Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a heavyweight combination, and the benchmark data for Evolve confirms it sits near the top of the pile. Out of 3,700 tested combos, this pairing ranks at 222, placing it in the top 6% of all systems tested. This is not a marginal performer; it is a high-tier setup that will crush the vast majority of configurations in this title. The data indicates a system built for high-refresh-rate dominance at 1440p and for delivering a fully playable experience at 4K, with the only real compromise occurring at the most demanding preset on a 4K display.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall ranking of 222 out of 3,700 combos places this CPU-GPU pairing in the 94th percentile of all tested configurations for Evolve. This is a strong indicator that the system is far above the median performance level. The CPU itself sits in the 90th percentile of all CPUs tested, while the GPU is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. When combined, their performance synergy is exceptional, placing the system in the upper echelon of gaming rigs. This rank suggests that users will not be bottlenecked by either component in most scenarios, allowing the system to stretch its legs and deliver frame rates that are well beyond the playable threshold of 60 FPS. The data shows a clear picture: this is a top-tier configuration designed for demanding gamers who want to max out their settings without sacrificing fluidity.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-14600K and the RTX 4080 is heavily skewed toward the GPU, which is typical for a game like Evolve. The CPU’s role becomes more apparent only at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU can render frames so quickly that the processor must keep up. The benchmark results illustrate this dynamic clearly through the scaling of frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces an average of 335 FPS. This massive frame rate reflects the GPU's raw power, but it also indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding it without becoming a limiting factor.

However, the CPU's influence is less pronounced when moving up the resolution scale. The performance drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 110 FPS (from 335 to 225), and from 1440p Low to 4K Low is another 97 FPS (from 225 to 128). This steep decline is a direct result of the GPU being tasked with rendering more pixels, shifting the bottleneck from the CPU to the graphics card. At 4K, the workload is overwhelmingly GPU-bound. The RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth become the critical factors. In this scenario, the CPU is more than sufficient to handle the game's logic and physics, while the GPU's compute and memory throughput dictates the final frame rate. The data suggests that for Evolve, the GPU is the dominant component in determining performance, especially at higher resolutions and presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a granular look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. The system demonstrates remarkable headroom, with most configurations delivering well over 60 FPS.

1920x1080: At this resolution, the system is almost laughably overqualified. The Low preset yields an average of 335 FPS, ensuring maximum responsiveness. The Medium preset averages 260 FPS, with a minimum of 221 and a maximum of 299, showing excellent frame pacing. The High preset still produces an extremely high 204 FPS average. Even the most demanding Ultra preset averages 141 FPS, which is more than enough for a high-refresh-rate monitor. There is no point at 1080p where this combo struggles to maintain fluid gameplay.

2560x1440: This is the sweet spot for this combination. At Low, the average is 225 FPS, and at Medium, it drops to 174 FPS, with a minimum of 148 and a maximum of 200 FPS. The High preset delivers 137 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, still maintains a very playable 95 FPS average. This is the resolution where the user can max out every setting and still enjoy a high frame rate that exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold by a significant margin.

3840x2160: At 4K, the GPU finally starts to feel the strain, but the system remains highly capable. The Low preset averages 128 FPS, which is still fantastic for 4K. The Medium preset is solid, with an average of 99 FPS and a minimum of 84, ensuring that even the most intense scenes stay smooth. The High preset, which is the best playable option here, averages 78 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, averaging just 54 FPS. This is the only scenario where a compromise must be made.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users looking at this specific setup, the data suggests that the performance of the CPU and GPU is closely matched by a few alternatives. The Intel Core i5-14600K's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which has an average score just 0.2% lower, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, which is 0.8% lower. The AMD EPYC 4345P is a mere 0.3% faster, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX is 0.7% faster. In gaming terms, these differences are negligible, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical performance in Evolve.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4080 is in a tight cluster of competitors. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is effectively a direct match, with a score just 0.1% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% faster, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% slower, and the AMD Radeon 8060S is 2.7% slower. These deltas are small, but they do suggest that the RTX 4080 SUPER would be a near-identical performer, while the AMD options might show a slight frame rate deficit in the most demanding scenarios. A user with any of these alternative components would experience a very similar level of performance in Evolve, with the differences being difficult to perceive without a frame counter.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the 60 FPS playable threshold, the best settings for each resolution are as follows:

• 3840x2160: The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which achieves an average of 78 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below the threshold with 54 FPS, so users with 4K displays should stick to High for a smooth experience.
• 2560x1440: The Ultra preset is fully playable here, with an average of 95 FPS. This is the ideal configuration for 1440p, allowing the user to enable all the visual bells and whistles without sacrificing performance.
• 1920x1080: The Ultra preset is also the best choice at 1080p, delivering a massive 141 FPS average. The system has such a high level of performance at this resolution that even the most demanding settings are easily handled.

The Verdict

This system can absolutely run Evolve, and it can do so at a very high level. According to the verdict by resolution, the configuration is fully playable across all resolutions and presets, with a single exception.

• 3840x2160: The system is playable at Low, Medium, and High settings. The best settings are High, with an average FPS of 78. The Ultra preset is not playable, as it dips to 54 FPS.
• 2560x1440: The system is playable at all settings, including Ultra. The best settings are Ultra, with an average FPS of 95. This is the resolution where the system performs at its best, offering both high visual fidelity and high frame rates.
• 1920x1080: The system is playable at all settings, with the Ultra preset yielding an average of 141 FPS. This performance level is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor.

Ultimately, this is a top-tier gaming combination for Evolve. It excels at 1440p, where it can max out the game and still deliver a flawless 95 FPS. At 4K, it offers a great experience on High settings, only requiring a slight step down from the absolute maximum presets. The data clearly shows that this CPU and GPU pair is a powerful choice for anyone looking to play this title with high settings and high frame rates.