Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a study in generational contrast. The CPU, a Zen 3 part from the 5000 series, launched in late 2020 with a 65 W TDP, while the GPU, a Blackwell 2.0 flagship, arrived in early 2025 with a 575 W TDP. In Evolve, this combination produces a wide spread of frame rates that clearly delineates the workload between processor and graphics card. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher settings, but which still relies on the CPU’s six cores and twelve threads to maintain high refresh rates at lower graphical presets.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a six-core, twelve-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform and is manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The processor has a 32 MB L3 cache, with 512 KB of L2 and 64 KB of L1 per core. It supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11838 and a single-core score of 1541. Its Geekbench multi-core score is 9173, with a single-core score of 1989. The processor’s average benchmark score is 21771, placing it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs tested.

In Evolve, the CPU’s influence is most apparent at 1080p with lower settings, where the frame rate ceiling is not constrained by the GPU. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces an average of 294 FPS. This is the highest frame rate recorded across all tested configurations, indicating that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to reach near its maximum output. The 5600X’s single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 917 score in 3dmark_single_thread, is a key factor here, as Evolve’s game logic and draw call processing rely heavily on a few strong cores. The boost clock of 4.60 GHz provides the necessary headroom for these tasks.

The CPU’s multi-threading capabilities also play a role, though less pronounced. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 5582 and the 3dmark_max_threads score of 5588 show that the processor scales reasonably well with additional threads. In Evolve, this helps with background tasks and physics calculations, but the game is not heavily threaded. The PassMark multi-thread score of 21858 and the PassMark physics score of 1316 further illustrate the CPU’s overall compute capability. When compared to its nearest rivals, the 5600X is essentially on par with the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, which has an average score of 21749, a delta of 0.1%. It is also within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U and the Intel Core i7-11700, and 0.6% of the AMD EPYC 9554P. This indicates that the 5600X’s performance is well-balanced for its class, providing a solid foundation for gaming without being a bottleneck in most scenarios.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a massive GPU, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB202 chip. It is manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC and contains 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. The card features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its base clock is 2017 MHz, with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The memory clock is 1750 MHz, or 28 Gbps effective. The GPU has 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units. It also includes 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores. The pixel rate is 423.6 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 104.8 TFLOPS. In synthetic benchmarks, the GPU scores 14326 in 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 and 44065 in PassMark G3D. Its average benchmark score is 77712, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs.

In Evolve, the GPU’s role is dominant, especially at higher resolutions and settings. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 65 FPS. This is a significant reduction from the 94 FPS at High settings, showing that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy load on the graphics card. The 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Evolve, which is a game from 2015 and does not require large texture pools. The GPU’s raw compute power, however, is what drives the frame rates. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance allows for high fill rates and complex shader work, which is reflected in the 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate. The boost clock of 2407 MHz ensures that the GPU can sustain high performance under load.

The RTX 5090 D’s performance relative to its nearest rivals is interesting. Its average benchmark score of 77712 is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, which scores 76904. It is 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which scores 78940. It is also 2.1% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 2.4% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB. This suggests that while the RTX 5090 D is a top-tier consumer card, its benchmark scores are closely matched by some other high-end parts. In Evolve, however, the GPU’s capabilities are more than adequate, as the game is not particularly demanding by modern standards. The data shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the frame rate is constrained by the graphics card’s ability to render the scene.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average frame rate is 246 FPS. At 2560x1440 with High settings, it drops to 165 FPS. At 3840x2160 with High settings, it falls to 94 FPS. This represents a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 62% drop from 1080p to 4K. This scaling indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. The CPU’s performance is relatively constant across resolutions, but the GPU’s workload increases significantly with the number of pixels.

The same pattern is observed at other settings. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 294 FPS at 1080p to 258 FPS at 1440p, and then to 154 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 40%, which is less severe than the 62% drop at High settings. This suggests that at Low settings, the CPU is more involved in limiting performance, as the GPU has less work to do. At 1080p Low, the 294 FPS is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame rate capability. At 4K Low, the 154 FPS is still high, but the GPU is now doing more work.

At Medium settings, the frame rates are 268 FPS at 1080p, 210 FPS at 1440p, and 120 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 22%, and from 1440p to 4K is 43%. At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 170 FPS at 1080p, 114 FPS at 1440p, and 65 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 33%, and from 1440p to 4K is 43%. The consistent pattern of larger drops at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is the limiting component in most scenarios. The CPU’s role is more significant at lower resolutions and settings, where it can keep up with the GPU’s output. The data shows that this combination is well-balanced for 1440p gaming, where the frame rates are high enough for smooth gameplay, but the GPU is still being utilized effectively.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Evolve?

A: The highest average frame rate is 294 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 65 FPS, which is the lowest recorded in the data.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1440p High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average frame rate is 165 FPS. The data shows a significant drop from 1080p High (246 FPS), indicating the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate is 294 FPS on Low settings and 170 FPS on Ultra settings, a difference of 124 FPS.

Q: Does the combo provide a playable experience at 4K?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with High settings, the average frame rate is 94 FPS, which is above the standard 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D’s average benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712, which is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT’s score of 76904.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 76th out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the top 2% of all configurations tested, indicating a very high level of performance. The rank reflects the system’s ability to deliver high frame rates across a range of resolutions and settings. The CPU’s 75th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs contribute to this strong overall position. The data shows that this combo is capable of handling Evolve with ease, even at 4K with high settings.

The high rank is primarily driven by the GPU’s exceptional performance. The RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB of VRAM and 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth ensure that it can handle any texture or geometry load the game presents. The CPU, while not the top performer in its class, is sufficient to avoid being a significant bottleneck. The 5600X’s single-thread performance is strong enough to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions, and its multi-threading capabilities are adequate for the game’s background tasks. The combination of a strong CPU and a top-tier GPU results in a system that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and smooth 4K gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the combo’s performance across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 294 FPS on Low, 268 FPS on Medium, 246 FPS on High, and 170 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting also has a minimum FPS of 228 and a maximum of 308. At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 258 FPS on Low, 210 FPS on Medium, 165 FPS on High, and 114 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting has a minimum FPS of 179 and a maximum of 242. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 154 FPS on Low, 120 FPS on Medium, 94 FPS on High, and 65 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting has a minimum FPS of 102 and a maximum of 138.

The data shows a clear trend of decreasing frame rates as resolution and settings increase. The most significant drop occurs between 1440p and 4K, particularly at High and Ultra settings. The frame rates at 1080p are consistently above 170 FPS, even at Ultra settings, indicating that the system is well-suited for competitive gaming at this resolution. At 1440p, the frame rates are still high, with the lowest average being 114 FPS at Ultra settings. At 4K, the system can maintain playable frame rates at High settings, but Ultra settings push the average down to 65 FPS. The minimum FPS values for Medium settings show that the system maintains a relatively stable frame rate, with the lowest minimum being 102 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the combo provides a smooth experience across most configurations, with the only potential for stutter occurring at 4K Ultra.