Evolve

# Evolve — Intel Core i5-14600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB produces a combination that ranks 3245th out of 3700 tested configurations in Evolve, placing it in the lower portion of the database. This pairing relies on a 14-core, 20-thread Raptor Lake CPU with a 5.30 GHz boost clock, while the GPU operates at a 1740 MHz boost with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is consistently GPU-limited, particularly at higher resolutions where the 4 GB frame buffer becomes a critical constraint.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Evolve?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 113, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the same resolution, Medium settings yield 88 FPS, High yields 69 FPS, and Ultra drops to 48 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems in Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 3245th out of 3700 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 12% of the database. This indicates that the RTX 3050 4 GB is a significant limiting factor for this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck in Evolve?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 113 FPS, but dropping to 4K Low reduces performance to 43 FPS. The CPU's strong multi-core score (32544 in Cinebench R23) suggests it is not the limiting component at higher resolutions.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: At 4K, only Low settings produce a playable average of 43 FPS. Medium averages 33 FPS (min 28, max 39), High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. None of these meet a 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the playable settings profile at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium settings provide 88 FPS average (min 75, max 101), which is the highest quality setting that stays above 60 FPS. High settings at 69 FPS are also playable, while Ultra drops to 48 FPS.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 3050 have and how does it affect Evolve?

A: The GPU has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. This limited capacity is reflected in the steep performance drop from 1080p Medium (88 FPS) to 4K Medium (33 FPS), as higher resolutions demand more frame buffer.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA107 chip, manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process. It contains 8,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, with 2048 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1545 MHz and boosts to 1740 MHz, with memory running at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). The 4 GB GDDR6 frame buffer is paired with a 128-bit memory bus, yielding 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Evolve, the 4 GB VRAM capacity is the defining characteristic of this GPU's performance. The measured FPS data shows a dramatic scaling pattern: at 1080p, the system delivers 113 FPS on Low and 88 FPS on Medium, but at 4K, the same settings produce 43 FPS and 33 FPS respectively. The 4K Ultra result of 18 FPS indicates that the frame buffer is overwhelmed when texture quality and detail levels increase. The GPU's pixel rate of 55.68 GPixel/s and texture rate of 111.4 GTexel/s provide adequate raw throughput for 1080p gaming, but the memory subsystem becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The 90 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest a modest power envelope, but the performance data shows that this is not a 4K-capable card for Evolve under demanding settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB ranks 3245th out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve, which places it in the 12th percentile of all configurations. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the GPU's limited memory capacity and bandwidth, as the CPU is a high-end part with strong benchmark scores. The i5-14600KF sits in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49394, placing it near the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, 0.3% difference) and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196, 0.4% difference). The GPU, however, sits at the 50th percentile of all GPUs, indicating that the pairing is heavily imbalanced for a game like Evolve.

The ranking reflects the reality that Evolve's performance is dictated by the GPU in most scenarios. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and single-core score of 4594 are more than sufficient for the game's logic and physics, but the RTX 3050 4 GB cannot sustain high frame rates at higher resolutions or settings. The gap between this combo and top-tier configurations is substantial, as the 4 GB frame buffer and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the memory demands of Evolve at 1440p and 4K with high-quality textures.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 113 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all resolutions and settings. Medium settings average 88 FPS with a minimum of 75 and maximum of 101, providing a smooth experience. High settings average 69 FPS, which remains playable, while Ultra drops to 48 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS threshold. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 65 FPS drop, representing a 57% reduction in performance.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades significantly. Low settings average 76 FPS, which is still playable but 37 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 59 FPS (min 50, max 68), which is borderline for smooth gameplay. High settings average 46 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32 FPS. The 1440p results show a 44 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth is increasingly strained at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 43 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that approaches playability. Medium averages 33 FPS (min 28, max 39), High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. The 4K Low result is 70 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result, demonstrating the severe impact of resolution scaling on this GPU. The minimum FPS of 28 at 4K Medium suggests that frame pacing can become inconsistent under load.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a GPU that is overwhelmed by pixel count. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 113 at 1080p to 76 at 1440p (a 33% reduction) and then to 43 at 4K (a 62% reduction from 1080p). At Medium settings, the drop is from 88 at 1080p to 59 at 1440p (a 33% reduction) and 33 at 4K (a 63% reduction). At High settings, the figures are 69 to 46 (a 33% reduction) and 26 (a 62% reduction). At Ultra settings, the drop is from 48 to 32 (a 33% reduction) and 18 (a 63% reduction).

The consistent ~33% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and ~62-63% reduction from 1080p to 4K across all settings indicates that the GPU's rasterization and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. The RTX 3050 4 GB has a pixel rate of 55.68 GPixel/s, which is insufficient for 4K at higher settings. The memory bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s also becomes a bottleneck, as the 128-bit bus cannot feed the GPU enough data at 4K resolutions. The CPU, with its high single-core performance (4594 in Cinebench R23), is not the limiting component; the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the pixel count increase, which is a classic GPU-bound pattern.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings profile for this combo depends on the target frame rate and resolution. At 1920x1080, Medium settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 88 FPS and a minimum of 75 FPS ensuring consistent gameplay. High settings at 69 FPS are also viable for players who prioritize visual fidelity over a higher frame rate buffer. Ultra settings at 48 FPS are not recommended for competitive play but may be acceptable for slower-paced exploration.

At 2560x1440, Low settings at 76 FPS are the only option that maintains a comfortable frame rate above 60 FPS. Medium settings at 59 FPS (min 50) are playable but may experience occasional dips below 60 FPS. High and Ultra settings (46 and 32 FPS respectively) are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, Low settings at 43 FPS are the only viable option, and even this falls short of 60 FPS. Medium settings at 33 FPS are below the playability threshold for most users. For players who must use 4K, Low settings with reduced visual effects are the only recommendation. The data suggests that 1080p Medium or 1440p Low are the sweet spots for this hardware combination, offering the best experience per the measured rows.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process with a die size of 257 mm². It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with 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 dual-channel configuration, and it has a TDP of 125 W. Its benchmark scores are strong: Cinebench R23 multi-core reaches 32544, single-core reaches 4594, and Geekbench multi-core reaches 17085.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU. The game's frame rates scale almost entirely with resolution and settings changes, which is a characteristic of GPU-bound workloads. The CPU's high single-core performance (4594 in Cinebench R23 single-core) ensures that game logic, AI, and physics calculations are not a bottleneck at any resolution. The Passmark single-thread score of 4273 reinforces this, showing that the CPU can handle the game's thread scheduling without issue. The multi-core performance (38697 in Passmark multithread) is more than sufficient for Evolve's multithreaded systems. The nearest CPU rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (0.3% higher average score) and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (0.4% higher), but these differences are negligible in gaming scenarios. The data clearly shows that the RTX 3050 4 GB is the limiting component, as the CPU's capabilities far exceed what Evolve requires at these frame rates.