Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is a mid-range combination that lands in the 55th percentile of all tested system combos for Evolve, ranking 2040 out of 3700. This places it squarely in the upper-middle tier of performance, meaning it has enough headroom for smooth play at most settings but will struggle at the highest visual fidelity on 4K displays. The data indicates this is a capable pairing for a game from 2015, but the GPU becomes a clear limiting factor as resolution and settings scale upward.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2040 out of 3700 tested configurations places it in the 55th percentile of all possible CPU-GPU pairings for Evolve. This is a solid but not exceptional position — roughly 45% of tested combos outperform it, while 55% fall behind. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where the CPU's strength compensates somewhat for the GPU's mid-range positioning. The i5-14600K sits in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 4060 sits in the 61st percentile among all GPUs. This asymmetry suggests the processor is doing heavy lifting in the overall score, but the GPU's 61st percentile ranking still allows for respectable frame rates at mainstream resolutions.

In practical terms, this rank means the combo delivers performance that is typical for a system built around a strong modern CPU and a mid-tier GPU. It will outperform systems with weaker processors paired with similar or even slightly stronger graphics cards, but it will lose to combinations featuring higher-end GPUs like those in the 70th percentile or above. The ranking also indicates that this setup is better suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming than for 4K, where the GPU's limitations become more apparent.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the i5-14600K and the RTX 4060 shifts dramatically depending on resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the CPU's strong single-thread performance (scoring 2064 in Cinebench R23 single-core) ensures that frame rates remain high across all settings, with the GPU becoming the bottleneck only at Ultra settings. The data shows a 135% jump from Ultra to Low at 1080p (81 to 190.3 FPS), indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint at higher presets even at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens to 131% (125.5 vs 54.3 FPS), showing that the RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272 GB/s bandwidth are taxed more heavily. The CPU still provides enough headroom to avoid bottlenecking, as evidenced by the fact that even at 1440p High settings the combo achieves 76.4 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the GPU dominates the performance equation entirely. The drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 60% (190.3 to 75.4 FPS), and the GPU's limitations are stark: Ultra settings at 4K produce only 28.5 FPS, which is unplayable. The CPU's role at this resolution is minimal; the RTX 4060 simply cannot push enough pixels to maintain playable frame rates at high presets, regardless of the processor's capabilities. The scaling between resolutions shows that the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor once pixel count rises, while the i5-14600K provides ample processing power for physics and game logic at any resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 60 FPS on a 1440p monitor?

A: Yes. The measured data shows playable settings at 2560x1440 include High, Low, and Medium presets. High settings produce an average of 76.4 FPS, Medium delivers 99.9 FPS, and Low reaches 125.5 FPS. Ultra settings fall below the 60 FPS threshold at 54.3 FPS average.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gaming with this hardware?

A: The verdict data indicates Ultra is the best setting at 1920x1080, achieving an average of 81 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS playable threshold, making Ultra the recommended preset for full visual fidelity at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639, placing it 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (avg score 17666, deltaPct -0.2) and 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon 780M (avg score 17588, deltaPct 0.3). The differences are negligible, indicating similar raw compute performance among these GPUs.

Q: Is the i5-14600K a bottleneck for the RTX 4060 in Evolve?

A: No. The CPU ranks in the 90th percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 61st percentile. The data shows that at 1080p and 1440p, the GPU is the limiting factor at higher presets, not the CPU. The processor's strong multi-core score (24491 in Cinebench R23) provides ample headroom.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with Low settings?

A: The measured average at 3840x2160 with Low settings is 75.4 FPS. This is the only playable setting at 4K according to the verdict data, as Medium produces 54.5 FPS and High produces 46.1 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the i5-14600K's performance compare to the Intel Core Ultra 5 245?

A: The i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618, which is 0.8% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (avg score 48995, deltaPct -0.8). The performance difference is minor and unlikely to be noticeable in gaming scenarios.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the i5-14600K's nearest rivals in benchmark performance are the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (avg score 48698, deltaPct -0.2), the AMD EPYC 4345P (avg score 48470, deltaPct 0.3), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (avg score 48287, deltaPct 0.7), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (avg score 48995, deltaPct -0.8). All of these processors deliver within 1% of the i5-14600K's average score of 48618, meaning any of them would produce nearly identical frame rates in Evolve when paired with the same GPU. The Xeon and EPYC parts are workstation-oriented, while the Core Ultra chips are more mainstream, but the gaming performance delta is negligible.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4060's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (avg score 17666, deltaPct -0.2), the AMD Radeon 780M (avg score 17588, deltaPct 0.3), the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (avg score 17551, deltaPct 0.5), and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (avg score 17509, deltaPct 0.7). These GPUs all score within 0.7% of the RTX 4060's average of 17639, indicating they would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Evolve. The Radeon 780M is an integrated graphics solution found in some laptops, while the Pro 560 and Pro 460 are mobile workstation parts; the HD 7790 is a much older desktop card. Despite their different origins, their compute performance is statistically equivalent to the RTX 4060 in synthetic benchmarks.

When considering a system upgrade or alternative build, swapping the i5-14600K for any of its rivals would change Evolve performance by less than 1% in CPU-bound scenarios. Similarly, swapping the RTX 4060 for any of its rivals would keep frame rates within 1% in GPU-bound scenarios. However, note that the RTX 4060 offers features like DLSS and ray tracing that these rivals may lack, which could impact visual quality settings in other games even if raw performance is similar.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combo delivers an average of 46.1 FPS on High settings, 54.5 FPS on Medium, 75.4 FPS on Low, and 28.5 FPS on Ultra. Only Low settings clear the 60 FPS playable threshold at this resolution. The gap between Low and Ultra is 164%, demonstrating the GPU's severe performance drop as visual fidelity increases at 4K.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 76.4 FPS on High, 99.9 FPS on Medium, 125.5 FPS on Low, and 54.3 FPS on Ultra. High, Medium, and Low all exceed the 60 FPS threshold, making 1440p a comfortable resolution for this combo with moderate settings. Ultra falls short by 5.7 FPS, so players seeking maximum quality would need to dial back to High or accept slightly reduced smoothness.

At 1920x1080, the averages are 112.7 FPS on High, 146.5 FPS on Medium, 190.3 FPS on Low, and 81 FPS on Ultra. All four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold, with even Ultra delivering 35% more than needed for smooth gameplay. The 1080p results show the combo's sweet spot: it provides high refresh rate performance at Low through High settings and maintains playable frame rates at Ultra.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve effectively at 1080p and 1440p, with full playability across most settings. At 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — produce average frame rates above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best setting is Ultra, which delivers 81 FPS on average, making it the recommended choice for 1080p gaming. At 2560x1440, High settings are the best playable option, achieving 76.4 FPS on average, with Low and Medium also clearing the threshold. Ultra at 1440p falls short at 54.3 FPS, so players should avoid that preset unless they tolerate sub-60 performance.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more limited. Only Low settings are playable, producing an average of 75.4 FPS. Medium at 54.5 FPS and High at 46.1 FPS are below the playable threshold, and Ultra is effectively unplayable at 28.5 FPS. For 4K gaming, this combo requires significant settings compromises, making it unsuitable for players who demand high visual fidelity at that resolution. Overall, the i5-14600K and RTX 4060 combination is a solid choice for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Evolve, with enough performance headroom for high refresh rate monitors at lower presets.