Evolve

The Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT pairing delivers a wide performance envelope in Evolve, ranging from highly playable 4K High settings to extreme refresh-rate territory at 1080p. The data shows a clear pattern: the RX 9070 XT scales impressively as resolution drops, while the i5-11400F keeps pace with its six cores and 4.40 GHz boost clock. This combo ranks 935th out of 3700 tested combinations, placing it in the top quarter of all systems tested for this title. The measured frames per second (FPS) reveal that Evolve responds strongly to GPU upgrades, with the CPU providing a solid foundation that does not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Evolve?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 High as the sweet spot, delivering 107 FPS average. This is the highest resolution where the system maintains a triple-digit average without dropping to the 42 FPS seen at 4K Ultra.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 3840x2160 High, the combo averages 61 FPS, which is playable. Ultra settings drop this to 42 FPS, which may feel less smooth. Low settings at 4K push the average to 100 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, scores 17120 (0.3% slower). The Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17239 (0.4% faster), so the i5-11400F sits within 1% of top competitors.

Q: What is the GPU performance like relative to similar cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT scores 26795 in Passmark G3D. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7770M, scores 13536 (0.1% lower). The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 scores 13515 (0.2% lower), showing the RX 9070 XT leads its immediate peers by a small margin.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average at 1920x1080 Ultra is 110 FPS. This is noticeably lower than the 159 FPS at High settings, but still comfortably above 60 FPS for smooth gameplay.

Q: Does the combo perform better at 1440p or 1080p?

A: Performance scales with lower resolution. At 2560x1440 Low, the average is 176 FPS. Dropping to 1920x1080 Low increases this to 260 FPS. Both resolutions provide high frame rates, but 1080p offers a significant 84 FPS advantage over 1440p at Low settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. Its base clock runs at 2.60 GHz, boosting up to 4.40 GHz under load. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (51.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide adequate data flow for Evolve's gameplay logic. In synthetic testing, the CPU scores 14340 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2024 in single-core, indicating balanced performance across both lightly-threaded game logic and heavier background tasks.

For Evolve, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS differences between settings at the same resolution are substantial — for instance, 1080p Low hits 260 FPS while 1080p Ultra hits 110 FPS. This 150 FPS gap is far larger than what the CPU alone could produce, suggesting the GPU is the primary performance driver. The i5-11400F's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the RX 9070 XT without creating a visible bottleneck, as evidenced by the high frame rates achieved at 1080p.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, is virtually identical in average score (17120 vs 17177, a 0.3% delta). The Intel Core i5-12450H is 0.4% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G is 0.6% slower. This tight grouping suggests the i5-11400F offers consistent, mid-pack performance that avoids extreme drops in frame pacing.

In practical terms for Evolve, the CPU's boost clock of 4.40 GHz is likely more important than core count. The game's FPS data shows no sign of thread starvation, as even at 4K Low (100 FPS) the system maintains playable rates. The 65W TDP and Socket 1200 compatibility make it a straightforward drop-in for mainstream builds, though the data does not indicate any thermal throttling issues affecting frame rates.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the dominant component in this pairing. Built on RDNA 4.0 architecture at 4 nm, it features 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1660 MHz with a boost up to 2970 MHz, while its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory operates at 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus, yielding 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is critical for Evolve at high resolutions, where texture loads can saturate smaller frame buffers.

The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 26795 places it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals — the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (13536, 0.1% lower) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13515, 0.2% lower) — are significantly older parts, highlighting that the RX 9070 XT's score is being compared against a wide historical range rather than modern peers. The data shows the RX 9070 XT delivers its strongest relative performance in Evolve's GPU-bound scenarios.

The measured FPS clearly demonstrates the GPU's scaling. At 4K, dropping from Ultra (42 FPS) to High (61 FPS) yields a 19 FPS improvement, while Low (100 FPS) nearly doubles the Ultra rate. This pattern repeats at 1440p (Ultra 74 FPS, High 107 FPS, Low 176 FPS) and 1080p (Ultra 110 FPS, High 159 FPS, Low 260 FPS). The GPU's 16 GB VRAM and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth prevent memory-related frame drops, as evidenced by the consistent min FPS values — for instance, 1080p Medium shows a 172 FPS minimum against a 203 FPS average, a tight 31 FPS spread.

