Evolve

Evolve pairs the Intel Core i5-9400 with the Intel Arc B570, a combination that delivers playable frame rates at 1080p but struggles to maintain smooth performance at higher resolutions. The data shows a clear scaling pattern where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, while the six-core CPU provides sufficient headroom for this 2015 FPS title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 137 FPS at 1080p to 92 FPS at 1440p, then down to 52 FPS at 4K. That represents a 33% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a further 43% drop from 1440p to 4K. The pattern holds across all settings presets, indicating that resolution scaling is consistent regardless of graphical load.

At Medium settings, the average FPS declines from 106 at 1080p to 71 at 1440p (a 33% drop) and then to 40 at 4K (a 44% further reduction). High settings show the same trend: 83 FPS at 1080p, 56 at 1440p, and 32 at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, sees averages of 58 FPS at 1080p, 39 at 1440p, and just 22 at 4K.

The scaling pattern indicates that the Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth becomes increasingly stressed at higher resolutions. The GPU's 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are adequate for 1080p but insufficient to maintain 60 FPS at 4K on any preset. The fact that even Low settings at 4K only produce 52 FPS average suggests the GPU's raw throughput, not memory capacity, is the bottleneck at that resolution.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (137 FPS) and Ultra (58 FPS) is 79 FPS. At 1440p, that gap shrinks to 53 FPS (92 vs 39). At 4K, the difference is only 30 FPS (52 vs 22). This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even reducing settings yields diminishing returns, as the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become the hard limits.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K in Evolve?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 52 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 40 FPS, High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. None of the measured 4K presets reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for smooth gameplay?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all presets achieve playable frame rates. Low averages 137 FPS, Medium averages 106 FPS, High averages 83 FPS, and even Ultra averages 58 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (92 FPS) and Medium (71 FPS) stay above 60 FPS average.

Q: How does the Core i5-9400 perform relative to its closest rivals?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, placing it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs. It sits within 0.4% of the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259), Intel Core i7-10710U (2248), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246), and Intel Core i3-10305 (2264). This indicates the CPU is not a performance outlier in either direction.

Q: Is the Arc B570 more comparable to desktop or mobile GPUs?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 places it at the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, 0.1% difference), followed by the Intel Arc A750 (20582, -0.1%), NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480, 0.4%), and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20662, -0.5%). This shows it performs in line with a high-end mobile GPU from the previous generation.

Q: Which settings preset provides the best balance at 1080p?

A: Medium settings at 1080p deliver 106 FPS average with a minimum of 90 FPS and maximum of 122 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while offering better visual quality than Low. High settings at 83 FPS are also viable if visual fidelity is prioritized.

Q: Does the combo rank highly among all tested combinations?

A: No. The combo ranks 2294 out of 2872 total combinations tested in Evolve, placing it in the bottom 20% of all combos. This reflects the age of the CPU and the mid-range positioning of the GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides six physical cores and six threads, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This Coffee Lake architecture chip uses a 14 nm process from Intel and supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU's L3 cache is 9 MB shared across all cores, with 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is evident from the benchmark results. The i5-9400 scores 6629 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 in single-core, which places it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs. For a 2015 FPS title, this level of single-thread performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the Arc B570 at 1080p, where the GPU's limits are reached first. The data supports this interpretation: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 137 FPS average, which is well above what the GPU can sustain at higher resolutions.

The CPU's modest multi-threaded performance, reflected in a Geekbench multi-core score of 5141, is not a limiting factor in Evolve's frame rates. The game's engine, from the 2015 era, does not heavily utilize more than a few threads. With six cores and six threads, the i5-9400 has enough headroom to feed the GPU at every resolution tested. The fact that FPS scales downward with resolution rather than remaining CPU-bound confirms the GPU is the primary constraint in this pairing.

The Core i5-9400's nearest rivals, all within 0.4% of its 2254 average score, include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500. This indicates the CPU's performance is typical for its generation and price segment, neither exceptionally strong nor weak. In the context of Evolve, where the GPU is the bottleneck, the CPU's exact position among rivals has minimal impact on the measured FPS.

