Evolve

This combo places 18th out of 3,700 tested CPU+GPU pairings for Evolve, putting it in the top 0.5% of all configurations in the database. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 5090 D lands at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs. That rank is driven almost entirely by the graphics card; the CPU’s average benchmark score of 36,938 is essentially identical to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which scores 36,945 (0% delta). The GPU’s average score of 77,712 similarly matches the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT at 76,904 (1.1% ahead), meaning the pairing behaves like a top-tier GPU with a solid mid-range processor. In practice, the data shows the combo is massively GPU-bound for Evolve, with the CPU rarely becoming the limiting factor at any resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The 18th-place rank out of 3,700 combos indicates this system is near the very top of the database for Evolve specifically. For context, the CPU alone outperforms only 15% of all processors, yet the GPU outperforms 92% of all graphics cards. That imbalance means the RTX 5090 D is doing the heavy lifting in this pairing. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25,891 and single-core score of 3,655 are respectable for a 10-core, 10-thread Arrow Lake-S part, but they are not exceptional. Its nearest CPU rivals — the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, Ryzen 5 5500X3D, Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and Core i9-12900T — all score within 0.5% of each other, confirming the 225 is squarely in a performance tier where no single contender dominates.

The GPU, by contrast, is an outlier. Its PassMark G3D score of 44,065 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,915 put it far above typical desktop graphics hardware. The nearest GPU rivals are mobile and datacenter parts: the RX 6650M XT (1.1% slower), RX 6850M XT (1.6% faster), and two Tesla P100 variants (2.1-2.4% faster). This suggests the 5090 D’s raw compute is comparable to high-end mobile GPUs and older datacenter accelerators, but its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are what allow it to sustain high frame rates at 4K Ultra. The combo rank of 18/3700 reflects this: the GPU pushes the system into elite territory, while the CPU only needs to keep up with feeding it frames.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes. Measured FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra shows an average of 65 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict lists Ultra as the best playable setting at 4K, with an average of 65 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system?

A: 1920x1080 Ultra delivers the highest average of 170 FPS, but 2560x1440 Ultra (114 FPS average) offers a better balance of resolution and frame rate. At 4K Ultra, the system still hits 65 FPS average, so all three resolutions are fully playable at max settings.

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

A: The Core Ultra 5 225 scores 36,938 average, which is within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36,945), Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37,018), Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37,093), and Core i9-12900T (37,112). Performance differences among these five are negligible for gaming.

Q: Is the GPU bottlenecked by the CPU in Evolve?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 385 FPS average, which is likely CPU-limited given the GPU’s capability. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 65 FPS, indicating the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The data suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately up to 1440p, but 4K Ultra is GPU-bound.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures for Medium settings?

A: Only Medium settings have recorded min/max values. At 4K Medium, the average is 120 FPS with a min of 102 and max of 138. At 1440p Medium, the average is 210 FPS with a min of 179 and max of 242. At 1080p Medium, the average is 314 FPS with a min of 267 and max of 361.

Q: Does this system support modern graphics APIs?

A: The RTX 5090 D supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The CPU uses DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, and the GPU connects via PCIe 5.0 x16.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 65 FPS. This is a narrow margin — only 5 FPS above the playable threshold — so expect occasional dips below 60 in heavy scenes, though the data shows no min FPS recorded for Ultra. If you prefer a safety buffer, High averages 94 FPS and Medium averages 120 FPS with a recorded min of 102 FPS.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is again the best setting, averaging 114 FPS. This provides a comfortable 54 FPS headroom above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 210 FPS with a min of 179 FPS, so even the most demanding preset leaves substantial performance in reserve.

At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 170 FPS, which is nearly triple the playable threshold. This is the resolution where the system truly flexes, with Low reaching 385 FPS average and Medium hitting 314 FPS average. The CPU’s 10 cores and 4.90 GHz boost clock are sufficient to push frame rates well beyond what most displays can show.

Similar Performance Alternatives

If you’re looking for hardware that behaves similarly to this combo, the nearest CPU rivals are instructive. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (avg score 36,945, 0% delta) is the closest match, offering virtually identical CPU performance. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37,018, -0.2%) and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37,093, -0.4%) are also within a fraction of a percent. The Intel Core i9-12900T (37,112, -0.5%) rounds out the group, showing that the Core Ultra 5 225 trades blows with a previous-generation i9 at lower TDP.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904, 1.1% slower) is the closest rival, though it is a mobile part. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, 1.6% faster) and NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396, 2.1% faster) and 16 GB (79,605, 2.4% faster) are all within a few percent. However, these are not direct desktop replacements — the RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB GDDR7 memory and 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance are what enable the measured FPS numbers. Swapping in any of these rivals would likely produce similar average scores but could change memory-bandwidth-sensitive results at 4K Ultra.

For the full combo, the data implies that pairing the Core Ultra 5 225 with a GPU in the RX 6850M XT performance class would yield nearly identical Evolve results. The CPU’s 3.30 GHz base and 4.90 GHz boost clocks, combined with 20 MB of L3 cache, are sufficient for any of these GPUs at 60+ FPS targets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: 65 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• High: 94 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• Medium: 120 FPS average, 102 FPS min, 138 FPS max
• Low: 154 FPS average, no min/max recorded

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: 114 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• High: 165 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• Medium: 210 FPS average, 179 FPS min, 242 FPS max
• Low: 271 FPS average, no min/max recorded

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: 170 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• High: 246 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• Medium: 314 FPS average, 267 FPS min, 361 FPS max
• Low: 385 FPS average, no min/max recorded

The scaling pattern is consistent: dropping from Medium to Low yields roughly a 25-30% FPS increase at each resolution, while dropping from Ultra to High yields a 40-45% increase. The Medium settings are the only ones with recorded variance, which suggests the system’s frame pacing is stable enough that min/max values are only captured when the load is moderate. At 4K Ultra, the 65 FPS average is the only data point, but the absence of a recorded min suggests the frame time distribution is relatively tight. The jump from 4K Ultra (65 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (114 FPS) shows a 75% performance increase, while 1440p to 1080p Ultra (170 FPS) yields another 49% increase, indicating the GPU is the scaling bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The Verdict

This system can run Evolve at playable frame rates at every resolution and preset combination tested. The verdict data confirms that 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080 all list High, Low, Medium, and Ultra as playable settings, with the best settings being Ultra at each resolution. The 4K Ultra result of 65 FPS average clears the 60 FPS threshold by a slim margin — sufficient for a playable experience, though not ideal for high-refresh-rate 4K monitors. At 1440p Ultra, the 114 FPS average provides a much more comfortable experience, and 1080p Ultra at 170 FPS is excellent for competitive play.

The practical takeaway: if you own a 4K display, you can run Evolve at max settings but should expect frame rates in the low-to-mid 60s. If you have a 1440p or 1080p monitor, this combo will crush the game at Ultra with substantial headroom. The CPU’s 85th percentile standing and the GPU’s 92nd percentile standing mean this is a lopsided build — the RTX 5090 D is overkill for Evolve’s 2015-era engine at 1080p, but it ensures future-proofing for more demanding titles. The system’s 18th-place rank out of 3,700 combos is a strong indicator that this pairing will handle any current FPS game at high settings, even if Evolve itself doesn’t push the hardware to its limits.