Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a commanding performance profile in Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. The measured data, drawn from 12 distinct resolution and settings combinations, shows that this combination rarely struggles to maintain high frame rates, with the only sub-60 FPS result occurring at the most demanding 4K Ultra preset. Across the board, the average frame rates scale predictably with resolution and graphical fidelity, positioning this combo as a top-tier performer for the game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo obliterates any refresh rate concerns. On Low settings, the average frame rate hits 330.8 FPS, which is more than five times the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium settings still produce an exceptional 255.8 FPS average, while High settings yield 202.5 FPS. Even at the Ultra preset, which is typically the most punishing, the average remains a very high 138.5 FPS. This suggests that at 1080p, the limiting factor is likely the display's refresh rate rather than the hardware's capability.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains stellar but shows the expected scaling cost. The Low preset average is 225.9 FPS, a significant drop from the 1080p figure but still massively above the threshold. Medium settings deliver 172.3 FPS, and High settings produce 139 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields a 97.1 FPS average, which is still comfortably above 60 FPS and indicates that users can max out the game's visuals at this resolution without worrying about smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K become evident. The Low preset still manages a robust 130 FPS average, and Medium settings follow with 99.7 FPS. High settings are the sweet spot for visual fidelity, offering a 78.8 FPS average that clears the playability threshold with headroom. The Ultra preset, however, is the only configuration that falls below the line, with an average of 56.9 FPS. This is the single data point where the combo cannot maintain a consistent 60 FPS experience, suggesting that users should dial back to High settings for a flawless 4K experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Evolve at 4K with the highest visual settings?

A: No. The data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 56.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which achieves an average of 78.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: The verdict data indicates that all four presets are playable at 2560x1440. The best settings for maximum visual quality are Ultra, which still delivers a high average of 97.1 FPS, well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 202.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 78.8 FPS at 3840x2160 on High settings. This represents a substantial reduction of roughly 61% in average frame rate, highlighting the significant load increase that 4K resolution places on the GPU.

Q: Is the Ultra preset at 1080p a viable option for competitive play?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 138.5 FPS. This is more than double the 60 FPS threshold and provides a very smooth experience, even for fast-paced FPS gameplay.

Q: Which resolution offers the highest frame rate headroom above the 60 FPS threshold?

A: The 1920x1080 Low preset offers the highest headroom, with an average of 330.8 FPS. This is 270.8 FPS above the playable threshold, indicating that the hardware is heavily underutilized at this setting.

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

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 is the only non-playable configuration in the measured data, with an average of 56.9 FPS. All other presets at 4K, including High, Medium, and Low, clear the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario for Evolve, particularly as resolution increases. The scaling from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 and then to 3840x2160 shows a consistent and significant drop in average frame rates across all presets. For instance, on High settings, the average drops from 202.5 FPS at 1080p to 139 FPS at 1440p, and then to 78.8 FPS at 4K. This steep decline is the hallmark of a system where the GPU's rendering throughput is the primary constraint.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, is a high-end desktop processor that is unlikely to bottleneck the RTX 4080 SUPER in this title. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35850 and a single-core score of 2020, indicate substantial processing power. However, the frame rate scaling pattern suggests that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets at a given resolution further confirms this; for example, at 1440p, the average goes from 225.9 FPS on Low to 97.1 FPS on Ultra, a change driven almost entirely by GPU shader and texture workload.

At 1080p, the CPU's role becomes relatively more important, as the GPU can produce frames at a very high rate. The 330.8 FPS average on Low settings suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to maintain such high output. However, even here, the data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck, as the frame rates are exceptionally high. The conclusion is that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the determining factor for performance scaling, while the 265K provides ample support to avoid limiting the system's potential.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks at position 254 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the top 7% of all tested configurations, indicating that it is a very high-performing pairing for this game. The percentile rankings for the individual components support this, with the CPU sitting in the 94th percentile against all CPUs and the GPU in the 86th percentile against all GPUs.

The combo's rank suggests that while it is not the absolute fastest configuration possible, it is far above the median performer. The high rank is a direct result of the GPU's strong raw performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 and Passmark G3D score of 34245. The CPU's contribution is also significant, as its Passmark multithread score of 58594 ensures that it can keep pace with the GPU's output. For a game released in 2015, this modern hardware combination is massively overqualified, which is reflected in its high standing among the 3700 combos.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users considering other hardware, the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide a picture of what would perform similarly. The CPU's closest competitor is the Intel Xeon 6511P, which has an average benchmark score of 71051, a negligible 0.2% difference from the 265K's average of 70879. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 is also close, with a score of 71370, representing a 0.7% delta. On the consumer side, the Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70163, which is 1% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996, a 1.3% deficit. These processors would offer nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Evolve.

On the GPU side, the closest rival is the standard NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, which has an average score of 54247, just 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080 SUPER's 54209. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.7% higher. The AMD Radeon 8060S is the farthest among the listed rivals, with a score 2.8% higher. In practical terms, swapping the RTX 4080 SUPER for a standard RTX 4080 would result in virtually identical frame rates in Evolve, while the AMD options would provide a slight, likely imperceptible, performance increase.

The Verdict

This PC configuration is unequivocally capable of running Evolve at high frame rates across the vast majority of settings and resolutions. The verdict data confirms that at 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with the best setting being Ultra at an average of 138.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, the story is the same; all presets are playable, and Ultra is the best choice, delivering a 97.1 FPS average. At 3840x2160, the system remains highly capable, with High settings being the best playable option at a 78.8 FPS average.

The only caveat is the 4K Ultra preset, which falls short of the 60 FPS threshold with a 56.9 FPS average. For users with a 4K display who demand maximum visual fidelity, the recommendation is to use the High preset, which provides a smooth and responsive experience. For 1440p and 1080p users, the system offers complete freedom to max out the game's settings. The data indicates that this combo is a top-tier performer for Evolve, offering a surplus of performance that ensures a fluid experience in nearly all scenarios.