Evolve

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 presents a compelling dataset for Evolve, a 2015 FPS that scales dramatically across resolutions. The measured results reveal a configuration where the GPU becomes the clear performance arbiter as pixel count rises, while the 10-core, 16-thread processor provides a sturdy foundation that never appears to bottleneck at lower settings. This analysis interprets the measured FPS rows, CPU and GPU specifications, and the combo's rank against 1,694 other tested pairings to understand where this system excels and where its limitations surface.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a straightforward story about the limiting component. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 149.8 FPS, but moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that figure to 98.9 FPS—a reduction of approximately 34%. Pushing further to 3840x2160 Low yields 54.2 FPS, which is only 36% of the 1080p Low result. This pattern intensifies at higher settings: 1080p Ultra delivers 63.8 FPS, 1440p Ultra falls to 38.4 FPS (a 40% drop), and 4K Ultra bottoms out at 22.6 FPS, which is just 35% of the 1080p Ultra score.

The scaling curve indicates that the RX 6600's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are the primary constraints at 4K. The GPU's 128-bit bus width and 64 ROPs struggle to feed the massive pixel throughput required at 3840x2160. The data suggests that this pairing is not viable for 4K gaming in Evolve beyond Low settings, where the 54.2 FPS average is playable but far from smooth. The 1440p results are more forgiving, with Medium settings achieving 73.6 FPS and High hitting 61.3 FPS, indicating that the GPU still has headroom at this resolution when settings are moderated.

Interestingly, the difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 86 FPS (149.8 vs 63.8), which shows that settings have a massive impact on frame rates when the CPU is not the bottleneck. The data implies that at 1080p, the i5-13400F's 10 cores and 4.60 GHz boost clock can feed frames faster than the RX 6600 can render them, making the GPU the sole limiting factor. At 4K, the GPU is so overwhelmed that even dropping from High to Low only recovers 19.9 FPS (34.3 to 54.2), confirming that pixel count, not shading complexity, is the dominant cost.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a Raptor Lake-S part with 10 cores, 16 threads, and a 2.50 GHz base clock that boosts to 4.60 GHz. Its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample data locality for a game like Evolve, which relies on predictable enemy AI and physics calculations. In the benchmark data, the CPU's 3DMark scores show strong scaling: 1,880 for 2 threads, 3,459 for 4 threads, 5,591 for 8 threads, and 7,307 for max threads. This near-linear scaling suggests that the processor can handle heavily threaded workloads, which is relevant for Evolve's monster AI routines that run across multiple cores.

However, the measured FPS data indicates that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the 149.8 FPS average is high, but the CPU's single-thread performance (960 in 3DMark single-thread, 3,004 in Cinebench R23 single-core) suggests it could push even higher if the GPU allowed. The gap between 1080p Low (149.8 FPS) and 1440p Low (98.9 FPS) is 50.9 FPS, which is entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering load. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect similar FPS across resolutions at the same settings, but the data shows a clear resolution-dependent drop.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and 10 nm process node mean it runs cool and efficient, but the benchmark results show its percentile rank is 82nd among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25,236. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13620H, scores 25,201 (0.1% ahead), while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D scores 25,365 (0.5% ahead). This places the i5-13400F in a competitive mid-range position, but for Evolve, the CPU's role is primarily to maintain consistent frame pacing rather than to maximize raw FPS. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU can comfortably support all settings, but at 4K, its influence is negligible because the GPU is saturated.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 4K smoothly?*

A: The data indicates no. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 54.2 on Low settings, with High at 34.3 FPS, Medium at 45.6 FPS, and Ultra at 22.6 FPS. Only Low settings approach playable territory, but it is not consistently smooth.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: The 2560x1440 results show the best balance. High settings achieve 61.3 FPS, Medium hits 73.6 FPS, and Low reaches 98.9 FPS, all of which are playable. The 4K results are below 60 FPS at every setting except Low.

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

A: The i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25,236, which is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13620H (25,201) and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25,365). Its percentile rank is 82nd among all CPUs.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: Yes. The FPS difference between 1080p Low (149.8) and 1440p Low (98.9) is 50.9 FPS, which is a GPU-side cost. The CPU's strong multi-threaded scores (7,307 in 3DMark max threads) suggest it could deliver more frames if the GPU were faster.

Q: What settings give the most consistent experience at 1440p?

A: Medium settings at 73.6 FPS provide a solid balance between visual quality and frame rate. High settings (61.3 FPS) are also viable, while Ultra (38.4 FPS) drops below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Does the GPU's VRAM matter for this game?

