Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT pairing delivers a genuinely playable experience in Evolve, but the data reveals a system that shifts its bottleneck character dramatically depending on the resolution and preset selected. At 1080p, the combination produces frame rates well beyond display refresh rates for most settings, while at 4K Ultra, it dips to a level that tests the limits of smooth gameplay. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to understand exactly where the CPU and GPU each take the lead, and what that means for a player configuring this system for the 2015 FPS title.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, and manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, and it uses the AMD Socket AM5. Its cache structure includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 9700F shows a strong single-threaded performance profile. Its Passmark single-thread score is 4691, and its Passmark physics score is 2122. The multithread score is 36470, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs tested. Compared to its nearest rivals, the 9700F sits in a tight cluster: it is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-14700KF, 0.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700K. These deltas are small, indicating that the 9700F’s compute capabilities are essentially on par with those high-end alternatives for general processing tasks.

For Evolve, which launched in 2015, the CPU’s role in the measured FPS data is most visible at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 192 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate recorded across all tested configurations. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 149 FPS, and at 1080p High, it is 117 FPS. These figures suggest that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to sustain very high frame rates, even when the graphical load is light. The gap between 1080p Low and 1080p Ultra (81 FPS) is substantial, but the fact that 1080p Low nearly hits 200 FPS indicates that the CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads, combined with its high boost clock, are not a limiting factor at that resolution.

The 9700F’s position in the 94th percentile of all CPUs reinforces the idea that it has ample headroom for a game like Evolve. The Passmark integer math score of 120788 and floating-point math score of 77955 suggest robust computational throughput, which would benefit game logic and physics calculations. However, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU’s influence wanes as resolution increases. At 4K, the frame rates are much lower across all settings, which points to the GPU becoming the primary constraint. This is a classic pattern: at 1080p, the CPU can push frames faster than the GPU can render them, while at 4K, the GPU’s pixel-pushing workload dominates.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, using the Navi 22 chip on a 7 nm process from TSMC. It has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 2321 MHz, its boost clock is 2581 MHz, and its game clock is 2424 MHz. The memory clock is 2000 MHz, with 16 Gbps effective speed. The GPU has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 40 ray-tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 165.2 GPixel/s, texture rate is 413.0 GTexel/s, and it delivers 13.21 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The TDP is 230 W, and it requires a 550 W suggested PSU.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 6700 XT scores 19786 in Passmark G3D, which places it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (0% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (0.5% behind), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell (1.1% ahead), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (1.5% behind). The GPU’s average benchmark score is 27425, and it scores 9336 in Passmark GPU compute.

For Evolve, the GPU’s 12 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for the game’s 2015-era textures, even at 4K. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rates at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 31, which is barely playable for a fast-paced FPS. At 4K High, the average is 45 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 57 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS. Only at 4K Low does the system achieve a smoother 73 FPS average.

The RX 6700 XT’s performance relative to its rivals is telling. Being within 1.5% of the RTX 3090 in average benchmark score—a GPU with significantly more memory bandwidth and compute units—suggests that the RX 6700 XT is well-optimized for the workloads in the benchmark suite. However, in actual game performance, the data shows that the GPU’s limits are reached at 4K Ultra, where the 31 FPS average indicates that the card’s 13.21 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is not enough to maintain high frame rates with all settings maxed out.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Evolve?

A: The highest average FPS is 192, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is far above the 60 FPS threshold and indicates that the CPU and GPU combination has significant headroom at 1080p when graphical demands are minimal.

Q: Is the combo capable of 60 FPS at 4K in Evolve?

A: According to the measured data, no. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 73 with Low settings, but Medium averages 57 FPS, High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. Only the Low preset at 4K exceeds 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996, while the Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average score of 70163. The delta is -0.2%, meaning the 9700F is essentially tied with the i7-14700KF in overall CPU performance.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, based on its average benchmark score of 27425. This places it above the majority of tested graphics cards, but below the top-tier performers.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured minimum FPS is 85, with an average of 100 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS. This shows a consistent frame delivery without severe drops.

Q: Does the combo’s performance at 1080p Ultra suggest a CPU bottleneck?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 81, which is lower than the 117 FPS at 1080p High. The drop from High to Ultra is 36 FPS, indicating that the GPU is handling increased graphical work, but the CPU still has enough power to maintain above 60 FPS, so a CPU bottleneck is not evident.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT ranks 1480 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the 51.5th percentile of all combinations tested for this game, meaning it performs better than just over half of all systems evaluated. Given that the CPU is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs and the GPU is in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, the combo’s mid-pack ranking in Evolve suggests that the game’s specific demands do not fully leverage the strengths of either component.

The rank of 1480 is notable because it indicates that the overall system performance is not as high as the individual component percentiles might suggest. This could be due to the game’s age—Evolve was released in 2015—and its engine may not scale perfectly with modern hardware. The measured FPS data shows that the combo is capable of very high frame rates at 1080p Low (192 FPS), but the ranking implies that many other combos achieve even higher average performance in this specific title. The GPU’s 12 GB of VRAM and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth are substantial, but the game may not utilize them fully, leading to a situation where the combo’s raw power is not fully expressed in Evolve.

