Evolve

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT in Evolve produces a dataset with a clear bifurcation in performance. At lower resolutions and settings, the frame rates are exceptionally high, suggesting a system that can easily overwhelm the game's demands. However, the data reveals a significant shift when moving to higher resolutions and graphical presets, indicating where the balance of power lies within this configuration.

Resolution Scaling, how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a dramatic and consistent falloff as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces 148 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops the average to 99 FPS, a reduction of 49 frames. Pushing further to 4K at High settings yields just 57 FPS, which is a 91-frame drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep slope indicates that the rendering resolution is a primary factor in performance.

Examining the lowest settings provides a clearer picture of the CPU's potential ceiling versus the GPU's raw capability. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 212 FPS. When scaling to 1440p Low, the average is 163 FPS, and at 4K Low, it still manages 93 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings represents a 23% performance loss, while the step from 1440p to 4K at Low settings results in a 43% loss. This non-linear decline is characteristic of a system where the GPU's fillrate and memory bandwidth become increasingly taxed.

The data suggests that the RX 6800 XT is the dominant limiting component in this pairing for Evolve. The frame rate drops are substantial between every resolution step, indicating that the GPU is saturated with work at higher pixel counts. The i5-9400, with its six cores and six threads, appears to have enough headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p, but the sheer pixel throughput required at 4K overwhelms the graphics card's capabilities. The Ultra preset data reinforces this, with a 4K Ultra average of 39 FPS, which is a 62% performance reduction from the 1080p Ultra average of 103 FPS, a massive gulf that points almost entirely to GPU limitations.

GPU Role, VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is a high-end component with specifications that should theoretically handle Evolve with ease. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s. This is a substantial amount of bandwidth, which is critical for high-resolution textures and effects. The GPU's architecture is RDNA 2.0, built on a 7 nm process, and it features a boost clock of 2250 MHz. These clocks and the 4608 shading units contribute to its high benchmark scores, including a Passmark G3D score of 24980 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3689.

Despite this hardware muscle, the measured results show that Evolve can still bring the card to its knees at 4K. The drop from 72 FPS at 4K Medium to 39 FPS at 4K Ultra is significant. The Ultra preset likely enables more demanding effects that stress the GPU's compute units and memory subsystem. The data indicates that even with 16 GB of VRAM, the GPU's processing power is the bottleneck at 4K, not the memory capacity. The 4K Low preset at 93 FPS shows that when the rendering load is light, the card can still perform admirably, but the jump to Medium (72 FPS) and High (57 FPS) shows how quickly the frame rate degrades as the GPU is tasked with more work.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 85 versus all GPUs confirms its high-end status. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile, which it leads by 1.5%, and the Intel Arc A550M, which leads it by 2.5%. This context shows the RX 6800 XT is in a competitive tier, yet the Evolve data suggests that the game's engine is particularly demanding at 4K Ultra. The performance characteristics point to a GPU that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p but falls below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay at 4K on higher presets.

CPU Role, cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its L3 cache is 9 MB shared, and it supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 668 in Cinebench R15 multicore and 2784 in Cinebench R20 multicore, with a Geekbench multicore score of 5141. These numbers place it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, indicating a mid-range standing.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU, but it is still a factor. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 212 FPS. If the CPU were severely limiting, we would expect the frame rate to plateau regardless of resolution. Instead, we see a steady decline as resolution increases, which is the classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The i5-9400’s six threads are likely sufficient to handle the game's logic and draw calls without becoming a major constraint.

However, the CPU's performance ceiling is suggested by the nearestRivals data. The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, delta -0.2%) and the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248, delta 0.3%). This clustering shows that the i5-9400's processing power is in a specific band. For a game like Evolve, which is an FPS from 2015, the CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R15 single-core score of 94) is likely more critical than its multicore capabilities. The data implies that while the CPU is not the primary limiter, it may prevent the GPU from reaching its absolute maximum frame rates at very low resolutions, where the GPU has more headroom.

How This Combo Ranks, use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The specific combination of the i5-9400 and RX 6800 XT achieves a rank of 1226 out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the top third of all configurations tested. Given that the GPU is a high-end model (85th percentile) and the CPU is a mid-range model (47th percentile), this ranking is a result of the GPU carrying most of the performance weight. The rank is a holistic measure of the combo's performance, reflecting that while it is capable of high frame rates, it is not at the very top tier of all systems.

This ranking makes sense when considering the data. The combo can deliver frame rates well above 100 FPS at 1080p on most settings, which is excellent. However, the 4K Ultra performance of 39 FPS drags down its overall standing. Many other combos, likely those with more powerful CPUs, can achieve better minimum frame rates or higher 4K performance. The rank suggests that this pairing is balanced for high-refresh-rate 1080p or 1440p gaming, rather than being a top-tier 4K powerhouse. The deltaPct values for the GPU's rivals show that it is close to other high-end cards, but the overall combo rank is influenced by the CPU's lower standing.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Evolve?

A: The highest average frame rate is 212 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with the High preset?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with High settings, the combo produces an average frame rate of 57 FPS.

Q: Is there a significant difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, there is a substantial difference. At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 163 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 69 FPS, a difference of 94 FPS.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The combo is ranked 1226 out of 3700 total tested combinations, placing it in the upper portion of the list.

Q: Does the data show a bigger performance gap between 1080p and 1440p or 1440p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: The gap between 1440p and 4K is larger. At Medium settings, the drop from 189 FPS at 1080p to 127 FPS at 1440p is 62 FPS, while the drop from 127 FPS at 1440p to 72 FPS at 4K is 55 FPS. The percentage loss is greater in the second step.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average frame rate recorded is 39 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown, resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table details the exact average frame rates measured for this system configuration in Evolve.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |

| 3840x2160 | High | 57 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 93 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 72 | 61 | 83 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 39 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 99 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 163 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 127 | 108 | 146 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 69 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 148 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 212 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 189 | 161 | 217 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 103 | - | - |

The data reveals a consistent pattern: performance scales down as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Medium, the system shows a minimum FPS of 161 and a maximum of 217, demonstrating good frame pacing with an average of 189. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 127 FPS with a range of 108 to 146. The 4K Medium results show an average of 72 FPS with a range of 61 to 83. The absence of min/max data for other presets means we can only rely on the averages, but the Medium preset data shows that the system maintains a playable frame rate at 4K, though it hovers near the lower end of what is considered smooth.

Settings Recommendations, which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p, the High preset at 148 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, providing a smooth high-refresh-rate experience. The Ultra preset at 103 FPS is also viable and will provide a more visually rich experience while still maintaining frame rates well above 60 FPS. For competitive play, the Low preset at 212 FPS is the clear choice for maximum responsiveness, but for most users, High is the recommended sweet spot.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 99 FPS, which is excellent for a high-refresh-rate monitor. The Medium preset at 127 FPS is even faster and could be preferred for a competitive edge, but the visual quality reduction is notable. The Ultra preset at 69 FPS is the only option that dips below 100 FPS, and while it is still playable, it may not be ideal for fast-paced action. The data suggests that High at 1440p is the best choice, as it maintains a high frame rate while preserving most of the graphical fidelity.

For 4K, the choices are more constrained. The High preset at 57 FPS is borderline for a 60Hz display, and the Ultra preset at 39 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 72 FPS is the best option for 4K, as it is the only preset that consistently stays above 60 FPS, ensuring a fluid gameplay experience. The Low preset at 93 FPS is also viable for maximum performance, but the Medium preset offers a better visual balance. Therefore, for 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the recommended choice to achieve a playable frame rate without sacrificing too much detail.