Evolve

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a highly capable Evolve experience, with the database showing that the system comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold at every tested resolution. The recorded data indicates that this combo ranks 560th out of 3700 tested combinations, placing it in the top percentile of systems for this title. The performance profile is characterized by a significant GPU headroom at lower resolutions, while 4K Ultra settings push the combination to its limits, yielding an average of 57.7 FPS, just below the playable threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination covers three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a clear picture of how the hardware scales under load. At 1920x1080, the system shows exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 214.8 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure for this combo. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 193 FPS, while High settings yield 175.9 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces an average of 156.3 FPS, which remains far above the 60 FPS threshold. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the RTX 4090 is heavily underutilized, and the frame rates are likely constrained more by the CPU's single-thread performance than by the GPU's raw throughput.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected scaling as resolution increases. The Low preset records an average of 183.5 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. Medium settings produce 170.2 FPS, and High settings deliver 150.6 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields an average of 107 FPS, a significant drop from the High preset but still comfortably above the playable threshold. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 76.5 FPS, indicating that the GPU is beginning to take on more work as pixel count increases.

The 3840x2160 resolution shows the most pronounced scaling and reveals the limits of this combination. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS is 141.9, which is still very playable. Medium settings produce 107.3 FPS, and High settings yield 86.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 57.7 FPS. This is a marginal shortfall of 2.3 FPS below the playable mark, suggesting that the system is right on the edge of handling 4K Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 84.2 FPS, which is the largest spread across all resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the dominant factor at this resolution.

It is importantly the database does not record minimum or maximum FPS values for any of these configurations, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates. The absence of min/max data means that frame time consistency cannot be assessed, but the averages alone suggest a smooth experience at all settings except 4K Ultra.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the database identifies the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is fully playable, with an average of 156.3 FPS. This means users can run the game at maximum quality settings without any concern for performance. The margin over the threshold is substantial, with 96.3 FPS of headroom.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains playable, recording an average of 107 FPS. This is 47 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that 1440p Ultra is a very comfortable configuration for this hardware. The system has enough headroom to handle demanding scenes without dipping below playable levels, although the exact minimum FPS is not recorded.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is High, which delivers an average of 86.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K falls short at 57.7 FPS, so users targeting 4K should stick to High or lower settings to maintain a consistent 60 FPS experience. The database notes that Low and Medium are also playable at 4K, with averages of 141.9 FPS and 107.3 FPS respectively, but High offers the best visual quality among the playable options.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a rank of 560 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve. This places the system in the top 15.1 percent of all tested configurations, indicating that it delivers above-average performance for this title. The rank reflects the overall balance of the CPU and GPU pairing, and the data shows that the RTX 4090's immense graphics power compensates for the i5-9400's more modest CPU performance.

In the context of the database, a rank of 560 out of 3700 means that roughly 3140 tested combinations perform worse than this setup, while 559 perform better. The systems that rank higher likely feature newer or higher-end CPUs that can feed the RTX 4090 more effectively, particularly at lower resolutions where CPU bottlenecks are more apparent. However, for a game like Evolve, which is primarily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, this combo still holds a strong position in the rankings.

The percentile data for the individual components adds context to this ranking. The i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, meaning it is slightly below the median in terms of synthetic benchmark performance. The RTX 4090, on the other hand, is at the 88th percentile among all GPUs, placing it in the top 12 percent of graphics cards. This disparity between CPU and GPU performance tiers explains why the combo ranks in the top 15 percent overall: the GPU is doing the heavy lifting, but the CPU is not a severe bottleneck for most settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-9400, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259 against the i5-9400's 2254, a difference of 0.2 percent. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, which is 0.3 percent lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, also 0.3 percent lower, and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, which is 0.4 percent higher. These CPUs are all within a narrow performance band of the i5-9400, meaning that swapping to any of these would produce nearly identical frame rates in Evolve when paired with the RTX 4090.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals to the RTX 4090 based on average benchmark scores include the Intel Arc Pro A60, which scores 60326 against the RTX 4090's 60347, a negligible 0 percent difference. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60140, which is 0.3 percent lower. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896, which is 2.5 percent higher, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657, which is 2.9 percent lower. These GPUs would perform almost identically to the RTX 4090 in Evolve, based on the aggregate benchmark data, although real-world gaming performance can vary based on driver optimizations and specific game engines.

It is important to note that the nearest rivals listed are based on synthetic benchmark averages, not on in-game measurements. The database does not provide direct FPS comparisons for these alternative components, so the similarity in scores should be interpreted as a general indication of performance parity rather than a guarantee of identical frame rates in Evolve.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU at different resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings, with the Low preset reaching 214.8 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 58.5 FPS, which is a 27.2 percent reduction. This relatively modest drop suggests that the CPU is becoming a limiting factor at this resolution, as the GPU is powerful enough to render frames quickly, but the CPU cannot issue draw calls fast enough to fully utilize the GPU's potential.

At 2560x1440, the scaling from Low to Ultra is 76.5 FPS, a 41.7 percent reduction. The larger drop indicates that the GPU is taking on more work as the pixel count increases. The Ultra preset at 1440p still achieves 107 FPS, which shows that the combination has sufficient headroom to handle this resolution comfortably. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases, and the GPU becomes the primary performance driver.

At 3840x2160, the scaling from Low to Ultra is 84.2 FPS, a 59.3 percent reduction. This is the largest relative drop, confirming that the GPU is overwhelmingly the dominant factor at 4K. The fact that Ultra at 4K falls just short of 60 FPS at 57.7 FPS indicates that the RTX 4090 is nearly maxed out at this resolution and preset. The CPU is no longer a bottleneck at 4K, as the GPU's rendering workload dominates the frame time.

The comparison between resolutions further illustrates this point. At Low settings, moving from 1080p to 4K reduces the average FPS from 214.8 to 141.9, a 34 percent drop. At Ultra settings, the same resolution change reduces the average from 156.3 to 57.7, a 63 percent drop. The larger drop at Ultra settings confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor at high presets, while at Low settings, the CPU has more influence on the frame rate.

FAQ

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

A: No, the database shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 57.7, which falls just below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which delivers an average of 86.2 FPS.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is fully playable, with an average of 107 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, providing 47 FPS of headroom.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Evolve?

A: The combination ranks 560th out of 3700 tested combinations, placing it in the top 15.1 percent of all systems for this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a more significant role, as evidenced by the relatively small FPS drop from Low to Ultra (58.5 FPS). The RTX 4090 has more than enough power for 1080p, so the i5-9400's performance becomes more relevant.

Q: Are there any CPUs that perform similarly to the i5-9400 in this system?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, Intel Core i7-10710U, AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, and Intel Core i3-10305 all have average benchmark scores within 0.4 percent of the i5-9400. Swapping to any of these would produce nearly identical results.

Q: What is the playable settings list at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low, Medium, and High, with average FPS of 141.9, 107.3, and 86.2 respectively. Ultra is not playable at 4K due to its 57.7 FPS average.