Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 asymmetrical FPS, presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B370 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is fundamentally constrained by its graphics processor, with performance scaling that shows severe limitations at higher resolutions and settings. This pairing is positioned near the bottom of the database, ranking 2639th out of 2872 tested combinations, indicating that while it can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p with lower settings, it struggles significantly to maintain a smooth experience at higher presets or resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and unequivocal, clearly identifying the GPU as the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At the Low preset, the average frame rate falls from 80 FPS at 1920x1080 to 54 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 26 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields just 31 FPS, which is a 61% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This pattern of significant frame rate erosion with each resolution step is a classic indicator of a graphics card that is running out of pixel processing throughput.

The scaling behavior at the High preset reinforces this conclusion. The system manages 49 FPS at 1080p, but this drops to 33 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 19 FPS at 4K. The frame rate at 4K is less than half of what is achieved at 1080p, showing that the Arc B370's rendering capabilities are being overwhelmed by the sheer number of pixels. The data suggests that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering in this title, causing a dramatic performance cliff.

Interestingly, the difference between 1080p and 1440p is substantial, but the gap between 1440p and 4K is even more punishing. For instance, at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 62 at 1080p to 42 at 1440p, and then down to 24 at 4K. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU is hitting a hard architectural limit, likely related to its 20 ROPs and system-shared memory, which struggles to cope with the massive bandwidth requirements of 4K textures and framebuffers.

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this scaling. The Intel Core i5-10400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, provides consistent performance that does not exhibit the same kind of dramatic drop-off as the resolution increases. The bottleneck is squarely on the graphics side, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate nearly halves at each major resolution step. For a smoother 1440p experience, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only viable option, while 4K is largely unplayable regardless of settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combination is found at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which delivers an average of 80 FPS. This is the only configuration that achieves a frame rate comfortably above 60 FPS, providing the headroom necessary for a responsive and fluid gaming session. The Medium preset at 1080p, with an average of 62 FPS, is also acceptable, offering a better visual fidelity while still maintaining playable performance, with measured minimums of 53 FPS.

At 1080p, the High preset produces an average of 49 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced FPS where smoothness is critical. The Ultra preset at this resolution is significantly more demanding, yielding just 34 FPS, which is likely to feel sluggish and is not recommended for competitive play. The data clearly shows that the cost of moving from High to Ultra is a 15 FPS drop, a substantial penalty for the graphical gains.

For users who prioritize visual quality over raw frame rate, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the best compromise. It offers a 13 FPS improvement over High, while maintaining a stable frame time as indicated by the 53-72 FPS range. The data does not support using Ultra at any resolution, as it is the worst-performing preset across the board, with frame rates dropping to 34 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 13 FPS at 4K.

At 2560x1440, the only sensible choice is the Low preset, which achieves an average of 54 FPS. While not as smooth as the 1080p Low experience, it is the only way to get near 60 FPS at this resolution. Choosing Medium at 1440p drops the average to 42 FPS, and High falls to 33 FPS, both of which are suboptimal for a shooter. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware, as even the Low preset only manages 31 FPS, which is below the threshold for acceptable gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its synthetic benchmarks show a capable multi-threaded part, scoring 10,283 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,318 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. The single-thread performance is also respectable, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,451, which is important for games that rely on a few high-frequency cores.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game logic. The benchmark data indicates that the i5-10400F is more than sufficient for this task when paired with the Arc B370, as the frame rates are consistently limited by the GPU. The CPU is not the cause of the low FPS at 4K or at high presets; rather, it is the graphics card that is unable to keep up with the rendering workload.

The processor's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide adequate bandwidth for the CPU's needs. Its PassMark multi-thread score of 12,115 places it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, showing it is a solid mid-range performer. The i5-10400F's performance is closely matched by rivals such as the Intel Xeon 6756E, which is only 0.2% faster, and the AMD EPYC 7552, which is 0.5% slower, indicating that it is a well-balanced processor for its class.

The data shows that the i5-10400F is not holding back the system in this game. The frame rate differences between settings and resolutions are entirely consistent with GPU-bound behavior. The CPU's 3DMark scores, such as 4,748 in the 16-thread test and 4,735 in the max-thread test, demonstrate that it has ample processing power to handle the game's simulation and physics, leaving the graphics card as the clear performance bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2639th out of 2872 tested combinations for Evolve, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations in the database. This is a very low ranking, indicating that this hardware combination is not well-suited for this particular title. The low rank is primarily driven by the GPU's poor performance, which is in the 5th percentile of all graphics cards.

The Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1,184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad puts it in the company of very old, low-end graphics cards. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which is 0.2% faster, and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which is 0.5% faster. This comparison is stark, as it shows that this modern Intel GPU is performing at a level comparable to integrated graphics solutions from over a decade ago in this specific test.

The combo's rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations. While the CPU is a competent mid-range part, the GPU's low fill rate and memory bandwidth severely cap the system's overall gaming potential. The data shows that even with a relatively strong processor like the i5-10400F, the system cannot overcome the graphics card's fundamental weaknesses, resulting in a poor overall ranking for this game.

This low ranking suggests that users with this hardware should have very low expectations for Evolve. The system is not competitive with even modestly performing modern combinations, and the measured frame rates confirm this. The only way to improve this ranking would be to pair the CPU with a significantly more powerful GPU, as the current configuration is overwhelmingly GPU-limited.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive factor in this system's performance, and its characteristics explain the low frame rates observed. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It features 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. These specifications point to a GPU designed for low power consumption (25 W TDP), not high-end gaming performance.

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's DDR4 RAM instead of dedicated VRAM. This is a significant disadvantage for a demanding game like Evolve, as it creates a bottleneck in memory bandwidth and latency. The performance is "System Dependent," but the measured results show that this shared memory architecture is insufficient for smooth gameplay at high resolutions or settings.

In 3DMark Steel Nomad, a DX12 benchmark, the Arc B370 scores 1,184 points. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (0.5% faster) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (0.2% faster), which are legacy parts with much lower feature sets. This confirms that the Arc B370's raw rendering power is extremely limited, and it is not in the same league as even entry-level discrete graphics cards from the past decade.

The data strongly indicates that the GPU is the sole reason for the poor performance in Evolve. Its pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are simply too low to handle the demands of 1080p gaming at high settings, let alone 1440p or 4K. The measured FPS drops are a direct result of the GPU's inability to process the required number of pixels and textures in real-time.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the resolution scaling is clear. The Low preset achieves an average of 80 FPS, the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset delivers an average of 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS, indicating a stable experience. The High preset drops to an average of 49 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 34 FPS, showing a steep penalty for maxing out settings.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably. The Low preset averages 54 FPS, which is still playable. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a range of 35 to 48 FPS. The High preset averages 33 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 23 FPS. The data shows that only the Low preset can maintain a frame rate near 60 FPS at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system is overwhelmed. The Low preset averages just 31 FPS. The Medium preset averages 24 FPS, with a range of 20 to 27 FPS. The High preset averages 19 FPS, and the Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 13 FPS. The data confirms that 4K resolution is not a viable option for this hardware combination, as even the lowest settings fail to produce a smooth experience.

The overall data set shows a clear and consistent progression: as resolution and settings increase, the average FPS drops linearly with the GPU's capabilities. The only configuration that meets the standard for smooth, competitive gameplay is 1080p with the Low preset. All other combinations require a significant compromise on visual fidelity or frame rate, making this system a poor choice for playing Evolve at higher standards.