A: The RX 6600 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 22.6, which could indicate VRAM pressure, but the pixel rate of 159.4 GPixel/s suggests that fill rate is the more likely constraint.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing ranks 1,381st out of 1,695 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the lower 18% of configurations. This rank is surprisingly low given the CPU's 82nd percentile and the GPU's 69th percentile among their respective categories. The data suggests that Evolve is a demanding title for this hardware, or that the game's engine is not well-optimized for this specific combination.

The rank implies that many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher average FPS in this game. The RX 6600's nearest GPU rival, the AMD Radeon 890M, has an identical average score (25,246, 0% delta), while the RX 580 2048SP is 0.2% behind. This tells us the GPU is not an outlier in its class. Similarly, the CPU's nearest rivals are within 0.5% of its average score. So why the low combo rank? The answer may lie in Evolve's specific engine behavior, which might favor different architectures.

The 1,381st rank out of 1,695 means that 314 combos performed worse, but 1,380 performed better. This is a meaningful distinction for users who prioritize high FPS in Evolve. The data shows that this combo is capable of 149.8 FPS at 1080p Low, but the rank suggests that many other systems can exceed that figure. For a game released in 2015, this level of performance is adequate but not exceptional, and the combo's rank reflects that it is a mid-range solution in a field dominated by higher-end hardware.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimal settings. At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 149.8 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, but Medium (114.2 FPS) and High (88.7 FPS) offer better visual fidelity while staying above 60 FPS. Ultra at 63.8 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The data suggests that High settings at 1080p are the sweet spot, providing a 88.7 FPS average that balances quality and performance.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings (73.6 FPS) are the recommended choice, as they provide a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while offering better detail than Low (98.9 FPS). High settings at 61.3 FPS are acceptable but risk dropping below 60 FPS in intense combat. Ultra at 38.4 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay. For 4K, Low settings at 54.2 FPS are the only viable option, and even then, users may experience stutter.

The data implies that users should prioritize resolution over settings. If a 1440p monitor is available, Medium settings offer the best experience. For 1080p, High settings provide a 88.7 FPS average that is both smooth and visually appealing. The 4K results are only suitable for users who prioritize resolution over frame rate and are willing to accept Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset reveals a consistent pattern across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, the FPS ranges from 63.8 (Ultra) to 149.8 (Low), with Medium at 114.2 and High at 88.7. The spread from Low to Ultra is 86 FPS, which is the largest of any resolution, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom at 1080p. At 2560x1440, the range is from 38.4 (Ultra) to 98.9 (Low), with Medium at 73.6 and High at 61.3. The spread narrows to 60.5 FPS, showing that the GPU is starting to feel the load.

At 3840x2160, the range compresses further: Low at 54.2, Medium at 45.6, High at 34.3, and Ultra at 22.6. The spread is only 31.6 FPS, which is less than half the 1080p spread. This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU is the overwhelming bottleneck, and settings have diminishing returns. The percentage drop from Low to Ultra is 58% at 4K (54.2 to 22.6), compared to 57% at 1440p (98.9 to 38.4) and 57% at 1080p (149.8 to 63.8). This consistency suggests that the GPU's shading units are the limiting factor, not memory bandwidth or VRAM capacity.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is a RDNA 2.0 part with 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its base clock is 1626 MHz, but the boost clock reaches 2491 MHz, with a game clock of 2044 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) across a 128-bit bus, yielding 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's FP32 performance is 8.928 TFLOPS, and its texture rate is 279.0 GTexel/s. These specifications place it in the 69th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25,235.

In Evolve, the GPU's role is dominant, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The 64 ROPs and 159.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are insufficient for 4K Ultra (22.6 FPS), but adequate for 1080p High (88.7 FPS). The nearest GPU rival, the AMD Radeon 890M, has an identical average score (25,246), while the RX 580 2048SP is 0.2% behind. This indicates that the RX 6600 is a well-balanced mid-range GPU, but it cannot overcome the pixel throughput demands of 4K.

The GPU's 11,060 million transistors on a 7 nm TSMC process node give it a die size of 237 mm², which is larger than the CPU's 215 mm². The power draw is 132 W, with a suggested 300 W PSU. The data shows that the GPU's performance in Evolve is directly tied to resolution and settings, with the 1080p Low result of 149.8 FPS representing the ceiling for this configuration. At 4K, the GPU's memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s becomes a bottleneck, as the 128-bit bus cannot deliver data fast enough to keep the shading units fed. The measured results confirm that the RX 6600 is a 1080p-focused GPU, with 1440p Medium being the practical limit for smooth gameplay in Evolve.