Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a dominant performance profile in Evolve, clearing the 60 FPS threshold at every resolution tested except for the most demanding 4K Ultra preset. Benchmark data confirms this combo is exceptionally capable, with the RTX 4070 providing the primary performance headroom while the i5-14400F ensures the GPU is fed effectively across all settings. The measured results show a system that transitions from a high-refresh-rate 1080p machine to a solid 4K-capable rig, with specific compromises only required at the absolute maximum visual quality in 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination produces outstanding frame rates across all settings. Low settings yield an average of 261.6 FPS, which is more than four times the playable threshold. Medium settings reduce the average to 204.8 FPS, still an exceptional figure for competitive play. High settings maintain a strong 161.1 FPS average, while Ultra settings drop to 111 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 57.5% performance reduction, but even the most demanding preset remains well above the 60 FPS target, indicating the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains robust but the scaling pattern shifts. Low settings produce 176.7 FPS, Medium delivers 135.8 FPS, and High reaches 104.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p achieves 75.8 FPS, which is the first point where the frame rate drops below 100 FPS but still comfortably exceeds the playable threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 57.1%, which is nearly identical to the 1080p scaling, suggesting that the performance drop is driven primarily by the increasing pixel count, with the CPU maintaining consistent performance.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve steepens significantly. Low settings produce 98.4 FPS, Medium delivers 77.2 FPS, and High averages 63.7 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 40.8 FPS, which is the only configuration across all resolutions and settings that fails to reach 60 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 58.5% reduction, and the jump from High to Ultra is particularly steep at 36.0% (from 63.7 to 40.8 FPS), indicating that Ultra settings at 4K place a substantial burden on the GPU that exceeds its capabilities.

The data shows that the most significant performance cliff occurs between High and Ultra at 4K, while the transition between Medium and High at all resolutions is comparatively moderate. At 1080p, the difference between Medium and High is 21.4%, while at 1440p it is 23.0%, and at 4K it is 17.5%. The Ultra preset consistently demands roughly 30% more GPU resources than High across all resolutions, which is a critical consideration for players targeting maximum visual fidelity.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data indicates that the GPU is the dominant performance driver in Evolve for this combo, particularly at higher resolutions. The evidence is clear when comparing the scaling across resolutions: at 1080p Low, the system produces 261.6 FPS, while at 4K Low, it produces 98.4 FPS, a 62.4% reduction. This dramatic drop is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, where the rendering load increases exponentially with pixel count. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, appears to have substantial headroom at all tested configurations, as the frame rates consistently scale with resolution and settings changes rather than hitting a CPU-imposed ceiling.

At 1920x1080, the CPU begins to play a more noticeable role in the lower preset ranges. The fact that Low settings at 1080p produce 261.6 FPS while Ultra produces 111 FPS suggests that the GPU is still the primary constraint, but the system is approaching the upper limits of what the CPU can sustain. The i5-14400F's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055, indicate strong processing capability, yet the diminishing returns between Medium and Low at 1080p (from 204.8 to 261.6 FPS, a 27.7% increase) hint at the CPU becoming a secondary factor at very high frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced. The performance drops from 1080p are consistent across all settings: Low falls by 32.5%, Medium by 33.7%, High by 35.1%, and Ultra by 31.7%. This uniform reduction strongly suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU performance remains constant while the rendering workload increases. The i5-14400F's PassMark multi-thread score of 25470 and Geekbench multi-core score of 11268 provide ample computational power, but the data shows that the RTX 4070's 5888 shading units and 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are the decisive components.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's dominance is absolute. The 4K results show that even Low settings (98.4 FPS) require significant GPU resources, and the steep decline to Ultra (40.8 FPS) confirms that the RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are stretched to their limits. The CPU's role at 4K is minimal, as the frame rates are clearly limited by the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. The data suggests that players seeking to maximize frame rates at 4K would benefit more from a GPU upgrade than any CPU change, as the i5-14400F does not appear to bottleneck at any tested configuration.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only up to High settings. The measured data shows average FPS of 63.7 at 4K High, 77.2 at 4K Medium, and 98.4 at 4K Low. The Ultra preset fails to reach 60 FPS, averaging 40.8.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 achieves an average of 75.8 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Ultra the highest playable setting at this resolution, with High (104.5 FPS), Medium (135.8 FPS), and Low (176.7 FPS) all offering even higher performance.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648, placing it 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P4, 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6400. It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile by 1.3%.

Q: Is the i5-14400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4070?

A: The benchmark data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The i5-14400F ranks in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, and its performance relative to rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% faster) shows it is a capable partner. The consistent FPS scaling across resolutions confirms the GPU is the primary limit.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra is 111, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes the Ultra preset fully playable at 1080p, with the system delivering a high-refresh-rate experience.

Q: Why does the 4K Ultra preset perform so poorly?

A: The 4K Ultra preset averages 40.8 FPS, which is 36.0% lower than the 4K High preset (63.7 FPS). This steep drop indicates that Ultra settings at 4K place an excessive load on the RTX 4070's rendering capabilities, likely due to the combination of maximum visual effects and the high pixel count.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 857th out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the top 23.2% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the strong performance demonstrated in the measured FPS data, where the system achieves playable frame rates at nearly every resolution and settings combination. The i5-14400F's individual benchmark performance is solid, with an average score of 32279 and a percentile rank of 83 among all CPUs, while the RTX 4070's average score of 37648 and 81st percentile ranking among GPUs complement each other well.

The ranking position is notable given that the RTX 4070 is listed as end-of-life and the i5-14400F is a relatively recent release. The combo's performance relative to its 3700 competitors suggests that it offers a balanced profile for Evolve, where the GPU's strengths in rasterization and the CPU's multi-core capabilities align well with the game's requirements. The 857th rank indicates that while there are more powerful combinations available, this pairing provides a robust experience without significant weak points.

The Verdict

*Yes, this PC can run Evolve with excellent performance. The benchmark data clearly shows that the system clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at all tested configurations except for 4K Ultra. At 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with the Ultra preset achieving 111 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra reaching 75.8 FPS. At 3840x2160*, the Low, Medium, and High presets are playable, with High averaging 63.7 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls short at 40.8 FPS. The verdict by resolution confirms that this system is a strong performer, capable of high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, and solid 4K gaming at High settings or below.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average FPS of 111. This is the optimal configuration for players seeking maximum visual quality at this resolution, as it provides nearly double the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, achieving an average of 75.8 FPS. This preset delivers the full visual experience while maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target, making it the recommended choice for 1440p displays.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are High, with an average FPS of 63.7. This is the highest preset that remains playable at 4K, and while it does not reach the 75.8 FPS seen at 1440p Ultra, it provides a solid 4K experience. Players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity can opt for Medium (77.2 FPS) or Low (98.4 FPS), but High offers the best balance of image quality and performance at this resolution.