Evolve

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a playable but resolution-dependent experience in Evolve, with the data showing a clear performance hierarchy across settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, this combo excels, producing a 201 FPS average at Low settings and a solid 122 FPS at High, but at 4K Ultra the experience drops to a 32 FPS average, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher graphical loads. This combination ranks 1291 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the 44th percentile of all tested configurations, which is competitive but not top-tier. The measured FPS data reveals that Medium settings provide the most balanced experience across all three resolutions, with a 156 FPS average at 1080p, 105 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K, each showing consistent minimum frame rates that suggest stable performance.

FAQ

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

A: According to the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates, with a 201 FPS average at Low settings and a 122 FPS average at High settings. At 2560x1440, the combo still delivers smooth gameplay, with an 82 FPS average at High and 135 FPS at Low, but 3840x2160 becomes challenging, with only a 47 FPS average at High and 32 FPS at Ultra.

Q: How does the combo perform at Ultra settings across different resolutions?

A: The Ultra preset yields the lowest averages in every resolution. At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 85; at 2560x1440, it drops to 57; and at 3840x2160, it falls to 32. This indicates that Ultra is only viable at 1080p for a smooth experience, while 4K Ultra is not playable based on the data.

Q: Which settings preset offers the most stable frame times?

A: The Medium settings preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values in the FACT PACK. At 1920x1080, the average is 156 FPS with a minimum of 133 and a maximum of 179. At 2560x1440, the average is 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 and a maximum of 120. At 3840x2160, the average is 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 68, showing consistent performance.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, placing it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 with a score of 2259, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, which is 0.4% lower, and the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, also 0.3% lower. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, which is 0.4% higher.

Q: What is the GPU's benchmark percentile and how does it rank against similar cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852, placing it at the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon R9 370X with a score of 15862, which is 0.1% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679, which is 1.1% lower, while the AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014, which is 1% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, which is 1.7% higher.

Q: Does the combo's rank in Evolve indicate it is a high-performing configuration?

A: The combo ranks 1291 out of 2872 tested combinations in Evolve. This places it in the middle of the pack, meaning it outperforms roughly 55% of tested combos but is not among the top performers. The data suggests it is a capable mid-range configuration for this game.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus is a defining feature for Evolve's performance. The GPU's memory bandwidth is 624.1 GB/s, which is substantial for a game released in 2015, indicating that memory bandwidth is not a bottleneck at most settings. The GPU's base clock is 1900 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz, providing a wide frequency range that scales with load. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, the average FPS drops across all settings, which is consistent with the GPU's computational limits rather than memory constraints. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS falls from 122 at 1080p to 82 at 1440p and then to 47 at 4K, a reduction of 33% and 61% respectively. This scaling indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput and shading units are the limiting factors at higher resolutions.

The GPU's RDNA 3.0 architecture and 5 nm process node from TSMC contribute to its efficiency, but the data shows that even with 2560 shading units and 96 ROPs, the card cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra. The pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s are high on paper, yet the 4K Ultra average of 32 FPS reveals that Evolve's Ultra preset demands more than this GPU can deliver at that resolution. The FP32 performance of 25.18 TFLOPS is notable, but the game's engine appears to be more sensitive to raw pixel throughput than compute performance, as evidenced by the steep drop from Medium (60 FPS average at 4K) to Ultra (32 FPS average at 4K). The GPU's 40 RT cores are irrelevant for this game, as Evolve does not utilize ray tracing, so the focus remains on traditional rasterization performance.

The GPU's benchmark scores further contextualize its role. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2865, and in Passmark G3D it scores 20974, both indicating strong synthetic performance. However, in Passmark DirectX 9, it scores 261, and in DirectX 10, it scores 92, which are lower relative to its other scores, suggesting that the GPU's performance in older APIs may not be optimal. Evolve is a 2015 game, so it likely uses DirectX 11 or earlier, which could explain why the GPU's performance in this game is not as high as its synthetic benchmarks might suggest. The Passmark DirectX 11 score of 186 is more relevant, and the measured FPS data aligns with a GPU that is strong for modern titles but not optimized for older game engines. The 16 GB VRAM is excessive for Evolve, which likely uses less than 8 GB even at 4K, but the memory bandwidth ensures no stuttering from memory pressure.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 achieves a rank of 1291 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the 44th percentile of all configurations. This rank is derived from the measured FPS data, which includes averages across four settings presets and three resolutions. The fact that this combo ranks above the median (2872 divided by 2 is 1436) indicates that it performs better than a majority of tested systems, but it is not a top-tier configuration. The rank is likely influenced by the GPU's strong performance at 1080p and 1440p, where it achieves high frame rates, but is dragged down by the 4K results, where the GPU struggles. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 58th percentile ranking among all GPUs suggest that the combo is balanced, with the GPU being slightly stronger relative to its peers.

Comparing to the nearest rival GPUs, the RX 7700's average benchmark score of 15852 is only 0.1% lower than the Radeon R9 370X, which is a much older card. This is surprising, but it indicates that the RX 7700's performance in synthetic tests is not vastly superior to older mid-range cards, despite its modern architecture. In contrast, the RX 9060 is 1% higher, and the RTX 3060 Ti is 1.7% higher, showing that the RX 7700 is slightly behind these more modern competitors in raw benchmark scores. However, in Evolve, the measured FPS data shows that the combo can achieve over 200 FPS at 1080p Low, which is competitive with any modern GPU. The rank of 1291 suggests that while the GPU is capable, the CPU may be holding back performance in some scenarios, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU is more likely to be a bottleneck.

