Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS built on the CryEngine, presents an interesting scaling profile for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination. The measured data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the CPU’s 6-core/12-thread configuration proving sufficient to keep frame rates high even at 1080p. The benchmark results indicate a clear tiered performance structure across the three tested resolutions, with the Ultra preset consistently halving performance relative to Low settings, suggesting a significant load on the graphics card’s shading units and memory subsystem.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a substantial performance drop, characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. At the Low preset, the average frame rate falls from 262 FPS at 1080p to 176 FPS at 1440p, a 32.8% reduction, and then further to 100 FPS at 4K, a 61.8% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline as pixel count quadruples indicates that the RTX 4070’s rendering pipeline is the primary bottleneck, with the CPU able to feed frames quickly enough at lower resolutions.

The scaling pattern for the High preset is similar but slightly less aggressive in relative terms. Starting at 159 FPS at 1080p, the average drops to 107 FPS at 1440p (a 32.7% decrease) and then to 61 FPS at 4K (a 61.6% decrease from 1080p). This consistency across presets suggests that the resolution scaling is independent of the specific graphical workload, reinforcing the notion that the limiting factor is the fill rate and pixel processing throughput of the GPU rather than any single setting.

At the Medium preset, the measured minimum frame rates provide additional insight. At 4K, the average is 77 FPS with a minimum of 66 FPS, while at 1440p the average is 136 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS, and at 1080p the average is 203 FPS with a minimum of 173 FPS. The ratio of minimum to average remains fairly steady around 0.86 across all three resolutions, indicating that frame pacing is consistent and the GPU is not experiencing sudden stalls or CPU-related hitches as resolution scales.

The Ultra preset shows the most pronounced resolution sensitivity. The average drops from 110 FPS at 1080p to 74 FPS at 1440p (a 32.7% decline) and then to 42 FPS at 4K (a 61.8% decline from 1080p). This suggests that the Ultra preset’s additional effects, likely including higher-quality shadows and post-processing, scale with pixel count in a linear fashion, and the RTX 4070’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily at 4K.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs, is clearly the dominant component in this pairing for Evolve. The GPU’s boost clock of 2475 MHz and base clock of 1920 MHz allow it to sustain high throughput, but the data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate of 42 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold commonly desired for smooth gameplay. The pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s are substantial, yet the game’s demands at 4K with all settings maxed out prove challenging.

The GPU’s memory configuration—12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth—plays a role in the scaling behavior. The fact that the Low preset at 4K achieves 100 FPS while Ultra drops to 42 FPS indicates that memory bandwidth and capacity are not the sole constraints; rather, the compute and shading load from higher settings is the primary differentiator. The RTX 4070’s FP32 throughput of 29.15 TFLOPS is ample for a 2015 title, but the game’s engine appears to be heavily reliant on raw pixel throughput, which is where the GPU’s 64 ROPs become a limiting factor at high resolutions.

Comparing the GPU’s benchmark standing, the RTX 4070 sits at the 81st percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 37648. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (deltaPct 0.1), AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (deltaPct 0.4), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (deltaPct -1.3). This places the desktop RTX 4070 in a competitive position, but the measured FPS in Evolve shows that even a GPU of this caliber will struggle with 4K Ultra, producing an average of just 42 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average frame rate is 203 FPS, with a minimum of 173 FPS and a maximum of 234 FPS, indicating a very smooth experience for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 4K resolution?

A: Benchmark results indicate a GPU-limited scenario, as the average frame rate drops from 100 FPS at Low settings to 42 FPS at Ultra settings at 3840x2160, showing that the graphics card’s rendering capabilities are the primary bottleneck.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of average FPS?

A: Across all resolutions, Ultra delivers significantly lower averages. At 1080p, Ultra averages 110 FPS versus 159 FPS for High; at 1440p, 74 FPS versus 107 FPS; and at 4K, 42 FPS versus 61 FPS, representing a 30-31% reduction in performance.

Q: Is the RTX 4070’s 12 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The data shows no signs of VRAM-related stuttering, as minimum frame rates scale proportionally with averages. The memory capacity and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth appear adequate, with performance drops attributable to compute load rather than memory exhaustion.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured minimum is 116 FPS, with an average of 136 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS, showing that the combination maintains a high level of performance at this resolution.

Q: How does this combo’s rank in Evolve compare to its overall GPU percentile?

