Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 asymmetrical FPS, places heavy demands on both the CPU and GPU, and the pairing of an AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with an AMD Radeon RX 570 produces a specific set of performance characteristics. The measured frame rates across different resolutions and settings reveal a system that is fundamentally limited by its graphics card, particularly at higher resolutions, while the processor’s strong multi-threaded capabilities ensure that it is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. This analysis will break down the optimal settings, the role of each component, and how this combination stacks up against other tested configurations.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data for this combo in Evolve shows a clear hierarchy across the four available presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 77 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this configuration at any resolution. The Medium preset provides a solid 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, indicating a playable experience with some headroom. The High preset drops to an average of 47 FPS, which is still technically playable but begins to sacrifice smoothness. The Ultra preset, however, falls to an average of 32 FPS, which is below the threshold for a comfortable competitive experience.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with lower overall performance. Low settings yield an average of 52 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that maintains a 60 FPS-class experience. Medium drops to 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 and a maximum of 46, while High falls to 31 FPS. Ultra at 1440p is barely functional, averaging just 22 FPS. At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset produces an average of 29 FPS, Medium averages 23 FPS (with a min of 19 and max of 26), High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages only 12 FPS. None of the 4K presets provide a smooth, playable frame rate for a fast-paced FPS.

Given these results, the best experience for this combo is clearly at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This configuration offers a 60 FPS average, which is the standard target for smooth gameplay, and the minimum of 51 FPS indicates that dips below 60 are rare. The Low preset at 1080p offers a higher average of 77 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is substantial, and the Medium preset provides a better balance of visual fidelity and performance. For players who prioritize frame rate above all else, Low at 1080p is the choice, but for the majority of users, Medium at 1080p is the sweet spot. At 1440p, the Low preset is the only viable option if you want to stay near 60 FPS, but the drop in visual quality may not be worth it compared to the 1080p Medium experience. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it consistently produces average frame rates in the low 30s or below, which is not suitable for the responsive gameplay Evolve demands.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is a 4 GB GDDR5 graphics card based on the Polaris 20 chip, using the GCN 4.0 architecture on a 14 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The memory interface is 256-bit, providing a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The card has 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. Its pixel rate is 39.81 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 159.2 GTexel/s, with a FP32 performance of 5.095 TFLOPS. This hardware profile places the RX 570 in the 74th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a mid-range part by current standards.

The data from Evolve shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor in this system. The frame rates scale dramatically with resolution, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p, the GPU can push an average of 77 FPS on Low settings, but as resolution increases to 1440p and then 4K, the average FPS drops by roughly 32% and 62%, respectively, at the same Low preset. This steep decline is directly attributable to the RX 570’s rendering capabilities. The card’s 4 GB of VRAM is also a concern, as Evolve at higher resolutions and settings will likely exceed this capacity, leading to texture swapping and performance hits. The measured data shows that at 4K, even the Low preset only manages 29 FPS, which suggests that the GPU is overwhelmed by the pixel count, not just the memory capacity.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RX 570’s average benchmark score is 28766, which places it just 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (score 28874) and 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 470 (score 28996). It is 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M295X (score 28580) and 1.2% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 (score 28421). These close margins indicate that the RX 570 is a well-balanced mid-range card, but its performance in Evolve is clearly constrained by its age and specifications. The 150 W TDP and the suggested 450 W PSU are modest, but the card’s end-of-life production status means it is not a future-proof solution. In this game, the GPU’s role is to provide a playable experience at 1080p, but it simply lacks the raw compute power and memory bandwidth to handle 1440p or 4K with acceptable frame rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 5000 series, based on the Zen 3 architecture with the codename Vermeer. It has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, with a 105 W TDP. The processor features a large L3 cache of 96 MB shared, which is a significant advantage for gaming workloads. It supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel configuration and a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 37018, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, which indicates strong overall performance.

In Evolve, the CPU’s role is less critical than the GPU, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling. At a fixed resolution, such as 1080p, the difference between Low and Medium settings is 17 FPS (77 vs. 60), and the difference between High and Ultra is 15 FPS (47 vs. 32). These variations are primarily due to GPU load, not CPU load. The CPU’s multi-threaded performance, as shown by its Passmark multi-thread score of 20363, ensures that it can feed the GPU with data without becoming a bottleneck. The single-thread score of 2941 is also respectable, which is important for games like Evolve that rely on a single main thread for game logic.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the 5500X3D is remarkably consistent. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (score 36945) and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (score 36938). It is 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (score 37093) and 0.3% behind the Intel Core i9-12900T (score 37112). These tiny margins mean that in a CPU-bound scenario, the 5500X3D would perform almost identically to these other processors. However, in Evolve, the system is rarely CPU-bound, especially at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the CPU has more headroom, but the GPU is still the limiting factor. The 96 MB L3 cache is a notable feature that helps with cache-sensitive workloads, but in this game, the GPU’s 4 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are more significant constraints. The CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are more than adequate for Evolve, which was released in 2015 and does not require high core counts. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck, and upgrading it would not yield significant FPS gains in this specific title with this GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and the AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 2766 out of 2872 tested combinations in Evolve. This places it in the bottom 3.7% of all configurations, which is a poor showing. The rank reflects the overall performance of the system, and given the GPU’s limitations, this is not surprising. The combo’s rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU’s performance, as the CPU is a relatively modern and capable part. The RX 570’s 74th percentile ranking among GPUs is misleading in this context, because Evolve is a demanding title that stresses the GPU heavily, especially at higher resolutions. The combo’s low rank suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher frame rates in this game.

