Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, presents a demanding workload that clearly separates the capabilities of this AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Radeon RX 6600 pairing. The measured frame rates across resolutions show a system where the graphics card is the primary constraint, but the data also reveals interesting scaling characteristics that hint at the CPU's headroom. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes it against other tested combinations, and interprets what the numbers mean for a player using this specific hardware configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a classic GPU-bound progression as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 147 FPS, which drops to 98 FPS at 1440p and further to 56 FPS at 4K. This represents a 61.9% drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, as expected. The pattern holds across all settings presets, with the drop from 1080p to 4K being 61.8% for High settings (89 to 34 FPS) and 61.4% for Medium (114 to 43 FPS).

The scaling behavior suggests that the Radeon RX 6600 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are being pushed harder as resolution increases, which is consistent with the observed frame rate reductions. However, the relative consistency of the percentage drops across settings (all around 61-62%) implies that the CPU is not becoming a bottleneck even at 1080p Low where the frame rate is highest. If the Ryzen 7 9700F were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p, as the CPU would cap performance at the lower resolution.

The most telling data point for resolution scaling is the Ultra preset, which shows a drop from 62 FPS at 1080p to 41 FPS at 1440p (a 33.9% reduction) and then to 24 FPS at 4K (an additional 41.5% reduction from 1440p). This steeper decline at Ultra settings indicates that the GPU is severely strained by the combination of high resolution and maximum visual fidelity, with the 4K Ultra average of 24 FPS falling below playable thresholds. The data implies that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where even Ultra settings maintain a playable 62 FPS average, while 1440p requires dropping to Medium or High for smooth performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a 60+ FPS average?

A: The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where all settings presets achieve at least 62 FPS on average. At 1440p, only Low and Medium settings reach 60+ FPS (98 and 76 FPS respectively), while High drops to exactly 60 FPS. At 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS, with the highest being Low at 56 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 2228 out of 2872 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 22.4% of all systems. This rank of 2228 indicates that while this pairing can run the game, there are 644 other combos that achieve higher performance in Evolve specifically.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the performance in this game?

A: The resolution scaling data strongly suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The consistent ~61% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K across Low, Medium, and High settings indicates that performance scales with pixel count, which is a GPU-bound characteristic. The CPU's high single-thread score of 4691 in PassMark suggests it has ample headroom for this 2015 title.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings produce an average of 147 FPS, while Ultra produces 62 FPS. This is a 57.8% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset at the same resolution.

Q: Does the combo provide consistent minimum frame rates at any settings?

A: Only the Medium preset has recorded minimum FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the min FPS is 97 with a max of 131 and an average of 114. At 1440p Medium, the min drops to 65 with a max of 88 and an average of 76. At 4K Medium, the min is 37 with a max of 50 and an average of 43. No minimum data is available for Low, High, or Ultra presets.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 serves as the central component in determining Evolve's performance across the measured configurations. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is the resource most likely taxed when moving from 1080p to 4K. The GPU's architecture is RDNA 2.0 on a 7 nm process, featuring 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2491 MHz and a game clock of 2044 MHz.

The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19036. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 with a score of 19030 (0% delta), which is effectively identical performance. The RTX 4050 Mobile scores 19049 (-0.1%), also essentially tied. This suggests the RX 6600 sits at a specific performance tier, which aligns with the measured Evolve results showing it can handle 1080p well but struggles at 4K.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Evolve, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at those resolutions. However, at 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 24, which could indicate that the GPU is running out of memory bandwidth or VRAM capacity, forcing the system to manage assets less efficiently. The pixel rate of 159.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 279.0 GTexel/s are the raw throughput numbers that determine how quickly the GPU can fill pixels and sample textures, and these are clearly insufficient for 4K Ultra in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest performance across all presets. Low settings yield an average of 147 FPS, which is the highest measured value for this system. Medium settings reduce this to 114 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 97 and maximum of 131. High settings produce an average of 89 FPS, while Ultra settings still maintain a playable 62 FPS average. The step-down from Low to Medium is a 22.4% reduction, from Medium to High is 21.9%, and from High to Ultra is 30.3%.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 98 FPS, which is a 33.3% reduction from the same settings at 1080p. Medium settings average 76 FPS (min 65, max 88), representing a 33.3% drop from 1080p Medium. High settings average exactly 60 FPS, which is a 32.6% reduction. Ultra settings average 41 FPS, a 33.9% reduction from 1080p Ultra. The consistency of this ~33% drop across all presets indicates a uniform scaling factor related to the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal for smooth gameplay. Low settings average 56 FPS, which is a 42.9% reduction from 1440p Low. Medium settings average 43 FPS (min 37, max 50), a 43.4% reduction. High settings average 34 FPS, a 43.3% reduction. Ultra settings average 24 FPS, a 41.5% reduction from 1440p Ultra. The larger percentage drops from 1440p to 4K compared to 1080p to 1440p suggest that the GPU is hitting a more severe bottleneck at the highest resolution, likely related to memory bandwidth limitations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2228 out of 2872 tested combinations places it in the bottom quarter of all systems tested for Evolve. This rank of 2228 means that 644 other configurations performed better, while 2227 performed worse. The percentile positioning indicates that while this system can play Evolve at reasonable settings, it is not a high-performance configuration for this specific title.

