Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti combination delivers mid-pack performance in Evolve, securing a rank of 1241 out of 1695 tested combinations. This places the pairing in the 73rd percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while it is not at the top of the leaderboard, it decisively outperforms a substantial majority of configurations. The ranking reflects a system that handles the game’s demands without hitting extreme performance ceilings, but also without falling into the lower tiers of capability. The data shows a configuration that is balanced enough to provide a playable experience at most settings, though it leans heavily on the CPU’s strength to compensate for the GPU’s mid-range positioning.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1241 out of 1695 places it in the upper-middle portion of the performance distribution. This is a position that suggests the pairing is more capable than roughly 73% of tested systems, yet it is clearly outpaced by the top 27% of configurations, which likely feature higher-tier graphics cards. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a top-tier processor, ranking in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, but its high compute potential is not fully realized in this pairing due to the GPU’s more modest standing, sitting in the 69th percentile among all GPUs. Benchmark results indicate this is a classic case of a CPU that can push frame rates higher than the GPU can deliver, making the graphics card the primary constraint in most scenarios.

When examining the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 9900X holds its own with an average benchmark score of 54450. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores marginally higher at 54681, a delta of -0.4%, which is effectively a statistical tie. The Intel Core i7-14700F trails slightly with a score of 54097, making the 9900X 0.7% faster. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K and 245KF are ahead by 1.5% and 1.8%, respectively. These small deltas in CPU performance are unlikely to cause significant differences in Evolve, which is not known to be heavily CPU-bound at high resolutions, so the ranking is largely dictated by the GPU.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3060 Ti’s average benchmark score of 25120 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The AMD Radeon RX 6700M is just 0.2% behind, the Radeon RX 6600 is 0.5% behind, and the Radeon 890M is also 0.5% behind. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP is 0.7% behind. These negligible differences mean that swapping the GPU for any of these alternatives would produce almost identical frame rates in Evolve, confirming that the combo’s rank is more about the tier of hardware than the specific model choice within that tier.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti serves as the primary determinant of frame rates in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured results. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for Evolve at 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the higher resolution demands more memory bandwidth and capacity than the card can efficiently supply.

The GPU’s clock speeds are a base of 1410 MHz and a boost of 1665 MHz, with the memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). These clocks are modest by modern standards, but they are complemented by 4864 shading units, 152 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The card also includes 38 RT cores and 152 tensor cores, though Evolve does not utilize ray tracing or DLSS, so these features have no impact on the measured results. The theoretical pixel rate of 133.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 253.1 GTexel/s provide a baseline for understanding how quickly the card can fill frames, but the actual performance is far more dependent on the game’s engine and the resolution being rendered.

The RTX 3060 Ti’s position in the 69th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25120, reflects a card that is competent but not exceptional. In Evolve, this translates to playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the card struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K, particularly at higher settings. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the bottleneck in this system, as the CPU is far more powerful relative to its peers.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields the highest average frame rate at 159.6 FPS, while the Medium preset delivers 123.7 FPS. The High preset produces 94.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 70.1 FPS. For the smoothest experience, Low is optimal, but Medium provides a good balance of visual quality and performance.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Evolve?*

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 58.9 FPS on Low, 47.8 FPS on Medium, 39.4 FPS on High, and only 25.3 FPS on Ultra. Playable performance is achievable only on the Low or Medium presets, as the High preset dips below 40 FPS and Ultra is not viable.

Q: How does the RTX 3060 Ti compare to its closest rival, the Radeon RX 6700M?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has an average benchmark score of 25120, while the RX 6700M scores 25180, a difference of -0.2%. This indicates the two GPUs are virtually identical in overall performance, so in-game frame rates in Evolve will be nearly the same.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X holding back the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: No. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 54450 places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, far ahead of the GPU’s 69th percentile. The GPU is the limiting component in this pairing, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drops when resolution increases.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 62.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 46.3 FPS. This represents a 26% reduction in average frame rate when moving from High to Ultra, making High the recommended setting for smoother gameplay.

*Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit performance in Evolve?*

A: The 8 GB memory size is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by the playable frame rates. However, at 4K, the combination of higher resolution and higher settings likely exceeds the comfortable VRAM capacity, contributing to the steep performance drop seen in the measured FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates reveal a consistent pattern across all resolutions: the Low preset provides the highest performance, followed by Medium, High, and finally Ultra. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 159.6 FPS, which is excellent for a fast-paced FPS. The Medium preset delivers 123.7 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset drops to 94.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 70.1 FPS. These numbers show that even at the highest settings, the combo can maintain a playable frame rate at 1080p, though it is not sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors at Ultra.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. The Low preset averages 106 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset averages 85.2 FPS, and the High preset drops to 62.8 FPS, which is right at the edge of acceptable for many gamers. The Ultra preset averages 46.3 FPS, which is below the ideal for a competitive FPS, making it less desirable for serious play.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become pronounced. The Low preset averages 58.9 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset averages 47.8 FPS, and the High preset drops to 39.4 FPS. The Ultra preset averages only 25.3 FPS, which is unplayable for most users. The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable on the Low preset, and even then, the performance is marginal.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K provides clear insight into the limiting component of this pairing. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 159.6 FPS at 1080p to 106 FPS at 1440p, and then to 58.9 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 44.4% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is relatively smooth, indicating that the GPU is being progressively more taxed as the pixel count increases.

At the High preset, the frame rates are 94.3 FPS at 1080p, 62.8 FPS at 1440p, and 39.4 FPS at 4K. This shows a 33.4% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 37.3% drop from 1440p to 4K. The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is slightly less severe than at Low, suggesting that the GPU is becoming saturated and the scaling is becoming more linear.

The Ultra preset exhibits the steepest decline in absolute terms: 70.1 FPS at 1080p, 46.3 FPS at 1440p, and 25.3 FPS at 4K. This is a 34.0% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 45.4% drop from 1440p to 4K. The dramatic fall at 4K Ultra indicates that the GPU is severely overburdened, likely due to the combination of high resolution and heavy shading requirements.

The data points to the RTX 3060 Ti as the clear bottleneck. The Ryzen 9 9900X has ample headroom, as evidenced by its high benchmark scores, but the GPU cannot deliver the frame rates that the CPU could theoretically support. At 1080p, the combo is well-balanced, but at higher resolutions, the GPU’s limitations become the dominant factor. The scaling pattern suggests that users seeking higher resolutions should consider a more powerful GPU to fully utilize the CPU’s capabilities.