Evolve

# Evolve with Intel Core i5-11400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070

The data for this combination shows a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions but reveals an interesting CPU ceiling at 1080p. With the RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, one might expect the graphics card to dominate the performance narrative across all settings. However, the measured FPS reveals a more nuanced story: at 1080p Low, the system hits 259.3 FPS, which is remarkably close to what the CPU can physically feed, suggesting that the Intel Core i5-11400F's 6 cores and 12 threads are the limiting factor in this scenario. The combo ranks 408th out of 1695 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the top 24% of all systems evaluated.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the shifting bottleneck. At High settings, the system produces 161.7 FPS at 1920x1080, drops to 109.4 FPS at 2560x1440, and falls to 62.6 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 32% performance loss from 1080p to 1440p, and another 43% loss from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is holding the GPU back, as the 161.7 FPS at High is likely near the maximum the i5-11400F can deliver in this game.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more telling. The system produces 259.3 FPS at 1080p, 174.7 FPS at 1440p, and 100.7 FPS at 4K. The 1080p result is suspiciously high but still shows a 33% drop when moving to 1440p, which is a larger relative decrease than the resolution pixel count increase alone would suggest. This implies that even at Low settings, the GPU is beginning to become the primary constraint at 1440p and above, while the 1080p result is limited by the CPU's single-thread performance of 868 in 3DMark and 2029 in Cinebench R23.

The Ultra settings profile tells a different story entirely. At 4K Ultra, the system only manages 41.7 FPS, which is a 62% drop from the 110.5 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4070's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is being heavily taxed by the combination of high resolution and maximum quality settings. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the clear outlier in the dataset.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Evolve?

A: The maximum measured average FPS is 259.3, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: At 4K with High settings, the system produces 62.6 FPS, which is playable. However, at 4K Ultra, it drops to 41.7 FPS, suggesting that High settings are the practical ceiling for 4K play.

Q: How does the RTX 4070's memory configuration affect performance?

A: The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which appears sufficient for this game, as even the most demanding 4K Ultra configuration does not show signs of memory capacity limitations.

Q: What is the CPU's role in limiting performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz across 6 cores and 12 threads. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are adequate, but the 1080p Low result of 259.3 FPS suggests a CPU-imposed ceiling.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 408th out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the upper quartile of all systems benchmarked for this game.

Q: Which settings profile offers the best balance of quality and performance?

A: At 1440p, High settings produce 109.4 FPS, which is a strong result. At 1080p, High yields 161.7 FPS, while Ultra delivers 110.5 FPS, making High the recommended profile for smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 serves as the performance driver in this combination, with its 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units working together to produce the measured results. The GPU's 5 nm fabrication process from TSMC allows for 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 121.8M per mm². This architecture delivers 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is the raw computational power behind the FPS numbers.

The memory subsystem plays a critical role in this game's performance. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory running at an effective 21 Gbps, the 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This is notable because Evolve's 4K Ultra setting drops to 41.7 FPS, which suggests that the game is heavily taxing the GPU's compute and memory resources simultaneously. The pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s are the theoretical limits that the measured FPS approaches at lower resolutions.

The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz is the frequency at which the card operates under load, and this clock speed combined with the 200 W TDP allows for sustained performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3854 and Passmark G3D score of 26927 provide synthetic benchmarks that align with the measured in-game results. The GPU's 81st percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates that it is a high-end part, but the 4K Ultra result of 41.7 FPS shows that Evolve's most demanding settings can still overwhelm it.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers a spread of results across the four settings profiles. Low settings produce 259.3 FPS, Medium yields 204.2 FPS, High achieves 161.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 110.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 148.8 FPS, representing a 57% reduction in frame rate when maximizing quality. This scaling suggests that the GPU has significant headroom at 1080p, as even the Ultra setting maintains performance above 100 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results show a more compressed range. Low settings produce 174.7 FPS, Medium delivers 136.4 FPS, High achieves 109.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 75.1 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 99.6 FPS, a 57% reduction that mirrors the 1080p scaling pattern. However, the absolute numbers are lower across the board, confirming that the increased pixel count is taxing the GPU more heavily.

