Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 delivers a solid 1080p experience in Evolve, but the data shows clear limitations at higher resolutions. This 12-core, 24-thread processor from the Zen 5 architecture is matched with a 7 nm RDNA 2.0 GPU featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. The benchmark results, drawn from measured data, place this combination in the 1357th position out of 1695 tested combos, suggesting a mid-to-lower tier standing for this game. The CPU’s strong multi-threaded capabilities, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 46438, are not fully utilized by Evolve’s engine, which appears more dependent on the GPU’s throughput. The RX 6600’s 8 GB frame buffer and 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth become the primary constraint, particularly at 3840x2160 where average frame rates dip below playable thresholds on higher presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU-GPU combination for Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 1357th out of 1695 tested combinations, placing it in the lower half of all tested systems for this game.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X compare to its closest rival in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X has an average benchmark score of 54450, which is 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D (54681) and 0.7% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700F (54097).

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration and how does it affect performance?

A: The Radeon RX 6600 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. This capacity becomes a limiting factor at 3840x2160, where Ultra settings yield only 25.4 FPS average.

Q: What is the best resolution for achieving 60 FPS or higher in Evolve?

A: At 2560x1440, High settings produce an average of 63 FPS, while Low settings reach 96.5 FPS. At 1920x1080, all tested presets from Low to High exceed 60 FPS, with High hitting 92 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU’s benchmark percentile compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU sits in the 69th percentile of all GPUs. Its average score of 25235 is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon 890M (0% delta) and is 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (25287).

Q: What is the CPU’s single-thread performance score in Geekbench?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X scores 3341 in Geekbench single-core tests, which is significantly higher than its multi-core score of 19827, indicating strong per-thread performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s position of 1357 out of 1695 tested systems translates to roughly the 20th percentile, meaning about 80% of tested configurations outperform it in Evolve. This is a notable gap when considering the CPU’s own 94th percentile standing among all processors. The Ryzen 9 9900X is a high-end part, with a Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 4680 and a Passmark multithread score of 54643, yet the pairing with the RX 6600 restricts overall game performance. The GPU, at the 69th percentile, is the bottleneck. The delta between the CPU’s strong compute potential and the final game ranking is stark; the data suggests that even a mid-range GPU would yield a better game-specific outcome. The combo’s rank is likely dragged down by the GPU’s inability to maintain high frame rates at demanding presets, especially when compared to other tested systems that may use similar CPUs with more powerful graphics cards.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a Navi 23 chip. It operates at a base clock of 1626 MHz and a boost clock of 2491 MHz, with a game clock of 2044 MHz. The memory runs at 1750 MHz, effectively 14 Gbps, across a 128-bit bus. This configuration yields 8.928 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a texture rate of 279.0 GTexel/s. In Evolve, the GPU’s role is dominant. The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1920x1080, the difference between Low (148.5 FPS) and Ultra (64 FPS) is 84.5 FPS, demonstrating the GPU’s sensitivity to graphical load. At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmed, with Ultra settings producing only 25.4 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p but becomes a constraint at higher resolutions, where the texture and geometry demands exceed what the memory bus can efficiently feed. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 15096 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1492 reflect its mid-range class, which aligns with the observed performance caps.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results: Low settings average 148.5 FPS, Medium 115 FPS, High 92 FPS, and Ultra 64 FPS. All presets exceed the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p the most viable resolution for smooth gameplay. Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably: Low averages 96.5 FPS, Medium 77 FPS, High 63 FPS, and Ultra falls to 43.3 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra at 1440p is 19.7 FPS, a significant penalty for the highest preset. At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable: Low averages 53.4 FPS, Medium 42 FPS, High 31.4 FPS, and Ultra 25.4 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 28 FPS reduction, showing that the GPU’s 8 GB memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for this resolution. The data indicates a linear progression where each resolution step roughly halves the performance, consistent with the GPU’s fillrate limits.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a 120 W TDP. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3. Its benchmark scores are impressive: 3DMark single-thread score of 1286, Cinebench R23 single-core of 6555, and Geekbench single-core of 3341. Multi-threaded performance is equally strong, with Cinebench R23 multi-core at 46438 and Passmark multithread at 54643. In Evolve, however, the CPU’s role is secondary. The game, released in 2015, does not appear to scale with the 24 threads, likely utilizing only a few cores. The data supports this: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 148.5 FPS, which is high but not exceptional for a CPU with this single-thread power. The CPU’s percentile of 94 vs all CPUs suggests it is far from a limiting factor. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, as evidenced by the steep FPS drops with increased resolution and settings, which are GPU-bound operations. The CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures it can feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions, but the GPU’s compute capability caps the final output.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience balances visual quality with smooth frame rates. At 1920x1080, the High preset is recommended, yielding 92 FPS average. This provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (115 FPS) while still maintaining well above 60 FPS. Ultra at 1080p (64 FPS) is playable but the 28 FPS drop from High suggests diminishing returns. For users with 2560x1440 monitors, the High preset is the best choice, delivering 63 FPS. This just meets the 60 FPS target, and any higher preset drops below playable thresholds. Medium at 1440p (77 FPS) is an alternative for those prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, but High offers the best balance. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves a consistent 60 FPS. Low settings average 53.4 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced play, but Medium (42 FPS) and below are not recommended for competitive play. The data suggests that 1440p High is the sweet spot for this combo, providing a stable 63 FPS with good detail, while 1080p High offers headroom for those who prefer higher refresh rates.