Evolve

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT presents a significant generational and performance-class divide. The data for Evolve shows a configuration that is clearly capable of high frame rates, yet the relationship between the CPU and GPU is not uniform across all settings and resolutions. The benchmark results indicate that the RX 7900 XT is often the dominant force, but the six-core i5-9400 can become a limiting factor when the graphical workload is lightened.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its closest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 with a score of 2259, which is a -0.2% deltaPct. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 sits at 2246 with a +0.4% deltaPct, and the Intel Core i3-10305 is at 2264 with a -0.4% deltaPct, placing the i5-9400 essentially in a four-way tie for performance.

*Q: What is the best average FPS recorded for this combo in Evolve?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 212 at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next highest is 193 average FPS at the same resolution on Medium settings, followed by 185 average FPS at 2560x1440 on Low.

Q: Does the RX 7900 XT have a higher average benchmark score than its listed rivals?

A: No, the RX 7900 XT's average benchmark score of 13745 is lower than all of its listed nearest rivals. The AMD Radeon 660M has a score of 13812 (-0.5% deltaPct), the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile has 13821 (-0.5% deltaPct), and the AMD Radeon RX 570X has 13871 (-0.9% deltaPct). The only rival with a lower score is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT at 13543 (+1.5% deltaPct).

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 821st out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the top 22.2% of all configurations tested, indicating a strong overall performance level.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Ultra and Low settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution, the average FPS drops from 108 on Low settings to 45 on Ultra settings. This represents a 63 FPS difference, or a performance reduction of 58.3% when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: What are the clock speeds of the CPU and GPU in this combo?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT has a base clock of 1387 MHz, a game clock of 2025 MHz, and a boost clock of 2394 MHz.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the undisputed graphical powerhouse in this configuration. Its role is defined by a substantial memory subsystem and high clock speeds. The GPU is equipped with 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s. This large memory pool and high bandwidth are critical for handling high-resolution textures and complex scenes without stuttering, a likely factor in its performance at 4K.

The GPU's clock speeds are also a key indicator of its potential. With a base clock of 1387 MHz, a game clock of 2025 MHz, and a boost clock of 2394 MHz, the card is designed to sustain high throughput. This is further supported by its 5376 shading units and 192 ROPs. The benchmark results show that the GPU can drive frame rates to 172 average FPS at 1080p High settings. However, the data also suggests that the GPU's performance is not always fully utilized. At 1080p Low, the average FPS reaches 212, but the scaling from Low to High at this resolution is only a 40 FPS drop, while the jump from High to Ultra results in a 53 FPS drop. This pattern implies that at lower settings, the CPU might be preventing the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates, while at higher settings, the GPU's workload becomes the primary bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but with nuances that point to different bottlenecks. When comparing Low settings across resolutions, the average FPS drops from 212 at 1080p to 185 at 1440p, a 27 FPS decrease, and then to 108 at 4K, a further 77 FPS decrease. This steep drop at 4K indicates the GPU is being pushed much harder.

For High settings, the progression is from 172 FPS at 1080p to 115 at 1440p (a 57 FPS drop), and finally to 66 at 4K (a 49 FPS drop). The performance hit from 1080p to 1440p is more significant for High settings than for Low, which is expected as the GPU does more work. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting component, as the frame rates drop to 66 on High and 45 on Ultra. The fact that the 4K Low setting (108 FPS) is higher than the 1440p High setting (115 FPS) shows that the GPU has headroom, but the CPU is more likely to be the constraint at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is not fully saturated.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset provides an average of 193 FPS with a minimum of 164 FPS and a maximum of 222 FPS. This is a very smooth experience and only 19 FPS lower than the Low preset's average of 212. The High preset at this resolution delivers 172 FPS, which is also excellent, but the Medium preset offers a better balance of visual quality and performance, given the high minimum FPS.

For 2560x1440, the High preset is the clear standout, delivering an average of 115 FPS. The Medium preset is also viable at 147 FPS, but High offers a significant visual upgrade for a 32 FPS cost. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 80 FPS, which is still playable but not as fluid. At 3840x2160, the choice is more constrained. The High preset offers an average of 66 FPS, which is the highest quality setting that remains near the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 84 FPS is a better choice for a smoother experience, but High is acceptable for those prioritizing visual fidelity. The Low preset at 108 FPS is the only way to get a high refresh rate experience at 4K, but it sacrifices significant visual quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 821 out of 3700 tested combinations places it in the upper echelon of performance for Evolve. This is a strong showing, but the data suggests that the CPU is holding back the GPU from an even higher position. The i5-9400 has a percentile rank of 47 compared to all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 2254 is nearly identical to its closest rivals, with all deltas within 0.4%. This indicates the CPU is a mid-pack performer.

In contrast, the RX 7900 XT has a percentile rank of 55 among all GPUs. While its average benchmark score of 13745 is actually lower than its nearest rivals, the deltaPct is very small, with a maximum of -0.9% compared to the AMD Radeon RX 570X. The fact that the combo ranks in the top 22% despite the CPU's mid-pack standing suggests that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting in Evolve. The bottleneck is likely the CPU, which is preventing the combo from reaching the very top of the rankings. The data implies that pairing this GPU with a stronger CPU would yield a significantly higher rank.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across the tested spectrum.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: The average FPS is 45. This is the lowest average recorded for this combo and represents a significant performance drop from other settings at this resolution.
• High: The average FPS is 66. This is the only 4K preset that stays above the 60 FPS baseline for average performance.
• Medium: The average FPS is 84, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 96. This is a solidly playable range.
• Low: The average FPS is 108. This shows the GPU is capable of high frame rates even at 4K when the graphical load is reduced.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: The average FPS is 80. This is a playable experience, though it sacrifices the higher refresh rates possible with other settings.
• High: The average FPS is 115. This is a good target for high-refresh-rate monitors.
• Medium: The average FPS is 147, with a minimum of 125 and a maximum of 169. This is a very smooth experience.
• Low: The average FPS is 185. This is a very high frame rate that is likely beyond the refresh rate of most monitors.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: The average FPS is 119. This is a high frame rate, but the jump from High to Ultra is a 53 FPS drop, which is substantial.
• High: The average FPS is 172. This is a very good experience for high-refresh-rate gaming.
• Medium: The average FPS is 193, with a minimum of 164 and a maximum of 222. This is the highest quality setting that maintains a minimum above 160 FPS.
• Low: The average FPS is 212. This is the maximum average FPS recorded for this combo.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 9 MB shared L3 cache. Its benchmark scores show a processor that is competent but not exceptional; it has a 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The data for Evolve suggests that this CPU is a limiting factor in several configurations.

The key evidence is the performance scaling at 1080p. At Low settings, the combo achieves 212 FPS, but at Medium settings, it only drops to 193 FPS. This small 19 FPS delta is unusual for a game where the Low preset is meant to remove GPU bottlenecks. It implies that the CPU is reaching its limit around 200 FPS, preventing the GPU from pushing the frame rate higher on Low settings. This is further supported by the fact that the 1080p Ultra setting (119 FPS) is significantly lower than the 1440p High setting (115 FPS), showing that the GPU is not the sole determinant of performance. The CPU's 6 threads are likely being fully utilized, which can cause frame pacing issues or cap the maximum FPS. In contrast, at 4K, the CPU has more time to prepare frames as the GPU is slower, making the GPU the clear bottleneck. The i5-9400's role is to provide a solid baseline, but it prevents this otherwise powerful RX 7900 XT from achieving its full potential at lower resolutions.