Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the AMD Radeon 880M is a combination that sits near the very bottom of the performance hierarchy for Evolve, ranking 2805 out of 2872 tested combos. This placement signals that the integrated GPU is the dominant constraint, as the CPU is exceptionally powerful. The data shows that this system is only playable at lower resolutions and settings, with a clear ceiling on frame rates.

FAQ

*Q: How well does this combo perform in Evolve compared to other tested systems?*

A: This combination ranks 2805 out of 2872 tested combos in the database, placing it in the bottom 2.3% of all tested systems. This is a very low ranking that indicates significant performance limitations for this game.

*Q: Can this system run Evolve at 1080p?*

A: Yes, at 1080p the system achieves an average of 75 FPS on Low settings and 58 FPS on Medium. However, at High settings, the average drops to 45 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 32 FPS.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers an average of 50 FPS, which is the only setting that provides a smooth experience. The Medium preset yields 39 FPS, while High and Ultra averages are 30 FPS and 21 FPS, respectively.

Q: Is 4K gaming feasible with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 29 on Low settings. The High preset produces only 17 FPS, and Ultra drops to 12 FPS, making 4K resolution unplayable for this title.

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

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. It is 0.4% lower than the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Radeon 880M has an average benchmark score of 8436, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX. It is 0.3% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 and AMD Radeon HD 8870M, and 1.3% lower than the AMD Radeon R9 M375X.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This high-core-count mobile CPU is a top-tier part, scoring in the 95th percentile of all CPUs in the database. Its multi-threaded strength is evident in benchmarks like Cinebench R23, where it scores 42713 points, and Passmark's multithread test, where it scores 51405 points.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The game's performance is constrained by the GPU, as the CPU's compute capability is far beyond what the integrated graphics can utilize. The data indicates that the CPU's role is to provide massive headroom, ensuring that it never becomes a bottleneck. For instance, the CPU's single-thread performance, scoring 6030 in Cinebench R23 and 3907 in Passmark's single-thread test, is more than adequate for the game's logic and physics, even at lower resolutions where the CPU is typically more stressed.

The CPU's 64 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel memory support provide a solid foundation, but these advantages are not fully realized in this pairing. The benchmark results for Evolve show that the performance ceiling is set by the Radeon 880M. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU is most likely to be engaged, the average of 75 FPS is a result of the GPU's limit rather than the CPU's capacity. The data suggests that the CPU's massive processing power is effectively idle, waiting for the GPU to keep up.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 880M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, featuring 768 shading units and a boost clock of 2900 MHz. It uses system-shared memory, meaning its bandwidth and capacity are dependent on the system's RAM. This GPU sits in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs in the database, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 535 and a Passmark G3D score of 7615.

The GPU is entirely the performance bottleneck in this system for Evolve. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of the GPU struggling as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the GPU can produce an average of 75 FPS. However, this drops to 58 FPS at Medium, 45 FPS at High, and 32 FPS at Ultra. This scaling indicates that the GPU is quickly overwhelmed by the game's rendering demands.

The Radeon 880M's performance is comparable to older discrete graphics cards. Its average benchmark score of 8436 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX, which scores 8427. This places the integrated GPU in a performance class that was considered entry-level several generations ago. For Evolve, a 2015 game, this level of performance is only sufficient for lower settings and resolutions. The data clearly shows that the GPU's 4.454 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power, while respectable for an iGPU, is not enough to handle the game's higher presets at playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and AMD Radeon 880M is ranked 2805 out of 2872 tested combos in the database for Evolve. This places it in the bottom 2.3% of all systems tested, which is a very poor result. The ranking indicates that the overwhelming majority of other hardware combinations, even those with much weaker CPUs, outperform this setup because they have more capable graphics solutions.

The rank is almost entirely determined by the GPU's performance. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking in the general benchmark pool is completely negated by the GPU's 43rd percentile ranking. In gaming, the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates, and the Radeon 880M's low position in the GPU hierarchy drags this combo down the list. The data shows that the massive CPU performance is essentially irrelevant in this context, as the GPU cannot translate that power into higher FPS in Evolve.

The 2805th rank out of 2872 combos means that this system is only competitive with setups that also use very weak integrated graphics or extremely old, low-end discrete GPUs. It is a clear indication that this hardware is not intended for gaming at any level beyond the most basic. The measured FPS data supports this conclusion, as even at the lowest settings and resolution, the system is only achieving frame rates that are considered playable, not smooth or high-refresh-rate capable.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend on the user's target resolution and tolerance for frame rate dips. For a consistent, playable experience, the Low preset is the only viable option at 1440p and 4K. At 1080p, the Medium preset provides an average of 58 FPS, which is smoother than the Low preset at higher resolutions, and is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.

At 1080p, the Low preset yields an average of 75 FPS, but the Medium preset, with an average of 58 FPS, offers a significantly better visual experience while still maintaining a frame rate above 60 FPS. The min FPS of 49 on Medium is acceptable, though it may be noticeable in intense scenes. The High preset at 1080p, with an average of 45 FPS, is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Ultra preset at 1080p, averaging 32 FPS, should be avoided.

For 1440p, the Low preset is the only setting that provides a playable average frame rate of 50 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 39 FPS, which is below the 40 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K, no settings are recommended, as the maximum average FPS of 29 on Low is simply too low for a playable experience. The data suggests that users should stick to 1080p with Medium settings to get the best experience this hardware can offer for Evolve.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 75 FPS on Low, 58 FPS on Medium, 45 FPS on High, and 32 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 67 FPS, indicating moderate frame time variance. The jump from Low to Medium incurs a 17 FPS penalty, while the jump from High to Ultra incurs a 13 FPS penalty, showing that the Ultra preset is particularly demanding.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are 50 on Low, 39 on Medium, 30 on High, and 21 on Ultra. The Medium preset has a min of 33 FPS and a max of 45 FPS. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, with the Low preset losing 25 FPS on average. This indicates that the GPU is struggling with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the system only manages an average of 29 FPS on Low, 22 FPS on Medium, 17 FPS on High, and 12 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K has a min of 19 FPS and a max of 25 FPS. These frame rates are all well below playable thresholds. The data shows a consistent pattern of the GPU being unable to handle the demands of Evolve at higher resolutions, with every preset at 4K resulting in a slideshow-like experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a stark picture of the GPU's limitations. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 75. This drops to 50 FPS at 1440p Low, a 33.3% decrease, and further to 29 FPS at 4K Low, a 61.3% decrease from 1080p. This scaling is consistent with a GPU that is heavily pixel-bound, meaning its rendering throughput is the limiting factor.

The scaling pattern holds across all settings. For the Medium preset, the FPS drops from 58 at 1080p to 39 at 1440p, a 32.8% decrease, and then to 22 at 4K, a 62.1% decrease from 1080p. This shows that the relative performance hit from increasing resolution is roughly constant, regardless of the quality preset. This is a strong indicator that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints.

The data suggests that the system is entirely GPU-limited at all tested resolutions. The CPU, with its 16 cores and high boost clock, is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see the FPS at 1080p and 1440p to be closer together, as the CPU load would not scale as dramatically with resolution. Instead, the significant FPS drops with each resolution increase point directly to the Radeon 880M being unable to keep up with the rendering workload. The combination of low raw compute power and shared memory bandwidth makes this system unsuitable for high-resolution gaming in Evolve.