Evolve

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core desktop chip from the Coffee Lake refresh generation. It uses DDR4 memory on a dual-channel memory bus, the Intel Core i5-9400 has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 9 MB shared L3 cache and 6 cores with 6 threads, and it has a UHD 630 integrated graphics. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is a GeForce 30-series GPU built on the Ampere architecture with an 8 nm process, featuring 8704 shading units, 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, and a boost clock of 1710 MHz. The recorded data for this pair shows a wide range of performance across resolutions, with the game Evolve, a FPS title, responding clearly to settings changes. The system ranks at position 1199 out of 3700 recorded combos for this game, placing it in the upper-middle tier of tested hardware configurations.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium. The recorded average at Medium is 73 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with a comfortable margin. High settings at this resolution drop to 56.3 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, and Ultra falls to 39.7 FPS. Low settings run at 95.1 FPS, but Medium is the best-looking preset that still holds 60+ FPS, so it is the recommended choice for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves substantially. All four presets clear 60 FPS: Low runs at 165.5 FPS, Medium at 132 FPS, High at 99.3 FPS, and Ultra at 73 FPS. Since Ultra is the most demanding preset and still averages 73 FPS, it is the best settings choice for 1440p. This gives you the full visual experience without dropping below the 60 FPS floor.

At 1920x1080, every preset is well above 60 FPS, so the best settings are simply the maximum: Ultra. The recorded average at Ultra is 104.7 FPS, which is more than enough for a smooth experience. High runs at 152 FPS, Medium at 195.3 FPS, and Low at 211.5 FPS, but there is no reason to sacrifice visual quality when Ultra already holds triple-digit framerates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows that the GPU is the dominant factor at 3840x2160, where the frame rate scales dramatically with settings. Moving from Low to Medium at 4K drops the average from 95.1 FPS to 73 FPS, a 22.1 FPS reduction. From Medium to High, the average falls to 56.3 FPS, and from High to Ultra it drops to 39.7 FPS. This steep scaling indicates that the RTX 3080 is the limiting component at 4K, as each settings tier directly translates into a large frame rate penalty. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, has enough headroom to feed the GPU at this resolution, but the GPU's raw throughput is what determines the outcome.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts slightly. The gap between Low (165.5 FPS) and Medium (132 FPS) is 33.5 FPS, and the gap between Medium and High is another 32.7 FPS. From High to Ultra, the drop is 26.3 FPS, bringing the average to 73 FPS. The scaling remains steep, but the absolute numbers are higher across the board, meaning the GPU is still the main constraint. However, the CPU starts to show its influence at the lower presets: the jump from 1440p Low to 1080p Low is only 46 FPS (from 165.5 to 211.5), while the jump from 1440p Ultra to 1080p Ultra is 31.7 FPS (from 73 to 104.7). This indicates that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more relevant, as the GPU has more headroom and the CPU must keep up with higher frame rate requests.

At 1920x1080, the CPU and GPU roles are more balanced. The frame rates are high across all presets, with Low hitting 211.5 FPS and Ultra at 104.7 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium (16.2 FPS drop) is relatively small compared to the scaling from Medium to High (43.3 FPS drop), and from High to Ultra (47.3 FPS drop). This suggests that at 1080p, the GPU is still the primary bottleneck for the higher presets, but the CPU's 6-core, 6-thread configuration is adequate to avoid holding back the RTX 3080 at these frame rates. The database shows that this combination is not CPU-limited at 1080p, as even the most demanding preset stays above 100 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured averages are as follows: Low settings run at 95.1 FPS, Medium at 73 FPS, High at 56.3 FPS, and Ultra at 39.7 FPS. No minimum or maximum frame rate data is recorded for this resolution, only the averages. The spread between the lowest and highest presets is 55.4 FPS, which is the largest of all three resolutions, confirming that 4K is the most demanding scenario for this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 165.5 FPS, Medium at 132 FPS, High at 99.3 FPS, and Ultra at 73 FPS. This resolution shows a more linear progression, with each settings tier costing roughly 26 to 33 FPS. The total spread from Low to Ultra is 92.5 FPS, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution, but the higher presets still bring it down to the 60-75 FPS range.

At 1920x1080, the averages are: Low at 211.5 FPS, Medium at 195.3 FPS, High at 152 FPS, and Ultra at 104.7 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 106.8 FPS, the largest in absolute terms, but the lowest average is still well above the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows that this resolution is the most forgiving for the RTX 3080, with even Ultra settings delivering a smooth experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, which places it at the 47th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 with an average score of 2259, which is 0.2% faster, and the Intel Core i3-10305 with an average score of 2264, which is 0.4% faster. On the slower side, the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3% slower) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% slower). These differences are minuscule, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Evolve when paired with the RTX 3080. The performance gap between the best and worst of these rivals is less than 1%, so the choice among them would not meaningfully change the measured FPS.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172, placing it at the 68th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA P106-100 with a score of 23249 (0.3% faster), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 with a score of 23250 (0.3% faster), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M with a score of 23273 (0.4% faster), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X with a score of 23276 (0.4% faster). All four rivals are within 0.4% of the RTX 3080's average score, so in practice, swapping to any of these would produce nearly identical performance in Evolve. The frame rates recorded for this system would be essentially the same with any of these GPUs at the same settings and resolutions.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Evolve? The verdict by resolution is clear. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low and Medium, with the best setting being Medium at 73 FPS. High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS, so they are not recommended for 4K gaming. At 2560x1440, all four settings are playable, and the best setting is Ultra at 73 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 13 FPS margin. At 1920x1080, all four settings are playable, and the best setting is Ultra at 104.7 FPS, which provides a very comfortable buffer above the 60 FPS threshold.

For a 60 FPS target, this system is fully capable at 1080p and 1440p with maxed-out settings. At 4K, you need to dial back to Medium settings to stay above 60 FPS, and you cannot use High or Ultra without dropping below the playable threshold. The recorded data shows that the RTX 3080 is the limiting factor at 4K, while the i5-9400 is sufficient for the CPU demands of this game across all tested resolutions. If you own a 4K monitor, Medium settings are the sweet spot; if you play at 1440p or below, you can run the game at maximum quality without concern.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K with High settings?

A: No. The recorded average at 3840x2160 with High settings is 56.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings are required for 4K, delivering 73 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 2560x1440?

A: Ultra is the best settings preset at 2560x1440, with a recorded average of 73 FPS. All other presets (Low, Medium, High) also exceed 60 FPS, but Ultra provides the highest visual quality while staying above the threshold.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Ultra compared to 1440p Ultra?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 104.7, while at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 73. This represents a 31.7 FPS difference, or roughly 43% higher frame rate at 1080p.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1920x1080?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is the primary bottleneck for the higher presets. The frame rate drops from 195.3 FPS at Medium to 152 FPS at High, and then to 104.7 FPS at Ultra, indicating that the RTX 3080 is being pushed harder as settings increase. The i5-9400 has sufficient performance to keep up, as even the most demanding preset stays above 100 FPS.

Q: What are the nearest GPU alternatives to the RTX 3080 for this game?

A: The NVIDIA P106-100, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, AMD Radeon RX 6600M, and AMD Radeon R9 M290X are all within 0.4% of the RTX 3080's average benchmark score. These GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Evolve.

Q: Does the system clear 60 FPS at every resolution?

A: No. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium settings clear 60 FPS. High (56.3 FPS) and Ultra (39.7 FPS) do not. At 2560x1440 and 1920x1080, all four settings presets clear 60 FPS, with the lowest average being 73 FPS at 1440p Ultra.