Evolve

# Evolve with AMD Ryzen 5 9600X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a playable but not exceptional experience in Evolve, landing at rank 2604 out of 3700 tested combos. This places the combination in the lower-middle tier of all tested hardware configurations for this game, indicating that while the setup handles the title at mainstream resolutions, it struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum quality settings. The data shows a clear performance ceiling imposed by the GPU at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-thread capabilities provide ample headroom for lower-resolution scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2604 out of 3700 tested combinations positions it in the 70th percentile of all tested hardware pairings for Evolve, meaning roughly 70% of tested combos outperform it. This is a modest result for a CPU that sits in the 81st percentile among all CPUs and a GPU in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs — the pairing underperforms what the individual component percentiles might suggest. The bottleneck analysis reveals that the RTX 2060 SUPER, with its 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, while the Ryzen 5 9600X's 6 cores and 12 threads at boost clocks up to 5.40 GHz are more than sufficient for Evolve's demands.

Compared to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 2060 SUPER sits within a tight performance cluster: it trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile by just 0.4%, the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 by 0.5%, and the AMD Radeon RX 460 by 1.5%, while leading the Intel Arc A770M by 1.6% in average benchmark scores. This narrow delta means that swapping the GPU for any of these alternatives would yield negligible differences in Evolve's frame rates — the observed performance is representative of this entire GPU class. On the CPU side, the Ryzen 5 9600X's average benchmark score of 29713 places it within 0.8% of the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and just 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, showing that its computational headroom is similar to these mobile and desktop parts.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Evolve with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently exceeds 60 FPS across all settings, with averages ranging from 68 FPS at Ultra to 160 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, Low and Medium presets remain playable at 107 and 83 FPS respectively, but High drops to 65 FPS and Ultra falls to 45 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 18093 places it within 1.6% of four rivals — the RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, 0.4% faster), Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, 0.5% faster), Radeon RX 460 (18373, 1.5% faster), and Intel Arc A770M (18383, 1.6% faster). The performance deltas are small enough that in-game results would be nearly identical.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 9600X bottlenecking the RTX 2060 SUPER in Evolve?

A: No. The CPU's strong single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1253, Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2183.5) and 6-core/12-thread configuration provide ample processing power. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K follow the GPU's rendering load, indicating the graphics card is the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K with this setup?

A: At 3840x2160, the measured averages are 61 FPS at Low, 47 FPS at Medium (with min/max of 40/55), 37 FPS at High, and 26 FPS at Ultra. Only the Low preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold, while Medium is borderline playable and Ultra is not recommended.

Q: Does the game benefit from the CPU's 32 MB L3 cache?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X features 32 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 80 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core. For Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, the cache hierarchy is more than adequate for the game's data requirements, though the benchmark results suggest the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors at higher settings.

Q: How does the combo's rank translate to real-world experience?

A: Rank 2604 out of 3700 combos means the pairing is outclassed by most other tested configurations. However, the measured FPS data shows it still delivers smooth gameplay at 1080p for all presets, making it a viable entry-level option for this title despite the middling percentile rank.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 68 FPS at 1080p to 45 FPS at 1440p (a 34% reduction) and further to 26 FPS at 4K (a 62% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario — the RTX 2060 SUPER's 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth simply cannot sustain the pixel throughput required at 4K with maximum quality settings.

At Low settings, the scaling is somewhat less severe: 160 FPS at 1080p falls to 107 FPS at 1440p (33% drop) and 61 FPS at 4K (62% drop). The consistent percentage drops across settings indicate that the GPU's raw fill rate — 105.6 GPixel/s pixel rate and 224.4 GTexel/s texture rate — is the dominant constraint. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution climbs because the rendering workload scales with pixel count, while the Ryzen 5 9600X's 12 threads easily keep up with the game logic and draw calls at all tested resolutions. The data suggests that for 1440p gaming, Medium settings provide the best balance, with 83 FPS average and a minimum of 71 FPS ensuring smooth gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting 60 FPS as the playability threshold, the measured data offers clear guidance. At 1920x1080, every preset exceeds 60 FPS: Ultra averages 68 FPS, High 97 FPS, Medium 124 FPS, and Low 160 FPS. This makes 1080p the only resolution where players can freely choose any quality level without compromising frame rate. The High preset at 97 FPS offers a strong balance between visual fidelity and performance headroom, making it the recommended choice for competitive play where higher frame rates provide a tactical advantage.

