Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER pairing presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics for Evolve, a 2015 FPS. The data reveals a system where the CPU’s substantial multi-threaded headroom is largely untapped, while the GPU’s performance ceiling dictates the experience across resolutions. This analysis examines the measured frames to understand where each component’s role begins and ends.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a Zen 3 (Vermeer) processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its benchmark profile is robust, placing it in the 86th percentile against all CPUs. In multi-threaded workloads, it scores 23,794 in Cinebench R23 and 27,988 in Passmark multithread, demonstrating significant parallel processing capability. Single-thread performance is equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,359.

However, the measured FPS in Evolve suggests that this CPU power is rarely the limiting factor. Comparing the 5800XT to its nearest rivals in the benchmark database—the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (0.1% ahead), AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (0.3% behind), and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (0.3% ahead)—shows that its average benchmark score of 29,774 is essentially at parity with these other parts. This indicates that while the CPU is performing as expected, the game’s frame rates are not scaling with this level of processing power. The low FPS at 4K Ultra (17.6 FPS) compared to the CPU’s theoretical capability strongly implies that the processor is waiting on the graphics card, not the other way around. The CPU’s job here is to feed the GPU with draw calls, and with 16 threads available, it is likely doing so without breaking a sweat, leaving the GPU as the primary arbiter of performance.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a Turing-architecture card with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its core clocks are 1530 MHz base and 1785 MHz boost, with memory running at 14 Gbps effective. The GPU’s benchmark scores show it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 12,699. Its nearest rivals are integrated or lower-tier discrete solutions like the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (0.2% behind), Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (0.2% behind), and AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (0.7% behind). This places the 1660 SUPER in a specific performance tier, and the Evolve results reflect this positioning.

The GPU’s influence is most evident in the frame rate deltas between settings. At 1440p, dropping from High (48.1 FPS) to Low (85.8 FPS) yields a 78% increase in average FPS, a massive jump that points to the GPU’s fillrate and shading capabilities being the bottleneck. The 6 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game’s textures, but the raw compute power limits the ability to push higher resolutions and detail levels. The data shows a clear pattern: the GTX 1660 SUPER provides playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p on lower settings, but struggles to maintain fluid motion at 4K, suggesting that its 5.027 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the hard ceiling for this title.

FAQ

Q: Why is the 4K Ultra preset so slow at 17.6 FPS when the CPU is so powerful?

A: The low frame rate is due to the GPU being the limiting component. The GTX 1660 SUPER’s 5.027 TFLOPS of compute performance is insufficient for the pixel workload at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, causing a severe bottleneck that the Ryzen 7 5800XT cannot overcome.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5800XT holding back the GTX 1660 SUPER in this game?

A: No. The data indicates the opposite. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 125.1 FPS, which shows the CPU is feeding frames efficiently. The performance drops at higher settings are directly correlated with the GPU’s workload, not CPU limitations.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations in the database?

A: This specific combination ranks 1487th out of 1695 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the lower 12% of all systems. This low ranking is driven by the GPU’s mid-tier performance, as the CPU is ranked in the 86th percentile.

Q: What is the best setting for a smooth 1080p experience?

A: Based on the measured data, the High preset at 1920x1080 provides the best balance, delivering 74 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, and the Low preset at 125.1 FPS is only necessary if the user prioritizes maximum frame rates over visual fidelity.

Q: Does the 6 GB VRAM of the GTX 1660 SUPER cause issues at higher resolutions?

A: While the 6 GB capacity is adequate for this game, the bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s and the GPU’s compute power are the primary constraints. At 4K Ultra, the 17.6 FPS result suggests the GPU is overwhelmed by the shading requirements, not necessarily running out of memory.

Q: Is the 5800XT's 8-core/16-thread configuration overkill for this game?

A: For Evolve, yes. The game is clearly GPU-bound in this pairing. The CPU’s 23,794 Cinebench R23 multi-core score is never fully utilized, as the frame rates are limited by the GTX 1660 SUPER’s performance, not by a lack of CPU processing power.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for optimizing the experience. For players targeting 1080p, the High preset is the recommended choice, delivering an average of 74 FPS. This provides a smooth, responsive experience without the visual degradation of Low settings. The Medium preset at 95.9 FPS is a strong alternative for those who prefer higher frame rates, but High offers a significant visual upgrade for a 22 FPS cost. The Ultra preset at 54.3 FPS is borderline; it is playable but dips below the 60 FPS target, making High the safer option.

At 1440p, the situation changes. The High preset drops to 48.1 FPS, which is not ideal for fast-paced gameplay. The Medium preset at 66.8 FPS is the sweet spot here, providing a playable frame rate while maintaining reasonable visual quality. Low at 85.8 FPS is the best choice for competitive play, but it sacrifices most graphical features. For 4K, the data is less forgiving. The Medium preset at 34.8 FPS and High at 31 FPS are both below the acceptable threshold for smooth gameplay, while Low at 47.8 FPS is the only preset that approaches playability, though it still falls short of 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 17.6 FPS is not recommended for actual gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER achieves a rank of 1487 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve. This places the system in the bottom 12% of configurations, which is a surprising result given the CPU’s high percentile ranking. The disconnect highlights how a mid-range GPU can anchor an otherwise powerful system in a specific game. The CPU’s nearest rivals—the Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, Ryzen 7 6800HS, and Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360—all have similar average scores, but the GPU’s performance tier is what drags the combo down.

The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, which is 0.7% behind in average score, yet the measured results show this card is clearly the limiting factor. This ranking suggests that for Evolve, investing in a higher-tier GPU would yield significantly better performance than the current setup, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a more powerful graphics card. The data indicates that this combo is CPU-heavy, but the gaming workload is entirely GPU-bound.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across four presets and three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 125.1 FPS on Low, 95.9 FPS on Medium, 74 FPS on High, and 54.3 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a steady decline as settings increase, with a 57% drop from Low to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 85.8 FPS (Low), 66.8 FPS (Medium), 48.1 FPS (High), and 36.3 FPS (Ultra). The gap between Low and Ultra widens to 58%, but the absolute numbers are lower, indicating the GPU is working harder. At 3840x2160, the averages drop significantly to 47.8 FPS (Low), 34.8 FPS (Medium), 31 FPS (High), and 17.6 FPS (Ultra). The Ultra preset at 4K is particularly punishing, delivering less than a third of the frame rate of the 1080p Low preset.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and reveals the limiting component. At Low settings, the system goes from 125.1 FPS at 1080p to 47.8 FPS at 4K, a 62% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 95.9 FPS to 34.8 FPS, a 64% reduction. High settings see a drop from 74 FPS to 31 FPS, a 58% reduction. Ultra settings are the most affected, falling from 54.3 FPS to 17.6 FPS, a 68% reduction.

This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The number of pixels at 4K is 4 times that of 1080p, but the frame rate does not drop by a factor of 4; instead, it drops by roughly 60-70%. This suggests that the GTX 1660 SUPER’s memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s and its shading units are being saturated, but not completely overwhelmed by the resolution increase. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the scaling would be much flatter across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload would remain constant. The steep decline in FPS as resolution increases confirms that the GPU is the primary performance limiter, and the Ryzen 7 5800XT is not contributing to the frame rate drop at higher resolutions. The data points to a simple conclusion: the GTX 1660 SUPER is the component to upgrade for better 4K performance, while the CPU is ready for a more powerful graphics card.