Evolve

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 161st out of 1,695 tested combinations in Evolve. This placement places the combo in the top 9.5% of all tested systems, a strong result for a game released in 2015. The ranking reflects the massive GPU performance headroom, but the data also reveals that the aging CPU constrains the system in lower-resolution scenarios.

Relative to other combos, this pairing sits in a comfortable position where the RTX 5090's raw power dominates. The GPU's 94th percentile ranking among all graphics cards, combined with the CPU's 73rd percentile standing, creates an asymmetric pairing. The benchmark data shows the combo's ranking is driven primarily by the GPU, as the 10400F's six cores and 12 threads from the Comet Lake architecture provide adequate, though not exceptional, support.

The combo's rank of 161 indicates that most of the 1,694 other tested configurations fall below it, but it is not at the absolute top tier. Systems with newer, higher-core-count CPUs likely occupy the upper ranks, as Evolve's engine can utilize additional threads effectively. The deltaPct figures for the CPU's nearest rivals show a tight cluster: the AMD EPYC 7552 is 0.4% ahead, while the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.8% behind, the Intel Core i5-8500 is 1.1% behind, and the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 is 1.2% behind. This narrow spread highlights that the 10400F's compute performance is competitive with its immediate peers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo delivers playable frame rates across all settings. The Ultra preset produces an average of 64.6 FPS, which is the lowest measured value in the entire dataset. High settings at 4K yield 91.6 FPS, while Medium reaches 114.1 FPS. Low settings at 4K achieve 144.9 FPS, demonstrating the GPU's ability to push high refresh rates even at this demanding resolution. The progression from Ultra to Low at 4K shows a 124.3% performance uplift, indicating that Evolve's graphics settings have a substantial impact on frame throughput.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results scale predictably. Ultra settings deliver 110.8 FPS, which is a 71.5% improvement over the 4K Ultra figure. High settings at 1440p reach 155 FPS, while Medium hits 179.3 FPS. Low settings at 1440p produce 195.1 FPS, the highest value at this resolution. The gap between Ultra and Low at 1440p is 76.1%, slightly narrower than at 4K, suggesting that resolution scaling affects the setting-to-setting deltas.

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its strongest absolute numbers. Ultra settings achieve 161.7 FPS, which is higher than the 4K Low result, underscoring the GPU's capability. High settings at 1080p reach 185.3 FPS, Medium produces 202.6 FPS, and Low peaks at 223.5 FPS. The 1080p Ultra figure represents a 150.3% improvement over the 4K Ultra score, illustrating how resolution scaling benefits this combination. Notably, the 1080p Low-to-Ultra spread is 27.7%, the smallest relative difference across all resolutions, indicating that at lower resolutions, the CPU begins to play a more significant role.

The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution decreases, the FPS gains from lowering settings diminish. At 4K, the Ultra-to-Low delta is 80.3 FPS; at 1440p, it is 84.3 FPS; at 1080p, it is 61.8 FPS. This suggests that at 1080p, the system approaches a CPU-bound ceiling, particularly at lower settings where the GPU is less stressed.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F features six cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. This Comet Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process, provides a solid foundation for gaming workloads. The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 256 KB L2 cache per core offer adequate data locality for Evolve's engine. Memory bandwidth is rated at 42.7 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR4 interface, which is sufficient for the game's demands.

Benchmark results for the 10400F show balanced multi-threaded performance. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 10,297 points in multi-core and 1,453 points in single-core tests. The 3DMark results demonstrate scaling from 1,350 points in the 2-thread test to 4,748 points in the 16-thread test, with the max-thread score at 4,735. These numbers indicate that the CPU can effectively utilize its 12 threads, though the single-thread score of 688 in 3DMark is modest by modern standards.

