Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B570 combination delivers a highly consistent scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions in Evolve, with performance degrading in a predictable, linear fashion as pixel count increases. At 1080p, the combo achieves 137 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 92 FPS at 1440p and further to 52 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 43% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The pattern holds across other settings as well; High settings produce 83 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K, while Medium settings yield 106, 71, and 40 FPS respectively. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, starting at 58 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 39 FPS at 1440p, and collapsing to 22 FPS at 4K.

The scaling behavior indicates that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the system is likely partially CPU-bound, evidenced by the 137 FPS ceiling that is below what a GPU with the Arc B570's raw compute capabilities would typically deliver in an older title like Evolve. However, the consistent percentage drops across all settings suggest that the CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, provides sufficient headroom to avoid severe bottlenecks until the resolution climbs to 4K. At 4K, the GPU's rendering load dominates, and the frame rates across all presets fall into a narrow band between 22 FPS (Ultra) and 52 FPS (Low), confirming that pixel throughput, not processor logic, is the constraining factor at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2294th out of 2872 tested combinations in Evolve, placing it in the bottom 20% of all systems tested. This ranking is notably lower than what the individual component benchmarks would suggest. The CPU sits at the 77th percentile among all processors, and the GPU is at the 65th percentile among all graphics cards. The discrepancy between component-level percentiles and the in-game combo rank indicates that Evolve's engine is either heavily single-threaded or does not scale well with the specific architectural characteristics of this pairing.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for its performance ceiling. The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is 0.2% faster in average benchmark score, while the Intel Core i7-11850H is 0.3% faster and the Intel Core i7-13620H is 0.4% faster. The AMD EPYC 9474F, a server-class part, is 0.4% slower. These marginal differences suggest that the Ryzen 5 8400F's Zen 4 architecture, running at a base clock of 4.20 GHz and boost of 4.70 GHz, is well-matched against its direct competitors. The 16 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support at 83.2 GB/s provide adequate memory bandwidth for Evolve's requirements.

On the GPU side, the Arc B570's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% faster), Intel Arc A750 (0.1% slower), NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (0.4% faster), and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (0.5% slower). The Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, is sufficient for Evolve's texture demands, but its 18 ray tracing cores and 2304 shading units may not be optimally utilized by a game from 2015. The GPU's 65th percentile ranking among all graphics cards, combined with the CPU's 77th percentile, should theoretically place this combo higher than 2294th, but the measured data shows that Evolve does not reward this hardware configuration as much as synthetic benchmarks would predict.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Evolve with this combo for a balanced experience?

A: The 1440p resolution offers the best balance between visual fidelity and performance. At High settings, the combo delivers 56 FPS, which is playable, while Low settings provide 92 FPS for smoother gameplay. The 1080p resolution offers higher frame rates (83 FPS on High) but the 4K resolution drops below 60 FPS on all settings except Low.

Q: How does the combo perform at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves an average of 58 FPS. This is the only Ultra preset across all three resolutions that maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS. The 1440p Ultra setting drops to 39 FPS, and 4K Ultra falls to 22 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K. The frame rate difference between Low (52 FPS) and Ultra (22 FPS) at 4K is 30 FPS, showing that the graphics card's rendering capabilities dictate performance. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads provide sufficient processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: What frame rate can be expected on Medium settings at 1440p?

A: The measured data shows an average of 71 FPS on Medium settings at 1440p, with a minimum of 60 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS. This is the most consistent performance envelope across any resolution and settings combination in the dataset.

Q: How does the combo's performance in Evolve compare to its synthetic benchmark scores?

A: The CPU scores 20,851 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and the GPU scores 14,195 in Passmark G3D, yet the combo ranks 2294th out of 2872 in Evolve. This suggests the game does not fully utilize the hardware's capabilities, likely due to its 2015 engine not being optimized for modern multi-core processors or the Arc architecture's specific features.

Q: Does the combo maintain 60 FPS at any resolution with High settings?

