Evolve

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 presents a classic mid-range configuration from the late 2010s, and the measured data for Evolve shows a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics processor. The benchmark results across the three resolutions and four settings presets provide a clear picture of where this combo excels and where it falls short, with the data indicating that the RX 580 is the primary bottleneck in almost every scenario.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking pattern in the measured FPS data is the dramatic performance collapse as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 85.1 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops the average to 56.7 FPS, a reduction of approximately 33%. At 4K (3840x2160), the average falls further to 32.2 FPS, which is less than 38% of the 1080p performance.

This scaling behavior strongly indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 580 is the limiting component. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s and its 32 ROPs are simply not sufficient to handle the pixel throughput required at higher resolutions. The 4K High preset yields only 20.5 FPS, while 4K Ultra drops to a barely playable 16 FPS. These numbers suggest that the GPU is completely saturated at 4K, regardless of the settings chosen.

The delta between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution also reveals the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p, the jump from Low (85.1 FPS) to Ultra (34.3 FPS) represents a 59.7% performance penalty. At 1440p, the same settings comparison shows a 55.9% drop from 56.7 to 25 FPS. At 4K, the penalty from Low to Ultra is 50.3%, from 32.2 to 16 FPS. The fact that the percentage penalty shrinks as resolution increases is a classic sign of a GPU-bound system — the graphics card is already working at its limit, so additional settings overhead has a smaller relative impact on the already-low frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides a solid foundation for this gaming workload, but its role is largely secondary to the GPU. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the processor has ample compute resources for a game released in 2015. The base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz are respectable figures for the Comet Lake architecture, and the 12 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores.

The CPU's synthetic benchmarks show a balanced profile. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10297 and single-core score of 1453 indicate that the processor can handle both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads. The 3DMark scores are particularly telling: the 2-thread score of 1350 and 4-thread score of 2560 suggest that the CPU can deliver strong performance when only a few cores are active, which is typical for older game engines like the one powering Evolve.

However, the data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p Low, where CPU overhead is usually highest relative to GPU load, the combo still manages 85.1 FPS. This suggests the i5-10400F has sufficient headroom to feed the RX 580. The CPU's percentile vs all CPUs of 73 places it in the upper quarter of all processors, while the GPU's percentile of 53 is closer to the median. This disparity in relative performance tiers supports the conclusion that the GPU is the bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Evolve?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where playable frame rates are consistently achieved. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset averages 34.3 FPS, while at 1440p, the High preset drops to 33.7 FPS and at 4K, the Low preset only reaches 32.2 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559, which is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 at 13564 (0% delta). It is 0.1% ahead of the GTX 950, 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 455, and 1.1% behind the NVIDIA P106-090. These are all very close scores, indicating the RX 580 sits in a crowded performance tier.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the performance in Evolve?

A: The benchmark results clearly indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. The GPU's percentile vs all GPUs is 53, while the CPU's percentile vs all CPUs is 73. Furthermore, the frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution shows the GPU struggling to maintain performance as graphical load increases.

Q: What is the single highest frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The maximum average FPS in the dataset is 85.1, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that exceeds 60 FPS.

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

A: No, the data shows that 4K performance is not viable. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 32.2 on Low settings, and the Ultra preset drops to 16 FPS. All four 4K configurations fall below the 30 FPS threshold that is typically considered minimally playable.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1584 out of 1695 tested combinations for Evolve, placing it in the bottom 7% of all configurations. This low ranking is consistent with the GPU being a mid-range part that struggles with this particular game's demands.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's performance priorities. For players targeting 60 FPS, the only viable configuration is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which delivers 85.1 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p drops to 63.5 FPS, which is still above 60 and may be acceptable, but it is much closer to the threshold.

For players who prioritize visual quality over raw frame rate, the 1080p High preset at 53.3 FPS offers a reasonable compromise. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields only 34.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and approaches the minimum playable range. At 1440p, the Low preset at 56.7 FPS is the only configuration that comes close to 60 FPS, while the High preset at 33.7 FPS is borderline playable.

The data strongly suggests avoiding 4K entirely. Even the Low preset at 3840x2160 only reaches 32.2 FPS, and the visual quality improvements from higher settings do not justify the performance cost. The best experience per the measured rows is 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which balances the 63.5 FPS average with improved visuals over the Low preset. Users with high-refresh-rate monitors should stick to 1080p Low to maximize frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1584 out of 1695 tested combinations for Evolve, placing it in the 93rd percentile from the bottom. This ranking reflects the system's overall performance tier and its suitability for this specific game. The low rank is primarily driven by the GPU's limitations, as the CPU is in a higher performance percentile relative to its own category.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, which has an identical average score, and the GTX 950, which is only 0.1% faster. These comparisons show that the RX 580 is not a high-end part by any measure, and its performance in Evolve is consistent with its mid-range positioning. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7552, which is 0.4% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, which is 0.8% faster, indicating the i5-10400F sits comfortably in its performance class.

The rank of 1584 out of 1695 suggests that the vast majority of other tested combinations deliver better performance in Evolve. This is expected given the age of the RX 580 and its end-of-life production status. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with modest settings, and it is not competitive at higher resolutions or with demanding graphics presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured average FPS values is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 85.1 FPS, the Medium preset delivers 63.5 FPS, the High preset delivers 53.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers 34.3 FPS. This shows a clear gradient where each settings tier costs approximately 15-20 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 56.7 FPS, the Medium preset delivers 42.5 FPS, the High preset delivers 33.7 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers 25 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p costs between 28.4 and 9.3 FPS depending on the settings tier.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers 32.2 FPS, the Medium preset delivers 25.1 FPS, the High preset delivers 20.5 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers 16 FPS. The 4K Ultra configuration is the worst-performing combination in the entire dataset, with an average that is barely above a slideshow.

The data across all 12 measured configurations shows a consistent pattern: the RX 580 simply does not have the raw throughput to maintain playable frame rates at 1440p or 4K. The 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit memory bus are sufficient for the game's assets, but the 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance and 32 ROPs are the limiting factors for pixel fill rate and shader work.