Evolve

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i5-9400 with Intel Arc B580 delivers a wide spread of frame rates across the four settings presets. Low settings produce an average of 155 FPS, which is the highest recorded result for this combination at any resolution. Medium settings drop the average to 120 FPS, with the minimum frame rate recorded at 102 FPS and the maximum at 138 FPS. High settings yield an average of 94 FPS, while Ultra settings still hold an average of 65 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 90 FPS, which indicates that the graphics preset has a substantial impact on performance, but even the most demanding preset clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by a margin of 5 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same pattern continues but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings average 104 FPS, which is still well above the playable threshold. Medium settings average 80 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. High settings average 63 FPS, just barely clearing the 60 FPS line. Ultra settings average 44 FPS, which falls below the playable threshold. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 60 FPS, showing that the preset choice matters even more at higher pixel counts. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum of 68 FPS, meaning even the worst frame dips in that configuration stay above the playable line.

At 3840x2160, the results become marginal. Low settings average 59 FPS, which is one frame short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. High settings average 36 FPS, and Ultra settings average 25 FPS. No preset at 4K reaches the 60 FPS average needed for a playable rating. The Medium preset shows the only complete min/max data at this resolution, and the 14 FPS spread between its minimum and maximum suggests noticeable frame variability. The scaling from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra is severe, dropping from 65 FPS to 25 FPS, a reduction of 40 FPS.

The recorded data shows a consistent relationship between resolution and performance. Each step up in resolution from 1080p to 1440p to 4K reduces average frame rates across every preset. Low settings at 1080p produce 155 FPS, at 1440p produce 104 FPS, and at 4K produce 59 FPS. High settings follow the same trajectory: 94 FPS at 1080p, 63 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings go from 65 FPS at 1080p to 44 FPS at 1440p to 25 FPS at 4K. The only preset where the 4K result is close to the threshold is Low, and even there the average falls one frame short.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080, yes. The Ultra preset averages 65 FPS, which is 5 FPS above the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 44 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it averages 25 FPS, both of which are below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: The High preset is the most demanding setting that stays at or above 60 FPS at this resolution. The recorded average is 63 FPS. Medium averages 80 FPS and Low averages 104 FPS, but High offers the highest visual quality among the playable options.

Q: Is 4K playable on this hardware?

A: No. The closest result at 3840x2160 is the Low preset, which averages 59 FPS, one frame short of the playable threshold. Medium averages 46 FPS, High averages 36 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. The verdict data lists no playable settings at this resolution.

Q: How large is the performance gap between Medium and High at 1080p?

A: Medium averages 120 FPS while High averages 94 FPS, a difference of 26 FPS. The Medium preset also has recorded minimum and maximum values of 102 FPS and 138 FPS, respectively, while High has no min/max data recorded.

Q: What is the frame rate range for Medium settings at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 averages 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. Even the lowest recorded frame rate stays above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Does the system outperform a typical 60 FPS target at 1080p on every preset?

A: Yes. Low averages 155 FPS, Medium averages 120 FPS, High averages 94 FPS, and Ultra averages 65 FPS. All four presets at 1920x1080 exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals how the balance between the Intel Core i5-9400 and the Intel Arc B580 shifts as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the CPU has more room to influence frame rates, since the GPU is not as heavily taxed by pixel count. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p costs 90 FPS, dropping from 155 to 65. This wide spread suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor when settings are raised, but the CPU is capable of feeding high frame rates at lower settings, as evidenced by the 155 FPS Low result.

At 2560x1440, the GPU becomes more dominant. The spread between Low and Ultra narrows to 60 FPS, from 104 down to 44. The High preset lands at 63 FPS, which is close to the threshold, while Ultra falls well below it. This pattern indicates that the Arc B580 is increasingly the bottleneck as pixel throughput demands rise, and the CPU's role in maintaining high averages diminishes. The Medium preset at this resolution still shows a healthy 80 FPS average, with a minimum of 68 FPS, which suggests the pairing handles moderate settings comfortably.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant constraint. The best average across all presets is 59 FPS on Low, and every other preset falls further behind. The Ultra preset at 4K averages only 25 FPS, which is less than half of the 60 FPS target. The CPU's six cores and six threads are not the limiting factor here; the data points to the GPU being unable to sustain playable frame rates at this resolution regardless of settings. The scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low, from 155 to 59 FPS, shows a 96 FPS drop that tracks with the GPU's rendering workload.

