Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS, presents an interesting study in how a high-end modern GPU paired with a mid-range CPU handles a title from a previous generation. The benchmark data for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but whose frame rates are dictated by the CPU’s single-threaded capabilities at lower settings and resolutions. The measured results show a clear hierarchy of performance scaling, with the most significant bottleneck shifting based on the graphical workload.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a pronounced drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a system where the GPU is the primary performance driver at higher pixel counts. At 1080p, the combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 285.1, which drops to 201.3 on High and 139.3 on Ultra. This is a substantial range, indicating that even at 1080p, the game’s settings have a massive impact on the workload. However, the scaling from 1440p to 4K reveals the GPU's limits. At 1440p High, the average FPS is 139.2, which is a 31% reduction from the 1080p High score of 201.3. Moving to 4K High, the average FPS falls to 79, a further 43% reduction from 1440p High. This steep decline confirms that the RTX 4080 SUPER is being pushed progressively harder as the pixel count rises, and the frame rate is directly tied to the GPU's rendering throughput.

The data also shows that the scaling between settings is not linear across resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (285.1 FPS) and Ultra (139.3 FPS) is a factor of 2.05. At 4K, the same comparison shows a factor of 2.31 between Low (124.9 FPS) and Ultra (54 FPS). This widening gap suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so saturated that the additional work required by higher settings has a proportionally larger impact on the final frame rate. The transition from Medium to High at 4K is particularly telling: it drops from 98 FPS to 79 FPS, a 19 FPS loss, while the jump from High to Ultra is a more severe 25 FPS loss, down to 54 FPS. This indicates that the Ultra preset includes effects that are disproportionately expensive at 4K, likely taxing the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing. Its specifications include a 16 GB GDDR6X memory buffer on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. This memory configuration is crucial for 4K gaming, as the data suggests the card is able to maintain playable frame rates even on High settings at 3840x2160. The GPU also features a high boost clock of 2550 MHz and a base clock of 2295 MHz, which allows it to process the large number of shading units (10240) efficiently. The benchmark results show that the card is well-suited for Evolve, as it never becomes completely overwhelmed at any of the tested settings, even at 4K.

The GPU’s performance in this game aligns with its general benchmark standing. Its Passmark G3D score is 34245, and it sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. The data shows that its closest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, have an average score of 53489, a delta of just 0.2%, meaning the RTX 4080 SUPER is essentially performance-equivalent to that card in synthetic tests. However, in Evolve, the measured frame rates are what matter, and the 4K results demonstrate that the 16 GB of VRAM is sufficient to avoid any memory-related bottlenecks that could cause stuttering or severe frame drops. The card’s texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s are high enough to feed the display with consistent frames, as evidenced by the 79 FPS average at 4K High.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 1080p display, the High preset is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 201.3 FPS, which is high enough to take full advantage of a 144Hz or even 240Hz monitor. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p requires a 31% performance hit, dropping the average to 139.3 FPS. While still playable, this comes with diminishing returns in visual quality. For 1440p, the High preset remains an excellent choice, delivering 139.2 FPS. This is ideal for high-refresh-rate 1440p panels. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 95.5 FPS, which is still smooth but sacrifices a significant amount of performance for marginal visual gains.

The 4K results require a more conservative approach. At 3840x2160, the High preset produces an average of 79 FPS, which is suitable for a 60Hz or 75Hz display. The Medium preset offers a more comfortable margin, with an average of 98 FPS, making it a better choice for those who prefer a higher frame rate over maximum visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 54 FPS, is the only setting that dips below the 60 FPS threshold. While it may be acceptable for slower-paced games, it is not recommended for a competitive FPS like Evolve. The Low preset at 4K, which yields 124.9 FPS, is an option for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, but it likely sacrifices too much visual quality. The data suggests that for the best balance of image quality and performance, High at 1080p and 1440p, and Medium or High at 4K, are the strongest recommendations.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 4K with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 79 at 3840x2160 resolution with the High preset.

Q: At which resolution and settings does this combo achieve the highest frame rate?

A: The highest average FPS is 285.1, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 4K with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The Ultra preset at 4K yields an average of 54 FPS. While it is technically playable, it is below the 60 FPS target that many users consider the minimum for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its nearest rival according to the data?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 53610, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT's score of 53489.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves an average of 139.2 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves an average of 95.5 FPS, a difference of 43.7 FPS.

Q: What is the boost clock speed of the GPU in this combination?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER has a boost clock of 2550 MHz.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 131st out of 1695 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the top 8% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing. This high rank is primarily attributable to the GPU’s immense power, which allows the system to achieve very high frame rates at 1440p and 4K, even if the CPU limits its absolute maximum ceiling at 1080p. The fact that it ranks so highly despite the CPU being a more modest 6-core part suggests that in Evolve, the GPU is the overwhelming factor in determining overall performance.

The ranking is also evidence of the balance of the pairing. While a faster CPU might push the 1080p numbers higher, the system's 4K performance, which is where the GPU is most stressed, is what anchors its high position in the rankings. The combination’s rank of 131 indicates that it outperforms the vast majority of other configurations, including those with potentially more powerful CPUs but less capable GPUs. This data supports the conclusion that for a GPU-heavy game like Evolve, investing in the graphics card is more impactful than the processor, and this specific combo demonstrates the benefits of that strategy.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 serves as the supporting component in this configuration, and its role is most clearly defined at lower resolutions. The CPU has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its architecture is Zen 3, which provides strong single-threaded performance, as seen in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2584. The data indicates that this single-thread performance is the limiting factor at 1080p with Low settings. The system achieves 285.1 FPS, but this is likely near the maximum that the CPU can feed to the GPU, as the frame time becomes increasingly dependent on the CPU's ability to process the game's simulation and draw calls.

Evidence for this CPU bottleneck is visible in the scaling from Low to Medium at 1080p. The drop from 285.1 FPS to 256.4 FPS is only 10%, which is far less than the 32% drop seen from High to Ultra at the same resolution. This suggests that at Low settings, the GPU is often idle, waiting for the CPU to send new instructions, and the frame rate is therefore capped by the CPU’s processing speed. In contrast, at 4K, the CPU is less of a constraint, as the GPU's rendering time dominates the total frame time. The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache is also beneficial, as it helps reduce latency when accessing frequently used game data. The CPU’s overall percentile rank of 79 among all processors confirms that it is a capable part, but the data clearly shows that in Evolve, its performance ceiling is reached at very high frame rates, while the GPU continues to scale with resolution.