Settings Recommendations

At 1920x1080, the data shows Medium settings provide the best experience. The average FPS of 106 with a minimum of 90 and maximum of 122 ensures smooth gameplay without reaching the high frame rates of Low (137 FPS average) but with better visual fidelity. High settings at 83 FPS average are also acceptable if the user prioritizes visuals over frame rate headroom. Ultra at 58 FPS average is borderline, as it dips below the 60 FPS threshold that many players prefer.

For 2560x1440, the choice narrows significantly. Low settings at 92 FPS average is the only preset that offers a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Medium at 71 FPS average with a minimum of 60 and maximum of 82 is playable but leaves little room for frame drops. High at 56 FPS and Ultra at 39 FPS are not recommended for competitive play, though High might be tolerable for slower-paced sessions.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS average. Low at 52 FPS is the best option if 4K is mandatory, but the experience will be noticeably less smooth than at lower resolutions. Medium at 40 FPS, High at 32 FPS, and Ultra at 22 FPS all fall into the range where the game becomes difficult to play effectively, especially in a fast-paced FPS.

The data suggests that the optimal configuration is 1080p with Medium settings, which balances visual quality and performance. For users with 1440p monitors, Low settings are the safest choice, while 4K gaming should be avoided unless the user accepts sub-60 FPS gameplay. The measured minimum FPS values for Medium at 1080p (90 FPS) and 1440p (60 FPS) provide useful guidance for frame time consistency.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 2872 tested combinations in Evolve, this CPU-GPU pairing ranks 2294th. This places it in the 21st percentile, meaning roughly 578 combos perform worse and 2294 perform better. The ranking reflects the combination of a 2018-era six-core CPU and a 2025 GPU that targets the mid-range segment.

The low rank is primarily driven by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. While the Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 places it at the 65th percentile of all GPUs, its performance in Evolve is constrained by the game's demands. The GPU's nearest rival, the Intel Arc A750, scores 20582, just 0.1% higher, yet the A750 is a previous-generation product. This suggests the B570 is competitive within its class but does not offer the headroom needed to boost this combo's ranking.

The CPU's contribution to the rank is neutral. At the 47th percentile with an average score of 2254, the i5-9400 is neither a drag nor a boon. In Evolve, where the GPU is the bottleneck, a more powerful CPU would not improve the measured FPS. Conversely, a weaker CPU could potentially limit performance at 1080p Low, where the combo reaches 137 FPS average. The current pairing avoids that scenario.

The rank of 2294 indicates that users should not expect this combo to compete with high-end systems in Evolve. It is positioned for 1080p gaming with medium-to-high settings, which is consistent with the measured FPS data. For users seeking higher resolutions or maximum settings, this combo will disappoint, as the 4K Ultra result of 22 FPS average demonstrates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings achieve an average of 137 FPS. Medium settings average 106 FPS, with a minimum of 90 and maximum of 122. High settings average 83 FPS. Ultra settings average 58 FPS. These numbers show a clear progression where each step up in quality costs roughly 20-30 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 92 FPS. Medium settings average 71 FPS, with a minimum of 60 and maximum of 82. High settings average 56 FPS. Ultra settings average 39 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 53 FPS, compared to 79 FPS at 1080p, indicating that the GPU's limits are being approached.

At 3840x2160, the combo is clearly GPU-bound. Low settings average 52 FPS. Medium settings average 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 and maximum of 47. High settings average 32 FPS. Ultra settings average 22 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 30 FPS, showing that the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth of the Arc B570 are the hard constraints.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p, the 90-122 FPS range shows stable frame pacing. At 1440p, the 60-82 FPS range confirms that Medium is the boundary for 60 FPS gameplay. At 4K, the 34-47 FPS range highlights the struggle to maintain playable frame rates. These minimum values are critical for FPS titles, where drops below the average can affect aiming and reaction times.