Evolve

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and the AMD Radeon RX 580 in Evolve presents a clear case of a high-end 2023 processor being severely bottlenecked by a 2017 mid-range graphics card. The measured frame rates show that playable performance is confined to lower resolutions and settings, with the GPU acting as the definitive limiting factor at every quality preset. The data indicates that this pairing yields a 1080p experience that ranges from smooth at Low settings to unplayable at Ultra, while 4K performance collapses entirely, making it a configuration that cannot exploit the CPU's considerable processing power in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 85.3 FPS. When resolution increases to 1440p, this drops to 59.8 FPS, a reduction of approximately 30%. Moving to 4K at the same Low settings yields only 35.5 FPS, which is a 58% drop from the 1080p figure. This pattern of significant losses with each resolution increase is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario.

The trend becomes even more pronounced at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 54.6 FPS at 1080p to 37 FPS at 1440p (a 32% drop) and then to 17.3 FPS at 4K (a 68% drop from 1080p). The scaling is not linear; the performance penalty accelerates as resolution increases, indicating that the RX 580's rendering capabilities are being exhausted. The 4K Ultra result of 12.9 FPS is essentially a slideshow, confirming that this resolution is not viable for this game with this GPU. The data strongly suggests that the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are overwhelmed, leaving the i5-14600K largely idle, waiting for the graphics card to deliver each frame.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580, based on the Polaris 20 chip with a 14nm process, is the primary determinant of this combo's Evolve performance. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a capable amount for a card of its era. However, the benchmark results show that the card's compute and fill-rate capabilities are the limiting factor. The GPU's base clock of 1257 MHz and boost clock of 1340 MHz are reflected in its measured scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 8813, placing it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs.

In this specific game, the GPU's performance is directly tied to the settings preset. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is stark: 85.3 FPS versus 35.7 FPS. This 49 FPS gap demonstrates that the card's shading units (2304) and texture mapping units (144) are heavily taxed by the increased visual complexity of the higher presets. The data shows that the RX 580 is a mid-range part, as its average benchmark score of 13559 is nearly identical to that of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (deltaPct 0.0%) and just 0.1% ahead of the GTX 950. This places its performance in a specific tier, and Evolve's demanding rendering pushes it to its limits, particularly at resolutions above 1080p.

FAQ

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

A: Technically yes, but the experience is not playable. At 4K with Low settings, the average frame rate is 35.5 FPS. At Medium, it drops to 25.7 FPS, and at High, it falls to 17.3 FPS. The Ultra preset yields an average of just 12.9 FPS, confirming that 4K is not a practical option for this configuration.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for a smooth experience?

A: The only combination that exceeds a 60 FPS average is 1080p with Low settings, which produces 85.3 FPS. For a playable 60 FPS experience, 1440p at Low settings is also viable, with an average of 59.8 FPS. All other settings at 1440p and above result in averages below 55 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The RX 580's average benchmark score of 13559 is statistically tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (deltaPct 0.0%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (deltaPct 0.1%). It is only 1.1% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro 455, indicating it is a solidly mid-range performer.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600K the reason for the low frame rates?

A: No. The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The i5-14600K is a high-performance processor with a 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs. The fact that frame rates drop so dramatically with resolution and settings increases, while the CPU's workload stays relatively constant, points to the GPU being the limiting component.

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

A: At 1440p, the Low preset delivers an average of 59.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers an average of 23.4 FPS. This represents a performance reduction of over 60% when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in this game?

A: This specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 1560th out of 1695 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the bottom tier of all configurations, highlighting its poor suitability for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The performance data places this combination in a very low position. With a rank of 1560 out of 1695 tested combos, it sits in the bottom 8% of all configurations tested for Evolve. This ranking is a direct result of the GPU's limitations. While the i5-14600K is a top-tier processor (93rd percentile), its pairing with the RX 580 (53rd percentile) creates a severe imbalance that is punished by this game.

This low rank is consistent with the measured FPS data. The inability to maintain a 60 FPS average at 1080p on Medium or higher settings is a significant shortcoming. Many other tested combos, likely those with more balanced pairings, will achieve higher scores. The data suggests that for Evolve, this combination is a poor choice, as it is unable to leverage the CPU's strength and is instead held back by the GPU's age and mid-range positioning. The deltaPct values against the GPU's rivals (0.0% vs GTX 570) show that even a small GPU upgrade could change the system's classification, but as it stands, the overall rank reflects a fundamentally unbalanced build for this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its synthetic benchmark scores are exceptional, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881 and a single-core score of 4642. It also holds a 93rd percentile ranking against all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 49166, placing it 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X.

In Evolve, however, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data, and it is clearly up to the task. The frame rate data shows no indication of a CPU bottleneck. For instance, going from 1080p High (54.6 FPS) to 1440p High (37 FPS) is a pure GPU workload increase. If the CPU were the limiting factor, these numbers would be much closer. The processor's high core count and clock speeds are more than sufficient for a game from 2015. The data indicates that the i5-14600K is effectively "asleep" in this test, waiting on the RX 580 to complete its rendering tasks. The CPU's performance headroom is vast, but it is left unused in this configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across all tested settings.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 85.3 FPS
• Medium: 64.6 FPS
• High: 54.6 FPS
• Ultra: 35.7 FPS

At 2560x1440, the results drop significantly:

• Low: 59.8 FPS
• Medium: 46.7 FPS
• High: 37 FPS
• Ultra: 23.4 FPS

At 3840x2160, performance collapses:

• Low: 35.5 FPS
• Medium: 25.7 FPS
• High: 17.3 FPS
• Ultra: 12.9 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: for every settings preset, there is a substantial frame rate penalty for each step up in resolution. The gap between Low and Ultra grows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the delta is 49.6 FPS (85.3 to 35.7). At 1440p, the delta is 36.4 FPS (59.8 to 23.4). At 4K, the delta is 22.6 FPS (35.5 to 12.9). This shows that the GPU's relative performance degradation is more severe at higher resolutions, as it runs out of both fill rate and memory bandwidth.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's performance target. For a consistent 60 FPS or higher, the only viable option is 1080p with the Low preset, which delivers 85.3 FPS. This is the only configuration that provides a clear headroom above the 60 FPS mark.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, with an average of 59.8 FPS. However, this is right at the edge of the 60 FPS target and may result in occasional dips. Any increase in settings at this resolution will result in frame rates below 47 FPS, which is not ideal for a fast-paced FPS.

The data suggests that the Medium preset at 1080p, yielding 64.6 FPS, is a reasonable compromise for users who want better visual quality than Low but still desire a smooth experience. It offers a 10 FPS improvement over High settings and a 29 FPS improvement over Ultra. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it produces the lowest frame rates (35.7 FPS at 1080p) and a sub-20 FPS experience at 1440p and 4K. In summary, the best experience is found at 1080p Low or Medium, with 1440p Low as a secondary option for those with higher-resolution displays.