Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a system that leans heavily on its processor. In Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, this combo lands at rank 1290 out of 1695 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The data reveals a clear story: this pairing is capable of high frame rates at mainstream resolutions, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, the specific roles of each component, and the optimal settings for this configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable but steep decline as resolution climbs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 158.3 FPS at 1080p to 107.2 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 63.7 FPS at 4K. This represents a 60% performance retention from 1080p to 4K, which indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is still managing a playable experience at the highest resolution when settings are kept low. The pattern shifts when the preset is set to Ultra. Here, the average FPS falls from 67.4 at 1080p to 44.2 at 1440p, and then down to 25.8 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, showing that the combination of high resolution and maximum settings overwhelms the GPU.

The scaling behavior points directly to the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. When comparing the 1080p to 4K performance delta, the Low preset loses 94.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset loses 41.6 FPS. This is counterintuitive at first glance, but it makes sense: at Low settings, the GPU is pushing far more frames, which increases the workload per frame. At Ultra, the GPU is already struggling, so the absolute frame rate drop is smaller even though the percentage loss is steeper. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, this combo is only viable with the Low preset, as the Medium preset at 4K averages 48.4 FPS, which is borderline, and High drops to 36.4 FPS, which is noticeable stutter territory.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This is a high-end desktop chip, and its benchmark scores reflect that. In Cinebench R23, it scores 32889 in multi-core and 4643 in single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 49367 puts it 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-14600K and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. For a game like Evolve, which is from 2015, the CPU's raw power is more than sufficient. The high single-core performance is particularly relevant, as older game engines often rely heavily on one or two threads.

In this specific pairing, the CPU is never the limiting factor at any resolution or settings preset. The evidence is in the frame rates: even at 1080p Low, where the CPU has to feed the GPU as fast as possible, the system achieves 158.3 FPS. This is a solid result, but it is not the ceiling of what the i5-14600KF could deliver with a more powerful GPU. The processor’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory also ensure that data feeding is not a bottleneck. The data indicates that the CPU has significant headroom, and its role in this combo is to provide a stable, high-frequency foundation that ensures frame pacing remains consistent, even when the GPU is working hard.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the component that defines this system's gaming performance. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 1650 MHz, and it contains 2176 shading units. The GPU’s benchmark percentile is 63, and its average score of 19774 places it just 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN and 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070. This puts it in a competitive position for its generation, but it is an older card, and its age shows in the 4K Ultra results.

The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Evolve at 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it is not enough to maintain stable frame rates at 4K Ultra. The average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 25.8, which is unplayable for a fast-paced FPS. The GPU's TMUs and ROPs, 136 and 64 respectively, contribute to a texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s. These figures explain why the card can handle 1080p High at 95.3 FPS, but they also reveal why it falls to 36.4 FPS at 4K High. The RTX 2060 SUPER is a capable 1080p card with enough power for 1440p gaming, but the 4K results in this test are largely below the 60 FPS target, except for the Low preset, which achieves 63.7 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the High preset is the sweet spot. It delivers 95.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and only 13.4% slower than the Medium preset. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 67.4 FPS, which is still playable, but the 41% performance hit from High to Ultra is not justified by the visual gains in a fast-paced game. The Low preset at 1080p produces 158.3 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that is not particularly demanding.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides the best balance. It averages 81.1 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. The High preset at 1440p drops to 63.5 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 1440p hits 107.2 FPS, which is great for competitive play, but again, the visual compromise is significant. At 3840x2160, the only viable option is the Low preset, which achieves 63.7 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 48.4 FPS, which is borderline, but the Low preset is the only one that consistently stays above the playability threshold. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as 25.8 FPS is not playable in an FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1290 out of 1695 tested combinations puts it in the 24th percentile of all tested systems for Evolve. This is a low ranking, but it is important to contextualize it. The ranking includes all combos, many of which feature much newer and more expensive GPUs. The RTX 2060 SUPER's percentile of 63 against all GPUs highlights that it is an average performer, while the CPU's percentile of 93 shows it is a top-tier part. This discrepancy is the core issue: the CPU is holding up its end of the bargain, but the GPU is dragging the overall ranking down.

The nearest rival data for the GPU shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is effectively on par with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, which is a much older card. This suggests that the GPU is the weak link in this pairing. The CPU, by contrast, is within 0.4% of the i5-14600K, which is a negligible difference. The practical takeaway is that this combo is well-balanced for 1080p gaming, where it ranks respectably, but it falls behind at higher resolutions. If a user were to upgrade only the GPU, the i5-14600KF would have no trouble keeping up, as its performance headroom is substantial. For Evolve specifically, the combo's rank of 1290 means it will struggle against systems with newer mid-range GPUs, but it remains a competent 1080p machine.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete measured FPS data for this combo in Evolve, organized by resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080:

• Low: 158.3 FPS
• Medium: 121.3 FPS
• High: 95.3 FPS
• Ultra: 67.4 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 107.2 FPS
• Medium: 81.1 FPS
• High: 63.5 FPS
• Ultra: 44.2 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 63.7 FPS
• Medium: 48.4 FPS
• High: 36.4 FPS
• Ultra: 25.8 FPS

The data clearly shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor. At 1080p, the system can push well past 100 FPS on Medium and Low settings, and it maintains a solid 95.3 FPS on High. The drop to 67.4 FPS on Ultra is the first sign of trouble. At 1440p, the system remains playable on Medium and Low, but High dips to 63.5 FPS, which is right at the edge of the 60 FPS target. The 4K results are the most telling: only the Low preset achieves a playable frame rate. The High preset at 4K produces 36.4 FPS, which is a 62% drop from the 1080p High result. This scaling behavior confirms that the GPU is overwhelmed by the 4K resolution, regardless of the CPU's capabilities. For builders, the takeaway is to stick to 1080p or 1440p for this combo, and to use the High or Medium presets respectively for the best experience.