Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 presents a compelling case for Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. The benchmark data shows a system that is consistently capable of delivering smooth gameplay across most modern resolutions and presets. Analysis of the measured FPS indicates that the GPU is the primary scaling factor as resolution increases, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures high frame rates at lower resolutions. The data confirms this combination ranks in the 1039th position out of 3700 tested combos, placing it comfortably in the upper tier of systems for this specific title.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. At 1920x1080, the system produces exceptionally high frame rates, with the Low preset reaching 251 FPS and the High preset at 153 FPS. This suggests the CPU, with a Passmark single-thread score of 4516, is providing ample headroom, allowing the GPU to operate near its full potential without becoming a bottleneck. The transition from Low to High at this resolution results in a 98 FPS drop, indicating that even at 1080p, the GPU’s workload is significant enough to influence performance noticeably.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU’s role becomes more dominant. The average FPS at High settings here is 102, compared to 153 at 1080p, a reduction of 51 FPS. This 33% decrease in performance from a 78% increase in pixel count highlights the scaling pressure placed on the RTX 3080. The Ultra preset at 1440p still manages an average of 71 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU can handle the increased detail settings while maintaining playability. The data shows a consistent pattern where each step up in resolution or preset decreases the average FPS, but the system never falls below the playable threshold of 60 FPS at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor. The High preset drops to an average of 58 FPS, falling just below the playable 60 FPS threshold, while the Ultra preset significantly reduces performance to 40 FPS. The Low preset at 4K produces 96 FPS, which is higher than the High preset at 1440p, indicating that the GPU’s raw rendering power is sufficient for 4K, but the combination of high resolution and high graphical fidelity is too demanding. The Medium preset at 4K, with an average of 74 FPS and a minimum of 63 FPS, represents the optimal balance for this resolution. The CPU’s influence is minimal at 4K, as the frame rate is dictated almost entirely by the GPU’s ability to render the increased pixel count and detail level.

The Verdict

This PC configuration can run Evolve, and it does so with considerable success across most settings and resolutions. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, the system achieves playable frame rates on all presets, with the Ultra setting delivering a robust average of 106 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets—Ultra, High, Medium, and Low—remain above the 60 FPS playability threshold, with Ultra averaging 71 FPS. This makes 1440p the highest resolution where maximum graphical fidelity is fully playable.

The situation changes at 3840x2160. Here, the Ultra preset is not playable, averaging only 40 FPS. The High preset also fails to maintain the 60 FPS target, averaging 58 FPS. However, the Medium preset achieves a playable average of 74 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 96 FPS. Therefore, the system can run Evolve at 4K, but users must be willing to reduce settings to Medium or lower to maintain a consistent frame rate above the playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is Medium, which provides a 74 FPS average and a minimum of 63 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 40 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset also falls short at 58 FPS. Users targeting 4K should use the Medium preset, which averages 74 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming on this hardware?

A: The Ultra preset is fully playable at 2560x1440, averaging 71 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that remains above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for maximum visual fidelity at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU influence performance at 1080p?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has a Passmark single-thread score of 4516, which provides sufficient processing power to support very high frame rates. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 251 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: Are there any settings at 4K that are not playable?

A: Yes. Both the High and Ultra presets at 3840x2160 fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with averages of 58 FPS and 40 FPS respectively. The Medium and Low presets are the only playable options at this resolution.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. The Low preset averages 251 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 106 FPS, a reduction of 145 FPS. This demonstrates the significant performance cost of enabling higher graphical features.

Q: Does the system ever drop below 60 FPS in the playable settings?

A: The data shows minimum FPS values only for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 165 FPS; at 1440p Medium, the minimum is 111 FPS; and at 4K Medium, the minimum is 63 FPS. All of these remain above the 60 FPS threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its highest performance ceiling. The Low preset produces an average of 251 FPS, representing the fastest possible frame rate for this configuration. The Medium preset averages 195 FPS, with a minimum of 165 FPS and a maximum of 224 FPS, showing consistency in performance. The High preset averages 153 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 106 FPS. All presets at this resolution deliver frame rates far exceeding the 60 FPS playable threshold, with even the most demanding Ultra setting maintaining over 100 FPS on average.

The 2560x1440 results show a step down in performance but remain fully playable. The Low preset averages 168 FPS, providing a high-refresh-rate experience. The Medium preset averages 130 FPS, with a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 150 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. The High preset averages 102 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 71 FPS. The minimum frame rate data for the Medium preset indicates that the system maintains a stable experience without significant dips below the average.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve steepens considerably. The Low preset averages 96 FPS, which is still comfortably above the playable threshold. The Medium preset averages 74 FPS, with a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS, providing a playable experience with only minor fluctuations. The High preset averages 58 FPS, narrowly missing the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset averages 40 FPS, which is the only setting at any resolution that falls significantly below the playable threshold. This data confirms that 4K gaming is possible, but only with reduced graphical settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i9-13900HX, with an average score of 46098 and a deltaPct of -0.1, indicating nearly identical performance. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030, a 0.1 deltaPct difference, also showing comparable performance. The AMD EPYC 4364P and AMD EPYC 7303 score 45970 and 45960 respectively, with deltaPct values of 0.2, demonstrating that these processors would behave similarly in gaming workloads. Users coming from any of these CPUs would experience negligible differences in Evolve.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA P106-100 with an average score of 23249 and a deltaPct of -0.3, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 with a score of 23250 and a deltaPct of -0.3, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M with a score of 23273 and a deltaPct of -0.4, and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X with a score of 23276 and a deltaPct of -0.4. These deltaPct values indicate that all four alternatives perform within a fraction of a percent of the RTX 3080, meaning they would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Evolve. The performance differences are so small as to be imperceptible in real-world gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1039th out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve. This position places the system in the upper third of all configurations tested, indicating that it offers above-average performance for this game. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU’s strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085, and the GPU’s substantial rendering capabilities. Given that the data is measured, this ranking is based on actual observed performance rather than theoretical estimates.

The rank of 1039 means that approximately 28% of the tested combos outperform this system, while roughly 72% perform worse. This is a solid result for a mid-range CPU paired with a previous-generation high-end GPU. The system’s ability to handle Ultra settings at 1440p and Medium settings at 4K contributes to its favorable ranking. The combination’s performance is consistent with its component scores: the CPU’s 89th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 68th percentile ranking combine to produce a system that is well-suited for Evolve, a game that benefits from both strong CPU single-thread performance and capable GPU rendering.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the most demanding setting that remains at or above 60 FPS, with an average of 106 FPS. This is the recommended configuration for 1080p, as it provides the highest visual quality while maintaining a frame rate well above the playable threshold. The system has significant headroom at this resolution, so users could even consider higher refresh rate displays, as the Low preset reaches 251 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is again the best choice, averaging 71 FPS. While this is closer to the 60 FPS threshold than at 1080p, the average of 71 FPS provides sufficient margin for typical gameplay. The minimum frame rate for the Medium preset at this resolution is 111 FPS, but the Ultra preset’s higher visual fidelity justifies the performance trade-off. This resolution represents the sweet spot for this hardware, offering a balance between visual quality and frame rate.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the most demanding setting that maintains a playable frame rate, averaging 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS. The High and Ultra presets both fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with averages of 58 FPS and 40 FPS respectively. The Medium preset provides the best visual experience that remains consistently playable at 4K. The Low preset offers a higher average of 96 FPS, but the Medium preset’s improved graphical fidelity makes it the preferred choice for users who prioritize visual quality while maintaining smooth gameplay.