Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER pairing presents a classic study in system balance for the 2015 FPS, Evolve. The measured data reveals a configuration where the GPU’s Turing architecture, despite its age, dictates performance ceilings at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s modern Zen 5 architecture ensures headroom is rarely a constraint. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the combo’s standing among 3,700 tested configurations, and interprets the roles of the processor and graphics card in shaping the gaming experience.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K paints a clear picture of where the performance bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 177 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 118 FPS, a reduction of 59 FPS. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 67 FPS, representing a significant 110 FPS decrease from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario as pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling pattern across all settings reinforces this interpretation. At Medium settings, the average framerate falls from 137 FPS at 1080p to 92 FPS at 1440p, and then to 52 FPS at 4K. The 4K Medium result also shows a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 60 FPS, indicating some frame time variance. For High settings, the progression is 107 FPS (1080p) → 72 FPS (1440p) → 41 FPS (4K). The most demanding preset, Ultra, sees averages of 74 FPS, 50 FPS, and 28 FPS across the three resolutions, respectively.

The data implies that the RTX 2070 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus are saturated as resolution increases. The performance cost of moving from 1440p to 4K is consistently larger than the cost of moving from 1080p to 1440p, suggesting the GPU’s shading units and memory bandwidth are overwhelmed at 4K. Conversely, the Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, appears more than capable of feeding frames at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the high 1080p averages. The 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS is a clear indicator that this combo is not intended for maximum fidelity at that resolution, but rather for lower presets or lower resolutions for smoother gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for Evolve, this specific combination of the Ryzen 7 9700X and RTX 2070 SUPER holds a rank of 2151 out of 3700 tested combos. This places it in the lower half of all configurations, which is a direct consequence of the GPU’s age relative to newer contenders. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s individual percentile rank against all GPUs is 65, meaning it performs better than 65% of the graphics cards in the database. However, when paired with a high-end, modern CPU like the 9700X, the overall combo rank is dragged down by the GPU’s limitations.

The CPU itself is a top-tier performer, sitting in the 86th percentile against all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 37,943 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14901E (37,911, a 0.1% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (37,904, a 0.1% delta). The data suggests that the processor is not the limiting factor in this pairing. The combo’s rank of 2151, therefore, is a reflection of the GPU’s standing. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 20,282 is slightly below that of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20,480, a -1% delta) and the RTX 3070 Mobile (20,534, a -1.2% delta). This indicates that the graphics card is a mid-range performer in the current database, and its pairing with a top-tier CPU creates an imbalance that the rank accurately captures.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture and utilizes the TU104 chip on a 12 nm process. It features 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The card’s memory configuration is 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz. The memory operates at 1750 MHz, effectively delivering 14 Gbps. These specifications are central to understanding its performance in Evolve.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a key factor at higher resolutions. In a 2015 title, 8 GB is generally sufficient for textures, but the data shows a significant performance drop at 4K. The measured average of 41 FPS at 4K High versus 72 FPS at 1440p High suggests that the GPU’s compute capabilities, rather than VRAM capacity alone, are being stressed. The FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS and a texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s are modest by modern standards, which explains the difficulty in maintaining high framerates at 4K. The pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s also contributes to the fill-rate demands at 4K becoming a limiting factor.

The RTX 2070 SUPER’s driver and feature set, including support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, do not help in Evolve, which is a DirectX 11-era title. The GPU’s benchmark scores reflect its general capability, with a PassMark G3D score of 18,169 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 90,637. These numbers, while not directly translatable to Evolve FPS, confirm the card’s position as a competent 1440p-class performer that struggles with 4K. The data for this game indicates that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance, especially as settings and resolution increase.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete matrix of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is clearly capable of high refresh rates. Low settings yield an average of 177 FPS, Medium 137 FPS, High 107 FPS, and Ultra 74 FPS. The Medium preset has a recorded minimum of 116 FPS and maximum of 157 FPS, showing a consistent frame delivery. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the CPU can push the GPU to its limits, and the GPU is able to maintain smooth gameplay even at High settings.

