Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER combination delivers a dramatic range of performance in Evolve, scaling from extremely high refresh rates at 1080p to a demanding but playable experience at 4K. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong multi-threaded capabilities ensure it never bottlenecks the frame rate at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, illustrating the immense workload placed on the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER at higher pixel counts. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 188.4 at 1920x1080 to 126.8 at 2560x1440, and finally to 71.5 at 3840x2160. This represents a 62% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, a clear indicator that the GPU is the limiting factor at the highest resolution.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all quality presets. At Low settings, the system achieves 309.1 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 204.3 at 1440p and 119.3 at 4K. The fact that even at 4K Low the frame rate remains above 100 FPS suggests the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU sufficient data, but the GPU's rendering workload dominates the performance curve. The gap between 1080p and 1440p results is smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K, confirming that the GPU’s pixel throughput becomes increasingly strained as resolution climbs.

At Ultra settings, the 4K average of 51.2 FPS is the only result below the 60 FPS threshold, highlighting that this preset pushes the hardware to its limits. The 1440p Ultra result of 88.8 FPS and 1080p Ultra result of 129.7 FPS show that the system can handle maximum settings at lower resolutions, but the 4K Ultra experience sacrifices smoothness for visual fidelity. The data indicates that for a locked 60 FPS experience at 4K, users must step down from Ultra to High settings, as the latter delivers 71.5 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F features 10 cores and 16 threads, a configuration that proves more than adequate for Evolve. With a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, the processor provides substantial single-thread performance when needed. Its benchmark results support this: the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3093 and multi-core score of 21914 indicate strong all-around capability.

In gaming workloads, the CPU’s role is to prepare frames for the GPU. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 309.1 FPS, a figure that would be unattainable if the CPU were the primary constraint. The processor’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache likely contribute to low latency frame delivery. The i5-14400F ranks in the 88th percentile among all CPUs, placing it comfortably ahead of most processors in synthetic benchmarks.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-14400F shows a negligible performance delta. It sits within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 and AMD Ryzen 7 250, and is effectively tied with the Intel Core i7-12800H. This indicates that for Evolve, the CPU choice is not a differentiating factor for frame rates; the GPU dominates the performance profile. The processor’s 65 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a flexible platform component.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the dominant component in this configuration, and its specifications directly explain the measured frame rates. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s. This memory subsystem is critical for handling high-resolution textures, which is evident in the 4K results. The GPU’s boost clock of 2610 MHz and base clock of 2340 MHz reflect the Ada Lovelace architecture’s efficiency.

The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s compute capabilities are substantial, with 8448 shading units and 264 texture mapping units. The FP32 performance of 44.10 TFLOPS provides the raw math throughput needed for modern game rendering. In Evolve, the GPU’s workload scales directly with resolution, as seen in the 4K results: 51.2 FPS at Ultra versus 119.3 FPS at Low. This 57% difference between presets at 4K underscores how much headroom the GPU has when visual effects are reduced.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its position. A 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5569 and a Passmark G3D score of 31811 place it in the 86th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA CMP 50HX, scores 0.7% higher, while the NVIDIA RTX A2000 trails by 1.6%. This tight competition suggests that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a high-midrange performer, well-suited for 1440p gaming and capable at 4K with settings adjustments.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: Yes, but only at reduced settings. The measured 4K results show 71.5 FPS at High, 90.6 FPS at Medium, and 119.3 FPS at Low, all of which are playable. However, 4K Ultra drops to 51.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate gaming with this hardware?

A: At 1920x1080, the system delivers 188.4 FPS on High and 240.8 FPS on Medium, making it ideal for 144Hz or 240Hz monitors. At 2560x1440, High settings still yield 126.8 FPS, which is excellent for 120Hz displays.

Q: How does the CPU compare to other processors in its class?

A: The i5-14400F ranks in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 32508 is within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 and effectively identical to the Intel Core i7-12800H, indicating it is a strong mid-range performer.

Q: Is the GPU bottlenecking the CPU at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the opposite. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 309.1 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s frame delivery limit. The GPU is still the primary performance driver, as lowering resolution from 1440p to 1080p yields significant frame rate gains.

Q: What memory configuration does this GPU use?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 256-bit bus. This provides a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s, which is sufficient for high-resolution textures in Evolve.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra result compare to the 1080p Ultra result?

A: The 4K Ultra average of 51.2 FPS is 60% lower than the 1080p Ultra average of 129.7 FPS. This significant drop highlights the GPU’s pixel fill rate limits at maximum settings and high resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the data points to High settings at 2560x1440 as the optimal choice. This configuration delivers 126.8 FPS, which is smooth on most high-refresh monitors, while retaining a higher level of visual fidelity than Medium or Low presets. At 4K, High settings provide the only viable path to a stable 60 FPS experience, with a measured 71.5 FPS that offers some headroom.

Players targeting maximum competitive performance should consider Low settings at 1920x1080, where the system achieves 309.1 FPS. This preset minimizes GPU load, allowing the CPU to push frames as fast as possible. For a single-player immersion experience, Ultra settings at 1440p produce 88.8 FPS, which remains fluid despite the heavy visual effects.

The Medium preset offers a middle ground, with 240.8 FPS at 1080p and 163.9 FPS at 1440p. This setting is recommended for users who want high frame rates without the visual compromises of Low. At 4K, Medium yields 90.6 FPS, making it a strong alternative for users with 4K displays who prefer higher settings than Low but do not require maximum quality. The Ultra preset should be reserved for 1080p or 1440p use, as its 4K performance of 51.2 FPS may introduce noticeable stutter.