Evolve

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a wide spread of frame rates in Evolve, depending on the resolution and preset selected. The recorded data covers 4K, 1440p, and 1080p across Low, Medium, High, and Ultra settings. At 1080p, the combination exceeds the 60 FPS threshold in every preset, with the Ultra preset averaging 80.6 FPS. The 1440p results are also strong, with High, Medium, and Low all staying above 60 FPS, while Ultra drops to 53.7 FPS. At 4K, only the Low preset remains playable, averaging 71.7 FPS; Medium and High fall to 56.8 and 44 FPS respectively, and Ultra drops further to 33.7 FPS. This pattern shows a clear scaling curve, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, but the CPU still has enough headroom to support smooth gameplay at lower settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database records average FPS values for each resolution and settings combination, with no minimum or maximum values captured for this configuration. Starting at 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 191.1 FPS, Medium produces 146 FPS, High produces 114.4 FPS, and Ultra produces 80.6 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 110.5 FPS, which is the largest gap across all resolutions. This indicates that at 1080p, the graphics preset has a substantial impact on performance, but even the most demanding preset leaves considerable headroom above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 126 FPS at Low, 102.1 FPS at Medium, 76.3 FPS at High, and 53.7 FPS at Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 72.3 FPS, a narrower gap than at 1080p. The High preset still clears 60 FPS by a margin of 16.3 FPS, while Ultra falls 6.3 FPS short. This resolution marks the point where the Ultra preset becomes unplayable, but all other options remain viable.

At 3840x2160, the performance declines sharply. Low settings yield 71.7 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium drops to 56.8 FPS, High to 44 FPS, and Ultra to 33.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 38 FPS, the smallest absolute gap among the three resolutions, suggesting that at 4K the GPU is saturated regardless of preset. The data shows that this combination can handle 4K only at the lowest settings, and even then with a modest margin of 11.7 FPS above the playable threshold.

Comparing the same settings across resolutions reveals the scaling behavior. At Low settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces the average FPS from 191.1 to 126, a drop of 34%. Moving from 1440p to 4K reduces it further to 71.7, another 43% drop. At Ultra settings, the sequence is 80.6 FPS at 1080p, 53.7 FPS at 1440p, and 33.7 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are smaller in absolute terms but still significant. The data indicates that the RTX 4060 is the dominant factor at higher resolutions, while the Core i5-9400 provides enough processing power to keep frame rates high when the GPU is not fully stressed.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database places the Intel Core i5-9400 at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals in average score are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 at 2259, the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246, and the Intel Core i3-10305 at 2264. The delta percentages are minimal, ranging from -0.4% to +0.4%. This means the i5-9400 performs nearly identically to these four processors in synthetic benchmarks. For gaming, this implies that swapping to any of these CPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Evolve, provided the GPU remains the same. The i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, and its Coffee Lake architecture delivers consistent performance for this title.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon HD 7790 at 17666, the AMD Radeon 780M at 17588, the AMD Radeon Pro 560 at 17551, and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 at 17509. The delta percentages are -0.2%, +0.3%, +0.5%, and +0.7% respectively. These rival GPUs are not direct contemporaries in terms of architecture or release date, but the benchmark scores indicate that they would deliver comparable frame rates in Evolve when paired with the same CPU. The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s, and its Ada Lovelace architecture includes 3072 shading units. The close benchmark scores suggest that users with any of these GPUs would see similar performance in this game.

When considering the combination as a whole, the CPU and GPU pair has a combined rank of 1991 out of 3700 tested combinations in the database. This places it in the middle of the distribution, not at the top but far from the bottom. The CPU's 47th percentile and the GPU's 61st percentile both contribute to this middling position. For Evolve specifically, the performance is adequate for most resolutions and presets, but the 4K Ultra and 1440p Ultra settings fall below the playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS data across resolutions and presets reveals how the CPU and GPU divide their responsibilities in Evolve. At 1080p, the GPU is not the bottleneck, as evidenced by the high frame rates even at Ultra settings. The average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 80.6, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The CPU, with its six cores and six threads, is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to maintain these rates. At 1080p Low, the average reaches 191.1 FPS, indicating that the GPU is not being fully utilized and the CPU is handling the workload without strain.

