Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS built on the CryEngine, presents an interesting stress profile for the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination. The benchmark data reveals a system that is decisively GPU-limited at higher resolutions but shows significant headroom in the CPU at 1080p. The Ryzen 5 7400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, provides a strong baseline, while the RTX 3070’s 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become the primary arbiters of performance as resolution scales. The following analysis breaks down how these components interact specifically within Evolve, using only the measured data provided.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 (Raphael) architecture, built on a 5 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.70 GHz are the key figures that dictate its ability to feed the GPU. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21765 and a single-core score of 3072, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. This positions it as a highly capable mid-range part that should not bottleneck a GPU like the RTX 3070 in most scenarios.

Looking at the measured frame rates, the CPU’s influence is most apparent at 1080p with Low settings, where the system achieves 215 FPS average. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames well above the 144 Hz refresh rate that many monitors target. The data implies that at this resolution and settings, the workload is not CPU-bound, as the Ryzen 5 7400F has ample headroom. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache is also a significant asset, as it reduces latency for frequently accessed game data, which is critical for maintaining consistent frame pacing in a fast-paced FPS like Evolve.

However, the CPU’s role diminishes as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 35, which is a far cry from the 215 FPS at 1080p Low. This dramatic drop indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, not the CPU. The Ryzen 5 7400F’s performance relative to its nearest rivals is also noteworthy. The data shows it is practically tied with the Intel Core i5-14600T (deltaPct 0.1), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (deltaPct -0.2), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (deltaPct 0.3). This means that swapping to these alternatives would yield virtually no measurable difference in Evolve’s frame rates, confirming that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this combo.

The core count and thread count are also relevant for a game from 2015. Evolve was released before the era of 8-core consoles, and its engine is likely optimized for fewer threads. The 6 cores and 12 threads of the Ryzen 5 7400F are more than sufficient to handle the game’s logic and physics, even with background tasks running. The benchmark results show that the CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 3689 is a strong indicator of its ability to handle the primary game thread, which is often the most critical aspect for older game engines. In summary, the data indicates the Ryzen 5 7400F is a silent partner in this combo, providing a stable platform that allows the GPU to be the sole determinant of performance scaling.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Evolve, and at what settings?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 215, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is followed by 167 FPS at 1080p Medium and 144 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution with the highest visual fidelity?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system averages 35 FPS. This is the lowest average FPS recorded across all tested configurations, indicating that 4K Ultra is not a playable target for this combo without adjustments.

Q: Is there a significant performance penalty for using Medium settings over Low settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the data shows a measurable drop. At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 144 FPS, while Medium settings produce 112 FPS. This is a 32 FPS reduction (approximately 22% lower), but the Medium preset still offers a smooth experience with higher visual quality.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded for the 1080p Medium preset?

A: For the 1920x1080 Medium settings, the system records a minimum FPS of 142 and a maximum FPS of 192, with an average of 167. This tight range suggests good frame pacing and minimal stuttering.

Q: How does this combo’s ranking compare to other tested combos in Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 1191 out of 2872 tested combinations. This places it in the 58.5th percentile, meaning it performs better than the majority of other systems tested in this game.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for 4K Ultra settings in Evolve?

A: The data suggests that 8 GB of VRAM is insufficient for 4K Ultra, as the average FPS drops to 35. While the frame rate could be influenced by compute load, the severe drop from 50 FPS at 4K High to 35 FPS at 4K Ultra indicates a resource constraint, likely related to the 8 GB VRAM capacity being exceeded.

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

The resolution scaling data provides a clear picture of where the bottleneck lies in this system. Starting at 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 131 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset, the average FPS drops to 88, a reduction of 43 FPS (approximately 33%). Scaling further to 3840x2160 at High settings yields 50 FPS, another drop of 38 FPS (approximately 43%). This pattern of diminishing returns with each resolution step is classic GPU-bound behavior. The pixel count increases by roughly 78% from 1080p to 1440p, and similarly by 78% from 1440p to 4K, but the frame rate drops are not proportional, indicating that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are being saturated.

The Low settings preset tells a similar story. At 1080p Low, the system hits 215 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 144 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 82 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 62 FPS (approximately 43%), which shows that even at Low settings, the RTX 3070 is unable to maintain high frame rates at 4K due to the sheer number of pixels. This is further evidence that the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU is likely capable of producing more frames, given its 1080p Low result of 215 FPS.

