Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers playable frame rates in Evolve, but the data reveals a significant performance bottleneck that shifts depending on the resolution. At 1080p, the system achieves high frame rates, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, with the CPU's substantial power going underutilized at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, with the most dramatic drops occurring at the highest settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 189.9 FPS, but this falls to 127.6 FPS at 1440p and 72.2 FPS at 4K, representing a 62% drop from 1080p to 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary constraint, as the frame rate reduction is consistent with the increased pixel count.

The Ultra settings preset tells a more severe story. The 1080p Ultra result of 78.7 FPS drops to 52.3 FPS at 1440p and 28.6 FPS at 4K. This 64% reduction from 1080p to 4K shows that the RTX 4060's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are being pushed to their limits at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra frame rate of 28.6 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that this resolution and settings combination is not viable for this hardware.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 111.2 FPS, while at 4K, this gap narrows to 43.6 FPS. This compression suggests that the GPU is becoming the dominant bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the settings changes have less impact when the GPU is already saturated with pixel work.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 4060 ranks 983 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking reflects the imbalance between the high-end CPU and the mid-range GPU, as the CPU's capabilities are not fully realized in this game at higher resolutions.

The CPU itself performs admirably in synthetic benchmarks, with an average benchmark score of 37780, ranking in the 90th percentile against all CPUs. This places it just 0.1% behind the Intel Xeon 6353P and 0.1% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, while being 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i9-13900HK and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core i5-13600KF. These margins are negligible, indicating that the 9800X3D is competitive with top-tier processors from rival manufacturers.

The GPU, however, tells a different story. The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 23181 places it in the 66th percentile against all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon RX 6600M at 0.6% ahead and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti at 0.7% ahead. The Intel Arc B580 trails by 0.7%, and the AMD Radeon 760M trails by 0.8%. This mid-range positioning explains why the combo ranks lower than the CPU's individual performance would suggest.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. This Zen 5 architecture processor, built on TSMC's 4 nm process, includes 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is substantial for gaming workloads. The CPU's benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 34004 and a single-core score of 4800.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain frame rates. The 3DMark scores demonstrate the processor's capability: 10081 in the 16-thread test and 1212 in the single-thread test. The multi-threaded performance is particularly relevant for this FPS title, as it needs to handle game logic, physics, and AI calculations alongside rendering tasks.

The CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by the Passmark single-thread score of 4430, ensures that even at 1080p where frame rates are highest, the processor is not the bottleneck. The data shows that the 1080p Low result of 189.9 FPS is achievable, which would require a capable CPU to maintain. However, the GPU's limitations become apparent as resolution increases, making the CPU's performance advantages less impactful.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 189.9 FPS on Low, 149.1 FPS on Medium, 114.5 FPS on High, and 78.7 FPS on Ultra. These results show that the RTX 4060 can handle 1080p gaming comfortably, with even the most demanding settings producing playable frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset achieves 127.6 FPS, Medium reaches 100.5 FPS, High produces 79.3 FPS, and Ultra falls to 52.3 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is still playable but approaches the lower end of acceptable frame rates for a fast-paced FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 75.3 FPS, showing that settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become critical. The Low preset produces 72.2 FPS, Medium drops to 57.5 FPS, High falls to 44.5 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 28.6 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is not suitable for competitive gameplay, and even the High preset at 44.5 FPS may feel sluggish in fast-paced encounters. The 4K Low result of 72.2 FPS is the only configuration that provides consistently smooth performance at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination in Evolve?

A: The data shows that 1080p provides the most consistent performance, with all settings presets achieving at least 78.7 FPS. At 1440p, only Low and Medium presets remain above 100 FPS, while 4K requires Low settings to achieve 72.2 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 23181 places it 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti, while being 0.7% ahead of the Intel Arc B580 and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon 760M.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D a good match for this GPU?

A: The CPU ranks in the 90th percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 66th percentile, creating an imbalance. The CPU's capabilities exceed what the GPU can utilize, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Q: What settings should be used for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p delivers 100.5 FPS, which is a good balance between visual quality and performance. The High preset at 79.3 FPS is also viable, while Ultra at 52.3 FPS may be too demanding for smooth gameplay.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: Yes, but only with Low settings, which produce 72.2 FPS. The Medium preset at 57.5 FPS is borderline playable, while High and Ultra at 44.5 FPS and 28.6 FPS respectively are not recommended for competitive play.

Q: How does the combo rank against other tested combinations?

A: The combination ranks 983 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning rather than the CPU's high-end performance.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset at 78.7 FPS provides the best visual experience while maintaining playable frame rates. The High preset at 114.5 FPS offers a better balance for competitive play, and the Medium preset at 149.1 FPS is recommended for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Low preset at 189.9 FPS is only necessary for the most demanding competitive scenarios.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 100.5 FPS is the recommended choice, offering a good balance between visual quality and smooth gameplay. The High preset at 79.3 FPS is acceptable for most players, while the Low preset at 127.6 FPS is ideal for those prioritizing frame rate over visuals. The Ultra preset at 52.3 FPS should be avoided for competitive play.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset at 72.2 FPS is the only viable option for consistent performance. The Medium preset at 57.5 FPS may work for slower-paced gameplay, but the High and Ultra presets at 44.5 FPS and 28.6 FPS respectively are not recommended. Players with 4K displays should consider lowering the resolution or upgrading the GPU for a better experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The boost clock of 2460 MHz and base clock of 1830 MHz drive 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs.

The GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 118.1 GPixel/s pixel rate are modest by modern standards, which explains the performance drops at higher resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K Ultra preset at 28.6 FPS suggests memory bandwidth limitations. The 128-bit memory bus provides 272.0 GB/s, which is adequate for the game's requirements at lower resolutions but becomes a constraint at 4K.

The RTX 4060's benchmark scores confirm its mid-range positioning. The Passmark G3D score of 19545 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 show solid performance for its class. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 101030 and Vulkan score of 98095 indicate good compute capabilities. However, the GPU's 66th percentile ranking against all GPUs, combined with the data showing frame rates below 30 FPS at 4K Ultra, demonstrates that this GPU is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Evolve.