As resolution increases to 1440p, the GPU begins to take on more responsibility. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each preset is consistent: Low goes from 191.1 to 126 FPS, Medium from 146 to 102.1 FPS, High from 114.4 to 76.3 FPS, and Ultra from 80.6 to 53.7 FPS. These reductions are proportionally similar, around 34% to 36% for the lower presets and 33% for Ultra. This suggests that the GPU is now the primary limiter, as the CPU can still keep up with the increased pixel count.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. The frame rates at Low (71.7 FPS) and Medium (56.8 FPS) are close to each other, and the gap between Medium and High is 12.8 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 10.3 FPS. This compression of frame rates at higher settings indicates that the GPU is saturated. The CPU has enough headroom to process the game logic and draw calls, but the RTX 4060 cannot render the scene fast enough at 4K Ultra. The data shows that the CPU matters most at lower resolutions and presets, while the GPU matters most at higher resolutions and presets. For a user targeting 1080p or 1440p with High settings, the CPU is sufficient; for 4K, the GPU is the deciding factor.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1991 out of 3700 combinations for Evolve. This places it in the 54th percentile of tested combos, meaning roughly 54% of combinations perform better, and 46% perform worse. The rank reflects the overall capability of the pair across all resolutions and settings, not just the playable ones. Given that the CPU is at the 47th percentile and the GPU at the 61st percentile, the combined rank is slightly lower than a simple average would suggest. This is likely because Evolve is more GPU-intensive at higher resolutions, and the GPU's 61st percentile does not fully compensate for the CPU's below-average standing.

The rank of 1991 out of 3700 means that there are many combinations with more powerful CPUs or GPUs that would deliver higher frame rates in this game. However, the rank also shows that this combo is not near the bottom, and it can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease. For a user who already owns this hardware, the data confirms that it can run Evolve smoothly at most settings, with only the most demanding presets at high resolutions falling short of the 60 FPS target.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable: Low averages 191.1 FPS, Medium averages 146 FPS, High averages 114.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 80.6 FPS. Every preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, so a user can enable the highest settings and still have a comfortable margin. At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 76.3 FPS, Medium averages 102.1 FPS, and Low averages 126 FPS, all of which are playable. The Ultra preset drops to 53.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, so it is not recommended for smooth gameplay. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, averaging 71.7 FPS. Medium averages 56.8 FPS, High averages 44 FPS, and Ultra averages 33.7 FPS, none of which reach the playable threshold.

The data indicates that this PC can run Evolve without issue at 1080p, including at Ultra settings. At 1440p, it can run at High settings with good performance, but Ultra is not viable. At 4K, the user must drop to Low settings to maintain a playable frame rate. The 60 FPS threshold is used as the benchmark for playability, and the recorded data shows that the combination meets this at the recommended settings for each resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the database identifies the most demanding preset that still maintains an average FPS of 60 or higher. At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which produces an average of 80.6 FPS. This is the highest preset available, and it stays well above the playable threshold. A user can enable all graphical options at 1080p without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are High, which averages 76.3 FPS. This is the second-highest preset, and it provides a solid experience. The Ultra preset is not recommended because it drops below 60 FPS, but High offers a balance of visual quality and performance. At 3840x2160, the best settings are Low, which averages 71.7 FPS. This is the only preset at 4K that meets the playable threshold. The data shows that the user must sacrifice visual fidelity to achieve smooth gameplay at 4K, but it is possible.

The progression of best settings across resolutions is clear: Ultra at 1080p, High at 1440p, and Low at 4K. This reflects the GPU's decreasing ability to handle the pixel load as resolution increases. The CPU does not appear to be the limiting factor at any resolution, as the frame rates at lower presets are consistently high.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Evolve at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the recorded data shows an average of 80.6 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 averages 76.3 FPS, which is the most demanding setting that stays at or above 60 FPS for this resolution. The Ultra preset falls to 53.7 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this combination?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which averages 71.7 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra at 4K all fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with averages of 56.8, 44, and 33.7 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, with rivals ranging from 2246 to 2264. The delta percentages are between -0.4% and +0.4%, indicating near-identical performance to the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, Intel Core i7-10710U, AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, and Intel Core i3-10305.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639, with rivals ranging from 17509 to 17666. The delta percentages are between -0.2% and +0.7%, showing that the AMD Radeon HD 7790, AMD Radeon 780M, AMD Radeon Pro 560, and AMD Radeon Pro 460 offer similar performance.

Q: What frame rate does the Low preset achieve at 1080p?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 averages 191.1 FPS, which is the highest recorded value for this combination across all resolutions and settings.