Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER pairing presents a study in contrasts for the 2015 FPS title Evolve. The processor is a modern 8-core, 16-thread part built on the Zen 3 architecture, while the graphics card is a Turing-based mid-ranger from the GeForce 16 series. Benchmark data for this combo shows a system that is decisively limited by its GPU at higher resolutions, yet reveals a surprisingly capable 1080p performer where the CPU's strengths can be leveraged. The measured frame rates across different settings and resolutions paint a clear picture of a system whose optimal operating window is narrow but well-defined.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a system under significant graphical strain. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers an average of 123 FPS, but this falls to 83 FPS at 1440p and further still to 47 FPS at 4K. This represents a 62% reduction in frame rate from 1080p Low to 4K Low, a scaling pattern that points directly at the GPU as the primary bottleneck. The GTX 1660 SUPER, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, is simply overwhelmed by the pixel count at 4K, regardless of the modest visual demands of Low settings.

The scaling behavior becomes even more pronounced when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the system averages 75 FPS, which drops to 50 FPS at 1440p and plummets to 29 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1440p to 4K alone costs 21 FPS, a 42% performance hit. This suggests that the GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth are saturated well before the CPU's capabilities are fully taxed. The fact that the gap between Low and High settings at 4K is only 18 FPS (47 vs 29) further confirms that raw resolution is the dominant factor, not the complexity of the scene being rendered.

Interestingly, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less punishing than the jump to 4K. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 96 at 1080p to 64 at 1440p, a 33% decrease, but then falls to 37 at 4K, a further 42% decline. This non-linear scaling is typical of a GPU that has enough resources for 1440p gaming but hits a hard architectural wall at 4K. The data indicates that for this combo, 1440p is the practical ceiling for playable frame rates, while 4K should be considered only for Low settings, and even then, the 47 FPS average would be borderline for many players.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 5700X brings substantial processing power to the table, which is essential for maintaining high frame rates at lower resolutions. With 8 cores and 16 threads running at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 123 FPS, a figure that would be unattainable if the processor were the limiting factor. This suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution and settings combination.

The processor's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide the kind of low-latency access that older game engines like the one powering Evolve often benefit from. The 5700X's single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 921, is particularly relevant for a game from 2015 that may not be well-optimized for many-core processors. The CPU's ability to deliver strong performance on fewer threads likely explains why the 1080p results are so favorable.

However, as the resolution increases, the CPU's role diminishes. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 20, a figure so low that even the most powerful CPU could not compensate for the GPU's inability to process the frame. The 5700X's multi-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 13184, is more than sufficient for modern titles, but in Evolve at high resolutions, the workload shifts almost entirely to the graphics card. The 65 W TDP of the CPU also indicates that thermal throttling is unlikely to be a factor, allowing the processor to sustain its boost clock during extended gaming sessions.

GPU Role

The GTX 1660 SUPER is the clear performance limiter for this pairing, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory offers a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but proves insufficient for 4K textures and geometry. The GPU's 1408 shading units and 48 ROPs are tasked with rendering Evolve's environments, and the benchmark numbers reveal the strain. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 20 is unplayable by any standard, while even 4K Low only manages 47 FPS.

The GPU's clock speeds of 1530 MHz base and 1785 MHz boost are standard for the Turing architecture, but the card's 12 nm process node and 125 W TDP mean it operates within a specific performance envelope. The PassMark G3D score of 12699 places it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, indicating a mid-range performer. This is confirmed by the measured results, which show the card delivering playable frame rates at 1080p across all settings (52 FPS at Ultra, 75 FPS at High, 96 FPS at Medium) but struggling to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p except on Low settings.

The GPU's VRAM capacity is a notable concern at 4K. With only 6 GB, the card may be forced to swap textures to system memory, causing stutters and frame drops. The minimum FPS figures are only recorded for Medium settings, showing 31 FPS at 4K and 55 FPS at 1440p, which suggests that other settings may have more volatile frame times. The GTX 1660 SUPER's architecture, lacking dedicated ray tracing cores, is not a concern for Evolve, but its raw rasterization performance is simply not enough for 4K gaming in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured results provides a detailed map of the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance: Low settings produce an average of 123 FPS, Medium yields 96 FPS (with a minimum of 81 and maximum of 110), High achieves 75 FPS, and Ultra drops to 52 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is the sweet spot for this pairing, with even the most demanding preset remaining playable. The gap between High and Ultra is 23 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset introduces significant additional GPU load that may not be worth the visual gain.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades predictably. Low settings average 83 FPS, Medium averages 64 FPS (with a minimum of 55 and maximum of 74), High averages 50 FPS, and Ultra falls to 35 FPS. The 1440p results show a system that can handle competitive frame rates on Low and Medium settings, but High and Ultra presets push the GPU to its limits. The 50 FPS at High and 35 FPS at Ultra would be acceptable for slower-paced games, but for an FPS like Evolve, these figures are below the ideal threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles across the board. Low settings average 47 FPS, which is marginally playable, but Medium drops to 37 FPS (with a minimum of 31 and maximum of 42), High falls to 29 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 20 FPS. These results clearly show that 4K gaming is not viable with this combo, regardless of settings. The minimum FPS of 31 at 4K Medium indicates that even the playable frame rates are not stable, with potential for noticeable stuttering during intense action sequences. The data consistently points to 1080p as the only resolution where this system can deliver both high frame rates and visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 3151 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the bottom 15% of all systems tested. This ranking is a direct reflection of the GPU's limitations, as the CPU is a high-performing part that ranks in the 79th percentile among all processors. The discrepancy between the CPU's strong standing and the combo's low ranking highlights how severely the GTX 1660 SUPER holds back the overall system in this game.

When compared to the CPU's nearest rivals, the data shows that the 5700X is essentially on par with the Intel Core i5-12600K, with both having an average benchmark score of 27578. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and Intel Core Ultra 5 125H are within 0.3% of this score, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is 0.2% behind. This indicates that the CPU is not the source of the combo's low ranking; any of these processors paired with a more powerful GPU would likely achieve a much higher position.

The GPU's nearest rivals tell a similar story. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, AMD Radeon RX 580, and AMD Radeon 740M are all within 0.9% of the GTX 1660 SUPER's average benchmark score of 12986. The fact that the GPU sits in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, combined with the combo's 15th percentile ranking in Evolve, suggests that the game is particularly demanding on graphics hardware. The data implies that for Evolve, the GPU's performance is the determining factor for the combo's overall ranking, and users seeking better results would need to upgrade the graphics card rather than the processor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance, with an average of 96 FPS and a minimum of 81 FPS that ensures smooth gameplay. The High preset, at 75 FPS average, is also viable for players who prioritize image quality, but the jump to Ultra (52 FPS) introduces a significant performance cost that may not be justified by the visual improvements.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only setting that guarantees a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 83 FPS. The Medium preset, at 64 FPS average and 55 FPS minimum, is playable but may experience occasional dips during intense firefights. Players with high refresh rate 1440p monitors should stick to Low, while those with 60 Hz displays can comfortably use Medium. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p, with averages of 50 FPS and 35 FPS respectively, are not recommended for an FPS title where reaction times matter.

For 4K resolution, the data suggests that this combo is not suitable for serious gameplay. The Low preset's 47 FPS average is technically playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes, and the Medium preset's 37 FPS average with a 31 FPS minimum indicates unstable performance. The recommendation is to avoid 4K entirely with this pairing, or to accept that the experience will be suboptimal. The clear takeaway from the data is that 1080p Medium is the best overall experience, offering high frame rates with acceptable visual fidelity, while 1440p Low serves as a viable alternative for those with higher-resolution displays.