Evolve

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination delivers a narrow playable window. With Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 67 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings drop the average to 52 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 44 FPS and maximum of 60 FPS. High settings average 41 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 28 FPS. The data indicates that 4K resolution is only viable at the lowest preset, and even then with limited headroom above the playable mark.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance picture improves substantially. Low settings average 118 FPS, Medium averages 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 FPS and maximum of 105 FPS, and High averages 72 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 50 FPS, which sits below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The jump from 4K to 1440p is significant: Low settings gain 51 FPS, Medium gains 40 FPS, High gains 31 FPS, and Ultra gains 22 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the combination shows strong performance across all presets. Low settings average 176 FPS, Medium averages 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS and maximum of 157 FPS, High averages 107 FPS, and Ultra averages 74 FPS. Every preset at 1080p clears the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra retaining a 14 FPS margin above the playable line. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p is notable: Low gains 58 FPS, Medium gains 45 FPS, High gains 35 FPS, and Ultra gains 24 FPS.

The frame rate deltas between presets follow a consistent pattern. At each resolution, dropping from Ultra to High yields a substantial improvement, while the step from High to Medium is smaller. The minimum and maximum values recorded only for Medium settings across all resolutions show that frame time variance is modest, with the 1080p Medium range spanning 41 FPS and the 1440p Medium range spanning 27 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database provide context for its processing capability. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 in average benchmark, which is 0.2% above the i5-9400's 2254 average. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, a 0.4% advantage. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a 0.4% deficit, while the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, a 0.3% deficit. These four processors occupy a tight performance band, meaning any of them would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound behavior in Evolve. For gaming workloads where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, swapping the i5-9400 for any of these rivals would produce indistinguishable frame rates.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 9060's nearest rivals are closely matched. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129 in average benchmark, 0.7% below the RX 9060's 16014. The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862, a 1% deficit. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 scores 15852, also 1% lower, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679, a 2.1% gap. None of these rivals differ by more than 2.1% from the RX 9060, so frame rates in Evolve would be nearly identical across all five GPUs. The RTX 3060 Ti would be the closest match, trailing by less than 1% in aggregate benchmarks.

For a system pairing any of these CPUs with any of these GPUs, the measured FPS values in Evolve would fall within a couple of frames of the recorded data. The CPU rivals are all within 0.4% of the i5-9400, and the GPU rivals are within 2.1% of the RX 9060, so the combined variance stays small. Users upgrading from a Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 to an i5-9400 would see no meaningful change in this game, and those considering an RTX 3060 Ti instead of the RX 9060 would see a negligible drop.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this specific CPU and GPU pairing at position 2181 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve. This places the combo in the 59th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly 59% of configurations while trailing about 41%. The rank reflects the balance between the i5-9400's mid-range CPU performance and the RX 9060's upper-mid-range GPU capability.

The percentile data for the individual components aligns with this ranking. The i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, indicating that many processors outperform it. The RX 9060 sits at the 59th percentile among all GPUs, showing that the graphics card carries more of the combination's weight in terms of overall standing. The combo ranking at 2181 of 3700 is consistent with a system where the GPU is the stronger component relative to the CPU.

In practical terms, this rank means the combo handles Evolve at 1080p with ease across all presets, manages 1440p well up to High settings, and only struggles at 4K with higher presets. The rank does not indicate a weak system; it reflects the large field of tested hardware where many high-end configurations exist. For a game released in early 2015, this combination offers substantial headroom at typical gaming resolutions.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Evolve, but the playable range depends heavily on resolution. At 1920x1080, the verdict is clear: all four presets, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, clear the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra averages 74 FPS, giving comfortable margin above the playable line. This is the resolution where the combo performs best, with the widest preset selection.

At 2560x1440, three presets are playable: Low at 118 FPS, Medium at 92 FPS, and High at 72 FPS. Ultra falls short at 50 FPS, so users wanting maximum visual quality should stick to High. The best playable setting at 1440p is High, which retains a 12 FPS buffer over the 60 FPS minimum.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings clear the threshold, averaging 67 FPS. Medium drops to 52 FPS, High to 41 FPS, and Ultra to 28 FPS. The best playable setting at 4K is Low, and even that preset has only 7 FPS of headroom. Users prioritizing 4K should expect to compromise on visual fidelity.