The recorded data does not include separate CPU and GPU utilization metrics, but the resolution scaling pattern provides indirect evidence. At 1080p, where CPU overhead is relatively higher, the system achieves its peak frame rates. At 4K, where GPU throughput dominates, the system falls short of the threshold on every preset. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935, place it in the 47th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 68th percentile among all GPUs. This difference in relative standing supports the interpretation that the GPU is the stronger component in this pairing for Evolve.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are closely matched. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 has an average benchmark score of 2259, which is 0.2 percent higher than the i5-9400's average of 2254. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4 percent higher. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3 percent lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4 percent lower. These four processors all fall within a narrow band around the i5-9400's average score, meaning any of them would likely produce similar behavior in Evolve at the settings and resolutions recorded, assuming the GPU remains the same.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show a similar clustering. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP has an average score of 23061, 0.2 percent higher than the Arc B580's average of 23021. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, 0.6 percent lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, 0.7 percent higher. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, 1 percent higher. These deltas are all within one percent of the Arc B580's average score, so any of these GPUs paired with a comparable CPU would be expected to produce frame rates close to those recorded in the measured FPS data.

The practical implication is that the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, Intel Core i7-10710U, AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, and Intel Core i3-10305 would all be reasonable substitutes for the i5-9400 without materially changing the outcome in Evolve. On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, and NVIDIA P106-100 would similarly sit in the same performance vicinity as the Arc B580. A system built with any of these combinations would likely land at the same verdict: playable at 1080p on all presets, playable at 1440p up to High, and not playable at 4K.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 65 FPS. This is the highest visual quality setting available in the recorded data, and it clears the playable threshold by 5 FPS. All four presets at this resolution are playable, but Ultra is the recommended choice for maximum visual fidelity while maintaining playability.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is High, which averages 63 FPS. The Medium preset averages 80 FPS and Low averages 104 FPS, but High provides better visual quality than both while still exceeding the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra at this resolution averages 44 FPS, which is not playable.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The closest is Low, which averages 59 FPS, one frame short. The verdict data confirms that there are no playable settings at 4K for this combination. Users targeting 4K would need to accept frame rates below the playable threshold or lower the resolution to 1440p or 1080p.

The frame rate data supports a clear hierarchy: 1080p allows the highest settings, 1440p requires a one-step reduction from Ultra to High, and 4K cannot sustain playable performance on any preset. The Medium preset at 1440p offers a comfortable margin with an 80 FPS average and a minimum of 68 FPS, making it a safer choice for users who prioritize frame stability over maximum visual quality.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-9400 combined with the Intel Arc B580 can run Evolve at 1920x1080 on every recorded preset. Low averages 155 FPS, Medium averages 120 FPS, High averages 94 FPS, and Ultra averages 65 FPS. All of these exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold, so 1080p is fully playable across the entire settings range.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable on three of the four presets. Low averages 104 FPS, Medium averages 80 FPS, and High averages 63 FPS. Ultra averages 44 FPS and is not playable. The verdict data lists High, Low, and Medium as the playable settings at this resolution, with High being the best option at 63 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot reach the playable threshold on any preset. Low averages 59 FPS, just missing the mark, while Medium averages 46 FPS, High averages 36 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. The verdict data records no playable settings at 4K. The system is therefore best suited for 1080p gaming at maximum settings, or 1440p gaming at High settings or lower, while 4K remains out of reach.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the Intel Arc B580 ranks 2787 out of 3700 total combos for Evolve. This places it in the lower portion of the ranking, which is consistent with the measured performance. The combo clears the playable threshold at 1080p on all presets and at 1440p up to High, but it falls short at 4K. The rank reflects both the CPU and GPU contributions, and the percentile positions of the individual components, 47th for the CPU and 68th for the GPU, indicate that the GPU is the stronger part of the pairing. The overall rank of 2787 out of 3700 suggests that while this system handles Evolve comfortably at common gaming resolutions, many other tested combinations deliver higher frame rates or better 4K performance.