Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Evolve, but falls short of maintaining playable frame rates at 4K Ultra settings. The data indicates a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom for the game's threading demands.

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, running on the AMD Socket AM4 platform. With a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, this CPU offers substantial processing power. Its performance percentile of 90 versus all CPUs underscores its high-end positioning at the time of testing. In the context of Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, the CPU's capabilities are far beyond what the game's engine likely requires.

Benchmark results show the processor's strength, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 33150 and a single-core score of 4680. The 3DMark max-thread score of 10075 further illustrates its multi-threaded prowess. The nearest rivals, including the AMD EPYC 4245P and Intel Core i7-13700, show deltaPct values of 0.2 and 0.9 respectively, indicating that the 5900X's average benchmark score of 39453 is essentially on par with these competitors. This means the CPU is not a limiting factor in Evolve; the measured FPS variations across settings are not attributable to CPU bottlenecks, as the processor has sufficient single-thread and multi-thread performance to feed the GPU efficiently. The presence of a large 64 MB L3 cache and support for DDR4 memory also ensures that data can be fed to the cores quickly, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame pacing in fast-paced scenarios.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the definitive performance limiter in this configuration. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz. While the GPU's percentile rank of 63 against all GPUs indicates it is a mid-range performer, its benchmark scores are closely matched with its nearest rivals. The average benchmark score of 19774 places it within a 1.3% deltaPct of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, with deltaPct values of 0.3 and 0.5 respectively.

The GPU's role becomes clear when examining the measured FPS. At 1080p, the RTX 2060 SUPER can push high frame rates, but the transition to higher resolutions and settings reveals its limitations. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Evolve's textures, but the GPU's raw compute power, with a FP32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS, dictates the frame rates. The data shows a stark drop in performance when moving from Medium to Ultra settings at any resolution, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's processing limits rather than a memory capacity issue. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is a forward-looking feature, but for a 2015 title, the DirectX 11 performance is more relevant, and the PassMark DirectX 11 score of 130 indicates adequate but not exceptional capability for this older API.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data clearly illustrates a GPU-bound scenario as resolution increases. At 1080p High settings, the combo achieves an average of 96.8 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 68 FPS, a reduction of 28.8 FPS. At 4K High, the average FPS plummets to 36, which is a substantial 62.8% decrease from the 1080p result. This pattern is consistent across all settings. For instance, at Low settings, the frame rate goes from 161 FPS at 1080p to 105.1 FPS at 1440p and finally to 61.8 FPS at 4K.

This scaling behavior is a textbook indicator of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's performance remains constant regardless of resolution, so the FPS drop is entirely due to the GPU's inability to render the increasing number of pixels. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is significant, but the gap between 1440p and 4K is even more pronounced, showing that the RTX 2060 SUPER is overwhelmed by the 4K pixel count. The data suggests that for a smooth experience, users should target 1080p or 1440p, as the 4K results, even at Low settings (61.8 FPS), are only marginally playable and drop to 26.8 FPS at Ultra, which is not a viable gaming experience.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the overall ranking for Evolve, this specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 1233 out of 1695 tested combos. This places it in the lower third of all configurations tested for this game. The rank is a holistic measure that considers performance across all tested resolutions and settings. Given the GPU's mid-range position and the CPU's high-end status, the ranking reflects that the GPU is holding the combo back from achieving a higher position. The data indicates that while the CPU is more than capable, the overall system performance is constrained by the RTX 2060 SUPER.

The ranking suggests that many other combinations, likely those with more powerful GPUs, achieve higher frame rates. The deltaPct values for the GPU's nearest rivals are all positive (0.3, 0.5, 0.8, 1.3), meaning the RTX 2060 SUPER is slightly faster than them, but this does not translate into a high ranking when paired with a high-end CPU. The combo's rank of 1233 is a clear signal that for Evolve, a more balanced pairing with a less powerful CPU and a more powerful GPU would have yielded a better overall result, as the CPU's potential is largely untapped in this title.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X a bottleneck for the RTX 2060 SUPER in Evolve?

A: No, the data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck. The 5900X has a high performance percentile (90) and strong benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 33150. The FPS drops when increasing resolution are consistent with a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU limitation.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Evolve with this combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1080p is the most comfortable resolution, with an average of 96.8 FPS at High settings and 161 FPS at Low. 1440p is also playable, with 68 FPS at High, but 4K is not recommended for a smooth experience, as it drops to 36 FPS at High settings.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 19774. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, has a score of 19706, resulting in a deltaPct of 0.3, meaning the 2060 SUPER is 0.3% faster. It is also 0.5% faster than the RTX 2070, which has a score of 19680.

Q: What is the impact of changing settings from Low to Ultra at 1440p?

A: The impact is significant. At 1440p Low, the average FPS is 105.1. This drops to 85.9 FPS at Medium, 68 FPS at High, and finally to 44 FPS at Ultra. This shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and performance.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Only at Low settings, where it achieves an average of 61.8 FPS. At Medium, it drops to 44.9 FPS, and at High it is 36 FPS. Therefore, a stable 60 FPS at 4K is only possible with the lowest settings.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 2060 SUPER sufficient for Evolve?

A: The data does not indicate a VRAM limitation. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, which points to the GPU's compute capability as the limiting factor rather than memory capacity. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is not shown to be a constraint in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following are the exact average FPS figures measured for this combo in Evolve. At 1920x1080, the system achieves an average of 161 FPS on Low settings, 124.4 FPS on Medium, 96.8 FPS on High, and 65.8 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are 105.1 on Low, 85.9 on Medium, 68 on High, and 44 on Ultra. At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly, with an average of 61.8 FPS on Low, 44.9 FPS on Medium, 36 FPS on High, and 26.8 FPS on Ultra.

These numbers show a consistent degradation in performance as both resolution and settings increase. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 95.2 FPS. At 1440p, the difference is 61.1 FPS. At 4K, the difference is 35 FPS. This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU can help push higher frame rates, but as the GPU becomes more stressed, the overall performance ceiling is lowered.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For a balanced experience, the High preset at 1440p is the recommended choice. The measured average of 68 FPS is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while still offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium settings. This resolution provides a good balance between image clarity and performance, avoiding the demanding pixel count of 4K while delivering more detail than 1080p.

If the user prioritizes a high refresh rate experience, the Low preset at 1080p, with an average of 161 FPS, is the optimal choice. This enables smooth motion on high-refresh-rate monitors and is ideal for competitive play. However, for most users, the High preset at 1440p is the sweet spot, as it offers a solid frame rate and better visual fidelity.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this combo. At 1080p, it achieves 65.8 FPS, which is playable, but at 1440p, it drops to 44 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to an unplayable 26.8 FPS. The visual improvements from High to Ultra are generally marginal in a title from 2015, but the performance cost is steep. Therefore, the data suggests that High settings at 1440p provides the best overall experience, balancing the GPU's capabilities with the game's visual demands.