Evolve

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti pairing is a study in imbalance when running Evolve. The data reveals a system where the graphical workload rapidly overwhelms the GPU, creating a steep performance cliff as resolution climbs. While the CPU holds its ground, the GTX 1050 Ti’s 4 GB VRAM and modest compute resources become the definitive bottleneck, making this combo a strictly 1080p proposition for playable frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a dramatic and consistent collapse in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 38 FPS at 1080p to 25 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 34%. Pushing further to 4K yields an average of just 14 FPS, which represents a 63% decline from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern indicates the GPU is the primary limiting component; the pixel throughput demands of 4K far exceed what the GTX 1050 Ti’s 112.1 GB/s memory bandwidth and 2.138 TFLOPS of FP32 compute can deliver.

The scaling behavior is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 62 FPS at 1080p to 42 FPS at 1440p (a 32% drop) and then to 24 FPS at 4K (a 61% drop from 1080p). Even at Medium, where min/max data is available, the average plummets from 48 FPS at 1080p to 32 FPS at 1440p and 18 FPS at 4K. The uniformity of these percentage drops—roughly a third lost when moving to 1440p and another third lost when moving to 4K—suggests a purely pixel-bound scenario. The CPU is not the constraint here; if it were, the absolute frame rates would cluster more tightly across resolutions, especially at lower settings where CPU overhead becomes relatively more significant.

Ultra settings exacerbate the issue, pushing the combo to an unplayable 26 FPS at 1080p and a slideshow-like 10 FPS at 4K. The delta between Low and Ultra at the same resolution is also telling. At 1080p, the gap is 36 FPS (62 vs 26), while at 4K, it narrows to 14 FPS (24 vs 10). This compression at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU is saturated regardless of visual fidelity, leaving little headroom for additional graphical effects.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s standing in the database is remarkably low. It ranks 3644 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve, placing it in the bottom 1.5% of all systems evaluated. This percentile placement is a stark verdict on the pairing’s suitability for this title, confirming that the hardware is mismatched for the game’s demands even at the time of its release.

The rank is unsurprising given the components’ individual standings. The GPU sits at the 25th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU is at the 47th percentile. When combined, the weaker component drags the overall experience down. The data suggests that this configuration would struggle to maintain a consistent 60 FPS experience at any resolution, even at 1080p Low, where the average is 62 FPS but likely subject to dips. The ranking underscores that this is a legacy or entry-level setup that prioritizes basic functionality over performance in a fast-paced FPS like Evolve.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides a solid, if unspectacular, foundation for this combo. It features 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This is a Coffee Lake architecture part built on a 14 nm process, and its benchmark scores reflect a mid-range standing. In Cinebench R23, it scores 6629 in multi-core and 935 in single-core, while Geekbench shows 5141 multi-core and 1389 single-core. These figures place the CPU in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a capable processor for its era.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The resolution scaling data shows that frame rates drop consistently with pixel count, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see frame rates that are relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload (physics, AI, game logic) does not change with resolution. The fact that FPS drops by over 60% from 1080p to 4K at every settings preset proves the CPU is not the primary constraint.

That said, the CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads are likely sufficient to feed the GTX 1050 Ti at 1080p, where the GPU is still the weaker link. The single-core performance, indicated by a Cinebench R15 score of 94, is adequate for the game’s main thread. The data shows no evidence of CPU-induced frame pacing issues or stutters, as the min FPS values at Medium settings (41 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, 16 FPS at 4K) scale proportionally with the averages. This suggests a stable, if low, performance envelope driven by the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are borderline playable. Low settings deliver an average of 62 FPS, which is the only configuration that approaches a smooth 60 FPS target. Medium settings yield 48 FPS (min 41, max 55), which is acceptable for less demanding play, but High drops to 38 FPS and Ultra falls to a choppy 26 FPS. The data indicates that 1080p Medium is the practical ceiling for a playable experience, and even then, the min FPS of 41 suggests potential dips during intense action sequences.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades significantly. Low settings average 42 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a competitive FPS. Medium averages 32 FPS (min 27, max 37), High averages 25 FPS, and Ultra averages just 17 FPS. None of these figures meet the 60 FPS standard, and even the 42 FPS at Low is marginal. The 1440p resolution essentially halves the performance headroom compared to 1080p, making this resolution unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the combo is overwhelmed. Low settings average 24 FPS, Medium averages 18 FPS (min 16, max 21), High averages 14 FPS, and Ultra averages a mere 10 FPS. These numbers are below the threshold for playable frame rates in any genre, let alone a fast-paced FPS. The 4K data confirms that this GPU is not designed for such pixel densities, and the 4 GB VRAM capacity is likely a contributing factor, as texture data and framebuffer requirements exceed available memory, causing performance to crater.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the clear bottleneck in this system. With 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, it offers a bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s. Its compute capabilities are modest, with 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, delivering a pixel rate of 44.54 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 66.82 GTexel/s. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 4193 places it at the 25th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R5 M330 and the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, which are similarly low-powered parts.

The GPU’s limitations are laid bare in the 4K results. The 14 FPS average at High settings and 10 FPS at Ultra are indicative of a card that is completely saturated. The 4 GB VRAM is likely exhausted at 4K, forcing the system to rely on slower memory swapping. The data shows that the GPU’s performance scales almost linearly with pixel count, which is a hallmark of a memory-bandwidth or fill-rate-limited part. The FP32 throughput of 2.138 TFLOPS is simply insufficient for the shader work required at higher resolutions.

Even at 1080p, the GPU’s age shows. While it can manage 62 FPS at Low settings, the drop to 38 FPS at High and 26 FPS at Ultra suggests that its 48 TMUs and 32 ROPs struggle with higher-fidelity effects like shadows and anti-aliasing. The card’s 7 Gbps effective memory speed is also a limiting factor, as Evolve’s textures and effects demand more bandwidth than the 128-bit interface can provide. The GPU’s 75 W TDP and lack of power connectors indicate its design intent as a low-power solution, but this comes at the cost of raw performance, making it a poor match for a demanding FPS beyond the most basic settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in Evolve?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings yields the highest average FPS at 62, while Medium settings produce 48 FPS (min 41, max 55). This makes 1080p Medium the most balanced choice for playability, as higher settings or resolutions result in sub-40 FPS averages.

Q: How much does performance degrade when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 38 to 25, a 34% reduction. At Medium settings, it falls from 48 to 32, also a 33% drop. The scaling is consistent, indicating a pure GPU bottleneck.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The frame rate drops by over 60% from 1080p to 4K at all settings, which is a classic sign of pixel-bound performance. The CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads, with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, are sufficient to maintain stable frame pacing, as evidenced by the proportional min FPS values.

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

A: No. The measured data shows average FPS of 24 at Low settings and 10 at Ultra settings for 3840x2160. These frame rates are far below playable thresholds and indicate that the GTX 1050 Ti’s 4 GB VRAM and 112.1 GB/s bandwidth are grossly insufficient for 4K.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 3644 out of 3700 combos, placing it in the bottom 1.5% of all systems tested for Evolve. This low rank is consistent with the GPU’s 25th percentile standing and the CPU’s 47th percentile standing.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GPU?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti had a launch MSRP of 139 USD.