A: No. At 1080p High, the average is 83 FPS, which exceeds 60 FPS, but at 1440p High the average drops to 56 FPS, and at 4K High it falls to 32 FPS. Only the 1080p resolution with any settings other than Ultra maintains an average above 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data clearly indicates that High settings at 1080p provide the best overall experience for this combo, delivering 83 FPS average with a visual quality that is acceptable for most players. This is the highest settings preset that remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. For players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, Low settings at 1080p offer 137 FPS, which is beneficial for competitive play in this FPS title. The Medium preset at 1080p, with 106 FPS average and a minimum of 90 FPS, provides a strong middle ground that ensures no noticeable frame drops during intense combat sequences.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, offering 71 FPS average with a minimum of 60 FPS. This maintains the 60 FPS floor while providing better image quality than Low. The High preset at 1440p drops to 56 FPS, which is playable but may exhibit occasional stutter in demanding scenes. The 4K resolution is not recommended for this combo unless the player is willing to accept significant compromises; Low settings at 4K produce 52 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold, and all other presets drop below 40 FPS. The Ultra preset at any resolution is not recommended, as it provides diminishing visual returns while severely impacting performance, particularly at 4K where it yields only 22 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset of measured frame rates provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance envelope in Evolve. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 137 FPS average, Medium reaches 106 FPS with a range of 90 to 122 FPS, High produces 83 FPS, and Ultra drops to 58 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 79 FPS, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and shading capacity are the primary differentiators at this resolution. The minimum frame rate of 90 FPS on Medium suggests that the combo maintains smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes, with no severe frame time spikes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 92 FPS, Medium averages 71 FPS with a range of 60 to 82 FPS, High produces 56 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39 FPS. The reduction from 1080p is consistent across all presets, with an average decrease of approximately 35%. The Medium preset's minimum of 60 FPS at 1440p is particularly notable, as it maintains the playability threshold despite the increased pixel count. The High preset's 56 FPS at 1440p represents a borderline playable state, while Ultra's 39 FPS is noticeably below the 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 52 FPS, Medium averages 40 FPS with a range of 34 to 47 FPS, High produces 32 FPS, and Ultra drops to 22 FPS. The 4K results show a dramatic performance cliff, with even the Low preset failing to reach 60 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 34 FPS indicates that the combo struggles to maintain consistent frame delivery at this resolution, likely due to the GPU's 10 GB VRAM buffer being heavily taxed by Evolve's texture sets at 4K. The 22 FPS Ultra result is effectively unplayable for a FPS title, making 4K gaming impractical with this hardware configuration.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process. It operates at a base clock of 4.20 GHz and boosts to 4.70 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 20,851 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,943 in single-core, placing it at the 77th percentile among all CPUs. Its 3DMark scores show strong scaling from 1,874 for 2 threads to 6,165 for max threads, indicating that the processor benefits from additional thread utilization.

In Evolve, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU at most settings. The 1080p Low result of 137 FPS suggests that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower graphical loads, but the frame rate ceiling is likely imposed by the game engine's single-threaded performance. The CPU's single-core score of 2,943 in Cinebench R23 is moderate for modern processors, and Evolve, released in 2015, may not effectively utilize the 12 threads available. The 16 MB L3 cache is sufficient for the game's working set, but the dual-channel DDR5 memory at 83.2 GB/s bandwidth may not provide a significant advantage over older DDR4 systems due to the game's age.

The CPU's nearest rivals, including the Ryzen 5 7500F and Intel Core i7-13620H, show virtually identical average benchmark scores with deltas of less than 0.5%. This indicates that the 8400F's performance is well-balanced for its class, but it does not offer any exceptional advantage in Evolve. The processor's boost clock of 4.70 GHz is adequate for the game's logic and AI calculations, but the measured frame rates suggest that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck, particularly at resolutions above 1080p where GPU load dominates.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, using the BMG-G21 chip manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. It features 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operations units, with 18 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a fixed clock speed of 2,500 MHz for both base and boost, delivering 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. It is equipped with 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card's 150 W TDP and dual-slot design require a 450 W power supply and a single 8-pin connector.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Arc B570 scores 14,195 in Passmark G3D and 96,844 in Geekbench Vulkan, placing it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the RTX 3070 Mobile, is 0.1% faster, while the Arc A750 is 0.1% slower. The GPU's performance in Evolve is characterized by significant scaling with settings and resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (137 FPS) and Ultra (58 FPS) is 79 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU's shading and fill rate capabilities are fully exercised by the game's visual effects. The 10 GB VRAM buffer is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s may become a limiting factor.

The 4K results, where the GPU achieves only 52 FPS on Low and 22 FPS on Ultra, indicate that the Arc B570's compute resources are overwhelmed by Evolve's high-resolution rendering requirements. The GPU's 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate and 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate are moderate for a modern card, but the 160-bit memory bus is narrower than many competitors in its class. The 19 Gbps effective memory clock partially compensates for the narrow bus, but the 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is insufficient for 4K gaming with high-quality textures. The GPU's driver maturity for a 2025 release may also factor into the results, as Evolve's 2015 engine may not fully support the Xe2-HPG architecture's feature set, including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4.