The combo's rank also reflects the game's age. Evolve was released in 2015, and the data shows that even a mid-range modern GPU like the RX 7700 can produce high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is the primary weakness, and this is consistent with the GPU's 58th percentile ranking, which indicates it is not a top-tier 4K card. In comparison, a top-tier GPU would likely rank much higher in this game, but the RX 7700's 16 GB VRAM and 256-bit bus are not enough to overcome the processing demands of 4K Ultra. The rank of 1291 out of 2872 is a meaningful indicator that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being a stretch for high settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed picture of how the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 perform in Evolve across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the highest frame rates. The Low preset produces an average of 201 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth for any display. The Medium preset yields 156 FPS with a minimum of 133 and a maximum of 179, showing that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above 120 FPS. High settings drop the average to 122 FPS, still excellent for competitive play. Ultra settings significantly reduce performance to an 85 FPS average, which is playable but not as fluid as the lower presets. The data shows a clear trend: each step up in settings reduces the average by roughly 30-40 FPS, indicating that the GPU's shading units and texture units are the limiting factors, not the CPU.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings produce a 135 FPS average, which is still very smooth. Medium settings yield 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 and a maximum of 120, providing a stable experience for most gamers. High settings drop to 82 FPS, which is acceptable for 1440p gaming, but the Ultra preset falls to 57 FPS, which may be noticeable on high-refresh-rate monitors. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces the average FPS by approximately 33% across all settings, which is consistent with the increase in pixel count. The data indicates that this combo is well-suited for 1440p at Medium or High settings, but Ultra is marginal.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes the most constrained. Low settings produce a 77 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal for 4K. Medium settings yield 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 68, showing that the game can be played at 4K with some compromises. High settings drop to 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings produce only 32 FPS, making this preset effectively unplayable at 4K. The data shows a steep drop from Medium to Ultra, indicating that the Ultra preset includes effects that are particularly demanding on the GPU's ROPs and pixel rate. The 4K results are the weakest aspect of this combo's performance, but the 60 FPS average at Medium is a usable option.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium settings preset offers the most balanced experience for this combo across all three resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium provides a 156 FPS average with a minimum of 133 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in intense firefights. At 2560x1440, Medium yields 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a responsive experience. At 3840x2160, Medium produces 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS, making it the only preset that achieves a playable frame rate at 4K. The Medium preset also has recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, showing that the frame pacing is consistent, with no severe drops. This makes Medium the recommended choice for users who want a balance between visual quality and performance.

For users with 1080p displays, High settings are also a viable option, with a 122 FPS average that is still very smooth. However, the 34 FPS difference between Medium and High at 1080p suggests that the visual improvement from High may not be worth the frame rate loss for competitive players. Low settings at 1080p produce 201 FPS, which is ideal for esports-style play, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. At 1440p, High settings with 82 FPS are acceptable, but Medium is safer for maintaining a consistent 100+ FPS. At 4K, only Medium is recommended, as Low settings with 77 FPS are playable but the visual quality is poor, and High at 47 FPS is below the playable threshold for most users.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution in this game. At 1080p, the 85 FPS average is playable but not significantly better than Medium's 156 FPS, and the visual difference may not justify the 45% performance drop. At 1440p, the 57 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target, and at 4K, the 32 FPS average is unplayable. The data shows that Ultra settings in Evolve are designed for higher-end GPUs, and the RX 7700 does not have the raw throughput to handle them at smooth frame rates. For the best experience, users should stick to Medium settings at any resolution, with High being a secondary option for 1080p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It has a 9 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. In Evolve, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and the measured FPS data suggests that it is sufficient for most settings but may become a bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 Low settings, the combo achieves 201 FPS, which indicates that the CPU can handle high frame rates. However, the CPU's average benchmark score of 2254 places it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs, which is average. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, which is only 0.2% higher, showing that the i5-9400 is competitive with other mid-range CPUs.

The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks is modest. In Cinebench R23, it scores 6629 in multi-core and 935 in single-core, which are not exceptional but are sufficient for gaming. In Geekbench, it scores 5141 in multi-core and 1389 in single-core. These scores indicate that the CPU can handle the demands of Evolve, which is a multi-threaded game but not heavily dependent on more than 6 threads. The fact that the combo ranks 1291 out of 2872 in Evolve suggests that the CPU is not the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, where the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. However, at 1080p Low, the 201 FPS average is close to the CPU's maximum frame rate capability, and further increases in frame rate would likely require a faster CPU.

The CPU's TDP of 65 W and 14 nm process node are modest, but they do not affect gaming performance. The data shows that the CPU's single-core performance, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 935, is adequate for Evolve's game logic. The CPU's memory support for DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and 42.7 GB/s bandwidth is also sufficient, as the game does not appear to be memory-bandwidth limited. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-10710U, which scores 2248 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, which scores 2246 (0.4% lower). These small deltas indicate that the i5-9400 is a solid mid-range CPU, and its performance in Evolve is consistent with its benchmark scores. The CPU's 6 cores and 6 threads are enough for this game, and the measured FPS data confirms that the GPU is the dominant component in determining frame rates at higher settings.