The GPU's 48.66 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 760.3 GTexel/s texture rate provide ample raw processing power for Evolve's effects. The 128 ROPs handle pixel output efficiently, which is why the system can push 260 FPS at 1080p Low without hitting a pixel-rate ceiling. The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensures no bandwidth constraints, though Evolve's age means it likely does not exploit newer features like ray tracing (64 RT cores present).

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 4K High, the system averages 61 FPS, which is borderline but playable for slower-paced gameplay. Dropping to 1440p High yields 107 FPS, providing a smooth experience with room for refresh-rate headroom. At 1080p High, the 159 FPS average is excellent for high-refresh monitors.

The Medium preset is a viable alternative for those seeking higher frame rates without the visual hit of Low. At 4K Medium, the average is 77 FPS (16 FPS higher than High), while 1440p Medium hits 136 FPS and 1080p Medium reaches 203 FPS. The min FPS values at Medium — 66 at 4K, 116 at 1440p, and 172 at 1080p — show consistent frame delivery, making Medium a strong choice for competitive play.

Ultra settings should be avoided at 4K, where the 42 FPS average falls below typical playability thresholds. At 1440p Ultra, the 74 FPS average is workable, but the jump to High at 107 FPS is more compelling. For 1080p Ultra, the 110 FPS average is fine, but High's 159 FPS offers a 49 FPS improvement with presumably minor visual differences.

Low settings are only recommended for maximum refresh-rate gaming. At 1080p Low, the 260 FPS average can drive 240Hz displays, though the visual quality trade-off is significant. The data suggests that most users will find High the best compromise, as it maintains playable frame rates at all three resolutions while offering the second-highest visual quality tier.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 935 out of 3700 tested combinations places it in the 74th percentile (top quarter) of all systems benchmarked in Evolve. This is a strong showing, particularly given the CPU's modest 71st percentile ranking and the GPU's 55th percentile ranking. The high combo rank relative to the individual component percentiles indicates that Evolve favors this specific pairing — the CPU provides enough single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2024) to avoid bottlenecking the GPU, while the GPU's raw throughput (48.66 TFLOPS) scales well at lower resolutions.

Compared to the CPU's nearest rivals, the combo's performance aligns with expectations. The i5-11400F's average score of 17177 is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 7H12 (17120, 0.3% slower) and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (17074, 0.6% slower). The GPU's nearest rivals — the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 — are much older parts, suggesting the RX 9070 XT's 55th percentile figure is skewed by legacy comparisons rather than current competition.

The rank of 935 out of 3700 means this combo outperforms roughly 2765 other tested systems. This is a solid result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU, confirming that the i5-11400F does not hold back the RX 9070 XT in Evolve. The data shows that the combo's strengths lie in high-refresh 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it consistently delivers frame rates in excess of 100 FPS at High settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo delivers the following averages: Low 100 FPS, Medium 77 FPS, High 61 FPS, and Ultra 42 FPS. The Medium setting includes measured min/max of 66/89 FPS, showing a 23 FPS spread. The gap between Low and Ultra is 58 FPS, indicating that Evolve's 4K Ultra settings impose a heavy load on the GPU.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the averages are: Low 176 FPS, Medium 136 FPS, High 107 FPS, and Ultra 74 FPS. Medium min/max is 116/156 FPS (40 FPS spread). The progression from Ultra to Low shows a 102 FPS improvement, demonstrating the GPU's headroom when resolution drops.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the averages are: Low 260 FPS, Medium 203 FPS, High 159 FPS, and Ultra 110 FPS. Medium min/max is 172/233 FPS (61 FPS spread). The 1080p Low result of 260 FPS is the highest measured value across all configurations, while 1080p Ultra at 110 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step down in resolution yields roughly a 50-75% increase in frame rate at the same settings. For example, 4K High (61 FPS) to 1440p High (107 FPS) is a 75% improvement, and 1440p High to 1080p High (159 FPS) is a 49% improvement. This scaling suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all settings, with the CPU maintaining stable frame delivery even at the highest rates.