The analysis becomes more nuanced when examining the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 91 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 61 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 35 FPS. The delta from 1440p to 4K is 26 FPS (approximately 43%), which is consistent with the other presets. However, the absolute numbers are low, suggesting that the 8 GB VRAM buffer is a hard limit at 4K Ultra. The data implies that the RTX 3070’s 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is insufficient to feed the GPU cores at this resolution and quality level, resulting in a sub-60 FPS experience. In contrast, the CPU’s behavior remains consistent across all resolutions, as the Ryzen 5 7400F’s performance is not impacted by pixel count. This confirms that the RTX 3070 is the sole limiting factor in this pairing for Evolve.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s capabilities across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates exceptional performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 215, which is exceptionally high and indicates the CPU is not a limiting factor. Medium settings yield an average of 167 FPS, with a minimum of 142 and a maximum of 192, showing a stable frame delivery. High settings reduce the average to 131 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 91 FPS. This progression shows a linear decrease in performance as visual fidelity increases, with the GPU handling the load without issue.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected scaling impact. Low settings produce an average of 144 FPS, which is still high enough for a smooth experience on most high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings average 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 129, indicating a slightly wider variance than at 1080p. High settings drop to 88 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 61 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result of 61 FPS is notable, as it is right at the edge of playability for those who prefer a 60 FPS target, but it is a significant drop from the 91 FPS seen at 1080p Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings average 82 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. Medium settings average 64 FPS, with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 73, showing that the system can dip below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. High settings average 50 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings average only 35 FPS, making it unplayable for most users. The data shows that 4K is only viable with Low or Medium settings, and even then, the frame rates are not consistently smooth, as evidenced by the 54 FPS minimum at Medium settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1191 out of 2872 tested combinations in Evolve. This places it in the upper half of all systems tested, specifically in the 58.5th percentile. This ranking is indicative of a balanced system that performs well but is not at the top tier. The data suggests that while the RTX 3070 is a capable GPU, its performance in Evolve is not exceptional, likely due to the game’s age and its reliance on raw fill rate rather than modern features like ray tracing.

The ranking implies that there are 1681 combos that perform better, but also that this combo outperforms 1681 others. The fact that the GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (deltaPct 0.7) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (deltaPct 1) is telling. The GTX 690, a dual-GPU card from a previous generation, is nearly equivalent in average benchmark score, which suggests that the RTX 3070’s performance in Evolve is not leveraging its modern architecture effectively. This could be due to driver overhead or the game’s inability to utilize the Ampere architecture’s features.

The ranking also suggests that the combo is not heavily CPU-limited, as the Ryzen 5 7400F’s nearest rivals show negligible performance differences. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a wider variance in the combo’s ranking when paired with different CPUs. The fact that the combo ranks in the upper-middle range indicates that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance, and the CPU is providing sufficient support. This is consistent with the resolution scaling analysis, which showed the GPU being the limiting factor at higher resolutions. In summary, the data shows that this combo is a solid mid-range performer for Evolve, capable of high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but not competitive at 4K.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user’s resolution and performance targets. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 131 FPS is the recommended choice for most users. It provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (167 FPS) while still maintaining a frame rate well above 120 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 91 FPS is also viable, but the 40 FPS drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual gains, especially in a fast-paced FPS where responsiveness is paramount.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 112 FPS is the sweet spot. It delivers a smooth experience with a minimum FPS of 95, ensuring that frame drops do not become noticeable. The High preset at 88 FPS is also acceptable, but the 24 FPS penalty from Medium to High might be noticeable in high-action scenarios. The Low preset at 144 FPS is ideal for competitive play, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for the average gamer. The Ultra preset at 61 FPS is borderline, and the risk of dropping below 60 FPS in demanding scenes makes it a less reliable choice.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Medium preset at 64 FPS is the best option, but it is not without caveats. The minimum FPS of 54 indicates that the system will dip below 60 FPS in some scenes, which could cause noticeable stuttering. The Low preset at 82 FPS is the only configuration that offers a consistently smooth experience at 4K, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. The High preset at 50 FPS and Ultra at 35 FPS are not recommended for gameplay. Overall, the data indicates that the best experience is achieved at 1440p Medium, which balances visual fidelity with a high and stable frame rate, making it the recommended preset for this combo.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the dominant component in this combo, and its specifications directly explain the observed performance patterns in Evolve. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock of 1500 MHz and boost clock of 1725 MHz are the driving forces behind its compute capabilities, which include 5888 shading units and 184 texture mapping units. These specifications are crucial for understanding why the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor in the 4K Ultra results. The average FPS of 35 at 3840x2160 Ultra suggests that the GPU is running out of memory, leading to texture thrashing and reduced performance. The drop from 50 FPS at 4K High to 35 FPS at 4K Ultra is a 30% penalty, which is likely due to the VRAM limit being exceeded. In contrast, the 1080p Ultra result of 91 FPS shows that 8 GB is sufficient at lower resolutions, but the game’s high-resolution textures can easily exceed this capacity at 4K.

The GPU’s clock speeds also play a role in the scaling behavior. The boost clock of 1725 MHz is relatively high, but the card’s performance is limited by its memory bandwidth. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the demand for texture data outpaces the memory’s ability to deliver it. This is evident in the frame rate drops from 1440p to 4K, which are more severe than the pixel count increase would suggest. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 22214 places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the RX 7600 XT and GTX 690, which have similar performance profiles. This indicates that the RTX 3070 is a mid-range card that is showing its age with a 2015 game, but it still provides a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p with the right settings.