Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a striking imbalance in Evolve, a 2015 FPS. The data reveals a system where an exceptionally capable CPU is paired with a GPU that ranks in the 9th percentile among all tested graphics cards, resulting in a predictable bottleneck that defines the entire performance envelope. The benchmark results across all resolutions and settings tell a consistent story of GPU limitation, with the processor’s potential remaining largely untapped.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data across the three resolutions in Evolve indicates that the Low preset consistently delivers the most playable experience, though it does so at the cost of visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 89 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in this dataset. This is a substantial jump from the Medium preset’s 69 FPS average, representing a 29% improvement in frame rate. The Low setting is the only configuration at 1080p that approaches the refresh rate territory of high-refresh monitors, making it the only viable choice for competitive play.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset again leads with an average of 60 FPS, which is a playable threshold for most users. The Medium preset at this resolution drops to 46 FPS, a figure that begins to feel less fluid for a fast-paced FPS. The data suggests that for 1440p, the Low preset is the only option that maintains a consistent 60 FPS average, which is the baseline for a smooth experience. The High preset at 1440p falls to 36 FPS, which would be noticeable in gameplay.

For 3840x2160, the situation is far more constrained. The Low preset manages an average of 34 FPS, while the Medium preset falls to 26 FPS. Neither of these figures is ideal, but the Low preset is the only one that avoids dipping into the low 20s. The frame rate data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo is not a realistic prospect for a satisfying experience, as even the lowest settings struggle to maintain a stable 30 FPS. The recommendation across all resolutions is clear: the Low preset is the only setting that provides a frame rate high enough to be considered functional, and even then, users will need to accept significant compromises in visual quality.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390’s role in Evolve is the definitive limiting factor. The GPU’s benchmark data shows a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is an extremely low score, and its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and NVIDIA GeForce 800M, which it edges out by a mere 1.3% and 1.5%, respectively. These are entry-level, legacy mobile-class parts, which underscores the Arc B390’s position as a very low-powered integrated graphics solution.

The GPU’s specifications align with this performance class. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Its memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s main memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This architecture is typical of an integrated GPU, and the 80 W TDP further confirms its low-power design. The 3nm process node from Intel is a modern feature, but it does not compensate for the fundamental lack of compute resources.

In Evolve, the GPU’s limitations are laid bare by the frame rates. At 1080p Low, the 89 FPS average shows the GPU can handle the game’s minimal demands, but as resolution and settings increase, the performance collapses. The data implies that the GPU is completely saturated even at low settings, and any increase in workload, whether from resolution or graphical detail, has a direct and severe impact on frame rate. The GPU is the sole determinant of the FPS in this configuration; the CPU’s capabilities are never tested.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in Evolve?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 89 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M.

Q: Is the Low preset at 2560x1440 better than the High preset at 1920x1080?

A: Yes, the Low preset at 2560x1440 achieves an average of 60 FPS, while the High preset at 1920x1080 averages 54 FPS, making the lower preset at a higher resolution a superior choice for frame rate.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded in the dataset?

A: The lowest average FPS is 14, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra preset.

Q: Does the Medium preset at 1920x1080 maintain a consistent frame rate?

A: The data shows an average of 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS, indicating a somewhat wide variance.

Q: How does the CPU’s benchmark performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 39768, which is 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS and 0.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Evolve provides a clear picture of the system’s capabilities. At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the standout performer with an average of 89 FPS. The Medium preset follows with 69 FPS, showing a significant drop, and it is the only 1080p configuration with min/max data: a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. The High preset drops further to 54 FPS, while the Ultra preset is the least performant at 37 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a consistent and steep decline in performance, with the Ultra preset delivering less than half the frame rate of the Low preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same trend continues. The Low preset leads with 60 FPS, which is a playable level. The Medium preset averages 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 and a maximum of 53, showing a tighter but still variable frame time. The High preset drops to 36 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 25 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 35 FPS, which is proportionally similar to the 1080p gap.

At 3840x2160, the performance is marginal. The Low preset averages 34 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that stays above 30 FPS. The Medium preset averages 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30. The High preset drops to 21 FPS, and the Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 14 FPS. The data shows that even the most demanding preset at 4K, Ultra, produces a frame rate that is less than 16% of the maximum observed FPS at 1080p Low, illustrating the GPU’s inability to handle high pixel counts.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for Evolve, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2530 out of 2872 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 12% of all configurations, which is a poor result. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU’s low performance, as the CPU is a top-tier part. The combo’s position is a direct consequence of the GPU’s 9th percentile standing; it is dragging an otherwise excellent processor down to the lower echelons of the performance charts.

The rank of 2530 indicates that a vast majority of other CPU-GPU pairings deliver better performance in Evolve. This is not surprising given the Arc B390’s benchmark data, which shows it competing with decade-old, low-end mobile GPUs. The data suggests that any dedicated graphics card from the past several years would likely outperform this iGPU, making the combo’s ranking a reflection of the GPU’s severe limitations rather than the CPU’s capabilities. The CPU’s high benchmark scores are irrelevant to this ranking because the GPU cannot translate that processing power into frame rate.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture on a 4nm process node. Its base clock is 4.70 GHz, and it boosts up to 5.20 GHz. It features a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a key characteristic of the X3D series. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23230 and a single-core score of 2080. In synthetic tests, it averages a score of 39768, placing it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs.

In Evolve, the CPU’s role is almost entirely passive. The game is from 2015, and the data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at every resolution and setting. The CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads are far more than the game can utilize, and its high boost clock of 5.20 GHz ensures it is never a limiting factor. The CPU’s performance, which is competitive with rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (which it trails by 0.8% in average score), is simply wasted because the GPU cannot keep pace.

The data implies that the CPU is operating well below its potential. The frame rates are dictated entirely by the GPU’s rendering capabilities, not the CPU’s ability to feed it data. The CPU’s vast L3 cache and high clock speeds are irrelevant when the GPU is producing 89 FPS at 1080p Low. In this configuration, the CPU is a bystander, and its performance characteristics have no measurable impact on the game’s output. It is a classic case of a CPU being far more powerful than the GPU it is paired with.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data from 1080p to 4K reveals a stark scaling pattern that confirms the GPU bottleneck. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 89 at 1920x1080 to 60 at 2560x1440, a decrease of 32.6%. Moving to 3840x2160, the FPS drops further to 34, which is a 61.8% decrease from the 1080p figure. This massive drop as resolution increases is a clear indicator that the GPU is the limiting component, as the workload on the CPU does not scale significantly with resolution.

At the Medium preset, the scaling is slightly more moderate. The FPS drops from 69 at 1080p to 46 at 1440p (a 33.3% decrease) and then to 26 at 4K (a 62.3% decrease from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across different presets is telling. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain relatively stable as resolution increases, since the CPU’s workload would be unchanged. Instead, the FPS drops dramatically, indicating that the GPU is being pushed to its absolute limit at each higher resolution.

The High preset shows a similar pattern, dropping from 54 FPS at 1080p to 36 FPS at 1440p and 21 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most extreme, dropping from 37 FPS at 1080p to 25 FPS at 1440p and 14 FPS at 4K. The data across all settings shows that the GPU’s performance degrades by roughly 60% or more when moving from 1080p to 4K. This is a definitive sign of a GPU-limited scenario. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s processing power is not being fully utilized; it is the Arc B390’s inability to render frames at higher pixel counts that dictates the poor performance at 1440p and 4K.