Evolve

The benchmark data for Evolve, captured with an Intel Core i5-10400F and an AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, reveals a system that is heavily influenced by graphics settings and resolution scaling. The measured frames per second (FPS) across twelve distinct configurations indicate a pairing where the GPU is the primary driver of performance, though the CPU’s capabilities set the upper boundary at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the scaling behavior, component roles, and optimal settings based strictly on the provided measurements.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K produces a steep and consistent drop in average FPS across all quality presets, confirming that the rendering load scales dramatically with pixel count. At the High preset, the system delivers 149.8 FPS at 1920x1080, which falls to 100.5 FPS at 2560x1440, and further declines to 56.4 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 62.4% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a scaling pattern that points to the GPU becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases.

The Low preset shows the most extreme scaling, starting at 220.9 FPS at 1080p and dropping to 160.5 FPS at 1440p, then down to 93.3 FPS at 4K. The absolute difference of 127.6 FPS between the lowest and highest resolutions at Low settings underscores the massive pixel throughput demands placed on the Radeon RX 6800 XT. Conversely, the Ultra preset exhibits the smallest absolute drop, moving from 105 FPS at 1080p to 71.3 FPS at 1440p and finally 41.8 FPS at 4K, a total decline of 63.2 FPS. This narrower range at Ultra suggests that the settings themselves impose a performance ceiling that partially masks the resolution scaling effect.

The data reveals that the gap between 1080p and 1440p is proportionally larger than the gap between 1440p and 4K at lower presets. For instance, at Medium settings, the drop from 185.8 FPS to 128.3 FPS (a 57.5 FPS reduction) between 1080p and 1440p is nearly as large as the subsequent drop to 72.9 FPS (a 55.4 FPS reduction) when moving to 4K. This indicates that the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth are being saturated more uniformly as resolution increases, with the 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth proving sufficient to avoid a catastrophic cliff but not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides the computational foundation for this combo, bringing 6 cores and 12 threads to the table. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz are the parameters that influence how well it can feed the GPU. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as the 3dmark_single_thread score of 688 and the cinebench_r23_multicore score of 10297, place it in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, indicating a solid mid-range performer that is not a bottleneck in most scenarios.

In Evolve, the CPU’s role becomes apparent when examining the frame rates at 1080p with low graphical load. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 220.9 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all configurations. This suggests that the CPU can drive frame rates well above 200 FPS when the GPU is not heavily tasked, as the graphical settings at Low reduce the per-frame rendering work. However, the jump from 1080p Low to 1080p Medium (185.8 FPS) shows a 35.1 FPS drop, which is primarily a GPU-side effect, but the fact that 1080p Ultra still achieves 105 FPS implies the CPU is keeping up with the GPU’s output.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the i5-10400F sits within a narrow performance band. The AMD EPYC 7552 is 0.4% faster in average benchmark score, while the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.8% slower, and the Intel Core i5-8500 is 1.1% slower. These small deltas mean that in Evolve, the choice of CPU among these rivals would likely produce negligible differences in the measured FPS, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU dominates. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this game’s demands, as the data shows no CPU-induced stutter or frame rate collapse at any resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the undisputed performance leader in this pairing, and its specifications explain the observed scaling behavior. The GPU features a base clock of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz, which allow it to process the massive 4608 shading units efficiently. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for feeding the pixel and texture data at 4K resolutions.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its high-end positioning. The passmark_g3d score of 24980 and the 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 3689 place it in the 87th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc A550M, which is 0.5% slower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, which is 2.6% slower. This performance tier is reflected in the Evolve results, where even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains an average of 41.8 FPS—a playable, though not smooth, experience.

The GPU’s role is most clearly demonstrated by the scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the frame rate drops from 220.9 FPS at Low to 105 FPS at Ultra, a 115.9 FPS reduction that highlights how much headroom the GPU has when settings are reduced. At 4K, the same settings change yields a drop from 93.3 FPS to 41.8 FPS, a 51.5 FPS reduction, showing that the GPU is already near its limits at 4K and has less room to flex. The 20.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and the 288.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are the raw numbers that translate into these frame rates, with the GPU’s RDNA 2.0 architecture proving efficient for this 2015-era title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT achieves a rank of 610 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the top 36% of all pairings. This ranking is notable given that the GPU is a high-end model with a launch MSRP of 649 USD, while the CPU is a more modest mid-range part. The data indicates that the combo’s performance is somewhat limited by the CPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU’s strength ensures that the overall ranking remains competitive.

The rank of 610 suggests that while this combo is not a top-tier configuration, it outperforms the majority of systems tested. The 87th percentile GPU ranking versus the 73rd percentile CPU ranking shows that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting, and in a game like Evolve, which is not particularly CPU-intensive, this imbalance is acceptable. The combo’s performance at 1440p High (100.5 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (105 FPS) are strong results that would satisfy most players, while the 4K Ultra result of 41.8 FPS is borderline but workable with adaptive sync.

In the context of its rivals, the GPU’s 2.6% advantage over the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER in average benchmark score suggests that this combo would fare similarly against systems using that card, assuming a comparable CPU. The CPU’s narrow performance deltas against its rivals also mean that swapping in a similar-tier processor would not dramatically alter the ranking in Evolve, as the game’s frame rates are dominated by the GPU’s output.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an excellent 149.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and leaves headroom for competitive play. The Ultra preset at 105 FPS is also viable, offering higher visual fidelity without sacrificing playability, making it the best choice for players with 144Hz monitors who want maximum quality.

For 2560x1440, the High preset at 100.5 FPS is the sweet spot, providing a smooth experience that closely matches the 1080p Ultra frame rate. The Medium preset at 128.3 FPS is an alternative for those who prioritize frame rate, but the visual quality trade-off is significant. The Ultra preset at 71.3 FPS is still playable, but the drop below 100 FPS may be noticeable for sensitive players, making High the recommended setting for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset at 93.3 FPS is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, but it sacrifices most graphical features. The Medium preset at 72.9 FPS is a reasonable compromise, offering better visuals while maintaining a playable frame rate. The High preset at 56.4 FPS dips below 60 FPS, which can cause stutter on standard 60Hz displays, and the Ultra preset at 41.8 FPS is not recommended for competitive play. For 4K, the Medium preset is the best balance of visual quality and performance, as the data shows it provides a 31.1 FPS improvement over High while still looking substantially better than Low.