Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a dominant performance profile in Evolve, a 2015 FPS title that is clearly not stressing this modern hardware. The benchmark data shows that this combination produces exceptionally high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, positioning it in the 98th percentile of 3700 tested combos. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, component roles, alternative hardware, and optimal settings for this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination produces triple-digit average frame rates at every preset. The Low preset yields an average of 371 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 287 FPS, with minimum and maximum readings of 244 and 330 FPS respectively. The High preset delivers 225 FPS on average, while the Ultra preset still maintains a very high 156 FPS average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is almost certainly bottlenecked by the CPU or the game engine's frame rate cap rather than the GPU, given the massive headroom above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues with strong scaling. The Low preset averages 248 FPS, while Medium produces 193 FPS with a minimum of 164 and a maximum of 221 FPS. High settings deliver 151 FPS on average, and Ultra remains comfortably above the playability threshold at 105 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at this resolution is approximately 58%, which is a significant reduction but still leaves substantial performance in reserve. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium (164 FPS) is well above 60, suggesting that even the most demanding moments in the game will not cause noticeable stuttering.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its workload more clearly. The Low preset averages 141 FPS, which is a considerable drop from the 248 FPS at 1440p. Medium settings yield 110 FPS with a minimum of 93 and a maximum of 126 FPS, representing the only preset in the entire dataset with complete min/max data. High settings average 86 FPS, while Ultra drops to exactly 60 FPS on average. This last figure is critical: the Ultra preset at 4K sits precisely at the playability threshold, meaning the system can run the game at maximum quality but with no headroom for frame rate dips in intense scenes.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals a clear shift in workload balance. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extraordinarily high across all presets, ranging from 156 FPS at Ultra to 371 FPS at Low. The relatively small difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution (approximately 58%) suggests that the CPU is the primary limiter, as the GPU is capable of far higher output but is being held back by the processor's ability to feed it instructions. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, is a modern desktop processor that should handle the game's logic without issue, but the sheer speed of the RTX 4090 means that CPU-bound scenarios are inevitable at lower resolutions.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on a more significant role. The frame rates at Low (248 FPS) and Ultra (105 FPS) show a larger gap than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU's rendering workload is becoming more dominant. However, even at Ultra, the 105 FPS average is far above the playability threshold, suggesting that the system is not yet fully GPU-bound. The RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth provide ample resources for this resolution, and the data shows no signs of memory or bandwidth limitations.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant component. The Low preset at 141 FPS is less than half of the 371 FPS measured at 1080p Low, demonstrating that the GPU's pixel throughput is now the limiting factor. The Ultra preset at 60 FPS exactly matches the playability threshold, indicating that the RTX 4090 is fully utilized at this resolution. The CPU's role diminishes significantly here, as the frame rates are driven almost entirely by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is approximately 57%, which is similar to the relative drop at 1080p, but the absolute values are much lower due to the increased pixel count.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearestRivals data for the CPU shows that the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 performs almost identically to three other processors. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 has an average benchmark score of 46030, which is only 0.1% lower than the Intel chip's score. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, representing a 0.1% difference in the opposite direction. The AMD EPYC 4364P and AMD EPYC 7303 score 45970 and 45960 respectively, both within 0.2% of the Core Ultra 5 235. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Evolve, as the game's CPU demands are minimal compared to what these processors offer.

For the GPU, the nearestRivals present a more varied picture. The Intel Arc Pro A60 has an average score of 60326, which is essentially identical to the RTX 4090's 60347 score (0% delta). The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60140, just 0.3% lower, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896, which is 2.5% higher. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657, representing a 2.9% deficit. These GPUs would behave similarly in Evolve, though the professional-oriented nature of these alternatives (as opposed to the RTX 4090's gaming focus) means that real-world gaming performance could vary. The data suggests that any of these GPUs would keep the game well above 60 FPS at most settings, though the 4K Ultra preset might be borderline for the lower-scoring options.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but with no margin. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is exactly 60 FPS, which meets the playability threshold. This means the game will run at maximum quality, but any demanding scene could push frame rates below 60 FPS.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves?

A: The highest measured value is 371 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the maximum recorded in the dataset, though the actual ceiling may be higher if the game's engine did not impose a limit.

Q: How does the RTX 4090 compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 4090's average benchmark score of 60347 is essentially tied with the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60326, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60140, 0.3% delta). The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% faster, while the AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% slower.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the GPU is the more significant factor, as evidenced by the 58% drop from Low (248 FPS) to Ultra (105 FPS). However, the CPU is still capable of keeping up, as the Ultra preset average of 105 FPS far exceeds the playability threshold.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the entire dataset?

A: The lowest minimum FPS is 93 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold, indicating that the system never drops below playable frame rates in the tested scenarios.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This combination ranks 98th out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the top 2.6% of all configurations tested for Evolve. This is a very high ranking, reflecting the strong performance of both the CPU and GPU.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which delivers an average of 156 FPS. This is the most demanding preset, and it still provides more than double the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data shows no reason to reduce quality at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset leaves substantial performance in reserve.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings remain the best choice, with an average of 105 FPS. This is comfortably above the playability threshold, and the 105 FPS average indicates that the system can handle maximum quality without any risk of dropping below 60 FPS in normal gameplay. The minimum FPS at Medium settings (164 FPS) suggests that even the most intense moments will not cause frame rate issues.

At 3840x2160, Ultra settings are still the best option, but the average of 60 FPS places the system exactly at the playability threshold. This is the only resolution where the most demanding preset does not provide significant headroom. For a more comfortable experience, High settings at 86 FPS average would offer a larger safety margin, but the data shows that Ultra is technically playable.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 4090 combination ranks 98th out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve. This places the system in the 97th percentile of all configurations tested, meaning that only 97 other combos performed better in this game. The ranking reflects the exceptional balance of a high-end modern CPU and a flagship GPU, though the game's 2015 release date means that even mid-range modern hardware could likely run it well. The data shows that this combo is overkill for Evolve at all resolutions except 4K Ultra, where it just barely meets the playability threshold.

The CPU's percentile of 89 among all CPUs and the GPU's percentile of 88 among all GPUs further contextualize this ranking. Both components are in the top 12% of their respective categories, and their combination produces a result that is in the top 3% of all tested combos. This suggests that the pairing is well-matched for this game, with neither component significantly bottlenecking the other at most settings.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Evolve, and it does so with exceptional performance at nearly every resolution and preset. The verdictByResolution data confirms that all four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at all three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the worst-case scenario (Ultra) delivers 156 FPS, which is 2.6 times the playability threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra yields 105 FPS, which is 1.75 times the threshold. At 3840x2160, Ultra drops to exactly 60 FPS, meeting the threshold but with no margin for error.

The only cautionary note is 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is precisely at the playability threshold. Players who demand flawless performance with no frame rate dips should consider High settings at 4K, which deliver 86 FPS on average. However, for anyone willing to accept the possibility of occasional drops below 60 FPS, Ultra at 4K is technically playable. Overall, this combination is a top-tier performer for Evolve, ranking in the 98th position out of 3700 combos and providing a smooth experience at all standard gaming resolutions.