A: The combo ranks 881 out of 3700 tested combinations for this game, placing it in the top 23.8% of all combos. This is lower than the GPU’s 81st percentile ranking, indicating that other pairings may extract more performance in this specific title.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 881st out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the upper quartile of all systems tested. This ranking is respectable but not exceptional, given that the RTX 4070 alone sits at the 81st percentile among GPUs. The discrepancy suggests that the CPU, while capable, may be holding back the GPU in certain scenarios, or that other combos with higher-end processors achieve better frame rates at lower resolutions.

The CPU’s overall benchmark performance, with an average score of 19593 and a 73rd percentile ranking, is a solid match for the GPU. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (deltaPct -0.1), Intel Core i5-12500 (deltaPct -0.4), and Intel Core i5-11600KF (deltaPct -0.7), all of which are within 1% of the Ryzen 5 5500’s average score. This indicates that the CPU is not a significant outlier in its performance class, and the 881st rank in Evolve is likely more attributable to the game’s specific engine characteristics than a CPU deficiency.

Looking at the measured FPS data, the combo’s rank is justified by its ability to exceed 60 FPS at 4K with High settings (61 FPS average) but fall short of that threshold at 4K Ultra (42 FPS). For a game released in 2015, this represents strong performance, but newer combos with faster CPUs or GPUs may achieve higher ranks by maintaining 60 FPS at Ultra settings across all resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 4K displays, the High preset offers the best balance, delivering an average of 61 FPS, which is right at the edge of smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K provides a more comfortable margin with 77 FPS average and a minimum of 66 FPS, making it the safer choice for consistent performance without noticeable dips.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended sweet spot, offering 136 FPS average with a minimum of 116 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 1440p also performs admirably with 107 FPS average, but the Medium preset’s higher minimum ensures fewer frame drops during intense combat scenes. The Low preset at 1440p reaches 176 FPS, which may appeal to competitive players seeking maximum responsiveness, but the visual fidelity trade-off is significant.

For 1080p, the Ultra preset is viable, with an average of 110 FPS, providing a fully featured visual experience without sacrificing playability. The High preset at 1080p offers 159 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz displays, while Medium hits 203 FPS for 240Hz panels. The Low preset at 262 FPS is only necessary for extreme esports scenarios where every millisecond counts, but the visual downgrade is substantial. The data suggests that Medium settings at 1080p provide the best overall experience, balancing high frame rates with acceptable visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo is as follows:

• 3840x2160 Ultra: 42 FPS average
• 3840x2160 High: 61 FPS average
• 3840x2160 Medium: 77 FPS average (min 66, max 89)
• 3840x2160 Low: 100 FPS average
• 2560x1440 Ultra: 74 FPS average
• 2560x1440 High: 107 FPS average
• 2560x1440 Medium: 136 FPS average (min 116, max 157)
• 2560x1440 Low: 176 FPS average
• 1920x1080 Ultra: 110 FPS average
• 1920x1080 High: 159 FPS average
• 1920x1080 Medium: 203 FPS average (min 173, max 234)
• 1920x1080 Low: 262 FPS average

This breakdown shows a consistent pattern of performance scaling across all resolutions. The Medium preset’s minimum and maximum values at each resolution provide a clear picture of frame pacing, with the spread between min and max remaining relatively constant (approximately 20-30 FPS) regardless of resolution, indicating stable GPU performance without thermal throttling or driver-level hitches.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500, with its 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, plays a supporting role in this combo for Evolve. The CPU’s base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.20 GHz are moderate by modern standards, but the benchmark results show that the processor is not a limiting factor at any resolution tested. The 3DMark single-thread score of 836 and multi-thread score of 5411 indicate adequate single-core performance for older game engines like Evolve’s, which may not fully utilize many threads.

The CPU’s 16 MB of L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient for feeding the GPU with draw calls and game state data. The fact that the average FPS at 1080p Low is 262 FPS, which is likely near the engine’s frame rate ceiling, suggests that the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output at lower resolutions. The 3DMark 8-thread score of 4593 and 16-thread score of 5386 show that the processor scales well with additional threads, but Evolve’s 2015-era engine may not be able to leverage all 12 threads effectively.

The CPU’s benchmark performance places it at the 73rd percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 19593. Its nearest rivals—the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, Intel Core i5-12500, and Intel Core i5-11600KF—all have average scores within 1% of the Ryzen 5 5500, indicating that this CPU is competitively positioned in its segment. For Evolve specifically, the CPU’s role is to maintain a steady stream of frames, and the data shows that it accomplishes this without introducing noticeable bottlenecks, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p and the proportional scaling at higher resolutions.