Evolve

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 2000 series, built on the Zen architecture (Zen+ Pinnacle Ridge) using a 12 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz, and this combination of core count and moderate clock speeds defines its capability in Evolve. The CPU's memory bandwidth is rated at 46.9 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR4 bus, which is relevant for feeding the game's engine with data. In synthetic benchmarks, the processor scores 1248 in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 157.3 in single-core, and 13160 in Passmark multithread, with a single-thread score of 2239. These numbers place the CPU at the 75th percentile among all tested processors, indicating it is a solid mid-range part rather than a top-tier performer.

For a game like Evolve, which is a competitive FPS title from 2015, the CPU's role is to maintain stable frame pacing and handle game logic, AI, and physics. The 12 threads provide headroom for background tasks and modern operating system overhead, but the single-core performance is what often dictates maximum frame rates in less GPU-bound scenarios. The Ryzen 5 2600's single-core score of 2239 in Passmark is modest by today's standards, and the data reflects this in the game's performance at lower settings where the CPU can become a limiting factor. At higher resolutions, the GPU takes over the primary bottleneck, but at 1080p with Low settings, the CPU's capability is tested more directly. The processor's 16 MB of shared L3 cache and 512 KB L2 per core help with data locality, which is beneficial for the game's level streaming and entity management. However, the CPU's relative age, with a 2018 release date, means it lacks the per-core efficiency of newer architectures, and this shows in the measured results where frame rates at 1080p Low reach 169 FPS but do not push higher, suggesting the CPU is nearing its practical limit in this title.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 2317 MHz with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, and the memory runs at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective). The GPU has 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 20 RT cores, and 80 tensor cores, delivering 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5050 scores 17326 in Passmark G3D and 90334 in Geekbench OpenCL, placing it at the 66th percentile among all GPUs. These specifications make it a capable modern card for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 8 GB of VRAM being adequate for most titles at these resolutions, though it can be a limiting factor at 4K with higher texture settings.

In Evolve, the GPU's role is to handle rendering, shadows, lighting, and post-processing effects. The measured frame rates show a clear pattern: at 1080p with Medium settings, the GPU produces 131 FPS average, while at 1440p Medium it drops to 88 FPS, and at 4K Medium it falls to 50 FPS. This scaling indicates that the RTX 5050 is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming in this title, but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, particularly at higher quality presets. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is likely a factor at 4K Ultra, where the frame rate drops to 27 FPS, as the game may be exceeding the available memory or hitting bandwidth limits. The 128-bit memory bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are modest for 4K workloads, and the data supports this interpretation. The GPU's boost clock of 2572 MHz provides strong raw compute, but the memory subsystem constrains performance at higher resolutions. For Evolve specifically, the RTX 5050 delivers playable frame rates at 1080p across all settings, with the Ultra preset at 71 FPS, and at 1440p with Medium (88 FPS) and High (69 FPS), but 4K performance is only acceptable at Low settings (64 FPS).

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1749 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the bottom half of the database. This ranking of 1749 out of 2872 (roughly the 39th percentile of combos) indicates that while the individual components are competent, the pairing does not excel in this specific title. The CPU's 75th percentile ranking and the GPU's 66th percentile ranking would suggest a better overall position, but the measured frame rates reveal a bottleneck dynamic that holds the combo back. At 1080p, the combo achieves 169 FPS at Low, 131 FPS at Medium, 103 FPS at High, and 71 FPS at Ultra, which are respectable numbers. However, the drop-off from Low to Ultra (169 to 71 FPS) is substantial, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiter at higher settings.

