Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is a high-end desktop combination aimed at 1440p and 4K gaming. For Evolve, a 2015 FPS, this combo delivers playable frame rates across most settings, though 4K Ultra remains out of reach. The measured data shows a clear performance ceiling at 4K, while 1440p and 1080p are comfortably handled with headroom. This analysis breaks down the exact FPS figures, the roles of CPU and GPU, and the best settings for each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Evolve covers three resolutions and four quality presets. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low 96 FPS, Medium 74 FPS (with a minimum of 63 and maximum of 85), High 58 FPS, and Ultra 40 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one at 4K that maintains an average above 60 FPS while also providing a minimum above the playable threshold. High falls just short at 58 FPS average, and Ultra is far below playable.

At 2560x1440, the results are more comfortable. Low averages 168 FPS, Medium 130 FPS (min 111, max 150), High 102 FPS, and Ultra 71 FPS. Every preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra still averaging 71 FPS. The minimum FPS for Medium (111) is well above the playable line, indicating consistent frame pacing.

At 1920x1080, the combo excels. Low averages 251 FPS, Medium 195 FPS (min 165, max 224), High 153 FPS, and Ultra 106 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset stays above 100 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The min/max data for Medium shows a tight range, suggesting stable performance under load.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p to 4K is steep. For example, Ultra drops from 106 FPS at 1080p to 71 FPS at 1440p and then to 40 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, a pattern consistent across all presets.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Evolve at 4K with any settings?

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium presets. Medium averages 74 FPS with a minimum of 63, while High drops to 58 FPS and Ultra to 40 FPS. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, so Medium is the highest playable setting at 4K.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p?

A: Ultra is fully playable at 1440p, averaging 71 FPS. Since Ultra is the most demanding preset and it stays above 60 FPS, it is the best choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the GPU benchmark database, the RTX 3080 scores 25086 in Passmark G3D. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA P106-100, scores 23249, which is 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 and RX 6600M are also 0.3% and 0.4% behind, respectively. This places the RTX 3080 in the 68th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data does not include direct CPU usage, but the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has a single-core score of 7303 in Cinebench R23 and a multi-core score of 51731. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 251 FPS, which suggests the GPU is still the primary driver, but the CPU's strong single-thread performance likely prevents any significant bottleneck at lower resolutions.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates for Medium settings?

A: Only the Medium preset reports min and max FPS. At 4K, the minimum is 63 FPS and the maximum is 85. At 1440p, the minimum is 111 and maximum 150. At 1080p, the minimum is 165 and maximum 224. These figures indicate that Medium settings maintain stable frame pacing across all resolutions.

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

A: This combo ranks 1039 out of 3700 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all systems. The CPU itself is in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 68th percentile, showing a strong overall pairing.

CPU and GPU Roles

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz and a 36 MB L3 cache. Its synthetic scores are high: Cinebench R23 multi-core 51731 and single-core 7303, with a Passmark single-thread score of 4823. This CPU is clearly capable of feeding even the most demanding GPUs at lower resolutions.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, based on the Ampere architecture, has 8704 shading units, 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, and a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. Its Passmark G3D score is 25086. The GPU's performance is the limiting factor when resolution increases, as evidenced by the FPS drops from 1080p to 4K.

At 1080p, the FPS values are extremely high (251 FPS on Low, 106 FPS on Ultra). This suggests that neither component is severely taxed; the CPU's strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates high, while the GPU has enough raw power to handle the workload. At 1440p, the GPU becomes more stressed, as shown by the drop to 71 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck: Ultra averages 40 FPS, and even High only reaches 58 FPS. The CPU's role diminishes at higher resolutions because the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth of the GPU dominate.

The scaling between presets also reveals the GPU's importance. At 4K, moving from Low to Medium increases FPS from 96 to 74, but going from Medium to High drops to 58. This non-linear behavior indicates that the High preset introduces effects that heavily load the GPU's shading and memory subsystems. The RTX 3080's 10 GB frame buffer is sufficient for 4K, but the compute load of High and Ultra exceeds its capabilities in this game.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve with playable frame rates at all three tested resolutions, but with important caveats. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low and Medium. Medium is the best choice, averaging 74 FPS with a minimum of 63. High and Ultra fall below the 60 FPS threshold, so they are not recommended for a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable. Ultra averages 71 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target, so players can enjoy maximum visual quality at this resolution without sacrificing performance.

At 1920x1080, every preset exceeds 100 FPS on average, with Ultra at 106 FPS. This makes 1080p the sweet spot for high refresh rates and maximum settings.

In summary, the combo is fully capable of running Evolve at 1440p and 1080p with any settings, while 4K requires dropping to Medium or Low. The data confirms that this is a strong gaming system for this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 74 FPS and a minimum of 63. High averages 58 FPS, which is just below the threshold, so Medium is the recommended setting for 4K.

For 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that clears 60 FPS is Ultra, averaging 71 FPS. Since Ultra is the highest quality preset available, it is the best choice at this resolution.

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS is also Ultra, with an average of 106 FPS. This allows for maximum graphical fidelity while maintaining a high frame rate, suitable for 144 Hz monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database for Evolve, this combination of Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1039 out of 3700 tested combos. That places it in the top 28% of all systems tested. The CPU itself is in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, has an average benchmark score of 83807, which is 0.2% lower than this CPU's 84003. The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA P106-100, scores 23249, which is 0.3% higher than the RTX 3080's 23172 average. This indicates that the CPU is a top-tier part, while the GPU is mid-to-high tier, and together they form a well-balanced system for Evolve. The rank of 1039 suggests that many other combos, likely with more powerful GPUs, achieve higher frame rates, but this setup is still comfortably within the playable range for the vast majority of settings and resolutions.