Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB delivers a performance profile in Evolve that is heavily dictated by resolution and graphical preset. At 1080p, the combination is capable of high refresh rate play, but the data indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, with the 8 GB VRAM buffer posing a significant constraint at higher settings. This analysis examines the measured FPS data across three resolutions and four quality presets to characterize the system's behavior.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 133 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 89 FPS, a reduction of 33%. At 4K, the average falls further to 51 FPS, which is 62% lower than the 1080p High result. This steep decline indicates that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario.

The scaling behavior becomes even more pronounced at the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the system manages 92 FPS. This drops to 62 FPS at 1440p and plummets to 35 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is only 38% of the 1080p Ultra figure, underscoring that the RTX 5060 Ti's compute and memory resources are overwhelmed at the highest pixel density and quality settings.

Conversely, the Low preset shows a different characteristic. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 219 FPS. At 1440p Low, it still delivers 147 FPS, and at 4K Low, it maintains 84 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is a 62% drop, which is less severe than the 73% drop observed at Ultra settings. This suggests that at Low settings, the game's workload is less demanding on the GPU, allowing the CPU to play a more significant role in maintaining frame rates, though the GPU still remains the dominant limiting factor at 4K.

The data points to the GPU as the limiting component in this configuration. The CPU, a Core i5-14600K with 14 cores and 20 threads, exhibits high headroom in synthetic benchmarks. The transition from 1080p to 4K at any given preset results in a substantial FPS loss, which is the hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU is not the primary constraint; if it were, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions. Instead, the consistent and significant FPS declines confirm that the RTX 5060 Ti's rendering capabilities are the bottleneck in Evolve.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB is the central component determining performance in this title. Its specifications include 4608 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output pipelines. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2407 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz. Memory is provided via an 8 GB GDDR7 interface on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor in the observed results. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 133 at 1080p to 51 at 4K. This 62% reduction is substantial, but the Ultra preset reveals a more severe issue. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 35, which is the lowest recorded figure in the dataset. The combination of high resolution and high detail settings likely exceeds the 8 GB frame buffer, forcing the GPU to manage memory more aggressively and reducing throughput.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 29th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 4901. Its nearest rivals in the database are the AMD FirePro W5130M, NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450, AMD Radeon R7 M265, and AMD Radeon R7 M360, with deltaPct values of -0.1, 0.2, -0.6, and -0.6 respectively. These rivals are significantly older or lower-tier components, which suggests that while the RTX 5060 Ti's raw compute scores are modest relative to the entire database, its real-world performance in Evolve is competent at lower resolutions.

The GPU's boost clock of 2572 MHz is leveraged efficiently at 1080p, where the system achieves 219 FPS at Low settings. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become limiting factors. The FP32 performance is rated at 23.70 TFLOPS, but this raw compute power is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 35. The data indicates that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck in this configuration, particularly at higher resolutions and quality presets.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB achieves a combo rank of 1096 out of 2872 tested combos for Evolve. This places the configuration in the 38th percentile of all tested pairs. The rank reflects the overall performance across all resolutions and settings, and it indicates that while the system is not a top-tier performer, it is by no means at the bottom of the spectrum.

The ranking is influenced by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. The combo's performance is strong at 1080p, where it can deliver 219 FPS at Low and 133 FPS at High. These results would place it favorably among other combos tested at those settings. However, the severe drop at 4K Ultra, where it only manages 35 FPS, likely drags down the overall rank. The combo rank of 1096 out of 2872 suggests that there are more than a thousand other configurations that outperform this pair in Evolve, primarily those with more powerful GPUs that can handle 4K resolution with higher fidelity.

The CPU's contribution to this rank is likely positive, given its strong synthetic performance. The Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618 and ranks in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, AMD EPYC 4345P, Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX, and Intel Core Ultra 5 245, with deltaPct values of -0.2, 0.3, 0.7, and -0.8 respectively. This indicates that the CPU is a high-performing part, but the combo's overall rank is constrained by the GPU. The data shows that the GPU's 29th percentile standing is the limiting factor in the duo's overall ranking in Evolve.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS is 133 at 1920x1080 with High settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 35, which is the lowest recorded in the dataset.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low?

A: The average FPS at 1080p Low is 219, while at 4K Low it is 84, representing a 62% reduction.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The significant FPS drops as resolution increases point to the RTX 5060 Ti's rendering and memory capabilities as the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB ranks 1096 out of 2872 combos tested in Evolve.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 97, with an average of 114 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The CPU features 24 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its synthetic benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a single-core score of 2064. The Geekbench multi-core score is 16673, and the single-core score is 2491.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data suggests that the CPU is more than capable of handling this task at all tested resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 219 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would require a capable CPU to maintain. The fact that the FPS scales down significantly at higher resolutions, while the CPU's workload remains relatively constant, confirms that the CPU is not the limiting factor.

The CPU's PassMark multi-thread score of 38682 and single-thread score of 4270 indicate robust processing power. Its percentile ranking of 90th among all CPUs further supports that it is a high-end part. The nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, AMD EPYC 4345P, Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX, and Intel Core Ultra 5 245, all of which have deltaPct values within 1% of the i5-14600K's score. This places the CPU in a competitive position, but its performance headroom is not fully utilized in Evolve due to the GPU bottleneck.

The CPU's 14 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for Evolve, which is a game from 2015. The game's engine does not require the full processing capabilities of this modern processor. As a result, the CPU's impact on the measured FPS is minimal, and the system's performance is almost entirely determined by the GPU's capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, all presets are playable. The Low preset offers the highest average FPS at 219, which is ideal for competitive play or high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset delivers 170 FPS, and High provides 133 FPS. The Ultra preset is still playable at 92 FPS, but it represents a 31% drop from High, which may not be worth the visual gains for some users.

At 1440p, the High preset is the recommended choice for a balanced experience. It achieves an average of 89 FPS, which is smooth for most players. The Medium preset offers 114 FPS for those who prefer higher frame rates, while the Low preset provides 147 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 62 FPS, which is playable but may exhibit noticeable stutter or frame pacing issues on some displays.

At 4K, the choices are more constrained. The Low preset is the only option that consistently maintains a high frame rate, with an average of 84 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 65 FPS, which is still playable but close to the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset averages 51 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS target and may feel less responsive. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it only achieves 35 FPS, which is below the playable threshold for most users.

For the best experience, the data suggests using the High preset at 1080p or 1440p, where the system can maintain frame rates above 89 FPS. At 4K, users should consider the Low preset to achieve a smooth 84 FPS experience, as the visual fidelity loss is offset by the significant frame rate improvement over the Medium and High presets. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions above 1080p, as the performance cost is substantial and the visual benefits are marginal in this older title.