At 2560x1440, the options narrow considerably. Low (107 FPS) and Medium (83 FPS, with min/max of 71/96) both maintain comfortable frame rates, while High drops to 65 FPS and Ultra falls below 60 FPS at 45 FPS. The Medium preset is the optimal choice here, as it provides 83 FPS average with a minimum of 71 FPS that keeps gameplay smooth even in demanding scenes. For 4K, only Low (61 FPS) reaches the 60 FPS threshold, while Medium (47 FPS) is borderline playable but risks noticeable stutter, and High (37 FPS) and Ultra (26 FPS) are not recommended for any gameplay scenario. The data suggests that 1440p Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, offering 83 FPS with good visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 160 FPS, Medium 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS and maximum of 143 FPS, High 97 FPS, and Ultra 68 FPS. The 92 FPS spread between Low and Ultra indicates that the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution, with settings having a pronounced impact on frame rate without ever dropping below playable levels.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages shift downward: Low 107 FPS, Medium 83 FPS (min 71, max 96), High 65 FPS, and Ultra 45 FPS. The 62 FPS spread between Low and Ultra is narrower than at 1080p, showing that the GPU is beginning to saturate. At 3840x2160, the averages compress further: Low 61 FPS, Medium 47 FPS (min 40, max 55), High 37 FPS, and Ultra 26 FPS. The 35 FPS spread at 4K demonstrates that even dropping from Ultra to Low cannot offset the massive pixel workload, and the GPU's 8 GB VRAM plus 256-bit memory bus become the definitive bottleneck.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, built on the Zen 5 architecture with a 4 nm TSMC process, provides 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores indicate substantial single-thread performance — 3DMark single-thread score of 1253, Cinebench R23 single-core of 2183.5, and Geekbench single-core of 2923 — which is critical for Evolve, a 2015 FPS that relies heavily on single-threaded game logic. The CPU's 81st percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms it is a high-end part, and its passmark single-thread score of 4570 places it well above average.

In this game's context, the CPU's 32 MB L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth (DDR5 dual-channel) provide fast data access for the game engine. The 65W TDP and 4 nm process node ensure sustained boost clocks without thermal throttling, though the data shows that Evolve's frame rates at higher resolutions are not constrained by CPU performance. The CPU's 3DMark multi-thread scores (7585 for 16 threads, 7590 for max threads) demonstrate consistent scaling across thread counts, meaning the 12 threads handle Evolve's parallel workloads efficiently. However, the measured FPS scaling — where 1080p Ultra gives 68 FPS but 4K Ultra gives 26 FPS — indicates the CPU has ample headroom, as a CPU bottleneck would show flatter frame rates across resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, based on the TU106 chip with Turing architecture and a 12 nm TSMC process, is the primary performance limiter in this combo for Evolve. Its 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs deliver a peak FP32 throughput of 7.181 TFLOPS. The GPU's 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range, and its average benchmark score of 18093 sits within 1.6% of four nearest rivals, showing it is a typical mid-tier part from its generation.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU's limits clearly: at 1080p Low, the 160 FPS average suggests the GPU is not fully saturated, but by 4K Ultra, the 26 FPS average indicates complete GPU-bound behavior. The memory subsystem — 8 GB capacity and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth — becomes a critical factor at higher resolutions and settings, as Evolve's textures and effects consume VRAM and bandwidth. The GPU's 175W TDP and boost clock of 1650 MHz (base 1470 MHz) represent the performance envelope, and its 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, while not directly relevant to this non-ray-traced game, contribute to the overall compute capability. The pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s dictate how quickly the GPU can fill and shade pixels, which is why the frame rate drops so dramatically from 1080p to 4K — the fill rate requirement quadruples, and the GPU's architecture cannot compensate.