Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS, presents a demanding workload where the combination of an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and an Intel Arc B390 yields playable performance only at lower resolutions and settings. The benchmark data indicates that the Intel Arc B390 is the primary performance limiter, as frame rates scale dramatically with resolution, while the Ryzen 5 7600X provides sufficient processing headroom. The measured results show this combo ranks 3288 out of 3700 tested configurations, placing it in the lower percentile for this specific title, which aligns with the GPU's overall low benchmark percentile.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 89 FPS, which is a very playable frame rate. Moving to 1440p at the same Low settings, the average FPS falls to 60, a substantial 32.6% reduction. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS plummets to 34, which is 61.8% lower than the 1080p result. This pattern clearly shows that the rendering load is overwhelming the GPU's capabilities as pixel count increases.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings shows a similar trend, with the average FPS dropping from 69 to 46, a 33.3% decrease. The gap between 1440p and 4K at Medium settings is even more pronounced, with the average FPS falling from 46 to 26, a 43.5% reduction. This non-linear drop suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth or shading capacity is being saturated at higher resolutions, exacerbating the performance penalty.

At High settings, the trend continues, with the average FPS dropping from 54 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p (a 33.3% decrease) and then to 21 at 4K (a 41.7% decrease from 1440p). The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding only 37 FPS at 1080p, 25 FPS at 1440p, and a nearly unplayable 14 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings strongly suggests that the Intel Arc B390's fixed hardware resources, such as its 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs, are the bottleneck, not the CPU or system memory.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for playing Evolve with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system consistently achieves playable frame rates across multiple settings. At 1080p, even the High preset averages 54 FPS, while Low and Medium reach 89 and 69 FPS respectively.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: No, the data indicates that 4K is not a viable option. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 34 on Low settings, which is below a smooth 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset at 4K averages only 14 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings?

A: The performance gap is significant. At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 89 on Low to 37 on Ultra, a 58.4% reduction in performance. This gap widens at higher resolutions, with the 4K Ultra preset yielding 20 FPS less than the 4K Low preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The FPS scales heavily with resolution and settings, which are GPU-centric workloads. The Ryzen 5 7600X, with its high single-thread score of 1965 in Cinebench R23, is unlikely to be a bottleneck at these frame rates.

Q: What is the performance of the Intel Arc B390 relative to other GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482 and sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The data shows it is only 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, indicating entry-level performance.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The data provides min and max FPS values for Medium settings. At 1080p, the average is 69 FPS with a range of 59-79 FPS, showing a 20 FPS spread. At 1440p, the average is 46 FPS with a 39-53 FPS range, and at 4K, it's 26 FPS with a 22-30 FPS range. This indicates relatively consistent frame pacing, though the low minimums at higher resolutions could cause noticeable stutters.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is a mobile-oriented GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its integrated nature is highlighted by its IGP slot width, "System Shared" memory configuration, and lack of power connectors, with a TDP of just 80 W. The data shows it has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its performance in Evolve, as measured, is modest, which is consistent with its 9th percentile rank among all GPUs.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a 300 MHz base and a 2500 MHz boost, but it is the memory configuration that is most critical for this game. With "System Shared" memory, the bandwidth is "System Dependent," meaning performance can vary based on the system's RAM. This shared memory architecture is a likely contributor to the significant frame rate drops at higher resolutions, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth.

The benchmark results for the Arc B390 show a single score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in this benchmark are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, with performance deltas of 1.3%, 1.5%, 2.5%, and 2.7% respectively. These are all very old, low-end GPUs, confirming the Arc B390's position as an entry-level solution. The measured FPS in Evolve reflects this, as the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates even at 1080p with higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data suggests prioritizing 1080p resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 89 FPS, which is ideal for fast-paced FPS gameplay, providing a smooth and responsive experience. The Medium preset also offers a solid experience with an average of 69 FPS and a minimum of 59 FPS, ensuring that frame rates rarely dip below a playable threshold. The High preset, with an average of 54 FPS, is playable but may feel less fluid during intense action.

For users who prefer higher visual fidelity, the High preset at 1080p is the maximum recommended setting, as the Ultra preset's 37 FPS average is likely to feel choppy and less responsive. Moving to 1440p is only advisable on Low settings, which achieves an average of 60 FPS, but this comes with a significant visual downgrade compared to 1080p Medium or High. The data indicates that 4K should be avoided entirely, as even the Low preset averages only 34 FPS.

The Medium preset appears to be the best balance for this hardware, offering a 69 FPS average at 1080p with a minimum of 59 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target and avoids the visual compromises of the Low preset. The measured min and max FPS for Medium settings (59-79 at 1080p) also show more consistent frame pacing than the other presets, which lack such granular data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and Intel Arc B390 combination in Evolve is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 89 FPS.
• Medium: Average 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS.
• High: Average 54 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 37 FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 60 FPS.
• Medium: Average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS.
• High: Average 36 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 25 FPS.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 34 FPS.
• Medium: Average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS.
• High: Average 21 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 14 FPS.

These numbers illustrate a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the only resolution where the system can consistently exceed 60 FPS, and that is only on Low settings. The data shows that the gap between Low and Ultra presets is consistent across all resolutions, with Ultra averaging roughly 45-50% of the Low preset's frame rate. For example, at 1080p, Ultra averages 37 FPS compared to Low's 89 FPS, and at 1440p, Ultra averages 25 FPS versus Low's 60 FPS. This consistency points to a uniform scaling factor tied to the GPU's rendering load.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, based on the Zen 4 architecture. It has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and its benchmark scores are strong. For instance, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15236 and a single-core score of 1965. Its Passmark single-thread score is 4135. These results show that the CPU is not a limiting factor in Evolve, as the game's FPS is heavily dependent on resolution and settings, which are GPU-centric variables.

The Ryzen 5 7600X's performance relative to its rivals reinforces its capability. It has an average benchmark score of 27636, placing it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. It is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Core i5-12600K, with a delta of 0.2%, and is 0.4% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800. This level of processing power is more than adequate to feed the Intel Arc B390, ensuring that the GPU is the sole bottleneck in this configuration.

The CPU's specifications, including its 32 MB of L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, provide a robust platform. The measured FPS in Evolve shows no signs of CPU stuttering or frame pacing issues that would indicate a processor limitation. Instead, the consistent frame rate drops with increased resolution and settings are a textbook example of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU is effectively waiting on the GPU to render each frame, a situation that is common with entry-level graphics cards paired with high-end processors.