Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER lands at rank 1255 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve. That places this configuration in the lower-middle portion of the database, meaning it will run the game but sits well behind the majority of systems tested. The ranking reflects a pairing where a strong modern CPU is held back by a mid-range GPU from the previous generation, and the measured frame rates confirm that the graphics card is the primary constraint in most scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

At position 1255 of 1695, this combo outperforms roughly a quarter of all tested systems in Evolve, but it lags behind the field in a way that suggests a mismatch. The CPU itself is a top-tier performer — its average benchmark score of 49166 places it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, nearly matching the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062, delta 0.2%) and even edging out the Intel Core i5-14600KF (49367, delta -0.4%). The GPU, however, sits in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs with an average score of 19774, just barely ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (19706, delta 0.3%) and the RTX 2070 (19680, delta 0.5%). This massive gap between CPU and GPU capability is why the combo ranks where it does: the processor has far more headroom than the graphics card can exploit, especially at higher resolutions where GPU load dominates.

The ranking also reflects that Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, is not particularly demanding by modern standards. The game’s age means even mid-range hardware can achieve playable frame rates, but the RTX 2060 SUPER’s position relative to its rivals — it is only 0.8% ahead of the Quadro K5200 and 1.3% ahead of the Tesla K40m — shows it is not a strong contender in the current GPU landscape. Consequently, the combo’s rank is more a function of the GPU’s modest standing than any CPU limitation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K brings 14 cores (6 performance and 8 efficiency) and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This is a Raptor Lake Refresh part built on Intel’s 10 nm process, and its compute credentials are formidable: it scores 32881 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4642 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 15846. For a game like Evolve, which relies on a limited number of threads for its simulation and AI logic, the single-core performance is what matters most, and the 5.30 GHz boost clock ensures the CPU is rarely a bottleneck at any resolution.

The data confirms this. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 158.6 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors and indicates the CPU is feeding the GPU more than enough frames. Even at 4K Low, the system manages 63.3 FPS, showing that the processor can sustain high output even when pixel count quadruples. The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 or DDR5 memory (dual-channel) further reduce any potential stalling, though the game’s age means it likely cannot fully utilize all 20 threads. In practice, the i5-14600K is overkill for Evolve; the benchmark results show it is not the limiting factor in any of the tested configurations, and its performance headroom is effectively wasted by the GPU’s inability to keep pace.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the clear bottleneck in this pairing. Based on the TU106 chip on TSMC’s 12 nm process, it offers 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its clocks are 1470 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost, with memory running at 14 Gbps effective. The GPU has 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, along with 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, though Evolve predates ray tracing and DLSS, so those features go unused. The card’s FP32 throughput is 7.181 TFLOPS, and its PassMark G3D score is 16462, which places it just ahead of the GTX TITAN (19706, delta 0.3%) and the RTX 2070 (19680, delta 0.5%).

The GPU’s influence on frame rates is stark. At 1080p, dropping from Low to Ultra cuts average FPS from 158.6 to 65.6, a reduction of 93 FPS. At 1440p, the same settings swing from 104.7 to 43.5 FPS, and at 4K, from 63.3 to 24.0 FPS. These drops are far larger than what a CPU limitation would produce, confirming that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s compute and memory bandwidth are saturated as settings increase. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Evolve’s textures, but the card’s overall throughput is simply not enough to maintain high frame rates at higher presets. The GPU’s 175 W TDP and dual-slot design are modest, but the performance ceiling is what matters here, and it is clearly the component that dictates playability.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Evolve at 60 FPS on High settings?

A: Yes, at 1080p High it averages 97.6 FPS, and at 1440p High it averages 66.7 FPS. At 4K High, however, it drops to 36.1 FPS, falling short of 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark performance?

A: The i5-14600K scores 49166 on average, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062) and 1% higher than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698), but 0.4% lower than the i5-14600KF (49367).

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain consistently high frame rates?

A: At 1080p, all settings except Ultra exceed 97 FPS, with Low hitting 158.6 FPS. At 1440p, Low and Medium stay above 83.8 FPS, but High drops to 66.7 FPS and Ultra to 43.5 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU outperform any of its direct rivals in the database?

A: Yes, the RTX 2060 SUPER’s average score of 19774 is 0.3% higher than the GTX TITAN (19706), 0.5% higher than the RTX 2070 (19680), and 1.3% higher than the Tesla K40m (19519).

Q: How does the CPU’s single-core performance compare to its multi-core performance?

A: The CPU scores 4642 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 32881 in multi-core, meaning the multi-core score is roughly 7 times higher, which reflects the benefit of its 14 cores and 20 threads.

Q: Is the GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at 4K Low the combo achieves 63.3 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 24.0 FPS, and High only reaches 36.1 FPS. This steep drop indicates the GPU’s throughput is exhausted as resolution and settings increase.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the GPU as the limiting component. At Low settings, 1080p yields 158.6 FPS, 1440p yields 104.7 FPS, and 4K yields 63.3 FPS. This is a 60% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become the bottleneck. At High settings, the progression is 97.6 FPS at 1080p, 66.7 FPS at 1440p, and 36.1 FPS at 4K — a 63% drop. The pattern holds across Medium (126.9 to 47.2 FPS, a 63% drop) and Ultra (65.6 to 24.0 FPS, a 63% drop).

The consistency of these percentage drops across settings is telling. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the processor’s workload would not change much. Instead, the FPS falls almost linearly with pixel count, which is the signature of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits. The CPU’s 5.30 GHz boost clock and strong single-core score (4642 in Cinebench R23) mean it can easily keep up with the GPU’s output, even at 1080p Low where the frame rate is highest. Thus, the data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 7.181 TFLOPS of compute are the ceiling, and reducing resolution or settings is the only way to unlock higher frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, Medium settings at 1440p offer the most compelling option. The combo delivers 83.8 FPS at 1440p Medium, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and represents a significant improvement over High’s 66.7 FPS. If a higher frame rate is the priority, 1080p Medium hits 126.9 FPS, while 1080p High still maintains 97.6 FPS, making either a solid choice for competitive play. At 4K, the situation is more constrained: Medium averages 47.2 FPS, which is playable but not smooth, while High drops to 36.1 FPS and Ultra to 24.0 FPS, both of which are too low for a responsive FPS experience.

Ultra settings are not recommended for this combo. Even at 1080p, Ultra yields only 65.6 FPS, and at 1440p it falls to 43.5 FPS, which is below what most players would consider acceptable for a fast-paced shooter. The gap between Medium and Ultra at 1080p is 61.3 FPS, showing that the GPU is severely taxed by the highest preset. Given the data, the practical sweet spot is 1440p Medium for a visual upgrade over 1080p, or 1080p High if you prefer higher frame rates with minimal graphical compromise. For 4K, only Low (63.3 FPS) approaches playable smoothness, and even that may feel marginal in intense firefights.