Evolve

CPU and GPU Roles

Evolve presents a demanding workload that shifts its bottleneck characteristics significantly across resolution boundaries. The benchmark data for the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 reveals a consistent trend: at 1920x1080, the GPU is the limiting factor, while at 3840x2160, the same GPU becomes even more dominant in determining frame rates.

At 1920x1080, the average frame rate scales from 201 FPS on Low settings down to 85 FPS on Ultra, a drop of 116 FPS or roughly 58 percent. This steep decline as settings increase indicates that the rendering workload grows substantially with each preset tier, and the RX 7700's compute units and memory subsystem are being tasked increasingly heavily. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, has ample headroom at this resolution; the data shows the processor can feed the GPU efficiently even at the highest preset, where the 85 FPS average still exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scaling pattern intensifies. The average FPS ranges from 135 on Low to 57 on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 78 FPS, a 58 percent reduction, nearly identical to the 1080p scaling. However, the absolute numbers are lower across the board, confirming that pixel count is adding pressure to the GPU. The CPU's role diminishes further; the frame rates are still high enough that the processor is not exposed as a bottleneck, but the GPU is clearly working harder to fill the additional pixels.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's dominance becomes absolute. The average FPS drops to 47 on High and 32 on Ultra, while Low manages 77 FPS and Medium hits exactly 60 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 45 FPS reduction, or 58 percent again, showing a remarkably consistent relative performance curve across resolutions. The CPU is effectively idle in this regime; the RX 7700's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus are saturated, and the frame rate is dictated almost entirely by the GPU's pixel throughput capabilities.

The pattern across presets is instructive. At every resolution, the drop from Low to Medium is smaller than the drop from High to Ultra. For instance, at 2560x1440, Low to Medium costs 30 FPS, while High to Ultra costs 25 FPS, but the latter starts from a lower baseline. At 3840x2160, Low to Medium costs 17 FPS, while High to Ultra costs 15 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces disproportionately expensive effects, likely including advanced shading and post-processing, which tax the GPU's 25.18 TFLOPS FP32 throughput heavily.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data for this combination spans three resolutions and four settings tiers, with average FPS recorded for all configurations and min/max values available for Medium settings only.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 201 FPS, with no min or max recorded. Medium settings yield an average of 156 FPS, with a minimum of 133 and a maximum of 179, showing a 46 FPS range between the lowest and highest observed frames. High settings deliver 122 FPS on average. Ultra settings drop to an average of 85 FPS. The Medium setting's min/max spread of 46 FPS indicates frame time variance is moderate but not disruptive at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance curve shifts downward. Low settings average 135 FPS. Medium settings average 105 FPS, with a minimum of 89 and a maximum of 120, producing a 31 FPS range. High settings average 82 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 57 FPS on average, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The Medium min/max spread here is tighter than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU's frame pacing becomes more consistent as pixel count increases, likely because the workload is more uniformly distributed across the rendering pipeline.

At 3840x2160, the numbers become critical for playability. Low settings average 77 FPS, still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average exactly 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 68, yielding a 17 FPS range. High settings drop to 47 FPS on average, and Ultra falls to 32 FPS. The Medium min/max range at 4K is the tightest of all resolutions, but the minimum of 51 FPS means there will be moments where the frame rate dips below the playability line, even though the average just clears it.

The delta between Low and Ultra at each resolution is worth noting: 116 FPS at 1080p, 78 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K. This narrowing delta at higher resolutions indicates that the Ultra preset's additional cost is partially offset by the GPU already being heavily loaded, reducing the relative impact of each setting tier.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS varies by resolution, and the data provides clear guidance.

At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold. The most demanding playable setting is Ultra, which delivers an average of 85 FPS. This leaves substantial headroom above the playability threshold, meaning the combination can handle the highest visual fidelity at this resolution without concern.

At 2560x1440, the situation tightens. Low, Medium, and High all average above 60 FPS, with High delivering 82 FPS. Ultra falls to 57 FPS on average, missing the threshold by 3 FPS. The best playable setting is therefore High, which provides a 22 FPS margin above the threshold and represents the optimal balance of visual quality and performance at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium are playable. Low averages 77 FPS, and Medium averages exactly 60 FPS. The best playable setting is Medium, which hits the playability threshold precisely. High and Ultra are not viable, averaging 47 FPS and 32 FPS respectively. The Medium preset's average of 60 FPS is technically playable, but the recorded minimum of 51 FPS means users should expect occasional dips below the threshold during intense combat sequences.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rival data for both components provides context for what other hardware would behave similarly in this configuration.

