Evolve

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a combination where the CPU vastly outclasses the GPU in raw compute potential, yet the measured frame rates in Evolve show a system that is firmly limited by the graphics card at higher settings. The 12-core, 24-thread Zen 5 processor, with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, provides an enormous amount of headroom, but the data indicates that this headroom is only fully utilized at lower graphical presets and resolutions. The benchmark results clearly show that this is a GPU-bound scenario for most of the tested configurations, making the RTX 2070 SUPER the primary determinant of playability.

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

The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a high-end desktop processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) and manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This processor is in the 91st percentile when compared to all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 54762 places it just 0.6% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, while being 2.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700F. The CPU's substantial L3 cache of 128 MB and support for DDR5 memory contribute to its strong synthetic scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737 and a single-core score of 6739.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage game logic. The measured FPS data reveals that even at 1080p with Low settings, where the CPU's workload is relatively highest, the system achieves 177 FPS. This suggests that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is not a bottleneck in this title, as it can easily handle the game's demands. However, the performance scaling from Low to Ultra settings demonstrates that the GPU is the limiting factor. For instance, at 1080p, dropping from Low to Ultra settings reduces the average FPS from 177 to 74, a 58% decrease. This massive drop is characteristic of a GPU that is overwhelmed by higher graphical fidelity, not a CPU that is struggling to keep up.

The processor's high multi-threaded capabilities, evidenced by a PassMark multi-thread score of 56154, are largely irrelevant for Evolve's frame rate in this configuration. The game is not CPU-intensive enough to differentiate between a processor of this caliber and a much weaker one. The data shows that the CPU's potential is consistently underutilized; the bottleneck shifts to the GPU as soon as resolution or settings increase. The 3DMark scores, such as 13795 for max threads and 12490 for 16 threads, further confirm the CPU's immense power, but they do not translate to proportional FPS gains in this game because the RTX 2070 SUPER cannot render frames fast enough to keep up.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X3D compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54762, which is 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF's average score of 55093. It is, however, 1.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K and 2.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700F.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Evolve, and at what settings?

A: The highest average frame rate measured is 177 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is significantly higher than the 107 FPS at 1080p High and the 74 FPS at 1080p Ultra.

Q: At 4K resolution, what is the difference in performance between Low and Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rate drops from 67 FPS on Low settings to 28 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a 58% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest graphical preset.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER a bottleneck for the Ryzen 9 9900X3D in this game?

A: Yes, the data strongly suggests a GPU bottleneck at higher settings. For example, at 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 118 on Low to 50 on Ultra, a decline that indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU's high benchmark scores do not prevent these frame rate drops.

Q: What is the combined rank of this CPU and GPU pair among all tested combos for Evolve?

A: This specific combination ranks 2151 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum for this game, reflecting the GPU's age and performance tier.

Q: Does the RTX 2070 SUPER outperform the Intel Arc B570 in average benchmark score?

A: No, the RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20282, which is 1.3% lower than the Intel Arc B570's average score of 20556. The RTX 2070 SUPER also trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile by 1.2%.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the "High" preset offers the most balanced experience for this combo, providing smooth frame rates at 1080p and 1440p without the substantial performance cost of Ultra. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 107 FPS, which is a solid 33 FPS higher than the 74 FPS on Ultra. This difference is significant for maintaining a consistent frame rate in a fast-paced FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the High preset still holds an average of 72 FPS, which is playable, while the Ultra preset falls to 50 FPS, which is less desirable for competitive play.

The Low preset is the only option that provides a high refresh rate experience at 1440p, with an average of 118 FPS. For 4K gaming, the data shows that only the Low preset, at 67 FPS, comes close to being acceptable, as Medium drops to 52 FPS and High to 41 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is effectively unplayable at 28 FPS. Therefore, the recommendations are tiered by resolution: for 1080p, High is the optimal choice; for 1440p, High is recommended, though Low is necessary for high refresh rate monitors; for 4K, only Low is viable.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2151st out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve. This places it in the 58th percentile of all tested combos, meaning that 58% of the other CPU-GPU pairs tested in this game perform better. This ranking is surprisingly low given the CPU's high percentile (91st among all CPUs) and highlights the severe bottleneck created by the older GPU. The RTX 2070 SUPER sits in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, but its age is apparent in this title.

The ranking suggests that while the CPU is top-tier, the GPU drags the overall performance down. The data implies that pairing a much less powerful CPU with the same GPU would yield nearly identical results in Evolve, as the bottleneck is so pronounced. Conversely, pairing the Ryzen 9 9900X3D with a modern high-end GPU would likely push this combo into the top quartile of rankings. The 2151st rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations, making this a lopsided pairing for this specific game. The CPU is effectively wasted in this configuration for Evolve, as its immense power is not utilized.

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

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU-bound nature of this system. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 107 FPS at 1920x1080 to 72 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 41 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 62% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K. Similarly, at Medium settings, the frame rate drops from 137 FPS at 1080p to 92 FPS at 1440p, and then to 52 FPS at 4K. This steep decline is a classic sign that the rendering resolution is overwhelming the GPU's pixel processing capabilities.

The RTX 2070 SUPER has a pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s, which are modest figures compared to modern GPUs. The data shows that the frame rate drops almost linearly with the increase in pixel count, confirming that the GPU is working at its maximum capacity even at 1080p. At 4K, the GPU is simply not powerful enough to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. The CPU, with its high clock speeds and core count, does not exhibit such scaling issues, as its performance is not tied to resolution. This reinforces the conclusion that the GPU is the limiting component, and the CPU has ample headroom to spare.

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

At 1920x1080, the combination produces its best results. With Low settings, the average FPS is 177. Moving to Medium, the average FPS is 137, with a minimum of 116 and a maximum of 157. The High preset yields an average of 107 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 74 FPS, which is the lowest at this resolution. The gap between Low and Ultra is 103 FPS, showing a massive performance cost for maximum graphical fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are lower across the board. The Low preset averages 118 FPS. The Medium preset averages 92 FPS, with a minimum of 78 and a maximum of 106. High settings average 72 FPS. Ultra settings average 50 FPS. At this resolution, only Low and Medium presets provide frame rates above 60 FPS, indicating that higher settings are not suitable for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 67 FPS, which is the only playable option. The Medium preset averages 52 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 60. High settings average 41 FPS. The Ultra preset averages just 28 FPS, which is far below the threshold for a playable experience in a fast-paced FPS. The data at 4K shows that this combo is only suitable for Low settings, and even then, it barely reaches 60 FPS. The frame rate data across all resolutions demonstrates a consistent pattern: the RTX 2070 SUPER is the bottleneck, and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D's power is left largely on the table.