Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, shows a clear performance profile when paired with the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B390. The measured data indicates that this combination is heavily constrained by the graphics processor, particularly at higher resolutions and quality settings. The following analysis breaks down the benchmark results to explain how this specific hardware duo handles the game's demands.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, pointing directly at the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 89 FPS at 1920x1080 to 34 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 55 FPS. This 61.8% decrease in performance when moving from Full HD to Ultra HD is a classic sign of a graphics card being overwhelmed by the pixel count.

The scaling pattern intensifies with higher quality presets. At Medium settings, the average drops from 69 FPS at 1080p to 46 FPS at 1440p, then further down to 26 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at Medium is 23 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 20 FPS. This relatively even distribution suggests that the GPU's rendering pipeline is saturated at every step up in resolution.

The most demanding scenario, Ultra settings at 4K, yields only 14 FPS on average. This is a 75.7% drop from the Ultra 1080p result of 37 FPS. The data shows that this combination is not viable for 4K gaming at any preset, with even Low settings struggling to maintain a playable frame rate at that resolution.

At 1080p, the picture is much brighter. Low settings achieve 89 FPS, which is smooth, and Medium hits 69 FPS. High settings produce 54 FPS, which is acceptable for many players. The progression from 89 to 69 to 54 to 37 FPS across Low, Medium, High, and Ultra respectively shows a predictable cost for each quality increase at 1080p.

The resolution scaling data reveals that the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, is not the limiting factor here. If the processor were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not scale with pixel count. Instead, the large FPS drops at higher resolutions indicate that the Intel Arc B390's rendering capabilities are being exhausted.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. This dynamic range is typical for a mobile or integrated-class GPU, and the data shows that the boost clock is not sufficient to maintain high frame rates in Evolve at higher resolutions. The GPU's architectural details, including 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, define its raw processing capacity.

The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning the GPU uses the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This setup has implications for bandwidth, which is listed as "System Dependent." In Evolve, a game from 2015, the shared memory architecture likely contributes to the performance degradation at higher resolutions, as the GPU competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth.

The GPU's benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. This low percentile ranking is consistent with the measured FPS results in Evolve. The nearest rivals to the Arc B390 include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463 (1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% slower). These comparisons show that the Arc B390 sits at the very bottom of the GPU performance spectrum.

The GPU's pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are theoretical maximums that are unlikely to be achieved in real-world gaming. The measured FPS in Evolve indicates that the GPU is severely underpowered for this title, particularly when compared to the CPU's relative strength. The GPU's TDP of 80 W is modest, but this does not translate into efficient gaming performance in this benchmark.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2530 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve. This places the pairing in the bottom 12% of all configurations tested, which aligns with the GPU's low percentile ranking. The combo's rank reflects the severe imbalance between the CPU and GPU in this specific game.

The CPU alone performs much better relative to its peers. The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F has a percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25005. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F with a score of 24964 (0.2% slower) and the Intel Core i7-11850H with a score of 24935 (0.3% slower). This shows that the CPU is a capable mid-range processor.

The contrast between the CPU's 77th percentile ranking and the GPU's 9th percentile ranking explains the combo's poor overall position. The data suggests that the GPU is holding back the system's potential in Evolve. If the GPU were replaced with a more powerful model, the combo's rank would likely improve significantly, as the CPU has ample headroom to handle higher frame rates.

The combo rank of 2530 out of 2872 means that 342 tested combinations performed worse. While this is not the absolute worst, it is far from competitive. The measured FPS results confirm that this pairing is only suitable for low-resolution or low-settings gaming in Evolve.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F's score of 24964.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming?

A: The data shows that even at Low settings, the average FPS at 3840x2160 is only 34 FPS. At Ultra settings, it drops to 14 FPS. This indicates that 4K gaming is not playable with this combination.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, based on its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482.

Q: What is the best FPS result recorded in the measured data?

A: The highest average FPS is 89 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How many total combos are ranked in Evolve?

A: The data shows that this combo ranks 2530 out of 2872 tested combinations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the resolution with the most usable performance, the frame rates are as follows. Low settings deliver an average of 89 FPS. Medium settings produce 69 FPS on average, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. High settings yield 54 FPS on average. Ultra settings drop to 37 FPS on average. This resolution is the only one where the combo achieves a consistently smooth experience, provided settings are kept at Medium or below.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably. Low settings average 60 FPS, which is exactly at the threshold of smoothness for many users. Medium settings average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. High settings drop to 36 FPS on average. Ultra settings fall to 25 FPS on average. The 1440p results show that only Low settings can maintain a playable frame rate, and even then, it is borderline.

At 3840x2160, the performance is largely unplayable. Low settings average 34 FPS. Medium settings average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS. High settings average 21 FPS. Ultra settings average only 14 FPS. The 4K results confirm that this hardware combination is not designed for such high-resolution gaming.

The data also highlights the impact of the quality preset on frame rates. Across all resolutions, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial. At 1080p, the difference is 52 FPS (89 vs 37). At 1440p, the difference is 35 FPS (60 vs 25). At 4K, the difference is 20 FPS (34 vs 14). This shows that the relative cost of Ultra settings decreases as resolution increases, because the GPU is already saturated by the pixel count.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark scores are solid for a mid-range desktop CPU. In Cinebench R23, it scores 20851 in multi-core and 2943 in single-core. In 3DMark, it scores 6165 in the max threads test and 951 in the single-thread test.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is strong. It is 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, 0.3% faster than the Intel Core i7-11850H, and 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i7-13620H. It is 0.4% slower than the AMD EPYC 9474F. These small deltas indicate that the Ryzen 5 8400F is well-positioned within its performance class.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role appears to be secondary. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales significantly with resolution and settings, which is a GPU-dependent characteristic. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at lower resolutions. Instead, the 1080p Low setting achieves 89 FPS, which is higher than any other resolution, indicating that the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them at higher pixel counts.

The CPU's 77th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 25005 suggest it is more than capable of handling the game's logic and physics. The bottleneck is clearly the graphics card, which limits the overall frame rate despite the CPU's relative strength. This creates an imbalanced system where the CPU's potential is untapped in Evolve.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's target resolution and performance preference. At 1920x1080, Medium settings offer the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 69 FPS and a minimum of 59 FPS. This ensures a smooth experience without significant frame drops. High settings at 1080p are also viable, with an average of 54 FPS, but the lower minimum frame rate may cause occasional stutter.

For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, Low settings at 1080p provide the best experience, with an average of 89 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches high refresh rate territory. Ultra settings at 1080p should be avoided, as the 37 FPS average is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, only Low settings are recommended, with an average of 60 FPS. This is exactly at the edge of playability. Medium settings at 1440p, with an average of 46 FPS, may be acceptable for users who prefer higher quality over smoothness, but the minimum of 39 FPS could be problematic in fast-paced scenes. High and Ultra settings at 1440p are not recommended, as they average 36 and 25 FPS respectively.

At 3840x2160, no settings are recommended for competitive or smooth gameplay. Low settings average 34 FPS, which is too low for a first-person shooter. The data suggests that users should avoid 4K resolution with this hardware combination entirely.

The overall recommendation is to play Evolve at 1080p with Medium settings for the best balance of visual quality and playable frame rates. If a higher frame rate is desired, Low settings at 1080p are the best choice. Users with 1440p monitors should stick to Low settings and consider lowering resolution to 1080p if a smoother experience is needed.