Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 presents a curious case in Evolve: a modern, high-end GPU strapped to a mid-range previous-generation CPU. The measured results reveal a system that is heavily dictated by resolution, with the CPU’s limitations becoming increasingly apparent as the workload shifts. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to show exactly where this combo excels, where it struggles, and which settings offer the most consistent experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic, but the pattern is not uniform across all settings. At Low settings, the transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 sees the average FPS fall from 232 to 166, a reduction of 66 frames. Moving to 3840x2160 at Low yields 94 FPS, meaning the jump from 1440p to 4K costs another 72 frames. This steep decline indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is being pushed harder as pixel count rises, but the absolute numbers remain high enough to suggest the CPU is still feeding frames efficiently at 1080p.

The scaling story changes dramatically at High settings. The average FPS drops from 150 at 1080p to 101 at 1440p, a loss of 49 frames. However, the 4K result of 57 FPS represents a 44-frame drop from 1440p. While the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is severe (a 62% reduction), the more telling metric is the gap between Low and High at the same resolution. At 1080p, High is 82 FPS slower than Low; at 4K, that gap shrinks to 37 FPS. This convergence suggests that at 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, minimizing the performance cost of higher graphical fidelity.

Ultra settings reinforce the GPU-bound nature of 4K. The 4K Ultra average of 40 FPS is the lowest recorded result, but the scaling from 1440p Ultra (70 FPS) to 4K Ultra (40 FPS) is a 43% drop. This is in line with the scaling seen at Medium, where 1440p yields 128 FPS and 4K yields 73 FPS (a 43% drop). The consistency of this percentage drop across Medium, High, and Ultra indicates that once the resolution exceeds 1440p, the RX 9070’s rendering workload is the limiting factor, and the CPU has enough headroom to keep up with the GPU’s demands.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 4600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17507. The data shows it sits within 1% of rivals like the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE and the Intel Core 7 150U, indicating that its raw processing power is competitive with those parts.

In Evolve, the CPU’s role becomes evident when comparing the Low and Ultra settings at 1080p. The jump from Low (232 FPS) to Ultra (104 FPS) is a 128 FPS difference, which is a massive performance swing. This indicates that at 1080p Low, the CPU is likely the primary bottleneck, as it cannot generate enough frames to fully saturate the GPU’s potential. The fact that the 1080p Low score of 232 FPS is the highest in the entire dataset suggests that the CPU is working near its limit, and the headroom for higher frame rates is constrained by the processor’s single-thread and multi-thread capabilities.

However, the CPU’s limitations are less pronounced at higher resolutions. The 4K Low result of 94 FPS is still well above the 4K Ultra result of 40 FPS, but the gap between settings narrows significantly. This is because the GPU’s rendering time increases with resolution, giving the CPU more time to prepare frames. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration provides enough throughput to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, but the benchmark results suggest that a more powerful CPU would likely push the 1080p Low and Medium scores even higher, as the GPU clearly has more performance to offer.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 9070 is a powerhouse on paper, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2520 MHz, and it achieves a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 6290. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 23877 places it in the 69th percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER and the AMD Radeon RX 6800S, all within a 1.2% performance delta.

The GPU’s dominance is clearly visible in the 1080p results. Even at Ultra settings, the combo maintains an average of 104 FPS, which is a highly playable frame rate for a fast-paced FPS. The 1080p Medium result of 191 FPS and the 1080p Low result of 232 FPS are exceptional numbers that highlight the GPU’s raw rasterization power. The RX 9070 is clearly capable of far exceeding the refresh rate of most monitors at this resolution, and the data suggests that the CPU is holding it back from reaching even higher frame rates.

At 1440p, the GPU begins to show its strength in a more balanced way. The High setting average of 101 FPS is solid, and the Medium setting average of 128 FPS is excellent. The 4K results are where the GPU’s 16 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth become essential. The 4K High average of 57 FPS is playable, but the 4K Ultra average of 40 FPS falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay. This suggests that the GPU’s memory capacity is not the limiting factor, but rather its raw compute throughput when handling the most demanding settings at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Evolve, this pairing ranks 1155 out of 3700 combinations. This places it in the top 31% of all tested systems, which is a respectable position given the disparity between the CPU and GPU tiers. The ranking indicates that while the RX 9070 is a high-end part, the Ryzen 5 4600G prevents this combo from reaching the upper echelons of the performance chart.

The rank is likely dragged down by the 1080p results, where the CPU bottleneck prevents the GPU from demonstrating its full potential. If the combo were paired with a more powerful CPU, the 1080p Low and Medium scores would likely be significantly higher, potentially pushing the rank into the top 20% or better. However, the CPU’s performance is adequate for higher resolutions, as evidenced by the 4K results, which are more in line with what one would expect from a GPU of this caliber.

The data suggests that this combo is a better fit for 1440p gaming than 1080p. At 1440p, the balance between CPU and GPU is more even, allowing the system to deliver high frame rates without the CPU becoming a hard ceiling. The rank of 1155 reflects a system that is capable of excellent 1440p performance and good 4K performance, but it is not a top-tier combination due to the CPU’s limitations at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p, the Medium preset is the clear winner. The average FPS of 191 is far above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors, and the minimum FPS of 163 ensures that frame times remain consistent even during intense action. High settings at 1080p also deliver a very good experience with an average of 150 FPS, but the jump to Ultra drops the average to 104 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for frame dips.

For 1440p, the High preset offers the best balance. The average of 101 FPS is smooth, and the visual fidelity is significantly better than Medium. The Medium preset’s average of 128 FPS is also excellent, but the higher settings do not incur a massive performance penalty, making High the more visually appealing choice. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with an average of 70 FPS, is a viable option for those who prioritize image quality over raw frame rate, but the High preset provides a more consistent experience.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the only sensible choice for consistent gameplay. The average of 73 FPS is acceptable, and the minimum of 62 FPS ensures that the game remains fluid. The High preset’s average of 57 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset’s 40 FPS average is too low for a competitive FPS. The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo requires a compromise on settings to achieve a stable frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table summarizes the exact measured average FPS values across all tested resolutions and settings. For the Medium preset, the minimum and maximum FPS values are also provided to give a clearer picture of frame time consistency.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|-------------|---------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 232 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 191 | 163 | 220 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 150 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 104 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 166 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 128 | 109 | 148 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 101 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 70 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 94 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 73 | 62 | 84 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 57 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 40 | - | - |

The 1080p Low result of 232 FPS is the highest recorded number, demonstrating the GPU’s immense power when unshackled by heavy settings. The 4K Ultra result of 40 FPS is the lowest, showing the limits of this combination under maximum load. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum FPS of 109, which is the highest minimum recorded for any 1440p setting, indicating good frame pacing. For 4K, the Medium preset’s minimum of 62 FPS is the only measured minimum above 60 FPS, reinforcing the recommendation for that setting at that resolution. The data tells a clear story: this combo is a 1080p and 1440p champion, but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maxed-out settings.