Evolve

# Evolve with Intel Core i5-10400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread Comet Lake processor with a 2.90 GHz base clock and 4.30 GHz boost clock, paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, a Blackwell 2.0 GPU with 10,752 shading units and a 2,617 MHz boost clock. In Evolve, this combination produces a remarkably balanced experience across resolutions, with the CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support proving sufficient to feed the RTX 5080's 960.0 GB/s of GDDR7 bandwidth. The data shows that at 1080p, even the most demanding Ultra preset yields 151.9 FPS average, indicating that the i5-10400F's 4.30 GHz boost clock and 6 physical cores are adequate for Evolve's FPS workload, though the 12-thread capability helps maintain frame pacing during hectic monster encounters.

CPU Role

The i5-10400F sits in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 14,168. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7552 (0.4% faster), AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (0.8% slower), Intel Core i5-8500 (1.1% slower), and AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 (1.2% slower). This clustering suggests the 10400F delivers performance squarely in the mid-range desktop tier, which is more than enough for Evolve's requirements given that the game released in 2015 and the CPU launched in 2020.

In multi-threaded workloads, the processor scores 4,324 in Cinebench R20 multicore and 10,297 in R23 multicore, while single-thread scores reach 610 and 1,453 respectively. PassMark multithread results show 12,115 points, with single-thread at 2,541. For Evolve, the 3DMark 8-thread score of 3,929 and max-thread score of 4,735 are particularly relevant, as the game's engine typically utilizes up to 8 threads for physics, AI, and rendering tasks. The 2-thread score of 1,350 indicates that even lightly-threaded scenes maintain responsiveness.

The 65 W TDP and 14 nm process node mean the CPU runs cool enough for a capable air cooler, though the locked multiplier prevents overclocking. With PCIe Gen 3 and 16 lanes from the CPU, the RTX 5080's PCIe 5.0 x16 interface runs at Gen 3 speeds without bottlenecking in this title—the measured FPS at 1080p Low (221.1 FPS average) demonstrates that the CPU can push the GPU to very high frame rates. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s on dual-channel DDR4 is sufficient for Evolve's asset streaming, as evidenced by consistent frame rates across all settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data reveals a clear hierarchy across the four presets at each resolution. At 1080p, Low settings deliver 221.1 FPS average, Medium drops to 201.1 FPS, High reaches 183.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 151.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 69.2 FPS (31.3% reduction), which is substantial but not prohibitive. At 1440p, the spread tightens: Low yields 191.4 FPS, Medium 178.8 FPS, High 143.8 FPS, and Ultra 100.2 FPS. Here, Ultra costs 91.2 FPS versus Low, a 47.6% reduction.

At 4K, the differences become more pronounced: Low averages 135.3 FPS, Medium 108 FPS, High 82.6 FPS, and Ultra 59.9 FPS. The jump from Low to Ultra at 4K represents a 75.4 FPS drop (55.7% reduction). For the best experience balancing visual quality and performance, the High preset at 1440p (143.8 FPS) offers a strong combination—well above 144 Hz refresh rates and visually rich. At 1080p, Ultra at 151.9 FPS is the clear choice for maximum fidelity without sacrificing high refresh rates. At 4K, Medium at 108 FPS provides a playable experience, while High at 82.6 FPS remains smooth for 60 Hz displays but Ultra at 59.9 FPS hovers near the edge of playability.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important bottleneck characteristics. At Low settings, the progression is 221.1 → 191.4 → 135.3 FPS across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. This represents a 38.8% drop from 1080p to 4K at Low, indicating that even at minimal graphical load, the GPU is increasingly stressed as resolution climbs. At Ultra settings, the progression is 151.9 → 100.2 → 59.9 FPS, a 60.6% drop from 1080p to 4K.

The data suggests that at 1080p and Low settings, the CPU is the limiting factor—the RTX 5080 is capable of far more than 221 FPS, but the i5-10400F's single-thread performance (2,541 PassMark single-thread score) caps the frame rate. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, with the 59.9 FPS Ultra result showing the RTX 5080's 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 compute being fully utilized. The 4K High result of 82.6 FPS versus 1080p High at 183.8 FPS (55.1% reduction) indicates that Evolve's rendering load scales aggressively with pixel count, likely due to the game's 2015-era graphics engine lacking modern upscaling techniques.

How This Combo Ranks

In Evolve, this CPU+GPU combination ranks 235th out of 1,695 tested combos, placing it in the top 13.9% of all configurations. This is a strong result given that the i5-10400F is a mid-range 2020 CPU paired with a flagship 2025 GPU. The ranking reflects that Evolve is not particularly CPU-intensive—the 3DMark 16-thread score of 4,748 and Cinebench R23 multicore of 10,297 show the CPU's capabilities, but the game's FPS results are dominated by GPU performance.

The RTX 5080's percentile rank of 89 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 59,188, places it near the top of the GPU hierarchy. Its nearest rivals—Intel Arc A570M (1.6% faster), Intel Arc Pro A60 (1.9% slower), Intel Arc A580 (2.5% faster), and AMD Radeon Pro W5500X (2.6% faster)—are all significantly lower-tier GPUs, which underscores the RTX 5080's dominance. The combo's 235th rank out of 1,695 indicates that while the GPU is elite, the CPU holds back performance in some scenarios, particularly at 1080p where the 221.1 FPS Low result is likely CPU-limited rather than GPU-limited.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings in Evolve?

A: Yes, but barely. The measured 4K Ultra average is 59.9 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS threshold. For consistent 60 FPS, the High preset at 4K delivers 82.6 FPS average.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F a bottleneck for the RTX 5080 in Evolve?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the CPU appears to be the limiting factor, capping FPS at 221.1. However, at 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, with FPS dropping to 191.4 and 135.3 respectively on Low settings.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination to maximize refresh rate?

A: At 1080p, even Ultra settings achieve 151.9 FPS, making it suitable for 144 Hz displays. At 1440p, High settings deliver 143.8 FPS, which also supports 144 Hz monitors. For 240 Hz displays, 1080p Low at 221.1 FPS is the only option that exceeds 200 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5080's raw compute power translate to Evolve performance?

A: The GPU's 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 879.3 GTexel/s texture rate drive the 4K High average of 82.6 FPS. The 293.1 GPixel/s pixel fill rate handles the 3840x2160 resolution effectively, though Ultra at 59.9 FPS shows the limits of this 2015 game engine on modern hardware.

Q: Does the CPU's 14 nm Comet Lake architecture hurt performance in Evolve?

A: The data suggests no significant negative impact. The 4.30 GHz boost clock and 6 cores achieve a 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, and the measured FPS at 1440p High (143.8 FPS) indicates the CPU handles Evolve's workloads without major issues.

Q: How does the combo's ranking compare to other configurations tested?

A: At 235th out of 1,695 combos, this setup outperforms approximately 86% of tested configurations. This ranking is driven by the RTX 5080's 89th percentile GPU performance, while the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking is adequate but not exceptional for the pairing.