Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, shows markedly different performance behavior depending on whether the workload is bound by the CPU or the GPU. The measured frame rates for the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB combination reveal a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher settings and resolutions, but which transitions to a CPU-bound state at lower presets and resolutions. The data indicates that the 13400F's 10-core, 16-thread configuration is more than sufficient to feed the RTX 4060 Ti in most scenarios, while the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface become the primary bottlenecks at 4K Ultra.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, but the magnitude depends entirely on the graphics preset. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 218.9 at 1920x1080 to 150 at 2560x1440, a 31.5% reduction, and then to 84.2 at 3840x2160, which is a further 43.9% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU is still the limiting component, as the CPU is capable of generating far more frames than the GPU can render at higher pixel counts.

At High settings, the scaling is more gradual in relative terms. The average FPS drops from 134.2 at 1080p to 87.8 at 1440p (a 34.6% reduction) and then to 52.5 at 4K (a 40.2% reduction from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops indicate a uniform increase in GPU workload per pixel. However, the Ultra preset tells a different story: the average FPS at 1080p is 92.9, which drops to 61.7 at 1440p (a 33.6% reduction) and then to 37.9 at 4K (a 38.6% reduction). The fact that 4K Ultra yields a sub-40 FPS average while 1080p Ultra is nearly 93 FPS suggests that the RTX 4060 Ti's 8 GB VRAM or its 288.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is being saturated at the highest resolution.

The data shows that the limiting component shifts as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the 218.9 FPS average is likely near the CPU's practical limit for this game; the i5-13400F has a boost clock of 4.60 GHz and a PassMark single-thread score of 3634, which is adequate for high frame rates. At 4K Ultra, however, the 37.9 FPS result is clearly GPU-bound, as the CPU has ample headroom. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 46.3 FPS (84.2 vs 37.9), which is smaller than the 126 FPS gap at 1080p (218.9 vs 92.9), confirming that the GPU's pixel throughput and memory subsystem become the dominant constraint at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its benchmark results indicate strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21279 and a Geekbench multicore score of 10971. However, for gaming, single-thread performance is often more critical, and the CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 3634 and 3DMark single-thread score of 960 suggest it is well-suited for the task.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is evident at 1080p Low, where the average FPS reaches 218.9. This is the highest measured result in the entire dataset, and it indicates that the CPU is capable of pushing frame rates well above 200 FPS when the GPU is not heavily loaded. The fact that the 13400F's average benchmark score of 25236 places it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, with a delta of only 0.1% from the Intel Core i7-13620H and -0.5% from the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, suggests that its gaming performance is competitive with these rivals.

However, the CPU is not the bottleneck at higher settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 92.9, which is only 42.4% of the 1080p Low result. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU could theoretically produce more frames if the GPU were faster. The 13400F's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 80 KB L1 cache per core are sufficient for the game's data demands, but the measured results show that the CPU's headroom is never fully utilized except at the lowest preset. The data suggests that for players targeting high refresh rates at 1080p, the CPU is not a concern; it is the GPU that dictates the final frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 4352 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output pipelines. Its boost clock of 2535 MHz and FP32 performance of 22.06 TFLOPS are respectable for a mid-range card, but the 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth is a potential limitation. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2913 places it in the 17th percentile of all GPUs, with a 0% delta from the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M and a 0.2% delta from the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB variant.

The GPU's role is most clearly defined at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 37.9. This is the lowest measured result and is likely a direct consequence of the 8 GB VRAM capacity being exceeded. The game's texture data at Ultra settings and 3840x2160 resolution would require more than 8 GB, forcing the GPU to use system memory over the PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, which reduces performance. The fact that the 4K High preset achieves 52.5 FPS, which is 38.5% higher than 4K Ultra, supports this interpretation: High settings likely fit within the 8 GB VRAM limit, while Ultra does not.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s is also a limiting factor. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 92.9, which is higher than the 4K High result of 52.5 FPS despite presumably similar per-pixel workloads. This difference is due to the reduced pixel count at 1080p, which requires less memory bandwidth. The GPU's 160 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU indicate that it is not a power-hungry card, but its 128-bit memory bus is a bottleneck for high-resolution gaming. The data shows that the RTX 4060 Ti is capable of delivering smooth frame rates at 1080p and 1440p on most presets, but 4K gaming requires settings that respect the 8 GB VRAM limit.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1440p gaming, the High preset offers a balance of visual quality and performance, with an average FPS of 87.8. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 1440p achieves 115.8 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual fidelity reduction may not be worth the 31.9% FPS gain over High.

At 1080p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice for most players. The average FPS of 171.7 is more than enough for a 144 Hz monitor, and the visual quality is significantly better than Low. The High preset at 1080p yields 134.2 FPS, which is still smooth but 21.8% lower than Medium. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 92.9 FPS, which is playable but may not be worth the performance cost for the marginal visual improvement over High.

For 4K gaming, the data indicates that only the Low preset is viable for consistent performance, with an average FPS of 84.2. The Medium preset at 4K achieves 63.7 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience, while High drops to 52.5 FPS and Ultra falls below 40 FPS. Given that the 4K Medium result is 24.3% higher than 4K High, players with 4K displays should consider Medium as the maximum preset, and Low if they require frame rates above 60 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM limitation is the key factor here, and the data suggests that Ultra settings at 4K are not recommended for this GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combination in Evolve?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 at High settings provides the best overall balance, with an average FPS of 87.8. This is above 60 FPS and offers better visual quality than 1080p at Medium, which achieves 171.7 FPS but at a lower resolution.

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

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. The measured average FPS at 4K Low is 84.2, and at 4K Medium it is 63.7. Higher presets result in sub-60 FPS averages, with 4K Ultra dropping to 37.9 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck at most settings. At 1080p Low, the CPU can produce 218.9 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra the frame rate drops to 92.9 FPS, indicating that the GPU is limiting performance. The CPU has sufficient headroom, as shown by its 82nd percentile ranking.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB compare to its 16 GB counterpart?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad test, the 8 GB version scores 2913, which is 0.2% higher than the 16 GB version's score of 2907. However, in Evolve, the 8 GB VRAM limits performance at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is 37.9.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 150 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 61.7 FPS. This is a 58.9% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: Is the i5-13400F a good match for the RTX 4060 Ti in this game?

A: Yes, the CPU's performance is more than adequate. Its average benchmark score of 25236 is within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, and its single-thread performance (PassMark score of 3634) ensures it does not bottleneck the GPU in Evolve.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table presents the exact measured average FPS values for each resolution and settings combination. The data is drawn directly from the benchmark results for the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 52.5 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 84.2 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 63.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 37.9 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 87.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 150.0 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 115.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 61.7 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 134.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 218.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 171.7 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 92.9 |

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p Low is the fastest configuration at 218.9 FPS, while 4K Ultra is the slowest at 37.9 FPS. The spread between the fastest and slowest measured results is 181 FPS, which highlights the significant impact of both resolution and settings on this system's performance. Notably, the 1080p Ultra result of 92.9 FPS is lower than the 1440p High result of 87.8 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset's additional visual effects (likely including higher texture detail and shadow quality) tax the GPU more than a resolution increase from 1080p to 1440p. This suggests that the Ultra preset is disproportionately demanding relative to High, and the 8 GB VRAM is the likely cause of this performance cliff.