The verdict by resolution is straightforward: 1080p is fully playable at any preset, 1440p is playable up to High, and 4K is playable only at Low. The 60 FPS playable threshold is the database standard, and the recorded data shows where this combo crosses that line.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS scaling between resolutions and presets reveals which component dominates in Evolve. The transition from 1080p Ultra (74 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (50 FPS) represents a 32% drop, while the transition from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra (28 FPS) represents a 44% drop. This steep decline as resolution increases points to the GPU as the primary performance limiter at higher resolutions and higher presets.

Conversely, at 1080p Low, the combo averages 176 FPS, which is far above the playable threshold. The CPU's single-core and multi-core scores, including a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 935 and multi-core score of 6629, are sufficient to feed the GPU at this resolution. The 47th percentile CPU ranking does not bottleneck the system at 1080p, as evidenced by the high frame rates.

The preset scaling further clarifies the GPU's role. At 1080p, dropping from Ultra to Low increases FPS by 102 frames, from 74 to 176. At 1440p, the same preset change increases FPS by 68 frames, from 50 to 118. At 4K, the change increases FPS by 39 frames, from 28 to 67. The magnitude of the preset impact shrinks as resolution rises, which is typical of GPU-bound scenarios where higher resolutions already strain the graphics card.

The CPU's influence appears mainly at lower resolutions and lower presets. At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 176 FPS suggests the CPU is capable of sustaining high draw calls, but the i5-9400's 6 cores and 6 threads with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz are adequate for a 2015 title. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, as the frame rate differences between presets align with the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth characteristics, including 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

For users deciding on upgrades, the data suggests that improving the GPU would yield larger gains at 1440p and 4K, while improving the CPU would matter most for 1080p high-refresh-rate scenarios. The RX 9060's 21.43 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 64 ROPs drive the resolution scaling, so a stronger GPU would shift the playable preset upward at each resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which average 67 FPS. Medium settings drop to 52 FPS, High to 41 FPS, and Ultra to 28 FPS, all below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best setting at 1440p for this combo?

A: High settings average 72 FPS, which is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS. Ultra averages 50 FPS, which is not playable by the database standard.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti in this game?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has an average benchmark score of 16129, which is 0.7% above the RX 9060's 16014. In Evolve, this translates to nearly identical frame rates, within a couple of frames at each resolution and preset.

Q: Is the i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RX 9060 in Evolve?

A: At 1080p, the high frame rates (up to 176 FPS on Low) indicate the CPU keeps up. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU is the limiting factor, as shown by the steep FPS drops when resolution increases.

Q: Which presets clear 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: All four presets clear 60 FPS: Low averages 176 FPS, Medium averages 137 FPS, High averages 107 FPS, and Ultra averages 74 FPS.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested systems?

A: The database ranks this combo at 2181 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve, placing it in the 59th percentile of all tested systems.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 67 FPS. This leaves 7 FPS of headroom, which is slim but functional. Medium falls below the threshold at 52 FPS, so 4K users must accept Low quality for playable performance.

At 2560x1440, High is the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS, averaging 72 FPS. This provides a 12 FPS buffer over the threshold. Medium averages 92 FPS and Low averages 118 FPS, both also playable, but High offers the best visual quality within the playable range.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is the most demanding preset that clears 60 FPS, averaging 74 FPS. This gives a 14 FPS margin, which is comfortable for a 2015 title. All lower presets also qualify, with Medium at 137 FPS, High at 107 FPS, and Low at 176 FPS, but Ultra is the recommended choice for maximum quality.

The best settings per resolution follow the verdict data precisely: Low at 4K, High at 1440p, and Ultra at 1080p. Users seeking higher presets at 4K or Ultra at 1440p would need a stronger GPU, as the recorded data shows those configurations fall below the 60 FPS playable threshold.