Comparing the combo’s ranking to its component benchmarks, the CPU’s nearest rivals all have similar average scores, and the GPU’s nearest rivals are also closely matched. This suggests that the combo’s rank is more dependent on the game’s engine than on the hardware’s intrinsic capabilities. For a player using this system, the ranking indicates that while the combo is not top-tier for Evolve, it is still above average, and the measured FPS data shows that it can deliver playable performance at most settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of scaling from 1080p to 4K, with the most dramatic drops occurring at higher settings. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 192, while at 4K Low, it drops to 73 FPS—a 62% reduction. At 1080p Medium, the average is 149 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 57 FPS—a 62% drop as well. For High settings, 1080p averages 117 FPS, and 4K averages 45 FPS, a 62% reduction. At Ultra, 1080p averages 81 FPS, and 4K averages 31 FPS, a 62% drop.

The consistency of the ~62% reduction across all settings from 1080p to 4K is striking. This indicates that the performance scaling is proportional to the number of pixels being rendered. The total pixel count increases by a factor of 4 from 1080p (2,073,600 pixels) to 4K (8,294,400 pixels), but the FPS does not drop by a factor of 4; it drops by roughly 62%. This suggests that the GPU is not purely pixel-bound at 4K, and that other factors, such as memory bandwidth or shader complexity, are also in play.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a smaller drop. At 1080p Low, the average is 192 FPS, and at 1440p Low, it is 129 FPS—a 33% reduction. At 1080p Medium, the average drops from 149 to 100 FPS (33% reduction), at High from 117 to 78 FPS (33% reduction), and at Ultra from 81 to 54 FPS (33% reduction). This consistent 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a consistent 62% drop from 1440p to 4K, reveals that the GPU’s workload scales non-linearly with resolution. The jump from 1440p to 4K is more punishing, indicating that the RX 6700 XT’s memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s begins to become a limiting factor at 4K.

The data implies that at 1080p and 1440p, the combo is well-balanced, with the CPU and GPU sharing the load. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting component. The fact that 4K Low (73 FPS) is only slightly above 1440p Ultra (54 FPS) suggests that the GPU’s raw rendering power is the bottleneck at 4K, regardless of settings. For players targeting 4K, the data suggests that only Low settings provide a comfortable frame rate, while Medium and above require compromises.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides exact average FPS figures for three resolutions and four settings presets, with some rows also including minimum and maximum FPS values.

At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are as follows: Low settings produce 192 FPS, Medium settings produce 149 FPS with a minimum of 127 FPS and a maximum of 171 FPS, High settings produce 117 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 81 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 111 FPS, which is substantial. The Medium preset’s minimum of 127 FPS indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above 120 FPS, providing a very smooth experience. The High preset at 117 FPS is also excellent, while Ultra at 81 FPS remains above 60 FPS but shows a significant drop from High.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are: Low settings produce 129 FPS, Medium settings produce 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS, High settings produce 78 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 54 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 85 FPS is still comfortable, but the High preset at 78 FPS is below the 80 FPS threshold. Ultra at 54 FPS is below 60 FPS, indicating that the GPU is struggling with 1440p Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 75 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are: Low settings produce 73 FPS, Medium settings produce 57 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS, High settings produce 45 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 31 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 48 FPS is below 50 FPS, which could be noticeable in fast-paced gameplay. High at 45 FPS is playable but not ideal, and Ultra at 31 FPS is below the standard 30 FPS threshold for some games, though it is technically playable. The data shows that 4K is only viable at Low settings for a consistently smooth experience.

The minimum and maximum FPS data for Medium presets across all resolutions provides insight into frame pacing. At 1080p, the range is 127 to 171 FPS (a 44 FPS spread), at 1440p it is 85 to 115 FPS (a 30 FPS spread), and at 4K it is 48 to 65 FPS (a 17 FPS spread). This shrinking range as resolution increases suggests that the GPU’s workload becomes more consistent at higher resolutions, with less variance in frame times.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and the player’s preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity.

For 1920x1080, the High preset is the best recommendation. It delivers 117 FPS average, which is well above 60 FPS and provides a smooth experience for a fast-paced FPS like Evolve. The Ultra preset at 81 FPS is also playable, but the 36 FPS drop from High to Ultra suggests that the visual improvements may not justify the performance cost. The Medium preset at 149 FPS is excellent for players with high refresh rate monitors, but High offers a better balance of visuals and performance.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It produces 100 FPS average with a minimum of 85 FPS, ensuring that the frame rate never dips below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 78 FPS is also acceptable, but the 22 FPS drop from Medium to High makes Medium the safer option for consistent performance. The Ultra preset at 54 FPS is below 60 FPS and should be avoided if smoothness is a priority.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only recommendation that provides a comfortable frame rate. It averages 73 FPS, which is above 60 FPS and suitable for gameplay. The Medium preset at 57 FPS is close to 60 FPS but has a minimum of 48 FPS, which could lead to noticeable stutters. High at 45 FPS and Ultra at 31 FPS are not recommended for a game that requires quick reflexes.

Overall, the data suggests that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates with quality settings. At 4K, players must sacrifice settings to maintain playability. The Medium preset at 1080p and 1440p offers the best combination of visual quality and performance, with minimum FPS values that stay comfortably above 60 FPS at 1080p and 85 FPS at 1440p. For the most demanding visual experience, 1080p Ultra at 81 FPS is viable, but the diminishing returns from High to Ultra are apparent in the data.