At 3840x2160, the performance range narrows further. Low settings produce 100.7 FPS, Medium delivers 80.1 FPS, High achieves 62.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 41.7 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 59 FPS, representing a 59% reduction. This is the first resolution where the Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS, and the 62.6 FPS at High is the only other 4K result that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The 4K results indicate that users seeking 60+ FPS must use High settings or lower.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 408th out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the 76th percentile of all systems benchmarked. This ranking is notably higher than the CPU's standalone percentile of 75, which suggests that the GPU is helping to boost the overall performance profile. The CPU's average benchmark score of 17181 places it in the 75th percentile of all processors, while the GPU's average score of 37283 places it in the 81st percentile.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U scores 17189, which is essentially identical with a 0% delta. The Intel Core i7-1260P scores 17212, representing a -0.2% delta, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U also scores 17215 with a -0.2% delta. The Intel Core i5-1240U scores 17141 with a 0.2% delta. These narrow margins indicate that the i5-11400F is firmly in the middle of a competitive pack of mid-range processors.

For the GPU, the nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 with a score of 37507, representing a -0.6% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A scores 38008 with a -1.9% delta, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135 with a -2.2% delta. The AMD Radeon RX 5300M scores 36371 with a 2.5% delta. The GPU's 81st percentile ranking shows that it is a strong performer, but the 4K Ultra result in Evolve demonstrates that even top-tier GPUs face challenges with demanding games at maximum settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1080p, all four settings profiles exceed 100 FPS, with Ultra at 110.5 FPS being the minimum. This makes 1080p Ultra a viable option for users with high refresh rate monitors, as the 110.5 FPS result is smooth and the visual quality is maximized. However, the 161.7 FPS at High settings suggests that competitive players might prefer this profile to take advantage of higher frame rates.

At 1440p, the recommendation becomes more nuanced. High settings at 109.4 FPS offer an excellent balance of visual fidelity and performance, while Ultra at 75.1 FPS is still playable but requires a small compromise in frame rate. The Medium preset at 136.4 FPS provides a significant performance boost over High while maintaining reasonable quality, making it the best choice for users who prioritize frame rate over visual detail at this resolution.

At 4K, the options are more constrained. High settings at 62.6 FPS is the only profile that consistently stays above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 4K gaming. Medium at 80.1 FPS offers additional headroom for users with variable refresh rate displays, while Low at 100.7 FPS is the maximum performance option. The Ultra preset at 41.7 FPS is not recommended for 4K gaming, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold and produces a less smooth experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F plays a crucial supporting role in this combination, and its limitations become apparent at lower resolutions. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the CPU has sufficient multi-threaded capability, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14372 and Passmark multithread score of 16908. However, the single-thread performance is the more critical metric for Evolve, and the Cinebench R23 singlecore score of 2029 and 3DMark single-thread score of 868 suggest that this is where the bottleneck lies.

The CPU's base clock of 2.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz are the frequencies that determine its performance in gaming workloads. The 14 nm process node and Rocket Lake architecture are older designs compared to the GPU's 5 nm Ada Lovelace architecture, which creates a generational mismatch. The 65 W TDP is modest, and the CPU's 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth on a dual-channel DDR4 interface is sufficient for most games but may limit performance in CPU-intensive scenarios.

The 1080p Low result of 259.3 FPS is the clearest evidence of the CPU's role. This frame rate is so high that it approaches the practical limit of what the CPU can deliver, and the fact that the GPU is not the limiting factor at this setting is confirmed by the relatively small performance gap between Low (259.3 FPS) and Medium (204.2 FPS) at 1080p. The CPU's 75th percentile ranking among all processors, combined with its average benchmark score of 17181, shows that it is a capable but not exceptional part, and in this game, it is sufficient to keep up with the RTX 4070 at resolutions above 1080p.