Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, presents a demanding workload for the combination of an Intel Core i5-14400F and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. The benchmark data indicates a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card, with playable frame rates only achievable at the lowest settings and resolution. The measured results show a clear hierarchy where the GPU's limitations dominate the experience, relegating the capable processor to a secondary role.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and reveals the GTX 1050 Ti as the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 62 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average falls to 42 FPS, a substantial reduction of 32%. At 4K, the average plummets to 24 FPS, representing a 61% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario, where the processor has ample headroom but the graphics card's rendering throughput cannot keep pace with the increasing pixel count.

The trend continues across all settings presets. At Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 48 FPS at 1080p to 32 FPS at 1440p, and further to 18 FPS at 4K. High settings show a similar trajectory: 38 FPS at 1080p, 25 FPS at 1440p, and 14 FPS at 4K. The most demanding preset, Ultra, sees averages of 26 FPS at 1080p, 17 FPS at 1440p, and a nearly unplayable 10 FPS at 4K.

The implication is clear: the limiting component is the GPU. The consistent and steep decline in frame rates with each increase in resolution points directly to the graphics card's fill rate and memory bandwidth being insufficient for Evolve's high-resolution rendering demands. The CPU, with its high boost clock and multiple cores, is not the constraining factor in these tests, as the frame rate deltas between resolutions are far larger than what would be expected from a processor bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the decisive element in this configuration's performance. Its benchmark profile, with an average score of 4193 and a percentile ranking of just 25, places it firmly in the entry-level segment. This is corroborated by its position against its nearest rivals, where it trades blows with the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (0.6% faster) and the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (1% faster), while lagging slightly behind the AMD Radeon Vega 3 by 1.8%. These are all low-powered, older, or integrated-class solutions, highlighting the 1050 Ti's modest standing.

The card's hardware specifications explain its struggle with Evolve. It features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s. While 4 GB was considered adequate at its launch, Evolve's high-resolution textures and effects can heavily tax this capacity. The GPU's compute capabilities are also limited, with 768 shading units and a FP32 performance of 2.138 TFLOPS. The base clock of 1291 MHz and boost clock of 1392 MHz are respectable for the architecture, but they cannot compensate for the relatively low core count and memory bandwidth.

The benchmark results for the GPU show its DirectX performance is particularly weak; the PassMark DirectX 12 score is 26, and DirectX 11 is 45. These scores directly translate to the low in-game frame rates observed. The data suggests that the GTX 1050 Ti is overwhelmed by Evolve's rendering workload, especially at higher settings and resolutions. The fact that the card is end-of-life and its successor, the GeForce 20 series, has long since been released further underscores its age and performance limitations in a modern gaming context.

CPU Role

In contrast to the GPU, the Intel Core i5-14400F is a powerful and modern processor that has virtually no influence on the frame rates achieved in this test. Its benchmark scores are exceptionally high, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055. Its average benchmark score of 32279 places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performing part. Its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and Intel Core i9-11900, are within a 0.2% to 0.5% delta, confirming its competitive standing.

With 10 cores and 16 threads, a base clock of 2.50 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, the i5-14400F has more than enough processing power to feed the GTX 1050 Ti. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache is also beneficial for gaming workloads. The data strongly suggests that the CPU is idle for significant portions of the frame time, waiting for the GPU to complete its rendering tasks. This is a classic case of a CPU-GPU imbalance, where a high-end processor is paired with an entry-level graphics card.

The processor's performance in synthetic tests, such as the PassMark physics score of 1523 and multithread score of 25470, indicates it can handle complex game logic and physics calculations with ease. However, these capabilities are irrelevant when the GPU is the limiting factor. The measured frame rates in Evolve are almost entirely a function of the GPU's performance, and the i5-14400F's role is simply to not hinder it. The data shows no scenario where the CPU's capabilities would be a bottleneck at these frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best performance I can expect from this combo in Evolve?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 62 FPS, but this is only achievable at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. At this setting, the GPU is still the limiting factor, but it provides a smooth experience.

Q: Is this combination capable of running Evolve at 4K?

A: Technically, yes, but the results are not playable. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate is 24 FPS on Low settings, 18 FPS on Medium, 14 FPS on High, and 10 FPS on Ultra. These frame rates are well below the threshold for a responsive experience.

Q: How does the GTX 1050 Ti perform relative to its closest rivals?

A: The benchmark data shows it is virtually tied with the AMD Radeon R5 M330 and NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, being 0.6% and 1% faster, respectively. It is 1.8% slower than the AMD Radeon Vega 3, which is an integrated graphics solution.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14400F a bottleneck in this system for Evolve?

A: No. The data indicates the CPU is not the limiting component. Its high benchmark scores (e.g., 21645 in Cinebench R23 multicore) and 83rd percentile ranking show it has far more performance than is required to feed the GTX 1050 Ti at the frame rates observed.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate on Low settings is 62 FPS. On Ultra settings, it drops to 26 FPS. This is a 36 FPS difference, highlighting the significant performance cost of higher graphical fidelity.

Q: What does the 4K Medium setting data show for frame time consistency?

A: The data for 3840x2160 Medium settings shows an average of 18 FPS, with a minimum of 16 FPS and a maximum of 21 FPS. This narrow range indicates relatively consistent frame times, but the overall performance is still too low for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti ranks 3644 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve. This places it in the bottom 1.5% of all configurations, demonstrating that it is one of the weakest pairings for this specific game. The ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's severe performance limitations, despite the CPU being a high-end part. A system with a more powerful graphics card would achieve a significantly higher rank, as the CPU has ample headroom to support it.

The rank underscores the fact that the pairing is fundamentally unbalanced for this title. While the i5-14400F is a strong performer, the GTX 1050 Ti's low percentile ranking (25) and poor DirectX benchmark scores drag the entire system down. The data suggests that this combo is only suitable for playing Evolve at the lowest settings and resolution, and even then, the experience may not be ideal. For any meaningful improvement, a GPU upgrade would be mandatory, as the current graphics card is the sole limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the average measured frame rates, with minimum and maximum values where available, for each resolution and settings preset in Evolve.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS: 24
• Medium: Average FPS: 18, Min: 16, Max: 21
• High: Average FPS: 14
• Ultra: Average FPS: 10

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS: 42
• Medium: Average FPS: 32, Min: 27, Max: 37
• High: Average FPS: 25
• Ultra: Average FPS: 17

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS: 62
• Medium: Average FPS: 48, Min: 41, Max: 55
• High: Average FPS: 38
• Ultra: Average FPS: 26

The data shows that the only configuration to achieve an average frame rate above 60 is 1080p with Low settings. All other combinations fall below this threshold, with noticeable dips into the 20s and teens at higher resolutions and settings. The minimum frame rate data for Medium settings at all resolutions shows that even these averages can dip lower, impacting smoothness. The overall picture is one of a system that is only capable of a basic playable experience in the most undemanding conditions.