Evolve

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Evolve with this combination shows a steep performance curve that depends heavily on resolution and preset level. At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 89 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure across the entire test matrix. Medium settings at this resolution average 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. High settings drop the average to 54 FPS, while Ultra settings fall further to 37 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is substantial, a 52 FPS difference, indicating that the graphics preset has a dominant effect on frame rates at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, every preset loses ground compared to 1080p. Low settings average exactly 60 FPS, which matches the playable threshold. Medium settings average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. High settings average 36 FPS, and Ultra settings average 25 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is not uniform: Low settings lose 29 FPS, Medium loses 23 FPS, High loses 18 FPS, and Ultra loses 12 FPS. This pattern suggests that lower presets are more sensitive to resolution increases, while Ultra is already so demanding that the resolution change matters less proportionally.

At 3840x2160, the combination struggles across all presets. Low settings average 34 FPS, Medium averages 26 FPS with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS, High averages 21 FPS, and Ultra averages 14 FPS. No preset at 4K reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data shows a clear ceiling for this hardware at 4K, where even the least demanding preset falls 26 FPS short of smooth gameplay. The minimum and maximum figures recorded only for Medium settings at each resolution provide a consistent picture: at 4K Medium, the frame rate never rises above 30 FPS, while at 1440p Medium it peaks at 53 FPS, and at 1080p Medium it reaches 79 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the graphics workload scales strongly with resolution, which points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution with a modest 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, all of which are low-end parts. This positioning explains the steep frame rate drops as resolution increases.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, by contrast, is a high-end desktop processor with 24 cores and 24 threads, a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731. It sits in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003. The processor is not the limiting factor in Evolve at these settings. Instead, the data shows that the GPU's rendering capacity dictates the frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions where pixel throughput becomes the dominant constraint.

The scaling between presets reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p, Low to Medium improves the average by 20 FPS, from 89 to 69 FPS, while Medium to High costs 15 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 17 FPS. At 1440p, the same preset ladder shows smaller absolute changes: Low to Medium costs 14 FPS, Medium to High costs 10 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 11 FPS. At 4K, the steps are even smaller: Low to Medium costs 8 FPS, Medium to High costs 5 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 7 FPS. This compression of frame rate differences at higher resolutions is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, where the pixel fill rate becomes the limiting resource. The CPU, with its strong single-thread performance of 7303 in Cinebench R23 single-core, has ample headroom to feed the GPU at all tested settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are all closely matched in average benchmark score. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K scores 83807, which is 0.2% lower than the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus. The AMD EPYC 4584PX scores 83090, 1.1% lower. The AMD EPYC 9135 scores 82980, 1.2% lower. The AMD EPYC 7F72 scores 85072, which is 1.3% higher. These deltas are small, meaning that swapping the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus for any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Evolve, since the game is not CPU-limited in this configuration. The data shows no measurable advantage for any of these CPUs in this context, as the GPU remains the bottleneck.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are dramatically different in positioning. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, 1.3% lower than the Arc B390. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% lower. These differences are negligible in practical terms. A user moving from any of these GPUs to the Arc B390 would see essentially the same frame rates in Evolve. The recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 for the Arc B390 places it at the very bottom of the GPU performance spectrum, and the rival list confirms that no nearby hardware offers a meaningful step up.

FAQ

Q: Can Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with Intel Arc B390 run Evolve at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 with specific presets. At 1080p, Low settings average 89 FPS and Medium averages 69 FPS. At 1440p, only Low settings reach the threshold, averaging exactly 60 FPS. At 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset at 1920x1080 for this combination?

A: Medium settings provide the highest quality that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. High settings fall below the threshold at 54 FPS on average.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. These differences are small enough that frame rates in Evolve would be nearly identical across all five GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for Evolve at 3840x2160?

A: The data shows the GPU is the dominant factor at 4K. The Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, while the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus ranks in the 96th percentile among all CPUs. At 4K Low settings average only 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 14 FPS, indicating the GPU cannot handle the rendering load at that resolution.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 2560x1440 Medium settings?

A: Medium settings at 1440p average 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. This preset is not playable according to the 60 FPS threshold, and the minimum figure confirms the frame rate drops well below the target during demanding moments.

Q: Does the combination rank in Evolve compared to other tested combos?

A: The combination ranks 3288 out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the lower portion of the database results, consistent with the measured frame rates, which only approach playable levels at lower resolutions and presets.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which averages 69 FPS. This preset delivers a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS, meaning the frame rate dips just one frame below the threshold at the lowest recorded point. Low settings at 1080p are also playable at 89 FPS on average, but Medium offers a higher quality level while still maintaining acceptable performance.

At 2560x1440, the only preset that reaches the playable threshold is Low settings, averaging exactly 60 FPS. This is the maximum quality level that maintains 60 FPS at this resolution. Medium settings at 1440p fall short at 46 FPS on average, and High and Ultra are further below at 36 FPS and 25 FPS respectively.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves the 60 FPS threshold. The best result is Low settings at 34 FPS, which is 26 FPS below the playable target. Medium averages 26 FPS, High averages 21 FPS, and Ultra averages 14 FPS. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combination in Evolve, regardless of visual quality settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 3288 out of 3700 tested combinations in Evolve. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested hardware pairings, which aligns with the measured frame rates. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs is the determining factor in this low overall position, as the CPU's 96th percentile ranking cannot compensate for the graphics bottleneck.

The recorded data shows that this combination is functional for Evolve only at 1080p and 1440p with low-to-medium settings. The 1080p Medium average of 69 FPS is the best playable result, while the 1440p Low average of 60 FPS sits exactly at the threshold. At 4K, the combination falls far short of playability across all presets, with the best 4K result being 34 FPS at Low settings. Given the GPU's position among its nearest rivals, all of which score within 2.7% of the Arc B390, the ranking reflects the inherent limits of this integrated graphics solution rather than any anomaly in the test data.