaded CPU usage. The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus width become the primary constraints at higher resolutions and presets, particularly when texture detail and anti-aliasing demand more memory bandwidth and shading power.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Evolve at 1920x1080 with the highest settings?*

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 achieves an average of 79.8 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold. This is the best possible visual experience available at this resolution.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 2560x1440?

A: The High preset is the most demanding setting that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 75.6 FPS. While the Ultra preset is visually superior, its average of 54.1 FPS falls below the playable threshold.

*Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware in Evolve?*

A: Only with significant visual compromises. At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the sole option that maintains playability, averaging 72.3 FPS. All other presets—Medium, High, and Ultra—average below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F’s average benchmark score of 32279 is nearly identical to its closest competitors. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900, while being 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile relative to all other GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score of 17639. This indicates it performs better than a majority of graphics cards, but it is not a top-tier component.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU have a higher performance ceiling in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s high benchmark scores and the steep FPS drops between resolutions point to the RTX 4060 being the primary constraint, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals in the benchmark database, the hardware in this combo has close performance matches. For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-14400F’s average score of 32279 is nearly indistinguishable from several other processors. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U has an average score of 32233, a negligible 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i9-11900 is 0.2% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS is 0.2% faster. These chips would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in Evolve, as the game’s performance is heavily GPU-dependent. The Intel Core i7-12800H is 0.5% slower, still within a margin that would not be perceptible in gameplay.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060’s average benchmark score of 17639 places it alongside some unexpected rivals. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 is 0.2% slower, while the AMD Radeon 780M is 0.3% faster. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 is 0.5% faster, and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 is 0.7% faster. These deltas are so small that real-world gaming performance would be effectively the same. Users with these alternative GPUs would experience similar FPS figures in Evolve, meaning they would also struggle with 4K Ultra settings and find their playable limit around 1440p High.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested combinations for Evolve, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1985 out of 3700 tested combos. This places it in the middle of the pack, which is logical given the GPU’s 61st percentile ranking. The combo is not a top performer, but it is far from the bottom. The rank reflects a balanced system where the CPU is more powerful than necessary for the GPU’s capabilities. A higher-ranked combo would likely feature a more powerful GPU, as the game’s performance is primarily limited by graphics processing. The rank of 1985 suggests that while this setup is competent for 1080p and 1440p gaming, it is outclassed by a significant portion of systems that can handle 4K gaming more effectively.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve, and it does so very well at lower resolutions. The data from the verdict fields is clear. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, with an average of 72.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, three presets are playable: High (75.6 FPS), Medium (100.1 FPS), and Low (127.5 FPS). The Ultra preset at 1440p is not playable. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, including Ultra with an average of 79.8 FPS. The system’s performance is sufficient for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1080p with maximum settings and at 1440p with High settings. For 4K gaming, users must accept Low settings to maintain playability. The GPU is the decisive factor, and its 8 GB memory capacity appears to be a limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

For users seeking the highest visual fidelity while maintaining a 60 FPS average, the optimal settings are as follows:

• 3840x2160 (4K): The Low preset is the only option that clears the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 72.3 FPS. This is the most demanding preset available that remains playable at this resolution.
• 2560x1440 (1440p): The High preset is the best choice, as it averages 75.6 FPS. This offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium while staying above the playable threshold.
• 1920x1080 (1080p): The Ultra preset is fully playable, averaging 79.8 FPS. This provides the maximum visual quality the game offers without sacrificing smooth gameplay.

These settings represent the sweet spot for this hardware combination, balancing visual quality against the need to consistently hit 60 FPS. Pushing beyond these settings at any resolution will result in sub-60 FPS averages, which can negatively impact the gameplay experience.