In Evolve, the CPU's role becomes apparent in the measured FPS data. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 223.5 FPS, but the Ultra setting drops to 161.7 FPS, a 27.7% reduction. This smaller delta compared to 4K (124.3%) suggests that at 1080p, the CPU limits the maximum attainable frame rate. The 10400F's single-thread performance, reflected in the 1,453 Cinebench R23 single-core score, is likely the bottleneck at lower resolutions and settings. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all processors places it above average, but it is not a top-tier part for high-refresh-rate gaming.

The data indicates that the 10400F provides enough compute headroom for the RTX 5090 at 4K, where the GPU is the primary constraint. At 1080p, however, the CPU's limitations surface, preventing the combo from fully exploiting the GPU's capabilities. The 12-thread count helps with Evolve's multi-threaded engine, but the modest clock speeds and older architecture cap performance in CPU-bound scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU-GPU pairing?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 at High settings provides an excellent balance, delivering 155 FPS on average. This combination offers high frame rates while maintaining visual quality, with the 110.8 FPS Ultra setting as a more demanding alternative.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's performance compare to its nearest rivals in this context?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 84,306, which is 0.1% ahead of the RTX 5090 D, 0.2% ahead of the RTX 5050 Mobile, 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6600, and 1.6% behind the NVIDIA CMP 40HX. These deltas are minimal, indicating near-parity with its closest competitors.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 in Evolve?

A: The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU limits performance. At Low settings, the combo achieves 223.5 FPS versus 161.7 FPS at Ultra, a 27.7% difference. At 4K, the Ultra-to-Low delta is 124.3%, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking and modest single-thread scores contribute to this bottleneck.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo delivers an average of 64.6 FPS. This is the lowest measured result, but it remains above the 60 FPS threshold for playable performance. High settings at 4K improve this to 91.6 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: The 10400F shows strong scaling, with Cinebench R23 scores of 10,297 multi-core and 1,453 single-core. In 3DMark, the 16-thread score of 4,748 is nearly identical to the max-thread score of 4,735, indicating that all 12 threads are effectively utilized. The single-thread score of 688 is significantly lower, reflecting the CPU's age.

Q: Does the combo support high refresh rates at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, all settings exceed 110 FPS, with Low achieving 195.1 FPS, Medium at 179.3 FPS, High at 155 FPS, and Ultra at 110.8 FPS. This makes the combination suitable for 144Hz monitors at Medium to High settings, and even Ultra remains above 100 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 21,760 shading units and 680 tensor cores, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process, provide immense compute throughput. The die size of 750 mm² houses 92,200 million transistors, resulting in a transistor density of 122.9 million per mm². The GPU operates with a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective).

In Evolve, the RTX 5090's capabilities are evident across all resolutions. The GPU's 94th percentile ranking among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 84,306, positions it as a top-tier performer. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,411 and the Geekbench Vulkan score of 379,571 highlight the GPU's modern API support, which is beneficial for Evolve's rendering pipeline. The PassMark G3D score of 39,650 further confirms the GPU's strength.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU's scaling behavior. At 4K, the Ultra setting yields 64.6 FPS, which is 44.8% lower than the Low setting's 144.9 FPS. This indicates that Evolve's Ultra preset imposes significant shading and memory bandwidth demands, which the RTX 5090 handles admirably. The GPU's 32 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for any texture or geometry load Evolve can present, preventing any memory-related bottlenecks.

The RTX 5090's 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth is critical at 4K, where high-resolution textures require substantial data throughput. The GPU's 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs ensure efficient pixel and texture processing, contributing to the strong 4K results. At lower resolutions, the GPU's raw compute power is underutilized, as evidenced by the 1080p Low-to-Ultra delta of 27.7%, which is the narrowest across all resolutions.

The GPU's nearest rivals show it performs within a tight margin. The RTX 5090 D is 0.1% ahead, while the RTX 5050 Mobile is 0.2% ahead, the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 is 1.3% ahead, and the NVIDIA CMP 40HX is 1.6% behind. These small deltas suggest that the RTX 5090's performance is well-matched to its immediate competitors, though the specific Evolve workload may favor the GPU's architectural strengths in ways not captured by aggregate benchmark scores.