Comparing to rival components, the CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V (avg score 21440, delta 0.2%) and the Intel Core i9-11900H (avg score 21367, delta 0.5%), both of which are within 0.5% of the Ryzen 5 2600's average benchmark score of 21484. This means the CPU is competitively matched with those parts in synthetic tests. The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (avg score 21153, delta -0.6%) and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (avg score 20713, delta 1.6%), indicating the RTX 5050 sits in a similar performance tier to those GPUs. Despite these close synthetic scores, the combo's rank of 1749 suggests that Evolve's specific workload does not favor this pairing. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo only manages 27 FPS, which is below playable thresholds, and even at 1440p Ultra, it achieves just 48 FPS. The combo's best performance is at 1080p, where it provides a smooth experience at Medium (131 FPS) and High (103 FPS), but the ranking indicates that many other combos achieve higher frame rates in this game, likely due to stronger single-core CPU performance or more capable GPU memory subsystems.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Evolve?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1080p provides the highest frame rates, with Low at 169 FPS, Medium at 131 FPS, High at 103 FPS, and Ultra at 71 FPS. 1440p is also playable with Medium at 88 FPS and High at 69 FPS, but 4K only reaches playable levels at Low settings (64 FPS).

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 27 FPS, which is below the typically accepted playable threshold of 30 FPS. This indicates that 4K Ultra is not a viable option for this pairing.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 169 FPS, and given that the CPU's single-thread score is 2239 in Passmark, the data suggests the CPU is approaching its limit. The GPU is less stressed at Low settings, so the CPU is likely the limiting factor at this resolution and preset.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and High at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 88 FPS with a minimum of 75 FPS and maximum of 101 FPS, while the High preset averages 69 FPS. This represents a drop of 19 FPS when moving from Medium to High.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153), 1% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237), and 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713).

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1749 out of 2872 tested combinations in Evolve, placing it below the median. This ranking reflects the pairing's moderate performance, with strong results at 1080p but weaker performance at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured frame rates show a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At Low settings, the combo achieves 169 FPS at 1080p, drops to 113 FPS at 1440p, and further to 64 FPS at 4K. This represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 62% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the frame rates are 131 FPS at 1080p, 88 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K, showing a 33% drop to 1440p and a 62% drop to 4K. The High preset shows 103 FPS at 1080p, 69 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K, with drops of 33% and 62% respectively. The Ultra preset starts at 71 FPS at 1080p, falls to 48 FPS at 1440p (32% drop), and plummets to 27 FPS at 4K (62% drop).

The consistent ~33% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~62% drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would not scale down as steeply with resolution, because the CPU workload remains relatively constant regardless of resolution. The RTX 5050's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are likely contributors to the steep decline at 4K, as the increased pixel count demands more memory bandwidth and capacity. The data also shows that the minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 42, which is close to the average of 50, suggesting frame pacing is relatively stable but the overall performance is low. At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU's single-thread performance (2239 Passmark score) becomes a factor, especially at Low settings where the GPU is not fully utilized. The scaling pattern suggests that for this combo, 1080p is the sweet spot, 1440p is acceptable for Medium and High presets, and 4K is only viable at Low settings for a playable experience.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo in Evolve depends on the target resolution. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 131 FPS and a minimum of 111 FPS. This provides a smooth, responsive experience that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold with significant headroom. The High preset at 1080p also delivers a solid experience at 103 FPS, making it a viable choice for players who prioritize visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 1080p, at 71 FPS, is still playable but offers diminishing returns over High given the 32 FPS drop. For players with 1440p monitors, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, with 88 FPS average and a minimum of 75 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS. The High preset at 1440p (69 FPS) is also acceptable, but the 19 FPS drop from Medium may not justify the visual improvement. At 4K, the only playable option is Low settings, which achieves 64 FPS, while Medium dips to 50 FPS and High falls to 39 FPS.

The data shows that the Ultra preset is generally not worth the performance cost for this combo. At 1080p, Ultra (71 FPS) is only 32 FPS lower than High (103 FPS), but the visual difference between High and Ultra in Evolve is often subtle. At 1440p, Ultra (48 FPS) falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it a poor choice for competitive play. The Medium preset consistently provides the best balance of frame rate and visual quality across resolutions, with the minimum FPS remaining above 75 at 1080p and 1440p. The Low preset is only recommended for 4K gaming or for players who prioritize maximum frame rates over visual fidelity. For the best overall experience, the data suggests running 1080p Medium (131 FPS) or 1440p Medium (88 FPS), as these settings deliver the highest frame rates while maintaining acceptable visual quality. The 4K Medium preset, at 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS, is borderline playable but may result in noticeable stuttering in fast-paced scenes, making Low at 4K the safer choice if resolution is a priority.