Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS, presents an interesting scalability profile for the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB combination. The measured data indicates a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but capable of delivering very high frame rates at 1080p. The 8 GB VRAM capacity of the RTX 4060 Ti appears to be a factor at the highest settings, while the six-core processor provides a sufficient foundation for the game's demands, which is reflected in the performance scaling across different presets.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates where the bottleneck lies for this configuration. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 220 FPS, which drops to 148 FPS at 2560x1440 (-32.7%) and further to 84 FPS at 3840x2160 (-43.2% from 1440p). This steep decline with each resolution increase points directly at the GPU as the primary limiting component. The RTX 4060 Ti, with its 128-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, is being saturated as pixel count grows.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. For High settings, the average frame rate falls from 134 FPS at 1080p to 90 FPS at 1440p (a 32.8% reduction) and then to 51 FPS at 4K (a 43.3% reduction from 1440p). The consistent ~33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a ~43% drop from 1440p to 4K, suggests that the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth are the constraining factors. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads boosting up to 4.40 GHz, appears to keep pace, as the frame rate scaling remains proportional to the pixel count increase rather than showing a plateau indicative of a CPU limit.

The most telling data point is the Ultra preset at 4K, where the average FPS collapses to 35. This represents a 62.4% reduction from the 1440p Ultra average of 62 FPS, a much larger drop than the ~43% seen at High settings. This disproportionate decline suggests that the 8 GB VRAM buffer is being exceeded at 4K Ultra, forcing the GPU to manage memory more inefficiently, which compounds the raw compute load. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it delivers high frame rates, but it struggles to maintain playable performance at 4K with maximum settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Evolve with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured frame rates, 1920x1080 is the optimal choice, with an average of 220 FPS on Low settings and 134 FPS on High. 2560x1440 is also viable, offering 148 FPS on Low and 90 FPS on High, but 3840x2160 should be avoided for competitive play, as even High settings only yields 51 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance hit does the Ultra preset cost compared to High?

A: At 1080p, Ultra averages 93 FPS, a 30.6% reduction from High's 134 FPS. At 1440p, the drop is more severe, with Ultra averaging 62 FPS versus High's 90 FPS, a 31.1% reduction. At 4K, the gap widens dramatically, with Ultra at 35 FPS versus High's 51 FPS, a 31.4% reduction, indicating the Ultra preset's additional demands heavily tax the GPU.

Q: Is the Core i5-11400F holding back the RTX 4060 Ti in this game?

A: The data suggests no. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K follows a pattern consistent with a GPU bottleneck. For example, the 220 FPS at 1080p Low drops to 148 FPS at 1440p, which is a 32.7% decline, closely matching the pixel count increase. If the CPU were the limit, we would expect to see a smaller frame rate gap between resolutions, particularly at 1080p.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM of the RTX 4060 Ti cause problems in Evolve?

A: The evidence points to yes at 4K Ultra. The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 35, which is a 43.5% drop from the 4K High average of 51 FPS. This drop is disproportionately larger than the ~31% difference seen at 1080p and 1440p, suggesting that the game exceeds the 8 GB buffer at 4K Ultra, causing a significant performance penalty.

Q: How does this combo rank relative to other tested configurations?

A: The combo is ranked 1446 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve. This places it in the 39th percentile of all tested systems, indicating it performs better than a majority of configurations but is not near the top tier for this specific game.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB and its 16 GB counterpart?

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB scores 2913 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, while the 16 GB version scores 2907, a negligible 0.2% difference. This suggests that the core GPU performance is identical, and the 8 GB model's issue in Evolve at 4K Ultra is purely a memory capacity limitation, not a speed deficit.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB combination achieves a rank of 1446 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the 39th percentile. This suggests a mid-to-upper-tier standing for this specific game, which is notable given the game's age and the relatively modern hardware. The ranking indicates that this setup outperforms roughly 61% of all other tested configurations, a solid result that is likely driven by the strong single-threaded performance of the CPU and the capable rasterization performance of the GPU.

However, the rank is not exceptional, and the data suggests why. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM becomes a liability at the highest settings and resolutions, preventing the combo from climbing higher in the rankings. The RTX 4060 Ti's synthetic benchmark score of 2913 places it in the 19th percentile of all GPUs, which is low, but its nearest rivals include the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB (0.2% faster) and the Quadro P600 (0.3% slower), showing that its raw compute is competitive within its class. The CPU, conversely, sits in the 71st percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 17177, which is very strong. The combination of a high-percentile CPU and a low-percentile GPU means the system's overall rank is likely dragged down by the graphics card, particularly in a game like Evolve that seems to be graphically demanding at high settings.