For the Intel Core i7-13700K, the closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, which has an average benchmark score of 46971 compared to the i7-13700K's 46881, a delta of -0.2 percent. This means the Ryzen 9 5900 would produce nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Evolve, which is to say, essentially no difference given the GPU-dominated workload at all resolutions tested. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, a -0.3 percent delta, and would also behave indistinguishably. The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 both score 46654 and 46653 respectively, with deltas of +0.5 percent, meaning they are marginally slower on average but still within noise for this game.

For the AMD Radeon RX 7700, the nearest rival is the AMD Radeon R9 370X, with an average score of 15862 versus the RX 7700's 15852, a delta of -0.1 percent. This is a surprising comparison, given the generational gap, but the data indicates these two cards deliver comparable average benchmark performance. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014, a -1 percent delta, meaning it is slightly faster on average. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679, a +1.1 percent delta, making it slightly slower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, a -1.7 percent delta, which is the fastest rival listed.

In practical terms for Evolve, any of these GPU alternatives would produce frame rates within roughly 2 percent of the RX 7700's measured values. This means that at 3840x2160 Medium, users with an RTX 3060 Ti could expect an average FPS around 61, while those with a Radeon Pro W5500 might see approximately 59 FPS, both hovering near the 60 FPS playability line.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1720 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve, placing it in the 54th percentile of all systems benchmarked. This means the combo sits slightly above the median, which is consistent with the measured performance: it handles 1080p and 1440p well, struggles at 4K Ultra, and is firmly mid-pack in the overall distribution.

The ranking reflects the GPU's position in the broader market. The RX 7700's percentileVsAllGpus of 58 indicates it outperforms 58 percent of all GPUs tested, while the i7-13700K's percentileVsAllCpus of 89 shows the processor is in the top 11 percent of CPUs. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU drags the overall ranking down, as the GPU determines the frame rates in this game. If the CPU were paired with a faster GPU, the combo rank would be significantly higher, but as configured, the system's performance is bounded by the RX 7700.

The fact that the combo ranks at 1720 out of 3700, despite the strong CPU, underscores that Evolve is heavily GPU-bound at all resolutions tested. The CPU's 89th percentile standing provides no benefit in this title beyond ensuring the GPU is never starved of data, which is already the case at these frame rates.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve, but the experience depends heavily on the chosen resolution and settings. The data shows clear playable configurations at all three tested resolutions, with the caveat that 4K requires compromises.

At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable. All four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 85 FPS. Users can enable maximum visual fidelity and still maintain a comfortable margin above the playability line. This is the strongest scenario for this combination.

At 2560x1440, the system remains capable but with restrictions. High settings average 82 FPS, providing a solid experience, but Ultra falls to 57 FPS, just below the threshold. The best playable setting is High, which offers nearly the same visual quality as Ultra for most users while maintaining a 22 FPS buffer.

At 3840x2160, the system is playable only on Low and Medium settings. Medium averages exactly 60 FPS, which meets the threshold, but the minimum of 51 FPS means there will be intermittent dips. Low averages 77 FPS and is the safer choice for consistent frame rates. High and Ultra are not viable, with averages of 47 FPS and 32 FPS respectively.

The verdict is straightforward: this combination delivers a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p with high settings, and at 4K with medium settings at best. Users prioritizing 4K should consider a more powerful GPU, as the RX 7700's 16 GB of memory and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient but not excessive for this title's demands.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 85, which exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold by 25 FPS.

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 3840x2160 with High settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 47, which falls 13 FPS below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The best playable setting at this resolution is Medium, which averages exactly 60 FPS.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average FPS is 32, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The next lowest is 47 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon RX 7700 compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti in average benchmark score?

A: The RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852, while the RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, a delta of -1.7 percent. This means the RTX 3060 Ti is slightly faster on average, but the difference is minimal in practice.

Q: Which resolution offers the highest average FPS for this system?

A: The highest average FPS is 201, recorded at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the Ultra preset, the highest average FPS is 85, also at 1920x1080.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 2560x1440 Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 89, with a maximum of 120 and an average of 105. This stays comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold.