Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a playable but inconsistent experience in Evolve, a 2015 FPS. Across the measured resolution and settings matrix, the combo lands at rank 1749 out of 2872 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The data shows a system that is fundamentally GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet surprisingly capable at 1080p Low, where it achieves 169 FPS. The core issue is that Ultra settings crush the RTX 5050, dropping frame rates to 27 FPS at 4K, making Medium the most balanced choice for consistent performance.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a clear bottleneck in the graphics pipeline. At 1080p High, the combo produces 103 FPS, which falls to 69 FPS at 1440p High (a 33% reduction) and then to 39 FPS at 4K High (a 62% drop from 1080p). This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 5050 is the limiting component; the Intel Core i5-14600K, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth become strained as pixel count rises.

Looking at Low settings, the same trend holds but with higher absolute numbers. The combo delivers 169 FPS at 1080p Low, 113 FPS at 1440p Low, and 64 FPS at 4K Low. The 4K Low result is still above the 60 FPS threshold, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 43%, which is substantial. This suggests that even at the lowest quality preset, the GPU's raw throughput and memory bandwidth are insufficient to maintain frame rates comparable to what the CPU could theoretically support.

The most telling comparison comes from the Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the average is 131 FPS with a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 150 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 88 FPS with a min of 75 FPS and a max of 101 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 50 FPS with a min of 42 FPS and a max of 57 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K Medium is a 43% reduction in average FPS, mirroring the Low preset's drop. This consistency across presets confirms that resolution scaling is the dominant factor, not the quality settings themselves.

Ultra settings exacerbate the issue. At 1080p Ultra, the combo manages 71 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 48 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it collapses to 27 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is a 62% drop from 1080p Ultra, identical to the High preset's scaling. This indicates that the GPU's compute resources, specifically its 2560 shading units and 32 ROPs, are overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and maximum quality effects.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (169 FPS) and Ultra (71 FPS) is 98 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is 65 FPS (113 vs 48). At 4K, the gap shrinks to 37 FPS (64 vs 27). This narrowing suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes so saturated that the quality preset has diminishing impact on absolute frame rates, but the relative penalty of Ultra remains severe.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1749 out of 2872 tested combinations places it in the 39th percentile of all tested systems for Evolve. This is a below-average position, reflecting the RTX 5050's modest standing in the GPU hierarchy. The CPU, however, is a strong performer, ranking in the 90th percentile against all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 48618. The GPU's percentile is only 66, with an average benchmark score of 21035, which drags the combo's overall standing down.

Examining the nearest rivals for the CPU provides context for its capability. The Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618 on average, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698) and 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 4345P (48470). It also beats the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX by 0.7% (48287) but trails the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 by 0.8% (48995). These deltas are all within 1%, meaning the i5-14600K is essentially tied with its closest competitors in synthetic benchmarks. For Evolve, this CPU strength is largely irrelevant because the game's frame rates are dictated by the GPU.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show a similar clustering. The RTX 5050's average score of 21035 is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153), 1% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237), and 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713). It also trails the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile by 1.6% (21379). These small deltas indicate that the RTX 5050 sits in a tightly contested performance band, and its 66th percentile ranking reflects that it is outclassed by a third of all GPUs in the database.

In the context of Evolve specifically, the combo's rank of 1749 means that 1123 other tested combinations deliver higher frame rates. This is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, as the CPU is clearly not the bottleneck. The data suggests that if the same CPU were paired with a stronger GPU, the rank would improve significantly, but with the RTX 5050, the system is confined to mid-range performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB207 chip manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores. The GPU's base clock is 2317 MHz, boosting to 2572 MHz, and it has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 2500 MHz, which translates to 20 Gbps effective.

These specifications directly influence the measured FPS in Evolve. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the 128-bit bus width limits memory bandwidth, which becomes a constraint at 4K. The pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are modest by modern standards, explaining why Ultra settings at 4K result in only 27 FPS. The FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS is the same as FP16, indicating that the GPU does not have dedicated FP16 acceleration, which is irrelevant for this game but shows the GPU's general compute capability.

The GPU's TDP of 130 W and dual-slot design with a single 8-pin power connector are consistent with its mid-range positioning. The PCIe 5.0 x8 interface provides sufficient bandwidth for the GPU's needs, but the 8 GB VRAM is the most significant limitation. At 4K Ultra, the game likely exceeds the memory capacity or bandwidth, causing the FPS to plummet to 27. Even at 4K High, the 39 FPS average suggests that the GPU is struggling with the fill rate and memory bandwidth required for high-resolution rendering.

Comparing the GPU's benchmark scores to its measured performance in Evolve provides context. The GPU scores 17326 in Passmark G3D, 2502 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, and 90334 in Geekbench OpenCL. These scores place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, which aligns with the observed frame rates. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, scores 20713, which is close enough that in Evolve, the two would likely produce similar results, though the RTX 5050's architecture may handle certain effects differently.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s is a key metric for Evolve, a game that relies heavily on texture streaming and particle effects. At 1080p, this bandwidth is adequate, as evidenced by the 169 FPS at Low settings. At 4K, the bandwidth becomes a bottleneck, causing the 64 FPS at Low to be the best case scenario. The GPU's boost clock of 2572 MHz helps at lower resolutions, but it cannot compensate for the memory limitations at higher pixel counts.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combo. At 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 88 with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS. The minimum of 75 FPS ensures that the game remains smooth even during intense combat sequences, which is critical for a FPS title. The average of 88 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a responsive experience.

For players with 1080p monitors, the Medium preset at 1080p is the recommended choice. The average FPS is 131, with a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 150 FPS. This is an excellent result that offers high frame rates with no risk of dropping below playable levels. The minimum of 111 FPS is particularly impressive, ensuring that even the most chaotic scenes in Evolve remain fluid.

At 4K, the Medium preset delivers 50 FPS on average, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS. While this is playable, the minimum of 42 FPS may cause noticeable stuttering in a fast-paced game. Players with 4K displays should consider stepping down to Low settings, which produces 64 FPS on average. The Low preset at 4K sacrifices visual fidelity but maintains a more consistent frame rate, which is preferable for competitive play.

The High preset is a middle ground that is not recommended for any resolution. At 1080p High, the average is 103 FPS, which is lower than Medium's 131 FPS, and the gap widens at higher resolutions. At 1440p High, the average drops to 69 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 39 FPS. The High preset offers minimal visual improvements over Medium in Evolve, yet the performance penalty is substantial, making it the least efficient choice.

Ultra settings should be avoided entirely with this combo. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 71 FPS, which is only slightly above the 60 FPS threshold, but at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 48 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it collapses to 27 FPS. The Ultra preset's demanding effects and high-resolution textures overwhelm the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM and 32 ROPs, resulting in an unplayable experience at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers a wide range of performance depending on settings. Low settings produce the highest average FPS at 169, with no minimum or maximum data provided. Medium settings yield 131 FPS on average, with a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 150 FPS. High settings drop to 103 FPS on average, and Ultra settings fall to 71 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 98 FPS, indicating that the quality preset has a significant impact at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales downward predictably. Low settings achieve 113 FPS on average, which is still excellent for a 1440p resolution. Medium settings produce 88 FPS on average, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS. High settings drop to 69 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 48 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 65 FPS, as the GPU begins to become the limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings deliver 64 FPS on average, which is the only 4K preset above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings produce 50 FPS on average, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS. High settings drop to 39 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 27 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is severe at every preset, with the Low preset seeing a 43% reduction and the Ultra preset seeing a 44% reduction.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min and max FPS data across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 111 to 150 FPS, a spread of 39 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 75 to 101 FPS, a spread of 26 FPS. At 4K, the range is 42 to 57 FPS, a spread of 15 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming more consistently saturated, with less headroom for frame rate fluctuations.

The High and Ultra presets lack min and max data, but the average FPS figures alone tell a clear story. At 1080p High, the 103 FPS average is sufficient for most players, but at 1440p High, the 69 FPS average may cause occasional dips below 60 FPS. At 4K High, the 39 FPS average is borderline unplayable. The Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where the 71 FPS average is acceptable, but it fails at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. It has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it has a TDP of 125 W. Its integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 770, but these are not used in this combo with a discrete GPU.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The game is from 2015, and its engine was designed for the CPUs of that era, so the i5-14600K's 14 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient. The CPU's benchmark scores confirm its strength: it achieves 3640 in Cinebench R15 multicore, 24491 in Cinebench R23 multicore, and 16673 in Geekbench multicore. Its single-thread scores are equally strong, with 2064 in Cinebench R23 singlecore and 2491 in Geekbench singlecore.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 90 against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48618, places it in the top decile of processors. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698 (0.2% higher), and the AMD EPYC 4345P, which scores 48470 (0.3% lower). These rivals are all server or workstation processors, indicating that the i5-14600K's performance is comparable to much more expensive parts in synthetic benchmarks.

However, in Evolve, the CPU's capabilities are not fully utilized. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at all resolutions and settings. For example, at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 169 FPS, which is likely near the game's engine limit. At 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 27, but this is not because the CPU cannot keep up; it is because the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 2560 shading units are overwhelmed.

The CPU's memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 is relevant to the system's overall performance, but the specific memory configuration is not detailed in the measured data. The dual-channel memory bus and the CPU's high boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensure that the CPU can process game logic quickly, but the frame rates are ultimately dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities.

The CPU's 14 cores are divided into performance and efficiency cores, but the exact configuration is not specified in the fact pack. What is clear is that the i5-14600K has more than enough processing power for Evolve, a game that typically uses fewer than eight threads. The CPU's 24 MB of L3 cache helps with data locality, but again, this has minimal impact on the game's performance when the GPU is the limiting factor.

In summary, the CPU is not the constraint in this combo. The data shows that the RTX 5050 is responsible for the frame rates observed, and the i5-14600K provides a solid foundation that does not hold the GPU back. If a more powerful GPU were paired with this CPU, the combo's rank in Evolve would likely improve substantially, but with the RTX 5050, the system is limited to the performance levels measured.