To understand the rank, consider the measured FPS at 1080p Medium, which is the recommended settings. The average of 60 FPS is decent, but many other combos likely achieve higher averages at the same settings. The rank is a composite measure, and the system’s performance at 1440p and 4K is particularly weak, dragging down its overall standing. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the RX 470 and the R9 M295X, have similar average benchmark scores, but their performance in Evolve may differ due to driver optimizations or memory characteristics. The 5500X3D’s CPU performance is not the issue; the combo’s rank is a direct consequence of pairing a high-end CPU with a mid-range GPU that is now several generations old. For a user with this combo, the rank indicates that they are not getting a competitive experience in Evolve, and they would need to either lower settings significantly or upgrade the GPU to improve their standing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo in Evolve shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 and then to 3840x2160. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 77 at 1080p to 52 at 1440p, a decrease of 25 FPS or 32.5%. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average drops from 52 to 29, a further decrease of 23 FPS or 44.2%. This shows that the scaling is not linear; the drop from 1440p to 4K is proportionally larger than the drop from 1080p to 1440p. This is because 4K has 2.25 times the pixels of 1440p, while 1440p has 1.78 times the pixels of 1080p.

At the Medium preset, the pattern is similar. The average FPS drops from 60 at 1080p to 40 at 1440p, a 33.3% decrease. From 1440p to 4K, it drops from 40 to 23, a 42.5% decrease. At the High preset, the averages are 47 at 1080p, 31 at 1440p (a 34% drop), and 18 at 4K (a 41.9% drop from 1440p). At the Ultra preset, the averages are 32 at 1080p, 22 at 1440p (a 31.3% drop), and 12 at 4K (a 45.5% drop). The consistency of these percentage drops across all presets strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rate to be more stable across resolutions, as the CPU workload does not change significantly with resolution. Instead, the frame rates scale almost exactly with the pixel count, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound system.

This analysis is further supported by the fact that the CPU’s performance, as measured by its Passmark scores, is strong, with a multi-thread score of 20363 and a single-thread score of 2941. A CPU-bound scenario would show similar frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows a clear decline. The RX 570’s 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are simply not sufficient to fill 4K frames at a high rate. The resolution scaling suggests that users with this combo should stick to 1080p for the best experience, and that any attempt to play at 1440p or 4K will require significant compromises in settings, with even Low settings at 4K failing to reach 30 FPS.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 with the Medium preset provides an average of 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. This is the best balance of visual quality and smoothness. The Low preset at 1080p offers a higher average of 77 FPS, but the visual reduction is significant. Ultra settings at any resolution are not recommended, as they produce average frame rates below 32 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D or the AMD Radeon RX 570 the bottleneck in this system?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. This is evident from the resolution scaling: frame rates drop by roughly 32-34% from 1080p to 1440p and another 42-45% from 1440p to 4K, which is consistent with a GPU-bound workload. The CPU’s strong performance, including a 96 MB L3 cache and a Passmark multi-thread score of 20363, means it is not the limiting factor in this game.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested CPU-GPU combinations in Evolve?

A: This combo ranks 2766 out of 2872 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 3.7% of all configurations. This low rank is due to the GPU’s limited performance, despite the CPU’s strong capabilities. The RX 570’s average benchmark score of 28766 is competitive with its nearest rivals, but it is not enough to achieve a high rank in this demanding title.

Q: Can this combo play Evolve at 2560x1440?

A: Yes, but only with significant compromises. At 1440p, the Low preset achieves an average of 52 FPS, which is playable. The Medium preset drops to 40 FPS, and High falls to 31 FPS. Ultra at 1440p averages only 22 FPS, which is not suitable for a fast-paced FPS. For a better experience, 1080p is recommended.

Q: What is the impact of the RX 570’s 4 GB VRAM on Evolve’s performance?

A: The 4 GB VRAM capacity is a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that at 4K, even the Low preset only averages 29 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 23 FPS. While the VRAM is not the sole cause of these low numbers, it contributes to the overall GPU bottleneck. The card’s 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is also insufficient for high-resolution textures.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500X3D compare to its nearest rival in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500X3D has an average benchmark score of 37018, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945) and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36938). It is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093) and 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-12900T (37112). These differences are negligible, indicating that the CPU’s performance is on par with its direct competitors.