Evolve

The Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 pairing in Evolve presents a clear picture of a system where the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates, though the CPU’s architecture sets the performance ceiling at lower resolutions. The i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread Comet Lake processor with a 2.90 GHz base clock and a 4.30 GHz boost clock, built on Intel’s 14 nm process. Its cache hierarchy is structured with 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10297 and a single-core score of 1453, while its Geekbench multi-core and single-core scores are 5783 and 1454, respectively. These scores place the processor in the 73rd percentile against all CPUs, with its average benchmark score of 14168 situating it between the AMD EPYC 7552 (0.4% higher) and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (0.8% lower).

The CPU’s 3DMark thread scaling is telling: it scores 1350 with 2 threads, 2560 with 4 threads, 3929 with 8 threads, and 4748 with 16 threads, while the max-threads score is 4735. This progression from 2 to 8 threads shows a strong scaling curve, but the near-flat result between 8 threads (3929) and 16 threads (4748) indicates that the 12-thread configuration does not double throughput beyond 8 threads. For Evolve, which is a game from 2015, this means the CPU has ample headroom for the game’s thread utilization. At 1920x1080, the measured FPS reaches 188 on Low settings, a figure that suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at that setting, as the GPU is unlikely to cap such a high frame rate given its average benchmark score of 23181. However, at higher resolutions like 3840x2160, the CPU’s role diminishes, and the frame rates become more dependent on the GPU’s rendering capabilities.

The architecture’s dual-channel DDR4 memory interface provides 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the game’s data streaming needs. The PCIe Gen 3, 16-lane interface (CPU only) ensures that the GPU has a direct, high-bandwidth connection, though the RTX 4060 itself uses PCIe 4.0 x8, which is backward compatible. The CPU’s 65 W TDP and lack of integrated graphics mean the system relies entirely on the discrete GPU for output. In the context of Evolve, the benchmark results show that the CPU can deliver 126.9 FPS at 2560x1440 on Low settings, which is 12.8% higher than the 1440p High result of 76.6 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not limiting the Low-setting performance. The data suggests that the i5-10400F is a capable partner for the RTX 4060, with its 12 threads and 4.30 GHz boost clock providing enough single-thread performance for the game’s engine.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process at TSMC, featuring 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die. Its base clock is 1830 MHz, boosting to 2460 MHz, with memory running at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory operates on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The GPU has 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, along with 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores. Its pixel rate is 118.1 GPixel/s, texture rate is 236.2 GTexel/s, and FP32 throughput is 15.11 TFLOPS. The card’s TDP is 115 W, requiring a 300 W suggested PSU and a single 12-pin connector. In the benchmark database, the RTX 4060 sits in the 66th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23181. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (0.6% higher), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (0.7% higher), Intel Arc B580 (0.7% lower), and AMD Radeon 760M (0.8% lower).

The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s is the critical factor in Evolve at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop from 70.3 FPS on Low settings to 28.9 FPS on Ultra settings, a decline of 58.8% from Low to Ultra. This scaling shows that the GPU’s compute and memory resources are heavily taxed at 4K Ultra, where the 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus become limiting factors. In contrast, at 1920x1080, the GPU delivers 188 FPS on Low, 146.2 FPS on Medium, 113.3 FPS on High, and 80.7 FPS on Ultra. The transition from Low to Ultra at 1080p reduces performance by 57.0%, which is a consistent pattern across resolutions—the Low-to-Ultra drop is 58.8% at 4K, 56.7% at 1440p, and 57.0% at 1080p. This consistency indicates that the GPU’s relative performance scaling is uniform across settings, but the absolute frame rates are determined by resolution.

The RTX 4060’s support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 ensures compatibility with Evolve’s rendering requirements. The GPU’s 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 performance is substantial, but the 48 ROPs and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are modest for 4K Ultra workloads. The measured FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 28.9, which is below the 30 FPS threshold often considered playable, while 2560x1440 Ultra achieves 55 FPS, a playable level. The GPU’s role in this combo is to provide high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, where it excels, while 4K requires reduced settings to maintain smooth gameplay. The data shows that the RTX 4060 is the dominant performance driver, as evidenced by the frame rate variations across settings at a fixed resolution.

