Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers a performance profile that is heavily dependent on resolution and preset selection in Evolve. At 1920x1080, the combo produces an average of 281.4 FPS on Low settings, 218.2 FPS on Medium, 171.6 FPS on High, and 121.3 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 188.7 FPS on Low, 145.8 FPS on Medium, 115.3 FPS on High, and 82.1 FPS on Ultra. At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall further: 107.3 FPS on Low, 83.9 FPS on Medium, 65.1 FPS on High, and 44.1 FPS on Ultra. The data shows a consistent scaling pattern where each step up in preset costs roughly 20-40% of the average frame rate, with the gap between Low and Ultra widening from 160.1 FPS at 1080p to 63.2 FPS at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo is overwhelmingly fast. The Low preset yields an average of 281.4 FPS, which is more than four times the playable threshold of 60 FPS. Medium settings still produce 218.2 FPS, and High maintains 171.6 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset clears 120 FPS, with an average of 121.3 FPS. This means that at 1080p, the system has enough headroom to run Evolve at maximum settings with substantial spare capacity, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

The 2560x1440 results show a similar pattern but with reduced margins. Low settings produce 188.7 FPS, Medium 145.8 FPS, and High 115.3 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 82.1 FPS, which is still comfortably above 60 FPS but leaves less room for frame-time spikes. The scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution is steep: the difference between 188.7 FPS and 82.1 FPS represents a 56.5% reduction in average frame rate. This suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck when pushing higher visual fidelity, though the CPU remains capable of feeding it.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve bends sharply. Low settings average 107.3 FPS, which is still well above the playable threshold. Medium drops to 83.9 FPS, and High falls to 65.1 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, collapses to 44.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and indicates that the combo cannot sustain smooth gameplay at maximum settings in 4K. The gap between High and Ultra at this resolution is 21 FPS, a 32.3% drop, highlighting that Ultra is a significant step beyond High in terms of rendering load.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global benchmark database, this combination of Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT ranks 740th out of 3700 tested combos specifically for Evolve. This places it in the top 20% of all tested configurations, indicating that it is a strong performer for this title. The comboRankInGame figure of 740 out of 3700 means that 2960 other combos are slower, while 739 are faster, positioning this system as a high-end solution that should handle Evolve well at most settings.

The CPU itself sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 48618. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698 (a 0.2% advantage), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, which scores 48995 (a 0.8% advantage). The GPU, meanwhile, sits at the 55th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13745. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 660M, which scores 13812 (a 0.5% advantage), and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, which scores 13543 (a 1.5% disadvantage). While the CPU is clearly a top-tier part, the GPU is mid-pack in the broader database, yet the combination still ranks highly in Evolve specifically.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows that the CPU plays a dominant role at lower resolutions, while the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra is 160.1 FPS (from 281.4 to 121.3), which is a much larger absolute drop than at higher resolutions. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them, so increasing visual settings puts more pressure on the GPU, but the CPU still has headroom to spare.

At 2560x1440, the scaling from Low to Ultra produces a 106.6 FPS drop (from 188.7 to 82.1). This is a smaller absolute difference than at 1080p, but the percentage reduction is similar. The fact that the combo still manages 82.1 FPS on Ultra at 1440p suggests that both the CPU and GPU are working in balance, with neither being a clear bottleneck. At 3840x2160, the drop from Low to Ultra is 63.2 FPS (from 107.3 to 44.1), and the Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS. This is a clear sign that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU alone cannot compensate for the rendering load imposed by Ultra settings at that resolution.

The resolution scaling itself tells a similar story. Moving from 1080p to 1440p on the same preset reduces average FPS by roughly 30-40% (e.g., High goes from 171.6 to 115.3, a 32.8% drop). Moving from 1440p to 4K on the same preset reduces FPS by another 40-45% (e.g., High goes from 115.3 to 65.1, a 43.5% drop). This pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, where the pixel count increases faster than the CPU can compensate.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Evolve, but the experience varies significantly by resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clear the 60 FPS threshold, with the lowest average being 121.3 FPS on Ultra. This makes 1080p fully playable at maximum settings. At 2560x1440, all presets also clear 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 82.1 FPS, so 1440p is fully playable at maximum settings as well. At 3840x2160, the situation changes: Low, Medium, and High all average above 60 FPS (107.3, 83.9, and 65.1 respectively), but Ultra falls to 44.1 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. Therefore, 4K is playable up to High settings, but not Ultra.

The verdictByResolution data confirms this: for 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best at 65.1 FPS. For 2560x1440, all settings are playable, with Ultra as the best at 82.1 FPS. For 1920x1080, all settings are playable, with Ultra as the best at 121.3 FPS. This means that gamers with 1080p or 1440p monitors can max out the game without issue, while 4K users must dial back to High or lower.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i5-14600K + AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT run Evolve at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo averages 44.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which averages 65.1 FPS.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: All presets maintain 60 FPS at 2560x1440. The most demanding preset, Ultra, averages 82.1 FPS, so you can use Ultra settings without dropping below the playable threshold.

Q: How much faster is Low versus Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings average 281.4 FPS, while Ultra averages 121.3 FPS. This means Low is 160.1 FPS faster, or roughly 132% higher in average frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck at 3840x2160. The Ultra preset drops to 44.1 FPS, while High stays at 65.1 FPS, indicating that the rendering load from Ultra settings exceeds what the GPU can handle, regardless of CPU capability.

Q: Does the combo rank well compared to other tested systems for Evolve?

A: Yes. It ranks 740th out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations in the database. The CPU is at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 55th percentile.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo averages 145.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves plenty of headroom for smooth gameplay.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 121.3 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 1080p, as it provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best choice, averaging 82.1 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 22.1 FPS margin, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors up to 120Hz.

At 3840x2160, the best playable preset is High, which averages 65.1 FPS. Ultra falls to 44.1 FPS and should be avoided, as it drops below the playable threshold. Medium settings offer 83.9 FPS and Low settings offer 107.3 FPS, but High provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance at 4K.