Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS, presents a demanding workload that clearly separates the capabilities of the Intel Core i5-14600K and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings indicate that this combination is almost entirely constrained by the graphics card, with the CPU providing ample headroom. The data shows a system that can achieve playable frame rates at 1080p with adjusted settings, but which struggles significantly at higher resolutions, ultimately ranking in the 3584th position out of 3700 tested combos.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, running on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz, which can boost up to 5.30 GHz, and it carries a 125 W TDP. This processor is a modern, high-performance desktop part, as evidenced by its 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs tested. With a substantial 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, the i5-14600K is designed to handle heavy computational loads without becoming a bottleneck.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role appears to be largely preparatory. The game, being from 2015, does not likely stress the 20 threads of the i5-14600K to their limit. Instead, the processor's high single-core performance, indicated by a Passmark single-thread score of 4270, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic data. The benchmark results for the CPU, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2491, confirm its position as a top-tier performer that should not hinder frame rates in most scenarios.

The analysis of the measured FPS data supports this interpretation. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 77 FPS, a figure that is likely close to the maximum the GTX 1650 can output in this title. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates regardless of resolution or settings, as the CPU's workload would be the ceiling. Instead, the frame rates drop significantly with increased resolution and graphical fidelity, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU is providing a stable and fast foundation, but the GTX 1650 is the component that determines the final performance output.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based strictly on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset provides a strong balance, delivering an average of 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. This is a playable and smooth experience for a fast-paced FPS. The Low preset is also viable at 77 FPS average, but the Medium preset offers a significant visual improvement for a 18 FPS average cost, which seems like a reasonable trade-off. The High preset at 47 FPS average is also playable, but it is closer to the threshold where frame drops might become noticeable, and it does not offer the same headroom as Medium.

For 2560x1440, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only reliable option for maintaining a fluid experience, with an average of 51 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 40 FPS, which is still playable for some, but the minimum FPS of 34 could lead to stutter in busy scenes. At 4K, the situation becomes more difficult. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, with an average of 29 FPS. All other presets at 3840x2160 result in average frame rates in the teens or low twenties, which is generally considered too low for a competitive or action-oriented game.

The data clearly indicates that the High and Ultra presets are not suitable for this hardware combination at any resolution. The Ultra preset yields a 32 FPS average even at 1080p, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience. The High preset at 1440p and 4K produces 31 FPS and 18 FPS, respectively, which are not acceptable for gameplay. Therefore, the recommendation is to use the Medium preset at 1080p for the best quality-to-performance ratio, and to fall back to Low settings for any higher resolution.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The frame rate scaling across resolutions provides a clear diagnosis of the system's bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 77. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 51 FPS, a reduction of 26 FPS or roughly 34%. When moving to 4K Low, the average plummets to 29 FPS, which is a 48 FPS drop from 1080p, equating to a 62% reduction in performance. This pattern of significant frame loss with each step up in resolution is a textbook indicator of a GPU-limited system.

The same trend is visible across all settings. For instance, on the Medium preset, the system averages 59 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K. The consistent and dramatic drop in performance as the pixel count increases is not something that would be observed if the CPU were the primary constraint. A CPU bottleneck would produce similar frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, as the CPU's workload is largely independent of resolution.

These results demonstrate that the GTX 1650's rendering capabilities are the definitive limiting factor. The i5-14600K is able to maintain a high enough frame delivery to keep up with the GPU's output at 1080p, but as the GPU is forced to render more pixels, its performance degrades sharply. This indicates that to improve performance in Evolve, the focus should be on reducing the GPU's load, either by lowering the resolution or reducing the graphical settings, rather than upgrading the processor.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 3584th out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the bottom 3% of all configurations tested for this specific game. This low ranking is a direct consequence of the GTX 1650's performance, which is in the 40th percentile among all GPUs. The CPU, on the other hand, is in the 90th percentile, creating a significant performance mismatch.

The data shows that the pairing of a top-tier CPU with an entry-level GPU results in a system that is heavily imbalanced for modern gaming. While the i5-14600K can easily handle the game's logic and physics, the GTX 1650 is unable to translate that CPU capability into high frame rates. The benchmark scores for the GPU, such as a Passmark G3D score of 7880 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 305, are low compared to the CPU's scores, confirming that the GPU is the weak link in this chain.

The rank of 3584 out of 3700 suggests that most other CPU/GPU combinations tested will outperform this specific pairing in Evolve. This is not a reflection of the CPU's capability, but rather a clear signal that the GTX 1650 is not suited for this game at higher settings or resolutions. The combo's performance is only competitive at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, where it can achieve playable frame rates, but it falls behind quickly as the graphical demands increase.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is a Turing-architecture GPU with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s. Its base clock is 1485 MHz, with a boost clock of 1665 MHz. With 896 shading units and a 75 W TDP, it is designed as a low-power, entry-level desktop graphics card. The GPU's performance percentile of 40th among all GPUs, along with its Passmark G3D score of 7880, places it firmly in the lower tier of modern graphics hardware.

In Evolve, the GTX 1650's limitations are immediately apparent. The 4 GB VRAM is likely a constraining factor, especially at higher resolutions and texture settings. While the measured data does not provide direct VRAM usage, the significant frame rate drops at 1440p and 4K suggest that the card is struggling to manage the data required for those resolutions. The 128.1 GB/s of memory bandwidth may also be insufficient for the game's asset streaming, contributing to the low performance. The GPU's compute capabilities, reflected in a Passmark GPU Compute score of 3048, are also limited, which can impact advanced rendering effects.

The relationship between the GPU's specs and the game's results is clear. The GTX 1650's core configuration and memory subsystem are simply not powerful enough to handle Evolve at higher presets. The 12 FPS average at 4K Ultra and the 18 FPS at 4K High are indicative of a GPU that is completely overwhelmed. The only settings that yield playable results are those that minimize the GPU's workload, such as Low at 1440p or Medium at 1080p, where the card can operate within its capabilities.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data shows playable frame rates at 1920x1080. The Low preset averages 77 FPS, the Medium preset averages 59 FPS, and the High preset averages 47 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it drops to a 32 FPS average.

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

A: For 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance, with an average of 59 FPS and a minimum of 50 FPS. For 1440p, the Low preset is the only one that averages above 50 FPS, at 51 FPS. At 4K, no preset provides a consistently smooth experience, though Low is the highest performer at 29 FPS.

Q: Why is the performance so low at 4K?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the system is heavily GPU-limited. The GTX 1650's 4 GB VRAM and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth are likely insufficient for 3840x2160 rendering, causing average frame rates to fall to 18 FPS on High and 12 FPS on Ultra.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600K a bottleneck for this game?

A: No, the data does not suggest a CPU bottleneck. The i5-14600K is a high-performance processor, and the frame rate drops observed when increasing resolution are characteristic of a GPU limit. The CPU is likely providing ample headroom.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to others?

A: This combination of CPU and GPU ranks 3584th out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's performance, which is in the 40th percentile, while the CPU is in the 90th percentile.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this system can achieve in Evolve?

A: The highest average FPS recorded in the measured data is 77 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following is the complete set of measured frame rate data for this hardware combination.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Ultra: Average 12 FPS.
• High: Average 18 FPS.
• Medium: Average 23 FPS, with a minimum of 19 FPS and a maximum of 26 FPS.
• Low: Average 29 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Ultra: Average 22 FPS.
• High: Average 31 FPS.
• Medium: Average 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 46 FPS.
• Low: Average 51 FPS.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Ultra: Average 32 FPS.
• High: Average 47 FPS.
• Medium: Average 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS.
• Low: Average 77 FPS.