The rank of 1446 out of 3700 also implies that many systems with more powerful GPUs or more VRAM will outrank this combo, particularly at 4K. The data shows that while the combo is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, it falls short of the top tier due to the 8 GB memory limitation. For a game from 2015, this is a curious outcome, as it suggests that Evolve's Ultra settings are particularly demanding on memory capacity, a trait not shared by all titles from that era.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a wide range of performance across settings. With Low settings, the combo produces an average of 220 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates a significant GPU headroom. Medium settings maintain a strong average of 171 FPS, with a minimum of 145 FPS and a maximum of 196 FPS, showing good frame time consistency. High settings yield 134 FPS on average, a 21.6% reduction from Medium, which is a reasonable cost for the visual upgrade. Ultra settings drop to 93 FPS on average, a 30.6% reduction from High, which is the most significant single-setting penalty at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings average 148 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium settings average 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS, keeping the experience fluid. High settings produce 90 FPS, a 21.1% reduction from Medium. Ultra settings at 1440p average 62 FPS, which is a 31.1% drop from High, mirroring the percentage drop seen at 1080p. This consistency suggests that at 1440p, the GPU's compute units are the primary constraint, not memory capacity.

At 3840x2160, the limitations become apparent. Low settings average 84 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. Medium settings average 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS, which is on the edge of smoothness. High settings drop to 51 FPS on average, which is borderline for a FPS. Ultra settings at 4K average just 35 FPS, which is the only unplayable result in the entire dataset. The 43.5% drop from High to Ultra at 4K, compared to the ~31% drop at other resolutions, is the key anomaly that points to the 8 GB VRAM being exceeded.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is the dominant factor in this combo's performance in Evolve. The GPU's boost clock of 2535 MHz and 4352 shading units are the primary drivers of the raw compute performance, which is reflected in the high frame rates at 1080p. However, the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is a significant constraint. The data suggests that the memory capacity is the single most limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings.

The measured FPS data reveals that the GPU is the bottleneck in nearly all scenarios. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU that is being pushed harder as pixel count increases. The fact that the CPU is not the limit is evident from the 220 FPS result at 1080p Low, which is a frame rate that many CPUs would struggle to feed. The GPU's performance at 1080p Low is so high that it leaves no doubt about the processor's ability to keep up.

The 8 GB VRAM limitation is most clearly exposed at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, where the average FPS drops to 35. This is a 43.5% reduction from the High preset's 51 FPS, which is a much larger drop than the ~31% seen at 1080p and 1440p. This disproportionate penalty is a classic sign of memory swapping or spillover, where the GPU must constantly move data in and out of the 8 GB buffer, severely impacting performance. The synthetic benchmark score of 2913 in 3DMark Steel Nomad confirms that the GPU's compute is on par with its 16 GB sibling (0.2% difference), so the issue is purely capacity-related.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this hardware, the data points to 1920x1080 with High settings as the sweet spot. This configuration yields an average of 134 FPS, which is high enough for smooth gameplay on most displays. The drop from High to Ultra at this resolution is 30.6%, which is a significant cost for visual improvements that may not be noticeable in a fast-paced FPS. The 134 FPS at High also provides a comfortable margin above the 93 FPS at Ultra, ensuring more consistent frame times.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset appears to be the most balanced choice. It delivers an average of 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS, ensuring a consistently smooth experience. The High preset at 90 FPS is also viable, but it is closer to the edge of what might be considered ideal for competitive play. Ultra at 1440p, with an average of 62 FPS, is playable but does not provide the high refresh rate experience that the lower settings offer.

For users with a 3840x2160 display, the data suggests that only Low settings are really viable for a smooth experience, with an average of 84 FPS. Medium settings at 65 FPS are borderline, and High at 51 FPS is on the edge of playability. The Ultra preset at 35 FPS is not recommended, as the performance hit is too severe. The analysis indicates that this GPU is not well-suited for 4K gaming in Evolve, particularly with higher graphical presets, due to the 8 GB VRAM limitation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F plays a supporting role in this combo, but its performance is crucial for achieving the high frame rates seen at 1080p. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the CPU has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The benchmark data shows a single-thread score of 868 in 3DMark, which is strong, and a multi-thread score of 5652, which is more than adequate for a game like Evolve. The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this configuration. The most compelling evidence is the 220 FPS average at 1080p Low. This frame rate is high enough that any CPU limitation would likely manifest as a plateau, where the frame rate would not increase further regardless of resolution changes. However, the data shows a consistent 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, which is expected from a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limit, the frame rate would stay relatively flat across resolutions, which is not the case.

The CPU's percentile rank of 71% indicates it is a strong performer in general, and its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% faster) and the Intel Core i5-12450H (0.4% slower). This shows that the i5-11400F is competitive with more modern and higher-end processors in raw compute terms. The 14340 score in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2024 in single-core further confirm its capability. For Evolve, the CPU's performance is more than sufficient, and the system's overall performance is almost entirely dictated by the GPU's capabilities and VRAM limitations.