FAQ

*Q: What is the average FPS in Evolve at 1920x1080 with High settings?*

A: The measured average FPS is 113.3 at 1920x1080 with High settings. This is 39.9% higher than the 80.7 FPS achieved at Ultra settings on the same resolution, showing that High settings provide a significant performance uplift.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14168, which is 0.4% higher than the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115) and 0.8% lower than the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277). In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5-10400F scores 10297.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 3840x2160?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low setting yields an average of 70.3 FPS, while Ultra drops to 28.9 FPS, a decrease of 41.4 FPS (or 58.8%). This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra.

Q: Does the RTX 4060’s memory bandwidth support high frame rates at 2560x1440?

A: With a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s, the RTX 4060 achieves 126.9 FPS at 2560x1440 on Low settings and 76.6 FPS on High settings. The bandwidth is sufficient for 1440p, but the 128-bit bus limits performance at 4K Ultra.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 rank against its closest competitor in the database?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 23181, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23321) and 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (23338). It is 0.7% higher than the Intel Arc B580 (23021).

Q: What is the FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, and how does it compare to Low?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 146.2, while Low settings achieve 188 FPS. This represents a 22.2% performance penalty for Medium over Low, which is a modest trade-off for improved visuals.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1000th out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the 41st percentile of all pairings. This mid-pack ranking indicates that while the combo is capable, there are many other systems that achieve higher frame rates in this game. The ranking is driven by the GPU’s performance, which is in the 66th percentile among all GPUs, but the CPU’s 73rd percentile standing is slightly higher, suggesting the GPU is the bottleneck in most scenarios. The rank of 1000 out of 1695 means that 695 combos are slower, while 999 are faster, putting this system in the lower half of the tested database.

The data shows that this combo’s performance is heavily dependent on resolution. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers frame rates above 80 FPS on all settings, with Low reaching 188 FPS, which would likely rank it higher than at 4K, where Ultra drops to 28.9 FPS. The rank of 1000 is an aggregate measure across all tested settings and resolutions, so it reflects the average performance profile. The RTX 4060’s 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 3840x2160, the memory capacity and bandwidth become limiting, causing the combo to fall behind systems with higher-end GPUs. The CPU’s 12 threads are not a limiting factor, as the game’s 2015 release date means it does not utilize more than 8 threads effectively, and the i5-10400F’s 8-thread score of 3929 is adequate for the game’s engine.

Relative to the nearest GPU rival, the RTX 4060’s average score is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, which could explain why this combo ranks below systems using that GPU. The Intel Arc B580 is 0.7% lower in score, yet its performance in Evolve may differ due to driver optimizations. The combo’s rank of 1000 out of 1695 suggests it is a mainstream pairing, not a top-tier system, but it is far from the bottom. The measured FPS data supports this, as the combo can exceed 100 FPS at 1080p on Medium and High settings, making it a solid choice for competitive play, while 4K Ultra is not viable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in Evolve covers three resolutions and four settings, providing a comprehensive view of performance. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 28.9 on Ultra to 70.3 on Low. Medium settings deliver 56.5 FPS, and High settings deliver 43.3 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at this resolution is a steady decline, with each step up in settings costing roughly 13-14 FPS, except for the High-to-Ultra drop, which costs 14.4 FPS. This indicates that the GPU’s rendering load increases linearly with settings, and the 4K resolution stresses the memory bandwidth and ROP throughput.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are significantly higher. Low settings achieve 126.9 FPS, Medium 96.8 FPS, High 76.6 FPS, and Ultra 55 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium is 30.1 FPS, which is larger than the Medium-to-High drop of 20.2 FPS, suggesting that the transition from Low to Medium has a disproportionate impact on performance. The Ultra setting at 1440p is playable at 55 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for high fidelity. The 1440p results are 80.5% higher than 4K results on average across settings, showing the resolution’s significant impact on frame rates.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. Low settings hit 188 FPS, Medium 146.2 FPS, High 113.3 FPS, and Ultra 80.7 FPS. The Low-to-Medium drop is 41.8 FPS, which is the largest single-settings drop across all resolutions, indicating that the CPU may be involved in the Low-to-Medium transition at 1080p, as the GPU is less stressed. The High-to-Ultra drop at 1080p is 32.6 FPS, which is the smallest absolute drop of any settings transition at this resolution, but the percentage drop from High to Ultra is 28.8%, consistent with other resolutions. The 1080p results show that the combo can drive high-refresh-rate monitors on Low and Medium settings, with Ultra still providing a smooth 80.7 FPS experience. The data across all resolutions shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring Low or Medium settings for playable frame rates.