Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti pairing creates a classic high-refresh-rate 1080p setup with enough headroom for 1440p gaming in Evolve. The data shows a CPU that punches near the top of its class paired with a GPU whose raw compute remains formidable, though its age shows in the most demanding presets at 4K. This analysis breaks down exactly what each component contributes and where the combo lands among all tested configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: The measured average is 111.2 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold and indicates smooth gameplay for most monitors, though it falls short of the 180.5 FPS seen at Low settings.

Q: How does the GTX 1080 Ti compare to its nearest GPU rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 19402. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780, scores 19405, a delta of 0%. This puts the two effectively tied in overall synthetic performance, despite their generational gap.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5500 better or worse than the Intel Core i5-12500?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 scores 20875 on average, while the Intel Core i5-12500 scores 20897. This is a delta of -0.1%, meaning the two CPUs are virtually identical in multi-threaded synthetic workloads.

Q: What is the highest FPS recorded for this combo in Evolve?

A: The highest average FPS is 180.5, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is nearly double the 94.1 FPS seen at Medium settings for the same resolution.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top half of all tested configurations for Evolve?

A: Yes. The combo ranks 1006 out of 1695 tested combos, placing it in the upper 40% of all pairings. This indicates a competitive, though not top-tier, standing for this specific game.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth and how might it affect 4K performance?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti features 11 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 352-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 484.4 GB/s. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 44.9 on High and 31.4 on Ultra, suggesting the bandwidth is sufficient for High settings but limiting at Ultra.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is the primary driver of frame rates in Evolve, and its specifications explain the scaling patterns seen across resolutions. With a base clock of 1481 MHz and a boost clock of 1582 MHz, the Pascal architecture GPU delivers 11.34 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. This raw throughput is paired with 3584 shading units and 88 ROPs, which handle the pixel fill rate of 139.2 GPixel/s. The 11 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 352-bit bus provides 484.4 GB/s of bandwidth, a figure that becomes critical as resolution increases.

The benchmark data shows clear GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 70.3 at Low to 31.4 at Ultra, a spread of nearly 39 FPS. This dramatic drop indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute are saturated by the pixel count. In contrast, at 1920x1080, the same settings yield 180.5 FPS at Low and 73.7 FPS at Ultra, showing that the GPU has ample headroom at lower pixel counts. The GTX 1080 Ti's percentile ranking of 61 among all GPUs places it in the upper tier, and its synthetic scores (18600 in Passmark G3D) confirm it remains a capable performer.

The GPU's 16 nm process and 250 W TDP are worth noting for system planning, but the practical takeaway is that this card excels at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires dropping to Medium or Low for playable frame rates. The data shows a 44.9 FPS average at 4K High, which is playable but not ideal for competitive FPS gameplay. The 484.4 GB/s bandwidth is a key asset, yet it cannot overcome the sheer pixel load at Ultra settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 provides the computational backbone for Evolve, and its 6-core, 12-thread configuration with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.20 GHz is well-suited to the game's demands. The Zen 3 architecture, built on a 7 nm process, offers strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2319. Multi-threaded performance is equally solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 5500's average score of 20875 places it at the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, scores 20897, a delta of -0.1%, indicating that the two are functionally equivalent for gaming workloads. The CPU's 16 MB of L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput to avoid bottlenecking the GTX 1080 Ti in most scenarios.

The CPU's role in Evolve is less pronounced than the GPU's, as the game's FPS scales more with resolution than with core count. At 1920x1080 Low, the 180.5 FPS average suggests the CPU can feed frames quickly enough to avoid limiting the GPU. However, at 4K Ultra, the 31.4 FPS average is clearly GPU-limited, as the CPU has more than enough headroom to process game logic. The 3DMark scores reinforce this: a single-thread score of 836 and a max-thread score of 5411 show balanced performance across workloads. The CPU's 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it an efficient and flexible choice, though the data does not show any CPU-specific bottlenecks in Evolve.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Evolve reveals a consistent pattern across all four settings presets, with performance scaling predictably with resolution. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 180.5 FPS at Low, 143 FPS at Medium, 111.2 FPS at High, and 73.7 FPS at Ultra. These numbers indicate that 1080p is the sweet spot for this pairing, with even Ultra settings maintaining a playable frame rate above 70 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 123.8 FPS at Low, 94.1 FPS at Medium, 72.9 FPS at High, and 51.9 FPS at Ultra. The jump from High to Ultra represents a 21 FPS loss, showing that the Ultra preset imposes a significant load on the GPU. At this resolution, High settings provide a good balance, staying above the 60 FPS mark.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more constrained. Low settings yield 70.3 FPS, Medium drops to 50.6 FPS, High falls to 44.9 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 31.4 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is nearly 39 FPS, indicating that the GTX 1080 Ti's memory bandwidth and compute resources are stretched thin at 4K. For 4K gaming, Low or Medium settings are the only viable options for maintaining frame rates above 50 FPS.

The data shows that the combo scales well from 1080p to 1440p, with a 180.5 FPS to 123.8 FPS drop at Low settings, representing a 31% reduction. From 1440p to 4K at Low, the drop is from 123.8 FPS to 70.3 FPS, a 43% reduction. This non-linear scaling highlights the GPU's bandwidth limitations at higher pixel counts.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1006 out of 1695 tested combinations for Evolve, placing it in the upper 40% of all pairings. This rank is respectable but not exceptional, reflecting the GPU's age relative to newer cards. The Ryzen 5 5500's 79th percentile CPU ranking is strong, while the GTX 1080 Ti's 61st percentile GPU ranking is more modest. The combination of a strong CPU and a mid-tier GPU results in a pairing that is balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12500 and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE, both with average scores within 0.1% of the Ryzen 5 5500. The GPU's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 and AMD Radeon Pro 560X, with the GTX 1080 Ti effectively tied with the GTX 780 at a 0% delta. This suggests that the GPU's performance has aged, but its 11 GB of VRAM and 484.4 GB/s bandwidth remain competitive for games like Evolve that do not require the latest features.

The rank of 1006 indicates that there are 689 combos that perform better, likely featuring newer GPUs with higher memory bandwidth or more compute units. However, for the price point of the components, this combo delivers solid frame rates in Evolve, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. The data suggests that the bottleneck is the GPU at higher resolutions, while the CPU has ample headroom.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and frame rate priority. For 1920x1080, High settings at 111.2 FPS provide an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, easily exceeding the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings at 73.7 FPS are also viable for users who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rates.

At 2560x1440, High settings at 72.9 FPS are the recommended choice for most users, as they maintain a playable frame rate while offering good visual quality. Medium settings at 94.1 FPS are preferable for competitive play where higher frame rates are more important than graphical detail. Ultra settings at 51.9 FPS are playable but may feel less responsive in fast-paced FPS scenarios.

For 3840x2160, Low settings at 70.3 FPS are the only option that consistently stays above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings at 50.6 FPS are acceptable for single-player experiences, but High at 44.9 FPS and Ultra at 31.4 FPS are too low for smooth gameplay. The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo requires sacrificing visual quality to achieve playable frame rates.

The best overall experience is achieved at 1920x1080 with High settings, offering 111.2 FPS with a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. For users with 1440p monitors, High settings at 72.9 FPS provide a solid experience, while those with 4K displays should stick to Low settings to maintain frame rates above 70 FPS.