Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS, presents an interesting case study in how a mid-range CPU and a previous-generation GPU interact under varying resolution and settings loads. The measured data for the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination reveals a system that is clearly capable of high refresh rate gaming at standard resolutions, but which becomes increasingly GPU-bound as the pixel count climbs.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K in Evolve demonstrates a predictable and pronounced shift in system bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 160 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 107 FPS, a 33% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 61 FPS, which is a 43% drop from 1440p and a 62% drop from 1080p. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, even on the least demanding preset.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. For High settings, the averages are 97 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 62%, which is very similar to the Low setting drop. This consistency suggests that the rendering load is scaling almost purely with pixel count, and the RTX 2060 SUPER's compute and memory bandwidth are being saturated at 4K regardless of the visual complexity. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the frame buffer, but the raw throughput of the TU106 chip is what holds the system back from maintaining playable frame rates at 4K Ultra.

The data shows that 1080p is the resolution where the CPU and GPU are best balanced. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p only reduces the average FPS from 160 to 68, which is a 58% performance cost for the maximum visual fidelity. At 4K, the same settings change results in a 57% drop (61 to 26 FPS), indicating that the GPU is equally stressed by the resolution and the settings. The conclusion from the scaling data is that this combination is a solid 1080p and capable 1440p performer, while 4K should be reserved for lower presets if aiming for 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a 60 FPS average?

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p is the highest resolution where a 60 FPS average is consistently achievable. At 1440p High, the combo averages 65 FPS. At 4K, only the Low preset reaches a 61 FPS average, which is marginal and leaves no headroom for dips.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the system hits 160 FPS average. This high frame rate suggests the Ryzen 5 4600G, with its 6 cores and 12 threads boosting up to 4.20 GHz, is providing enough throughput to keep the GPU fed. However, the data shows a significant drop when moving to Ultra settings at 1080p (68 FPS), indicating the GPU is still the main constraint even at this resolution.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER capable of handling 4K in Evolve?

A: The data indicates it is only playable at the lowest settings. The 4K Low preset yields a 61 FPS average, while 4K Medium drops to 47 FPS, and 4K High falls to 37 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset is not viable for smooth gameplay, averaging only 26 FPS.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 124. At 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 83. This represents a 33% performance drop, which is a typical cost for the increased pixel count.

Q: Considering the CPU's benchmarks, which rivals are closest in performance?

A: The Ryzen 5 4600G has an average benchmark score of 17507. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE, which is 0.1% faster, and the Intel Core 7 150U, which is 0.6% faster. The AMD Ryzen 3 8300GE is 0.6% slower, and the Intel Core i3-14100T is 0.8% slower.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its closest competitors in raw benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, scores 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 is 0.5% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 460 and Intel Arc A770M are 1.5% and 1.6% lower, respectively.

Settings Recommendations

For this specific hardware configuration, the optimal balance between visual quality and frame rate is found at the High preset for both 1080p and 1440p resolutions. At 1080p High, the system delivers a 97 FPS average, which is smooth for a fast-paced FPS and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. At 1440p High, the 65 FPS average is still above the 60 FPS target, making it the best choice for higher fidelity without sacrificing playability.

The Medium preset serves as a solid fallback for those who prioritize frame rate stability. At 1440p Medium, the average is 83 FPS, and the measured minimum of 71 FPS ensures that the experience remains fluid even during intense combat. The Ultra preset is not recommended for this game, as the performance cost is substantial. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 45 FPS, which is below the standard for competitive play. At 1080p Ultra, the 68 FPS average is acceptable but represents a significant reduction from the High preset's 97 FPS for what is often marginal visual improvement.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only viable option, providing a 61 FPS average. The Medium preset at 4K dips to 47 FPS, which is likely to feel choppy. The data suggests that players with this combo should stick to High settings at 1440p for the best overall experience, or drop to Low at 4K if they must use that resolution. The Low preset at 1080p, with its 160 FPS average, is only useful for players with very high refresh rate monitors who prioritize competitive advantage over graphics.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across all tested configurations.

At 1920x1080, the system shows its strength. The Low preset achieves a 160 FPS average. Medium settings reduce this to 124 FPS, with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS. High settings further reduce the average to 97 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 68 FPS. This progression shows a clear linear cost for each step up in visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings produce a 107 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. The High preset achieves a 65 FPS average. Ultra settings are significantly more demanding, with an average of 45 FPS. The data shows that 1440p High is the highest quality setting that maintains a 60+ FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The Low preset yields a 61 FPS average. Medium settings drop to a 47 FPS average, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS. High settings produce a 37 FPS average. The Ultra preset is nearly unplayable, with an average of 26 FPS. The 4K data confirms that this resolution is only suitable for the lowest settings with this hardware combination.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the defining component for this combo's performance in Evolve, particularly at higher resolutions. The data shows that as resolution increases, the frame rate drops at a rate consistent with GPU-bound rendering. The card's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth is not the limiting factor in this game; rather, it is the raw processing power of the TU106 chip.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 1470 MHz and a boost of 1650 MHz, are standard for the card and provide consistent performance. The 2176 shading units and 64 ROPs are responsible for the pixel output, and the benchmark results at 4K show that these are saturated. The card's PassMark G3D score of 16462 places it at the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, which aligns with its observed performance in Evolve as a solid 1080p and 1440p card.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 18093 is only 0.4% lower than the RTX 3060 Mobile and 0.5% lower than the Radeon Pro 5700. This indicates that the card is still competitive with newer entry-level options. However, in Evolve, the 4K Ultra result of 26 FPS shows that even with this level of performance, the card is not designed for maximum settings at 4K, a common trait for cards of this class. The GPU's 175 W TDP and 1x 8-pin power connector are typical for this performance tier.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G plays a supporting role in Evolve, providing enough processing power to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at most settings. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient for this game, which is from 2015 and does not heavily utilize multi-threading. The boost clock of 4.20 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is critical for game logic and frame pacing.

The benchmark results for the CPU show a single-thread score of 1919 in Cinebench R23, which is a solid result for a processor of this class. Its multi-thread score of 13593 in the same test indicates that it has ample headroom for background tasks. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 2653 and multi-thread score of 15992 further support its capability.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU's influence is most apparent at 1080p Low, where the system achieves 160 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU can handle the draw calls and physics calculations required at high frame rates without becoming the bottleneck. However, the data also shows that at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 68 FPS, which is a GPU limitation, not a CPU one. The Ryzen 5 4600G's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE (0.1% faster average score) and Intel Core 7 150U (0.6% faster), have very similar performance profiles, confirming that this CPU is a balanced mid-range option that will not hold back a GPU like the RTX 2060 SUPER in most scenarios. The 8 MB of shared L3 cache is adequate for this game's needs.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks at 2604 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the 30th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that there are many more powerful combinations available. The rank suggests that while this setup is capable of playing the game well, it is not a top-tier configuration.

The ranking reflects the age of the components. The RTX 2060 SUPER, while competent, is an end-of-life product that has been superseded by newer generations. The Ryzen 5 4600G is also a previous-generation CPU. The combination is a balanced mid-range setup that performs as expected for its class.

The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. It is not competitive with high-end systems that can achieve 4K Ultra at high frame rates. The 2604th rank out of 3700 combos puts it in the lower half of the tested systems, meaning that a majority of other combinations deliver higher average frame rates in Evolve. This is not a criticism of the hardware, but rather a reflection of the fact that Evolve's performance requirements are substantial at higher resolutions, and this pair of components is optimized for mainstream gaming rather than extreme high-resolution play. The combo's ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance ceiling, which is the limiting factor in this game.