Evolve

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

The Intel Core i5-10400F brings a 6-core, 12-thread configuration based on the Comet Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel's 14 nm process node. The processor operates with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. Cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 via a dual-channel bus, providing 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU connects through PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes.

Benchmark data places this processor at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14168. Its nearest rivals in aggregate scoring include the AMD EPYC 7552 (0.4% ahead), AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (0.8% behind), Intel Core i5-8500 (1.1% behind), and AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 (1.2% behind). The multi-threaded capabilities are evident in the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10297 and the PassMark multithread score of 12115. Single-thread performance is comparatively moderate, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1453 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1454.

For a 2015-era FPS title like Evolve, the CPU's 6-core/12-thread layout provides ample parallelism for game logic, AI pathfinding, and physics simulation. The boost clock of 4.30 GHz ensures responsive single-thread behavior for the primary game thread, which is typical for this genre. The L3 cache at 12 MB is sufficient for keeping frequently accessed game state data close to the cores. Given that Evolve predates the CPU by several years, the i5-10400F's computational headroom—demonstrated by a 3DMark 16-thread score of 4748 and a PassMark floating-point score of 25956—means the processor is unlikely to become a bottleneck at any resolution tested, especially when comparing its performance against rivals like the Intel Core i5-8500, which trails by 1.1% in aggregate benchmarks.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process with 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1968 MHz, a game clock of 2359 MHz, and a boost clock of 2589 MHz. Memory consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 across a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s with a memory clock of 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective). The shading array includes 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, 64 render output units, and 32 ray accelerators. Compute capabilities reach 10.60 TFLOPS for FP32 and 21.21 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1 ratio). Pixel rate is 165.7 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 331.4 GTexel/s.

The GPU sits at the 71st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27985. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (0.1% ahead), AMD Radeon R9 M395X (0.4% ahead), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (0.9% behind), and AMD FirePro S7150 (1.5% behind). DirectX 12 Ultimate support (version 12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 ensure modern API compatibility, though Evolve's older engine likely relies on earlier DirectX paths.

For Evolve, the 8 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for the game's texture and geometry requirements, even at 4K resolution. The 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth becomes a relevant factor at higher resolutions where pixel throughput demands are greater. The boost clock of 2589 MHz provides high fill rates, reflected in the pixel rate of 165.7 GPixel/s. Benchmark scores in DirectX 11 (163 in PassMark) and DirectX 12 (61 in PassMark) indicate the card's architectural efficiency across API generations. The GPU's performance relative to the GTX 980 Ti—a card from the same era as Evolve—suggests that the RX 6600 XT handles legacy titles with significant headroom, though the measured FPS data will show how that translates into actual gameplay.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution-dependent scaling for this combo. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 159.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 104.7 FPS (a reduction of 34.4%), and at 4K Low it falls further to 62.1 FPS (a 61.1% reduction from 1080p). At High settings, the progression is 97.2 FPS at 1080p, 67.1 FPS at 1440p (31.0% lower), and 36.8 FPS at 4K (62.1% lower). This scaling behavior indicates that the GPU becomes the dominant limiting factor as resolution increases.

The FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p averages around 32-34% across settings, while the drop from 1440p to 4K averages around 45-48% for Low and Medium, but 45.2% for High (from 67.1 to 36.8) and 39.2% for Ultra (from 45.2 to 27.5). The diminishing returns at Ultra settings suggest that both CPU and GPU are under strain, but the GPU's pixel throughput limits are more pronounced. At 1080p Low, the 159.5 FPS figure suggests the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU; the 12-thread configuration and 4.30 GHz boost clock provide enough single-thread speed for high frame rates. However, at 4K Ultra, the 27.5 FPS result points squarely at the GPU's 128-bit memory bus and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth being insufficient for the pixel workload.

The data indicates a hybrid bottleneck scenario. At 1080p, the system approaches CPU-limited territory in Low settings, where the frame rate exceeds what the GPU can render at higher settings. As resolution climbs, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become the binding constraints. The 8 GB VRAM does not appear to be a limiting factor, as even 4K Ultra does not show evidence of texture thrashing; the performance degradation is more consistent with raw compute and bandwidth limitations.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT ranks 1182 out of 1695 tested combos for Evolve. This places the combo in the 69.7th percentile of all configurations tested, meaning roughly 30% of combos perform better and 70% perform worse. Given that Evolve is a 2015 title, the ranking reflects that this modern mid-range setup performs adequately but not exceptionally against the full spectrum of tested hardware.

The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 71st percentile ranking among all GPUs are broadly consistent with the combo's overall position. The combo rank of 1182/1695 is slightly below what the individual component percentiles might suggest, indicating that the pairing is not perfectly optimized for this specific game. The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7552, has a nearly identical average score (0.4% delta), while the GPU's closest competitor, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, is 0.1% ahead. This suggests that swapping either component with its nearest rival would yield negligible differences in Evolve's performance.

The rank position implies that many other combos—likely those with higher-end GPUs or CPUs with better single-thread performance—achieve superior frame rates in Evolve. However, the measured FPS data shows that this combo delivers playable frame rates at most settings and resolutions, with the exception of 4K Ultra. The ranking should be interpreted in the context of Evolve's age; the game does not heavily leverage multi-threading, so CPUs with higher single-thread scores than the i5-10400F's 1453 in Cinebench R23 would likely rank higher, even if the GPU is identical.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality settings.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 159.5 FPS average
• Medium: 126.6 FPS average
• High: 97.2 FPS average
• Ultra: 68.4 FPS average

The 1080p results show a clear progression from Low to Ultra, with a 57.1% drop from Low to Ultra. The gap between Medium and High is 29.4 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 28.8 FPS, indicating consistent scaling per setting tier. At Low settings, the 159.5 FPS result suggests the CPU is approaching its limit, as the GPU would be capable of higher frame rates if the CPU could feed it faster.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 104.7 FPS average
• Medium: 83.3 FPS average
• High: 67.1 FPS average
• Ultra: 45.2 FPS average

At 1440p, the frame rates drop by approximately 34% at Low, 34% at Medium, 31% at High, and 34% at Ultra compared to 1080p. The relative consistency of these drops (31-34%) indicates that the GPU is now the primary limiter across all settings. The Ultra setting at 45.2 FPS remains playable but approaches the threshold where competitive FPS play becomes less smooth.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 62.1 FPS average
• Medium: 49.4 FPS average
• High: 36.8 FPS average
• Ultra: 27.5 FPS average

The 4K results reveal the GPU's limitations most starkly. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 40.7% at Low, 40.7% at Medium, 45.2% at High, and 39.2% at Ultra. The larger percentage drop at High settings (45.2%) compared to Ultra (39.2%) is notable; it suggests that at Ultra, the game's additional effects tax the GPU so heavily that the resolution scaling factor has less relative impact. Only Low settings at 4K achieve a comfortably playable 62.1 FPS, while Ultra at 27.5 FPS falls below the 30 FPS threshold typically considered minimally playable.

The data shows that this combo delivers its best experience at 1080p with High settings (97.2 FPS) or 1440p with Medium settings (83.3 FPS), both of which provide smooth gameplay while maintaining visual quality. For 4K gaming, users would need to accept Low settings (62.1 FPS) as the only viable option for fluid play. The Ultra setting at any resolution below 4K remains playable, though the 68.4 FPS at 1080p Ultra versus 159.5 FPS at 1080p Low demonstrates the significant performance cost of maximum quality settings.