Evolve

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 produces a striking benchmark profile in Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. The data reveals a configuration that excels at high refresh rates but shows significant sensitivity to preset selection, particularly at higher resolutions. The measured frame rates—from a peak of 369.7 FPS at 1080p Low to a demanding 57.4 FPS at 4K Ultra—illustrate a clear performance hierarchy dictated by both the CPU's strong single-thread capabilities and the GPU's immense rendering power.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combo in Evolve?*

A: The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 32nd out of 1695 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top 2% of all systems evaluated.

Q: What are the key specifications of the Intel Core i5-14600KF?

A: The CPU features 14 cores (with 20 threads), a base clock of 3.50 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. It has 24 MB of shared L3 cache and belongs to the Raptor Lake architecture on the Intel Socket 1700 platform.

Q: What are the memory specifications of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090?

A: The GPU comes equipped with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. Its base clock is 2235 MHz with a boost clock of 2520 MHz.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i5-14600KF shows a marginal 0.4% advantage over the Intel Core i5-14600K, a 0.6% edge over the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, and is 1.4% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H. It trails the AMD EPYC 4345P by 0.5%.

*Q: What is the best measured FPS result for this combo in Evolve?*

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 369.7 FPS at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings, showcasing the system's ability to deliver extremely high frame rates at the lowest graphical load.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution, the average FPS drops from 140.1 on Low settings to 57.4 on Ultra settings, a substantial decrease of 82.7 FPS that highlights the heavy load Ultra presets place on the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this configuration at rank 32 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, which is an exceptional standing that places it within the top 1.9% of all systems analyzed. This rank reflects the synergy between the i5-14600KF's high-performance cores and the RTX 4090's flagship-level rendering capabilities. While the absolute rank is impressive, the benchmark results suggest that this pairing is not merely about raw compute but about delivering consistently high frame rates across a variety of settings.

The ranking implies that most other tested systems—whether they use older CPUs, lower-tier GPUs, or a less balanced combination—cannot match the sustained output of this pair. However, the rank alone doesn't tell the full story; the measured FPS data reveals that the combo's strength is conditional. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system produces a staggering 369.7 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, that number falls to 57.4 FPS, indicating that the rank is heavily influenced by the CPU's ability to feed frames at lower resolutions and the GPU's brute force at higher ones. This suggests that while the combo is top-tier, its dominance is most pronounced in scenarios where the CPU can operate without being bottlenecked by the GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF 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. In the context of Evolve, a game from 2015, the CPU's high boost clock and strong single-core performance are critical. The benchmark data shows that the CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, is almost identical in synthetic performance (0.4% delta), which suggests that the 'KF' variant's lack of integrated graphics is the primary differentiator, not raw speed.

The high boost clock of 5.30 GHz is likely the key factor in achieving the 369.7 FPS result at 1080p Low. At this resolution and setting, the GPU is not the limiting factor; instead, the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls determines the frame rate. The data supports this: the transition from 1080p Low to 1080p High only reduces FPS from 369.7 to 224.7, a 39% drop, whereas the transition from 1080p Low to 4K Low reduces FPS from 369.7 to 140.1, a 62% drop. This indicates that while the CPU is powerful enough to handle high frame rates, the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache also contributes to reducing latency, which is beneficial for maintaining smooth frame pacing in a fast-paced FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 369.7 FPS on Low, 289.9 FPS on Medium, 224.7 FPS on High, and 153.5 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a linear degradation as settings increase, with the Ultra preset still delivering over 150 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 251.5 FPS on Low, 192.4 FPS on Medium, 150.6 FPS on High, and 107.5 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant but expected, with the Ultra preset still maintaining a playable average above 100 FPS. At 3840x2160, the performance scales down further: 140.1 FPS on Low, 110.5 FPS on Medium, 85.5 FPS on High, and 57.4 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the only one that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which is a critical consideration for gamers with 4K displays.

The data reveals that the combo is capable of handling high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p across all settings, but at 4K, users must compromise on settings to achieve smooth gameplay. The gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution widens as resolution increases, underscoring the GPU's role in high-detail scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a powerhouse, featuring 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, a 384-bit memory bus, and a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. Its boost clock of 2520 MHz, combined with a massive 16384 shading units, makes it one of the most capable graphics cards available. In Evolve, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant at higher resolutions and settings, where its raw pixel-pushing power is needed.

The benchmark results show that the GPU's performance is most stressed at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 57.4. This is a 74% drop from the 224.7 FPS at 1080p High, indicating that the GPU is saturated at this configuration. The 24 GB VRAM is likely not a limiting factor in this game, but the sheer computational load of the Ultra preset at 4K is. The GPU's benchmarks, such as a Passmark G3D score of 38194, place it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, which aligns with its high-end positioning. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla T4, is 0.4% behind in average benchmark score, but the RTX 4090's gaming-specific features like ray tracing cores and DLSS are not relevant to this title's performance metrics.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's resolution and refresh rate target. For 1080p displays with a 240Hz or higher refresh rate, the High preset (224.7 FPS) is the best balance, as the Ultra preset (153.5 FPS) is also playable but offers diminishing returns in visual fidelity for a 32% FPS loss. For 1440p users with a 144Hz monitor, the High preset (150.6 FPS) is ideal, as it stays above the refresh rate threshold, while the Ultra preset (107.5 FPS) is also a viable option for those prioritizing visual quality.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset (110.5 FPS) is the recommended choice, as it provides a smooth experience above 100 FPS, while the High preset (85.5 FPS) is acceptable for users with a 60Hz display. The Ultra preset at 4K (57.4 FPS) is the only setting that fails to consistently hit 60 FPS, making it a poor choice for competitive play or smooth motion. The data suggests that for the best experience, users should prioritize the High preset at 1080p and 1440p, and the Medium preset at 4K, as these settings offer the highest FPS without sacrificing the core visual enhancements.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the bottleneck dynamics of this combo. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 369.7 at 1080p to 251.5 at 1440p (a 32% decrease) and then to 140.1 at 4K (a 44% decrease from 1440p). This pattern indicates that the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p, as the GPU has ample headroom, but the GPU becomes more involved as resolution increases.

At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 153.5 at 1080p to 107.5 at 1440p (a 30% decrease) and then to 57.4 at 4K (a 47% decrease). The more pronounced drop at 4K Ultra, compared to the Low preset, confirms that the GPU is the limiting component at high resolutions and settings. The data implies that this combo is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the CPU can feed the GPU effectively, but at 4K, the RTX 4090's raw power is the deciding factor. The scaling behavior suggests that users should not expect linear performance gains from lowering resolution at 4K; instead, the CPU's high boost clock ensures that the system is never CPU-bound at any resolution, making the GPU the sole determinant of FPS at higher graphical loads.