Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a performance curve in Evolve that clearly prioritizes high refresh rates at mainstream resolutions, while still offering a playable, albeit demanding, 4K experience. The measured data shows a steep and consistent scaling penalty as resolution increases, which indicates that the graphics card becomes the primary bottleneck only at the highest pixel counts. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound, producing frame rates that exceed what most high-refresh monitors can display, while at 4K, the GPU’s workload dominates and pulls average frame rates down to a level that still meets the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals a predictable shift in system bottleneck behavior. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 293.7 FPS, which is an exceptional figure that points to the CPU’s strong single-thread performance handling the game’s logic at a resolution where the GPU is not stressed. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset, the average drops to 198.7 FPS, a reduction of 95 FPS, or about 32%. This is a large relative decline, but the absolute frame rate remains very high, suggesting the GPU is starting to take on more work while the CPU still has headroom.

Scaling up to 4K at Low settings yields an average of 112.9 FPS. This represents a further 85.8 FPS drop from the 1440p result. The progression from 1080p to 1440p to 4K shows that the performance hit is not linear; the percentage decrease from 1440p to 4K is about 43%, which is steeper than the jump from 1080p to 1440p. This indicates that as resolution increases, the rendering workload on the RTX 4070 SUPER grows disproportionately, and the CPU’s influence on the final frame rate diminishes. At 4K, the limiting factor is unequivocally the GPU, as the frame rates align more closely with what the graphics card can output under heavy pixel load.

Examining the High preset tells a similar story. At 1080p High, the average is 177 FPS, which drops to 117.3 FPS at 1440p, a decline of 59.7 FPS. The 4K High result is 67.8 FPS, a further reduction of 49.5 FPS. The relative drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings is roughly 42%, mirroring the Low preset’s scaling. This consistency across presets confirms that resolution scaling is the dominant factor in performance variation, and the large gaps between each tier suggest that players targeting 4K will need to make significant compromises in visual quality to maintain high refresh rates.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested configurations, this combination of the Core i5-14400F and RTX 4070 SUPER holds a strong position. The data shows the combo ranks 282nd out of 1695 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the top 17% of all systems evaluated. This is a respectable standing that indicates the hardware is well-matched for this title, delivering performance that outperforms the vast majority of other CPU-GPU pairings in the database.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU’s average benchmark score is 32508, which puts it in the 88th percentile against all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-12800H, scores 32513, showing a negligible 0% delta. This means the 14400F is essentially on par with a mobile high-end chip from a previous generation, which reflects its efficiency. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 is a hair behind with a 0.2% deficit, while the AMD Ryzen 7 250 and Intel Core i7-13705H are slightly ahead at a -0.2% delta, indicating the 14400F sits in a very competitive performance band.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070 SUPER achieves an average benchmark score of 42576, placing it in the 84th percentile against all GPUs. Its closest competitor, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, scores 42653, a mere 0.2% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE is similarly close at 42723, showing a -0.3% delta. These results suggest that the GPU is a top-tier performer for its class, and when combined with a CPU that ranks in the 88th percentile, the overall combo ranking of 282nd makes sense. The system benefits from having both components perform near the top of their respective categories, avoiding the pitfall of a significant bottleneck that would drag the overall rank lower.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. For 1080p users, the Ultra preset is a valid option, delivering an average of 123.5 FPS. This is above the 120 FPS threshold that many competitive players consider ideal, and it allows for the highest visual quality without sacrificing fluidity. However, the Medium preset at 226.2 FPS or High at 177 FPS might be preferable for those with 240Hz monitors, as they provide a more significant frame rate headroom.

At 1440p, the High preset emerges as the sweet spot. With an average of 117.3 FPS, it offers a smooth experience that is just shy of the 120 FPS target, while the Ultra preset drops to 80.1 FPS, which is still playable but does not take full advantage of a high-refresh panel. The Medium preset at 154 FPS is also viable, but it sacrifices some visual details for a frame rate that is largely unnecessary unless the display supports very high refresh rates. The Low preset at 198.7 FPS is excessive and provides no tangible benefit over Medium for most users.

For 4K gaming, the recommendation shifts to the Low preset, which achieves an average of 112.9 FPS. This is a significant drop from the Medium preset’s 89 FPS and the High preset’s 67.8 FPS. While the Low preset ensures a high refresh rate, the visual compromise might be too steep for some. The Medium preset still provides a solid 89 FPS, which is above the standard 60 FPS console-like experience, making it a reasonable alternative for those who prioritize visuals. The Ultra preset at 50.1 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold and will result in a less responsive and more stutter-prone experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates shows a consistent hierarchy across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset leads with 293.7 FPS, followed by Medium at 226.2 FPS, High at 177 FPS, and Ultra at 123.5 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 170.2 FPS, which is a massive difference that demonstrates how much performance can be gained by reducing visual effects at a resolution where the CPU is not a limiting factor.

At 2560x1440, the order remains the same: Low at 198.7 FPS, Medium at 154 FPS, High at 117.3 FPS, and Ultra at 80.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 118.6 FPS, but the relative performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 32-35% for each preset, indicating that the GPU is handling a proportionally larger load. The 1440p results show that the system is still capable of high refresh rates, but the Ultra preset starts to feel more like a 60-80 FPS experience rather than a competitive one.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve flattens significantly. Low produces 112.9 FPS, Medium produces 89 FPS, High produces 67.8 FPS, and Ultra produces 50.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 62.8 FPS, which is less than half the spread seen at 1080p. This compression of frame rates at 4K reinforces that the GPU is the sole limiting factor, and the CPU’s role is diminished. The 4K Low result is particularly impressive, as it shows that the RTX 4070 SUPER can still push over 110 FPS at the highest resolution when settings are turned down, making it a viable option for high-refresh 4K monitors in this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the definitive performance driver in this system for Evolve, especially at higher resolutions. The GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the textures and assets in Evolve, as the frame rates do not show any signs of a memory capacity bottleneck, even at 4K Ultra. The VRAM capacity of 12 GB is a key factor in allowing the card to maintain stable performance across all tested settings.

The card’s clock speeds are also relevant to its performance. With a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, the GPU is capable of sustaining high frequencies under load. The benchmark results show that the card performs in the 84th percentile against all GPUs, with an average score of 42576. This places it in a tier where it competes directly with professional workstation cards like the RTX A6000, which scores 42653, and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE, which scores 42723. The fact that it matches these cards in synthetic benchmarks translates to real-world performance in Evolve, where it delivers the frame rates discussed above.

The GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU is likely the bottleneck, as evidenced by the high frame rates and the fact that the GPU is not fully utilized. At 1440p, the balance shifts, and at 4K, the GPU is working at its limit, as shown by the 50.1 FPS average at Ultra settings. The data indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and its 56 RT cores are more than adequate for this game’s rendering requirements, allowing it to provide a high-quality experience across the board, with the only caveat being that Ultra settings at 4K will require a GPU with more raw power or the acceptance of lower frame rates.