At 2560x1440, the averages scale down predictably. Low settings average 118 FPS, Medium 92 FPS, High 72 FPS, and Ultra 50 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 78 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, which is still a playable range for most users. The step from High to Ultra at 1440p results in a 22 FPS drop, indicating that the Ultra preset’s additional effects are costly. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for this combo, balancing visual quality with performance.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become stark. Low settings average 67 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS and maximum of 60 FPS. High settings average 41 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 28 FPS. The data shows that 4K is only viable for this combo at Low or Medium settings if a stable 60 FPS is the goal. The 4K Ultra result is a clear outlier, indicating a scenario where the GPU is heavily overburdened. These measured results underscore the GPU-bound nature of the system at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a modern 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU has a 32 MB shared L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core. Its memory support includes DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, offering a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. This processor is built on a 4 nm process and has a TDP of 65 W.

In Evolve, a game released in 2015, the CPU’s role is likely to be less demanding than in modern titles. The game’s engine was designed for the multi-core processors of its era. The 9700X’s high single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1,280 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,211, ensures that the game’s primary thread is well-served. Its multi-threaded capabilities, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20,485, provide ample headroom for any background tasks or game logic that might be spread across cores.

The benchmark results for the CPU show it is a top-tier performer. Its PassMark multi-thread score of 37,161 and Geekbench multi-core score of 17,906 place it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. The data from the measured FPS, particularly the high averages at 1080p, suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 177 FPS, which is likely near the GPU’s maximum output. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see framerates plateau regardless of resolution, but instead we see a clear decline as resolution increases, pointing to the GPU as the limiting component. The Ryzen 7 9700X provides a strong foundation, but the RTX 2070 SUPER is what ultimately defines this system’s gaming performance.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo capable of running Evolve at 4K?*

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. The measured data shows that at 4K Low settings, the average FPS is 67, and at Medium settings, it is 52. High settings drop to 41 FPS, and Ultra is not playable at 28 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, Low settings are required.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 offers the best balance. At 1440p High, the system averages 72 FPS, and at Medium, it achieves 92 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining high framerates, unlike 4K where performance degrades substantially.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37,943. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14901E, has a score of 37,911, a delta of only 0.1%. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores 37,904, also a 0.1% delta. The CPU is statistically tied with these processors in overall benchmark performance.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20,282. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20,480, which is 1% higher. The RTX 3070 Mobile scores 20,534, a 1.2% difference, and the Intel Arc B570 scores 20,556, a 1.3% difference. These are all very close in performance, with the RTX 2070 SUPER being slightly behind.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. This is evident from the framerate scaling with resolution. At 1080p, the system achieves 177 FPS on Low, but at 4K, it drops to 67 FPS on the same settings. This is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck, as the CPU has enough headroom to handle the increased pixel workload, but the GPU does not.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 107. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 72. This represents a 35 FPS drop, or approximately a 33% reduction in framerate, when moving from 1080p to 1440p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user’s target resolution and desired framerate. For a 1080p display, the High preset is highly recommended. The system averages 107 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience with good visual fidelity. The Ultra preset is also viable at 1080p, with an average of 74 FPS, but the 33 FPS drop from High may not be worth the marginal visual gains. The Medium preset offers a very high 137 FPS, suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors, but High provides a better balance of image quality and speed.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot. The average of 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 FPS ensures consistent, smooth gameplay. The High preset is also playable at 72 FPS, but the frame rate is noticeably lower. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 50 FPS, which may be acceptable for some, but it is below the 60 FPS target. The Low preset at 118 FPS is overly taxing on visuals and is not recommended over Medium.

At 4K, the recommendations are more constrained. The Low preset is the only one that consistently delivers near 60 FPS, with an average of 67 FPS. The Medium preset averages 52 FPS, which is playable but with a higher risk of frame drops, as indicated by the 44 FPS minimum. High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended due to average framerates of 41 FPS and 28 FPS, respectively, which result in a subpar experience. For this combo, 4K gaming should be reserved for Low settings, or the resolution should be lowered to 1440p to enjoy higher quality presets. The data clearly shows that the best experience is achieved by prioritizing Medium or High settings at 1440p, rather than using Ultra at a lower resolution or High at 4K.