Evolve

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti delivers a distinctly GPU-bound experience in Evolve, with the frame rate curve across resolutions revealing that the graphics card is the primary performance arbiter. At 1080p, the combination produces highly playable frame rates even at maximum settings, but the transition to 4K exposes the GTX 1080 Ti's limits, pushing the experience below the 30 FPS threshold at Ultra. The data indicates a system where the six-core processor provides ample headroom, allowing the GPU to dictate performance scaling almost entirely as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable degradation as resolution climbs, but the rate of that degradation is telling. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 111.6 FPS to 71.7 FPS, a reduction of approximately 36%. This is a substantial hit, but the frame rate remains well within the bounds of smooth gameplay. However, the jump to 3840x2160 at High settings yields just 44.9 FPS, a further 37% drop from the 1440p figure. This pattern strongly indicates that the GTX 1080 Ti's rendering throughput, not the CPU's processing capability, is the limiting factor.

The scaling behavior becomes even more pronounced when examining the Low settings preset. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 178.9 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames at a very high rate. At 1440p Low, the average FPS falls to 123.7, and at 4K Low, it drops to 66.7 FPS. The halving of performance from 1440p to 4K at Low settings is a classic sign of a GPU that is saturated by the sheer pixel count, regardless of the reduced graphical complexity. This is not a scenario where the CPU is stalling; the i5-9400's six cores are sufficient to keep up with the GTX 1080 Ti's output at lower resolutions, but the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become the bottleneck as the render target expands.

The most dramatic evidence of GPU limitation is the Ultra preset scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 77.6 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, this falls to 53.1 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it collapses to 29.7 FPS. This final figure is below the generally accepted threshold for smooth, playable performance, underscoring that the 4K Ultra setting is beyond the practical capability of this pairing. The data shows that the performance gap between 1080p and 4K widens with higher settings, confirming that the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are the primary constraint, while the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti ranks 1012 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve. This places the pairing in the lower-middle portion of the overall distribution, which is a somewhat surprising result given the individual components' capabilities. The rank suggests that while the hardware is competent, the game's engine and specific demands may not favor this particular configuration as much as other titles. This is not a top-tier result, but it is also far from the bottom, indicating a functional if not exceptional standing.

The percentile data for the individual components provides context for this overall rank. The CPU, the i5-9400, sits at the 50th percentile among all tested CPUs, meaning it performs in the middle of the pack. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i3-1125G4, which have average benchmark scores of 2300 and 2299, respectively, placing them within 0.2% of the i5-9400's average score of 2305. This indicates the processor's performance is very much in line with its direct competition. The GPU, the GTX 1080 Ti, is stronger, sitting at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19402. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780, which scores 19405, a negligible 0% delta, showing the 1080 Ti's performance is closely matched by that older card in aggregate.

The combo's rank of 1012 out of 1695 suggests that the sum of its parts does not translate to a high placement in this specific game. While the GPU is a strong performer in general benchmarks, its interaction with the i5-9400 in Evolve yields a result that is solidly mid-pack. The deltaPct values for the CPU's rivals are all within ±0.6%, indicating that swapping the i5-9400 for a comparable chip would likely have a minimal impact on the game's performance. This reinforces the idea that the combo's rank is more heavily influenced by the GPU's behavior in this title than by the CPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-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 dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. In the context of Evolve, a first-person shooter, these specifications are more than adequate for the game's threading model. The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck, as evidenced by the high frame rates at lower resolutions and settings where CPU overhead is typically more apparent.

At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 178.9 FPS, a figure that would require a capable processor to maintain. The i5-9400's six physical cores provide enough parallel processing power to handle the game's simulation and draw call submission without becoming a limiting factor. The benchmark results for the CPU corroborate this, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125. These scores indicate a balanced processor that can handle both single-threaded and multi-threaded tasks effectively. The processor's 50th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it is an average performer, but for a game like Evolve, that average performance is sufficient.

The relationship between the CPU's clock speeds and the game's results is subtle but important. The 4.10 GHz boost clock is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in scenarios that are more sensitive to single-thread performance. However, the measured FPS data shows that the performance ceiling is consistently set by the GPU, not the CPU. For example, the difference between 1080p High (111.6 FPS) and 1440p High (71.7 FPS) is entirely attributable to the increased pixel workload on the GPU. The CPU's role is to ensure that the GPU is fed with enough data, and the i5-9400's specifications are sufficient for this task. The processor's 65W TDP and 14 nm process node are indicative of its efficiency, but in this pairing, its primary job is to avoid being a bottleneck, a task it performs without issue.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results range from a highly playable 178.9 FPS at Low settings to a respectable 77.6 FPS at Ultra. The Medium setting yields 137.3 FPS, and High produces 111.6 FPS. These figures show that at 1080p, the GTX 1080 Ti has ample headroom to deliver smooth gameplay across all quality presets, with even the most demanding Ultra setting comfortably exceeding 60 FPS. This is the resolution where the pairing is most effective, offering a wide range of options for competitive or casual play.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset still delivers a very high 123.7 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset drops to 95.4 FPS, and High to 71.7 FPS, both of which remain playable. The Ultra preset, however, falls to 53.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target that many users prefer. This suggests that at 1440p, users will need to compromise on settings to maintain a consistently smooth experience, with High being the highest preset that reliably stays above 60 FPS. The data indicates a noticeable step down in performance from 1080p to 1440p, particularly at the higher quality presets.

At 3840x2160, the combo's limitations become stark. The Low preset produces 66.7 FPS, which is playable but a significant drop from the 1440p figure. The Medium preset yields 55.4 FPS, and High drops to 44.9 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most problematic, producing just 29.7 FPS, which is not suitable for a smooth gaming experience. This resolution exposes the GTX 1080 Ti's 11 GB of GDDR5X memory and 352-bit bus as insufficient for the demands of 4K at high settings. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable at Low or possibly Medium settings, and even then, the frame rates are not ideal. Overall, the breakdown illustrates a classic GPU-bound scenario where the choice of resolution and settings has a dramatic impact on the final frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is a high-end graphics card based on the Pascal architecture, built on a 16 nm process node. It features 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 88 raster output units. The card's memory subsystem includes 11 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 352-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 484.4 GB/s. Its base clock is 1481 MHz, with a boost clock of 1582 MHz. These specifications are significant, but the measured FPS data in Evolve shows that they are not sufficient for maximum settings at 4K resolution.

The GPU's role as the primary bottleneck is clearly demonstrated by the resolution scaling data. The card's performance is directly correlated with the pixel count, and the frame rate drops proportionally as resolution increases. The 11 GB VRAM is ample for most scenarios, but the bus width and bandwidth become limiting factors at higher resolutions where the demand for texture and geometry data increases. The card's 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19402, indicates it is a solid performer, but not a top-tier one. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780, has a nearly identical average score of 19405, showing that the 1080 Ti's performance is not exceptional in the broader context of all GPUs.

The GPU's clock speeds and compute capabilities are directly reflected in the game's performance. The 11.34 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is the theoretical peak, but in practice, the card's rendering engine, with its 88 ROPs and 224 TMUs, determines the final frame rate. At 1080p, these resources are sufficient to maintain high frame rates even at Ultra. However, at 4K, the sheer number of pixels overwhelms the ROPs, leading to the observed drop to 29.7 FPS at Ultra. The data shows that the GTX 1080 Ti is a capable card for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it is not a 4K Ultra card for Evolve. The launch MSRP of 699 USD for this card reflects its historical high-end positioning, but its performance in this specific title is now firmly in the mid-range category due to the demands of higher resolutions.