Evolve

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers a decisive performance class for Evolve, a 2015 FPS title that remains highly sensitive to raw frame throughput. The measured data, drawn from direct benchmarking, shows this pairing exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold across nearly every setting tier, with the sole exception being the Ultra preset at 4K. The CPU’s 20-core, 28-thread configuration and the GPU’s 16 GB GDDR6X memory buffer combine to produce frame rates that range from a low of 54 FPS at 4K Ultra to a high of 335 FPS at 1080p Low. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, compares nearby hardware alternatives, and provides prescriptive settings guidance based strictly on the observed benchmark results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the resolution scaling reveals a steep performance cliff between Medium and Ultra. The High preset averages 78 FPS, while Medium produces 99 FPS with a recorded minimum of 84 FPS and maximum of 114 FPS. Low settings push the average to 128 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, drops to an average of 54 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. This 24 FPS gap between High and Ultra at 4K indicates that the Ultra preset imposes a rendering cost that the RTX 4080 cannot fully absorb at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern persists but with higher absolute values. Ultra averages 95 FPS, comfortably clearing the threshold. High reaches 137 FPS, Medium hits 174 FPS with a minimum of 148 FPS and maximum of 200 FPS, and Low produces 225 FPS. The progression from Ultra to Low at 1440p shows a 130 FPS spread, suggesting that Evolve’s settings have a multiplicative effect on frame rate rather than a linear one. The Medium preset’s frame time consistency, evidenced by the narrow 52 FPS range between min and max, indicates stable performance for competitive play.

At 1920x1080, the combination becomes almost absurdly fast. Ultra averages 141 FPS, High reaches 204 FPS, Medium sits at 260 FPS with a min of 221 FPS and max of 299 FPS, and Low produces 335 FPS. Even the most demanding preset at 1080p exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by more than double. The Medium preset’s 78 FPS range between minimum and maximum suggests that even under load spikes, the system maintains well over 200 FPS. Notably, the jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 75 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 56 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 63 FPS—all substantial but far from prohibitive at these frame rates.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest CPU rivals to the Core i7-14700KF, based on average benchmark scores, are tightly clustered. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F sits 0.2% higher in average score, making it a nearly identical performer for Evolve’s CPU-bound scenarios. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX trails by 0.4%, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.9% behind. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K leads by 1% over the 14700KF. In practice, any of these processors would produce indistinguishable frame rates in Evolve, given the game’s modest thread utilization and the fact that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher settings.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4080’s nearest rivals are equally close. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER scores 0.1% lower on average, meaning the two cards are effectively interchangeable for this game. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 1.1% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S are 2.6% and 2.7% higher, respectively. These deltas are within measurement noise for a game like Evolve, where the difference between 78 FPS and 79 FPS at 4K High is imperceptible. A user upgrading from a 4080 to a 4080 SUPER would see no meaningful change in Evolve’s performance profile.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 60 FPS in 4K?

A: Yes, at 4K the High preset averages 78 FPS, Low averages 128 FPS, and Medium averages 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, averages only 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p for maximum visual quality while maintaining 60 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 95 FPS, making it the highest visual quality option that still clears the 60 FPS playability mark. All four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to the RTX 4080 SUPER for this game?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080. In Evolve, this sub-1% difference means no measurable FPS advantage for either card; they perform identically in practice.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for reaching high frame rates at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck at Ultra settings, where the average drops to 141 FPS from 204 FPS at High. The CPU’s 28 threads are more than sufficient; the frame rate scaling is driven by GPU load.

Q: What minimum FPS can be expected at 1440p Medium?

A: The measured minimum at 2560x1440 Medium is 148 FPS, with an average of 174 FPS and a maximum of 200 FPS. This guarantees a consistent experience well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Does the Ultra preset ever drop below 60 FPS at any resolution?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 Ultra the average is 54 FPS, which is below 60 FPS. At 1440p Ultra the average is 95 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra the average is 141 FPS, so only 4K Ultra fails the threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve exceptionally well. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: at 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best preset at 78 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 4K is not playable, as it averages 54 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra delivering 95 FPS as the best option. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, and Ultra averages 141 FPS. The system clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin in every case except 4K Ultra, making it a high-performance machine for this title. For a 2015 game, this hardware is overkill at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K Ultra remains the single setting that exposes the GPU’s limits.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows that the GPU dominates performance scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU’s headroom is evident: Low settings produce 335 FPS, which is likely near the engine’s frame rate ceiling. The GPU becomes the limiting factor at Ultra, where the average drops to 141 FPS—a 58% reduction from Low. This indicates that at 1080p, the RTX 4080’s shading units and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints, not the 14700KF’s 20 cores.

At 1440p, the GPU’s load increases further. The spread from Low (225 FPS) to Ultra (95 FPS) is 130 FPS, a 58% drop. The CPU still provides ample headroom, as the frame rates remain high even at Ultra. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck: Ultra drops to 54 FPS, while Low stays at 128 FPS. The 74 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K, compared to the 194 FPS difference at 1080p, shows that pixel throughput becomes the dominant factor at higher resolutions. The CPU’s role is consistent across all resolutions—it never limits the frame rate below the GPU’s output, as evidenced by the high minimum FPS values at Medium settings across all three resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

Among 3,700 tested combinations for Evolve, this specific CPU-GPU pairing ranks 222nd. This places it in the top 6% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a mid-high-end desktop configuration. The rank reflects the combination’s ability to maintain high frame rates across most settings, with the only notable failure being 4K Ultra. The 14700KF’s 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the RTX 4080’s 86th percentile among all GPUs contribute to this high overall rank. Systems ranked above this combo likely feature either more recent GPUs with higher memory bandwidth or CPUs with better single-thread performance for Evolve’s physics calculations, but the practical difference in playable settings is minimal.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which averages 78 FPS. Choosing Medium yields 99 FPS, but High offers better visual fidelity without sacrificing playability. The Ultra preset is not viable at 4K due to its 54 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is Ultra, averaging 95 FPS. This provides the full visual experience while maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Lower presets offer higher frame rates—High at 137 FPS, Medium at 174 FPS—but Ultra remains the recommended choice for quality.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding playable preset is also Ultra, averaging 141 FPS. This is more than double the 60 FPS threshold, allowing for maximum settings without any frame rate concerns. The RTX 4080’s 16 GB memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth handle 1080p Ultra with ease, and the CPU’s 33 MB L3 cache ensures consistent physics and AI updates. For users prioritizing frame rate over fidelity, dropping to High yields 204 FPS, but Ultra is the best balance of quality and speed at this resolution.