This ranking is particularly interesting when considering the CPU's strength. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F achieves a 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69996. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX at 69875 (0.2% delta), the Intel Core i7-14700KF at 70163 (-0.2% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X at 69515 (0.7% delta). The CPU's strong performance does not translate to a high combo rank, reinforcing that the Radeon RX 6600 is the limiting factor in this pairing.

The GPU's 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs (average score 19036) is more in line with the combo's overall position. The RX 6600's nearest GPU rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (19030, 0% delta), the RTX 4050 Mobile (19049, -0.1% delta), and the Tesla K20m (19089, -0.3% delta). This mid-tier GPU performance, combined with the high-tier CPU, creates a system that is balanced for 1080p gaming but underpowered for higher resolutions in Evolve.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For players seeking the highest frame rates at 1080p, Low settings at 147 FPS average provide the smoothest experience, but this sacrifices visual quality significantly. Medium settings at 114 FPS average (min 97, max 131) offer a better balance, maintaining frame rates well above 60 FPS while improving visuals over Low.

At 1080p High settings, the 89 FPS average is still comfortable for competitive play, and this preset likely provides a significantly better visual experience than Medium. The 62 FPS average at Ultra is technically playable but sits close to the 60 FPS threshold, so players who prioritize frame rate stability over maximum visuals should choose High settings at 1080p.

For 1440p gaming, the data suggests that Medium settings at 76 FPS average (min 65, max 88) provide the best balance of visual quality and performance. High settings at exactly 60 FPS average are also viable, but the lack of minimum FPS data makes it harder to assess consistency. Low settings at 98 FPS are the safest choice for competitive play, while Ultra at 41 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 4K, no settings preset provides a consistently smooth experience. Low settings at 56 FPS average is the closest to playable, but the frame rate is below 60 FPS. Medium at 43 FPS (min 37) may be acceptable for slower-paced play, but High (34 FPS) and Ultra (24 FPS) are not recommended. Players with 4K displays should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience with this combo.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a high-end desktop processor that appears to have significant headroom in Evolve based on the measured data. With 8 cores and 16 threads, a base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz, this Zen 5 architecture CPU (Granite Ridge codename) on TSMC's 4 nm process is far more capable than what this 2015 game likely requires. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4691 and multithread score of 36470 place it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong performance across both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark performance are the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875 average score, 0.2% delta), Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163, -0.2% delta), and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515, 0.7% delta). This grouping shows that the 9700F performs nearly identically to these other high-end chips, with deltas of less than 1% in either direction. The 65W TDP and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth (dual-channel DDR5) provide ample data throughput for gaming workloads.

The fact that the combo ranks 2228 out of 2872 despite having such a capable CPU strongly suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck in Evolve. The resolution scaling data supports this conclusion: if the CPU were limiting performance, we would expect to see similar frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but instead we see significant drops as resolution increases. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB L2 cache per core provide fast access to frequently used game data, but the overall system performance is clearly constrained by the GPU's capabilities in this title. For players with this CPU who want better Evolve performance, the data implies that upgrading the graphics card would yield far more benefit than upgrading the processor.