Evolve

This combo pairs the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, a top-tier 2024 desktop processor, with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, an entry-level GPU from 2016. The benchmark data reveals a profound imbalance: the CPU operates at an elite level while the GPU severely limits every frame rendered in Evolve. The measured results show a system that is entirely GPU-bound at all tested settings, with the processor's immense capabilities never being utilized.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this configuration at rank 1680 out of 1695 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the bottom 1% of all tested pairings, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance class. The GTX 1050 Ti sits at the 30th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 5316. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce 930A (deltaPct 0), the NVIDIA GeForce 940M (deltaPct 0.4), and the AMD Radeon R7 240 (deltaPct 0.7). These are all mobile or low-end desktop parts, confirming that the GPU is anchored to the bottom tier of performance.

In stark contrast, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D ranks at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37780. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6353P (deltaPct -0.1), the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (deltaPct -0.1), and the Intel Core i9-13900HK (deltaPct -0.6). The CPU is a powerhouse, but the data shows it cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations in this game. The combo rank of 1680 is almost entirely dictated by the GPU, as the CPU's contribution to the final frame rate is negligible when the graphics card is the bottleneck. This pairing is a classic case of a high-end CPU being held back by a low-end GPU, resulting in a final ranking that reflects the weakest link in the chain.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and playability. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 62.9 FPS, which is the only preset to cross the 60 FPS threshold. This is the playable sweet spot for this combo. The Medium preset drops to 45.8 FPS, which is playable but not smooth, while High falls to 39.6 FPS. The Ultra preset is not viable at 39.6 FPS or lower.

At 2560x1440, the situation worsens. The Low preset averages 41.4 FPS, which is the only setting at this resolution that approaches a playable level. Medium drops to 29.8 FPS, High to 25.3 FPS, and Ultra to 19 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset is playable, with Low averaging 22.1 FPS and everything else falling below 20 FPS.

The data suggests that the best experience is achieved by using the Low preset at 1920x1080. This is the only configuration that provides a frame rate high enough for a responsive FPS experience. The gap between Low and Medium at 1080p is 17.1 FPS, indicating a steep performance cost for the first step up in visual quality. For players who prioritize smoothness over visuals, Low at 1080p is the clear choice. The Ultra preset at any resolution should be avoided, as the average frame rates are consistently below 30 FPS, rendering the game effectively unplayable.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the GPU as the sole limiting factor. At the Low preset, the average frame rate falls from 62.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 41.4 FPS at 2560x1440 (a 34.2% drop), and then to 22.1 FPS at 3840x2160 (a 64.9% drop from 1080p). This scaling is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of pixel-pushing capacity.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. At High, the frame rate drops from 39.6 FPS at 1080p to 25.3 FPS at 1440p, and then to 12.9 FPS at 4K. At Medium, it goes from 45.8 FPS to 29.8 FPS to 19.5 FPS. The performance degradation is almost linear with the increase in pixel count, which is a hallmark of a system where the GPU is saturated.

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has no role in this scaling. Its single-core benchmark score of 1212 and multi-core score of 18413 are far beyond what Evolve requires. The data implies that even at 4K, the CPU is idle waiting for the GPU to finish rendering each frame. The resolution scaling data strongly suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield a massive increase in performance at every resolution, while the CPU would remain the same, unchanging bottleneck-free component.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across all resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 62.9 FPS
• Medium: 45.8 FPS
• High: 39.6 FPS
• Ultra: 23.3 FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 41.4 FPS
• Medium: 29.8 FPS
• High: 25.3 FPS
• Ultra: 19 FPS

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 22.1 FPS
• Medium: 19.5 FPS
• High: 12.9 FPS
• Ultra: 12.3 FPS

The data shows that the Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration that provides a smooth experience. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 39.6 FPS, which is a 62.9% reduction in performance. At 1440p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 22.4 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with the best case being 22.1 FPS at Low. The data indicates that this GPU cannot handle Evolve at 4K under any settings, and even at 1440p, only the Low preset is marginally playable.

GPU Role

The GTX 1050 Ti is the definitive bottleneck in this system. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 112.1 GB/s of bandwidth, which is insufficient for the demands of Evolve at higher resolutions. The GPU's base clock is 1291 MHz with a boost clock of 1392 MHz, and its 768 shading units deliver 2.138 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. These specifications place it in the 30th percentile of all GPUs, and the measured FPS reflects this low standing.

The data shows that the GPU's limitations are consistent across all settings. The performance difference between Low and Ultra at any resolution is substantial, but even the Low preset struggles at 1440p and 4K. This indicates that the GPU's raw pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints. The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce 930A, has a deltaPct of 0, confirming that the 1050 Ti is at the very bottom of the desktop GPU hierarchy. The GPU's 4 GB VRAM is also a limiting factor, as Evolve at higher presets and resolutions likely exceeds this capacity, leading to texture swapping and further frame rate drops. The GPU's role is to be the sole determinant of performance, and its low-end status is the reason this combo ranks so poorly.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this combo?

A: The data shows that the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration that achieves an average frame rate above 60 FPS (62.9 FPS). All other combinations result in lower average frame rates.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K?

A: The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, the average frame rate is 22.1 FPS at Low, 19.5 FPS at Medium, 12.9 FPS at High, and 12.3 FPS at Ultra. These results are not playable.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 37780, while the GTX 1050 Ti has an average score of 5316. The FPS scaling with resolution is typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

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

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has an average benchmark score of 5316. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce 930A, has a deltaPct of 0, while the NVIDIA GeForce 940M has a deltaPct of 0.4. This places the GPU at the bottom of the performance spectrum.

Q: What is the CPU's benchmark score relative to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 37780. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6353P with a deltaPct of -0.1 and the Intel Core i9-13900HK with a deltaPct of -0.6, showing it is a top-tier processor.

Q: Does the Ultra preset ever provide a playable experience?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 23.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, it averages 19 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it averages 12.3 FPS. None of these are playable.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads. It has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, with a 96 MB shared L3 cache. Its benchmark results are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34004 and a single-core score of 4800. The Geekbench multi-core score is 18413, and the single-core score is 3341.

In this combo, the CPU's role is to provide a massive amount of untapped potential. The measured FPS in Evolve is entirely limited by the GPU. The CPU's performance, while top-tier, is irrelevant to the final frame rates. The data shows that the CPU is never the bottleneck, as even the most demanding GPU scenario at 4K shows no sign of CPU limitation. The CPU's 3DMark scores, such as 10081 for 16 threads and 1212 for a single thread, are far beyond what is needed for this game. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-13900HK, have a deltaPct of -0.6, but this difference is meaningless in this context because the GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D's role is to sit idle, waiting for a GPU that can match its capabilities. This pairing demonstrates that a high-end CPU cannot overcome a low-end GPU in a graphics-intensive game like Evolve.