Evolve

# Evolve with Intel Core i5-9400 + AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT

This pairing of a 6-core Intel Core i5-9400 with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT lands at rank 1297 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the lower-mid portion of the database. The combo's percentile position suggests that while this system can deliver playable framerates at several settings, it is not optimized for maximum performance in this particular title. The data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by graphics settings, with the GPU appearing to be the primary bottleneck at higher presets, while the CPU's 6 cores and 6 threads provide adequate baseline support.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1297 out of 1695 tested combinations places this system in approximately the 23rd percentile of all tested hardware pairs in Evolve. This is a modest standing, indicating that roughly three-quarters of tested combos outperform this configuration in this game. The ranking reflects a system that can handle the game at moderate settings but struggles to maintain high framerates at maximum quality presets, particularly at higher resolutions.

The Intel Core i5-9400 itself sits at the 50th percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 2305. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-10305 with an average score of 2300 (a 0.2% difference), the Intel Core i3-1125G4 at 2299 (also 0.2% ahead), and the Intel Xeon E-2134 at 2295 (0.4% ahead). The Intel Core i7-8809G trails slightly with a score of 2319, representing a -0.6% delta. This clustering indicates the i5-9400 performs essentially at parity with several other mid-range processors, with no significant single-core or multi-core advantage over its closest competitors.

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT fares better in relative terms, sitting at the 68th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 24731. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile at 24763 (-0.1% delta), the Intel Arc A350M at 24647 (0.3% ahead), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile at 24592 (0.6% ahead). The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 trails at 24519, representing a 0.9% advantage for the RX 5700 XT. This GPU is competitive with several modern mobile and workstation parts, though its performance in Evolve is constrained by the game's demands at higher settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Evolve?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest framerates across all settings, with the Low preset achieving 155.7 FPS, Medium at 121.4 FPS, High at 95.7 FPS, and Ultra at 67.2 FPS. This resolution offers the most headroom for smooth gameplay.

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

A: At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 59.7 FPS, Medium drops to 47.2 FPS, High falls to 36.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 24.3 FPS. Only the Low preset approaches a playable 60 FPS threshold at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, which is essentially identical to the Intel Core i3-10305 (2300) and Intel Core i3-1125G4 (2299), with deltas of only 0.2%. The Intel Xeon E-2134 (2295) is 0.4% behind, while the Intel Core i7-8809G (2319) is 0.6% ahead.

Q: What is the GPU's standing among its peers?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 24731, placing it at the 68th percentile. It is nearly identical to the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (24763, -0.1% delta) and slightly ahead of the Intel Arc A350M (24647, 0.3%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (24592, 0.6%), and NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 (24519, 0.9%).

Q: Which settings preset delivers the best experience at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 107.9 FPS, Medium reaches 85.1 FPS, High hits 65.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 44.7 FPS. The Medium preset appears to offer the best balance between visual quality and performance, staying well above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more limiting in this game?

A: The framerate scaling from 1080p to 4K suggests the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 155.7 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it drops to 24.3 FPS, a reduction that correlates with the GPU's rendering load rather than CPU limitations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 features 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This Coffee Lake architecture processor, built on Intel's 14 nm process, has a 9 MB shared L3 cache and 64 KB L1 cache per core, along with 256 KB L2 cache per core. Its dual-channel DDR4 memory support provides a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, which is sufficient for this game's demands.

The CPU's benchmark results show a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125. These numbers, combined with the 50th percentile ranking, indicate that the i5-9400 provides balanced performance that does not become a severe bottleneck in Evolve at most settings. The 6-core, 6-thread configuration without hyper-threading means the processor handles the game's threading requirements adequately, but the lack of additional threads could limit performance in heavily multi-threaded scenarios.

The nearest rival comparisons show that the i5-9400 is virtually indistinguishable from several other mid-range processors, with all deltas within 0.6%. This suggests that upgrading from a similar-tier CPU would yield minimal gains in this game, as the performance difference between these processors is negligible. The CPU's role in Evolve appears to be providing a stable foundation, with the GPU doing most of the heavy lifting at higher resolutions and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 155.7 FPS, which is more than double the 67.2 FPS seen at Ultra. The Medium preset reaches 121.4 FPS, while High settles at 95.7 FPS. This progression shows a clear linear relationship between settings and framerate, with each step up in quality costing approximately 25-30 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the framerates decrease proportionally. The Low preset averages 107.9 FPS, dropping to 85.1 FPS at Medium, 65.4 FPS at High, and 44.7 FPS at Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 63.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU is increasingly stressed as pixel count rises.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes marginal for smooth gameplay. The Low preset averages 59.7 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. Medium drops to 47.2 FPS, High falls to 36.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 24.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 35.4 FPS, showing that the GPU struggles significantly at this resolution regardless of settings.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a dramatic performance drop that highlights the GPU's limitations. At Low settings, the framerate falls from 155.7 FPS at 1080p to 107.9 FPS at 1440p (a 30.7% reduction) and then to 59.7 FPS at 4K (a 44.7% reduction from 1440p). This scaling pattern is consistent with GPU-bound behavior, where the increased pixel count directly impacts rendering throughput.

At Ultra settings, the drop is even more pronounced: 67.2 FPS at 1080p, 44.7 FPS at 1440p (a 33.5% reduction), and 24.3 FPS at 4K (a 45.6% reduction from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU would show different scaling characteristics if it were the bottleneck. The 4K Ultra result of 24.3 FPS indicates that this combo is not viable for maximum quality at 4K, while the 1080p results show ample headroom for high-refresh-rate displays at lower settings.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 offers the most balanced performance, delivering 121.4 FPS while maintaining reasonable visual quality. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS for smooth gameplay and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 85.1 FPS is also a strong choice, though the High preset at 65.4 FPS may be preferable for those prioritizing visual fidelity over framerate.

For players targeting 60 FPS at 4K, only the Low preset achieves this goal with 59.7 FPS, which is borderline. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 47.2 FPS, which may still be acceptable for less competitive play. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution above 1080p, as it falls below 45 FPS at 1440p and below 25 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with Medium to High settings, or 1440p with Medium settings as a secondary option.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 10 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process. It features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory operates on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock runs at 1605 MHz, with a game clock of 1755 MHz and a boost clock of 1905 MHz.

The GPU's benchmark performance shows a Passmark G3D score of 16277 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2134. Its 68th percentile ranking places it above the majority of GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 24731. The nearest rival comparisons show the RX 5700 XT performing nearly identically to the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (-0.1% delta) and slightly better than the Intel Arc A350M (0.3%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (0.6%), and NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 (0.9%).

The GPU's role in Evolve is clearly dominant, as evidenced by the framerate scaling across resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this game, and the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth provides adequate data throughput for the textures and effects at High settings. However, the Ultra preset at 4K proves too demanding, with the GPU unable to maintain playable framerates. The RX 5700 XT's performance characteristics suggest it is best paired with 1080p or 1440p displays for this title, where it can deliver smooth framerates at Medium to High settings.