Evolve

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread desktop processor with a 2.90 GHz base clock and a 4.10 GHz boost clock, built on Intel's 14 nm process. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is a RDNA 3.0 graphics card with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus and a 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, and it carries a launch MSRP of 449 USD. This combination was measured in Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, across three resolutions and four quality presets. The recorded averages range from 37.5 FPS at 4K Ultra to 211.4 FPS at 1080p Low, with a 60 FPS playability threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table lists the average frame rates recorded for each resolution and preset combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

| 3840x2160 | High | 52.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 83.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 65.5 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 37.5 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 90.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 145.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 113.3 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 61.8 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 133.7 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 211.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 168.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 94.8 |

At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 52.1 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 65.5 FPS, clearing it by a margin of 5.5 FPS. Low averages 83.7 FPS, providing a comfortable buffer, while Ultra averages 37.5 FPS, making it unplayable. The gap between High and Medium is 13.4 FPS, and the gap between Medium and Low is 18.2 FPS, showing that the preset scaling is not linear at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, all four presets stay above 60 FPS. High averages 90.2 FPS, Low averages 145.2 FPS, Medium averages 113.3 FPS, and Ultra averages 61.8 FPS. The difference between Ultra and High is 28.4 FPS, which is a significant drop for the highest quality setting. Low and Medium offer substantial headroom, with 145.2 and 113.3 FPS respectively, indicating that the system is not heavily taxed at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the results are uniformly strong. High averages 133.7 FPS, Low averages 211.4 FPS, Medium averages 168.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 94.8 FPS. The spread from Ultra to Low is 116.6 FPS, with Low nearly doubling the Ultra frame rate. The data does not include minimum or maximum frame times, so only the averages are available for analysis, but the averages alone show that 1080p is well within the system's capabilities.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 1920x1080 with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 94.8 FPS, well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the most demanding preset that remains playable at 3840x2160?

A: Medium. It averages 65.5 FPS, while High averages 52.1 FPS and Ultra averages 37.5 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (0.4% higher), the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower).

Q: How does the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 7700 XT has an average score of 22549. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile scores 22729 (0.8% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895 (1.5% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile scores 22435 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 scores 22170 (1.7% lower).

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination?

A: It is ranked 1543 out of 3700 tested combinations in the database.

Q: Is 2560x1440 Ultra playable?

A: Yes, it averages 61.8 FPS, just above the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded frame rates show a clear pattern of GPU scaling. At 1920x1080 Low, the system produces 211.4 FPS, but at 3840x2160 Low it drops to 83.7 FPS. This reduction of 127.7 FPS corresponds to a 4x increase in pixel count, indicating that the GPU's rendering throughput, measured at 35.17 TFLOPS, is the dominant factor. The CPU, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935, has enough headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the 94.8 FPS average suggests the CPU is not the limiting component. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the 37.5 FPS result points to the GPU's 3456 shading units and 96 ROPs being saturated.

The GPU's 12 GB memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are also relevant, as higher resolutions demand more memory bandwidth. The CPU's 6 cores and 6 threads, along with a 9 MB L3 cache, are sufficient for a 2015 title like Evolve, which likely relies on a few threads. The boost clock of 4.10 GHz provides the single-thread performance needed for game logic. The memory bandwidth of the CPU is 42.7 GB/s, which is ample for feeding the GPU at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, however, the GPU's pixel rate of 244.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 549.5 GTexel/s become the bottlenecks. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a drop from 61.8 FPS to 37.5 FPS at Ultra, a reduction of 24.3 FPS, which is consistent with a GPU-bound workload. In contrast, the CPU's single-core performance, measured at 935 in Cinebench R23, remains constant across resolutions, confirming that the CPU is not the primary constraint in this title.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, 0.2% higher), the Intel Core i3-10305 (2264, 0.4% higher), the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248, 0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, 0.4% lower). These processors would yield nearly identical frame rates in Evolve, given the same GPU. The differences in average benchmark scores are within a fraction of a percent, so the user would not notice any practical difference in gameplay.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22729, 0.8% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895, 1.5% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (22435, 0.5% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (22170, 1.7% lower). A system with one of these cards and the same CPU would produce similar FPS numbers across the tested presets. The RTX 2080, being 1.5% higher in average score, might push 4K High closer to the 60 FPS line, but the overall experience would be comparable. The RX 5700, at 1.7% lower, would likely see slightly lower frame rates, particularly at 4K.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC can run Evolve. At 1920x1080, all settings are playable, with Ultra averaging 94.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, all settings are playable, with Ultra averaging 61.8 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium are playable, with Medium averaging 65.5 FPS. The 60 FPS threshold is cleared in all these cases. High at 4K averages 52.1 FPS and Ultra at 4K averages 37.5 FPS, so those presets are not recommended for a smooth experience. The system is fully capable of delivering a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, and it can handle 4K with reduced settings.

How This Combo Ranks

This CPU and GPU pair holds the 1543rd position out of 3700 tested combinations in the database. This places it above the median of all tested systems, indicating a solid mid-range performance level. The rank reflects the overall capability of the combo across various games, not just Evolve. In the context of this title, the measured frame rates are strong at 1080p and 1440p, which aligns with the combo's position in the upper half of the database. The 1543rd rank suggests that while there are many faster combinations, this setup is by no means a low performer.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which averages 65.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, the best setting is Ultra, averaging 61.8 FPS. At 1920x1080, the best setting is Ultra, averaging 94.8 FPS. These settings represent the highest visual quality that still maintains a playable frame rate, based on the 60 FPS threshold. For users prioritizing a higher frame rate, dropping to Low at 4K yields 83.7 FPS, and at 1440p, High offers 90.2 FPS, but the recommended settings above balance quality and performance.