Evolve

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Evolve shows a clear performance ceiling for this combination. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate achieved is 31 FPS on Low settings, with Medium dropping to 24 FPS, High to 19 FPS, and Ultra to 13 FPS. The only resolution with min/max data at 4K is Medium, which ranges from 20 FPS minimum to 27 FPS maximum, indicating noticeable frame pacing variance even at moderate settings.

At 2560x1440, the results improve substantially but remain below the 60 FPS threshold across all presets. Low settings produce 54 FPS average, Medium reaches 42 FPS, High hits 33 FPS, and Ultra falls to 23 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a min/max spread of 35 to 48 FPS, a 13 FPS range that suggests the engine is under consistent load rather than experiencing isolated stutters.

At 1920x1080, the picture changes meaningfully. Low settings deliver 80 FPS average, which clears the playability threshold by a comfortable margin. Medium settings maintain 62 FPS average with min/max figures of 53 and 72 FPS respectively. High settings drop to 49 FPS average, while Ultra falls further to 34 FPS. The 1080p Medium result is the only preset across all three resolutions that both exceeds 60 FPS average and remains within a stable enough window to recommend for sustained gameplay.

The scaling pattern across resolutions is consistent: each step from 1080p to 1440p to 4K reduces average FPS by roughly 30 to 40 percent at equivalent settings. Moving from 1080p Low to 1440p Low drops from 80 to 54 FPS, and from 1440p Low to 4K Low drops from 54 to 31 FPS. The same pattern holds for Medium, where 62 becomes 42 becomes 24, and for High, where 49 becomes 33 becomes 19.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling data indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions, while the Intel Core i5-9400 becomes relatively more relevant at 1080p. The GPU, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 and a percentile ranking of only 5 among all GPUs, sits in the lower performance tier. The CPU, by contrast, holds a 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 2254, placing it firmly in the midrange.

The resolution scaling evidence supports this interpretation. At 4K, the GPU must process roughly four times the pixel count of 1080p, and the frame rate collapses accordingly: 80 FPS at 1080p Low becomes 31 FPS at 4K Low, a 61 percent reduction. This steep drop is characteristic of GPU-bound workloads. At 1440p, the same settings produce 54 FPS, which is between the 1080p and 4K results, again consistent with pixel-throughput limitations rather than CPU bottlenecks.

At 1080p, the CPU's role becomes more visible in the preset scaling. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 18 FPS (80 to 62), while the jump from Medium to High costs 13 FPS (62 to 49), and from High to Ultra costs 15 FPS (49 to 34). These relatively modest gaps between presets suggest that neither component is completely overwhelmed at 1080p; both the six-core, six-thread i5-9400 and the Arc B370 contribute to the frame rate, but the GPU still carries the heavier load as settings increase.

The CPU's benchmark profile reinforces this division of labor. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and single-core score of 935 indicate adequate processing power for a 2015-era FPS title like Evolve, which predates the CPU's 2018 release by several years. The memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s over dual-channel DDR4 is sufficient for the game's era. The GPU, with its 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, is the limiting factor for most of the measured configurations.

The verdict data confirms this asymmetry. At 4K and 1440p, no settings preset is classified as playable, meaning the GPU cannot sustain 60 FPS at any quality level. At 1080p, two presets (Low and Medium) are playable, with Medium being the best playable setting at 62 FPS average. This pattern, where the highest playable quality improves only at the lowest tested resolution, is typical of a system where the GPU's raw throughput is the primary constraint.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no settings preset achieves the 60 FPS playability threshold. The best recorded average is 31 FPS on Low settings, which is 29 FPS short of the target. Medium produces 24 FPS, High produces 19 FPS, and Ultra produces 13 FPS. The database records no playable settings for this resolution, meaning every configuration at 4K falls below the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the situation is similar. No preset reaches 60 FPS. Low settings deliver 54 FPS, which is the closest result at this resolution, falling 6 FPS short of the target. Medium delivers 42 FPS, High delivers 33 FPS, and Ultra delivers 23 FPS. The verdict data lists no playable settings for 1440p, so even the most favorable configuration is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 1920x1080, the best settings preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 62 FPS and a recorded range of 53 to 72 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that clears the threshold. Low settings also qualify, with 80 FPS average, but Medium offers a better visual experience while still staying above 60 FPS on average. High settings at 49 FPS and Ultra at 34 FPS both fall short. The verdict data confirms Medium as the best playable setting at 1080p, with an average FPS of 62.

