Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers exceptional performance in Evolve, clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution and preset combination tested. At 4K, the Ultra preset averages 61.7 FPS, barely above the playability line, while lower resolutions provide massive headroom for high-refresh displays. The data indicates this combination is overkill for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where even Ultra settings produce frame rates well above 100 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which produces an average of 61.7 FPS. This is a razor-thin margin—only 1.7 frames above the playability threshold—so players seeking consistency should note that the High preset at 86.5 FPS offers a more comfortable buffer. The Medium preset runs at 110 FPS, and Low reaches 142.7 FPS, but Ultra is technically playable by the data's standard.

For 2560x1440 (1440p), the best playable setting is also Ultra, delivering an average of 106.5 FPS. This represents a substantial cushion above 60 FPS, allowing full visual fidelity without compromising smoothness. The High preset at 149.7 FPS and Medium at 194 FPS are available for those prioritizing frame rate, but Ultra remains the optimal choice for image quality.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), Ultra again qualifies as the best setting, with an average of 153.7 FPS. This is nearly 2.6 times the playability threshold, meaning the RTX 4090 is barely stressed at this resolution. The High preset reaches 225.2 FPS, Medium hits 288.3 FPS, and Low tops out at 321.9 FPS, but none of these are necessary given Ultra's already high performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior across resolutions. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-limited: scaling from Ultra (153.7 FPS) to Low (321.9 FPS) produces a 168.2 FPS increase, a jump of 109%. This massive scaling indicates the RTX 4090 is waiting on the i5-14400F at lower settings, as the GPU could theoretically render far more frames if the CPU could feed it faster.

At 1440p, the GPU begins to take on more responsibility, but the CPU still matters. The difference between Ultra (106.5 FPS) and Low (251.6 FPS) is 145.1 FPS, or 136% scaling. The absolute numbers drop from 1080p, confirming that resolution increases are shifting load onto the GPU, yet the i5-14400F's 10 cores and 16 threads still constrain performance at lower presets.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. Scaling from Ultra (61.7 FPS) to Low (142.7 FPS) is 81 FPS, or 131%, but the absolute ceiling is much lower than at 1440p. The RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are being exercised fully at this resolution, while the CPU has more time to prepare frames. The i5-14400F's single-core performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055, remains sufficient even at 4K Ultra.

Comparing presets across resolutions shows the GPU's scaling efficiency. At Medium settings, the system goes from 288.3 FPS at 1080p to 194 FPS at 1440p (a 33% drop) and then to 110 FPS at 4K (a 43% drop from 1440p). This non-linear degradation is typical of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, where pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The i5-14400F's nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% faster average score), the Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% faster), the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (0.2% slower), and the Intel Core i7-12800H (0.5% faster). These processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Evolve, as the deltaPct values are all within half a percent of the i5-14400F's average benchmark score of 32279.

For the GPU, the RTX 4090's comparable alternatives are unexpected. The Intel Arc Pro A60 matches it with a 0% deltaPct, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 is 0.3% slower and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% faster. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% slower. These workstation-class cards would deliver similar average frame rates in Evolve, though their driver optimization for gaming may differ from the RTX 4090's GeForce lineage.

It is important to note that these rivals are matched on average benchmark scores, not on per-game performance. The RTX 4090's 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 128 RT cores provide capabilities beyond what these alternatives offer, but for raw Evolve frame rates, the data suggests they would be within a few percent.

FAQ

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 4K with this combination?

A: Yes, but narrowly. The average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 61.7 FPS, which is just 1.7 frames above the 60 FPS playability threshold. If you experience any frame drops, the High preset at 86.5 FPS provides a more stable experience.

Q: How much performance does lowering settings from Ultra to Low yield at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, dropping from Ultra (106.5 FPS) to Low (251.6 FPS) more than doubles the frame rate, a 136% improvement. This indicates the system is not GPU-bound at lower settings, with the CPU becoming the limiting factor.

Q: Does the RTX 4090 bottleneck the i5-14400F in this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p Low/Medium settings, yes. The frame rate scales dramatically when lowering settings, from 153.7 FPS at 1080p Ultra to 321.9 FPS at 1080p Low, suggesting the CPU cannot feed the GPU enough frames. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint.

Q: What is the highest FPS this combo can achieve in Evolve?

A: The maximum recorded average FPS is 321.9 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At Ultra settings, the highest average is 153.7 FPS at 1080p.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Evolve?

A: It ranks 131st out of 3700 total combinations tested, placing it in the top 3.5% of all systems. This is a strong result given the i5-14400F's mid-range positioning paired with the flagship GPU.

Q: Is 60 FPS achievable at 4K with any settings?

A: Yes, all four tested presets at 3840x2160—Ultra (61.7 FPS), High (86.5 FPS), Medium (110 FPS), and Low (142.7 FPS)—exceed the 60 FPS threshold. However, Ultra's margin is slim.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: 61.7 FPS average
• High: 86.5 FPS average
• Medium: 110 FPS average
• Low: 142.7 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: 106.5 FPS average
• High: 149.7 FPS average
• Medium: 194 FPS average
• Low: 251.6 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: 153.7 FPS average
• High: 225.2 FPS average
• Medium: 288.3 FPS average
• Low: 321.9 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step down from 4K to 1440p to 1080p yields roughly a 1.7x to 2.2x increase in frame rate at the same settings. The largest relative gain occurs between 1440p and 1080p at Low settings (251.6 to 321.9 FPS, a 28% increase), while the smallest is between 4K and 1440p at Low (142.7 to 251.6 FPS, a 76% increase). No minimum or maximum FPS values were recorded, so only averages are available for analysis.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F + RTX 4090 combination holds a combo rank of 131 out of 3700 tested systems for Evolve, placing it in the 96.5th percentile of all configurations. This is a remarkable result for a CPU that costs $196 at launch paired with a GPU that launched at $1,599 USD, though pricing is not a factor in the ranking itself.

The high rank is driven almost entirely by the RTX 4090's dominance. The GPU's 88th percentile standing among all GPUs, combined with the i5-14400F's 83rd percentile among all CPUs, creates a synergistic pairing where the mid-range processor does not significantly hamper the flagship graphics card at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 61.7 FPS is particularly impressive given that the CPU's multi-threaded Cinebench R23 score of 21645 is moderate by current standards, yet still sufficient for this game's engine.

Systems ranked above this combo likely feature higher-end CPUs such as the Core i9 or Ryzen 9 series, which would provide better 1080p and 1440p performance where the CPU bottleneck becomes apparent. However, the gap in overall ranking is likely small, as the RTX 4090's raw compute power (82.58 TFLOPS FP32) carries most of the weight in Evolve's rendering workload. For players targeting 4K Ultra, this combo sits comfortably in the elite tier of tested configurations.