The practical takeaway is that this combination cannot reach 60 FPS at 1440p or 4K under any tested preset, and at 1080p the player is limited to Medium quality for a stable experience above the threshold. The minimum frame rate at 1080p Medium is 53 FPS, which means brief dips below 60 FPS are possible, but the average remains above the line.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database, based on average benchmark scores, provide context for how other processors might behave in this same configuration. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, which is 0.2 percent higher than the i5-9400's 2254 average. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4 percent higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4 percent lower, and the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3 percent lower. All four alternatives fall within a narrow band of roughly 1 percent of the i5-9400's performance, so any of them would produce nearly identical frame rates in Evolve when paired with the same GPU.

The GPU's nearest rivals tell a similar story, though the performance band is wider in percentage terms. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, which is 0.2 percent above the Arc B370's 1184. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5 percent higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7 percent higher, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, 1.4 percent lower. In practical terms, swapping the Arc B370 for any of these alternatives would shift Evolve's frame rates by only a few FPS at most, preserving the same overall playability profile at each resolution.

For a user considering an upgrade or a similar build, these rival comparisons suggest that the CPU is not the weak link. The i5-9400's nearest competitors are all within a fraction of a percent in aggregate benchmark scores, so CPU choice among these options would not meaningfully change Evolve's performance. The GPU alternatives are similarly close, which means the measured results at each resolution and preset are representative of a broader class of low-end graphics hardware rather than a single outlier product.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this combination at rank 3414 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve, putting it in the 92nd percentile of all tested combinations. In other words, roughly 92 percent of tested combinations perform better than this one in this specific game. The rank is determined by measured performance across all three resolutions and all four presets, so the low standings reflect the consistent inability to reach playable frame rates at 1440p and 4K, along with the limited Medium preset capability at 1080p.

A rank of 386 spots from the bottom of the list out of 3700 total combos indicates that this system sits in the lower echelon of tested hardware, not the middle. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs places it near the median for processing power, but the GPU's 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it near the bottom of the graphics stack. This combination of a midrange CPU and bottom-tier GPU results in a system-wide performance profile that ranks near the bottom of the database's tested field.

For context within the broader database, the combo's rank of 3414 means it outperforms only 286 combinations below it, while 3413 combinations above it deliver better overall performance in Evolve. The game's 2015 release date matters here: Evolve launched in February 2015, and the i5-9400 was released in 2018, meaning the hardware postdates the game by several years. The GPU's 2026 release date is far newer, but its integrated form factor and 25 W TDP class it with ultra-low-power graphics hardware, which explains the performance envelope.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve, but only at 1920x1080 with Medium or Low settings. The verdict data is explicit on this point: 1080p has two playable settings exist, with Medium being the best at 62 FPS average. Low settings at 80 FPS average are technically the highest frame rate recorded at any resolution, but Medium offers the best balance of quality and playability. The verdict lists Medium as the best settings at 1080p with 62 FPS average, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by 2 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the answer is no playable settings exist. The closest configuration, Low settings at 54 FPS average, falls 6 FPS short of the threshold. At 3840x2160, the answer is similarly negative, with Low settings at 31 FPS average, 29 FPS below the threshold. The database records no playable settings for 4K, meaning the best result at that resolution is unfit for smooth gameplay.

The performance ceiling is defined by the GPU's low raw throughput. With a 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 rating and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, the Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile among all GPUs, and its integrated design with system shared memory means it cannot handle the demands of Evolve beyond 1080p Medium. The i5-9400 CPU is not the limiting factor; its benchmark scores place it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, comfortably ahead of the game's requirements.

For a player with a 1080p display, this combination is borderline playable at Medium quality. The average frame rate of 62 FPS meets the threshold by a narrow margin, and the recorded min FPS of 53 indicates occasional dips below 60 FPS during dense scenes. Low settings at 80 FPS average provide a more comfortable cushion for competitive play, while sacrificing visual quality. At 1440p or 4K, the verdict is definitive: no settings preset achieves 60 FPS, and the system should not be expected to run Evolve at those resolutions.