Evolve

The Intel Core i5-9400 pairs with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti to deliver a broad spectrum of performance in Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. The CPU provides six cores and six threads with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, while the GPU brings 10,240 shading units and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. The benchmark data shows this combination is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but the CPU's capability becomes a factor at 1080p, particularly with lower graphics settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor from the Coffee Lake refresh generation. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 9 MB shared L3 cache. In Evolve, this CPU configuration matters most when the frame rate is high enough to expose CPU bottlenecks. The processor's benchmark scores—803 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 7969 in Cinebench R23 multi-core—place it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, indicating a mid-pack standing.

The data shows how this CPU interacts with the GPU across settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 212.8 FPS. At 1080p Medium, it drops to 191 FPS, and at 1080p High, it falls to 157.2 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is only 21.8 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High is 33.8 FPS. This pattern suggests that at the Low preset, the CPU is nearing its limit in feeding the RTX 3080 Ti, but the GPU still has headroom. At 1440p Low, the combo hits 177.4 FPS, which is a 35.4 FPS drop from the 1080p Low result. That drop is larger than the resolution scaling alone would suggest, implying the CPU is still contributing to the limit even at 1440p.

The i5-9400's single-thread performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1125, is adequate for Evolve's engine. The game is not heavily multithreaded, so the six physical cores are sufficient, but the lack of hyperthreading means the CPU has no spare threads to smooth out frame pacing spikes. In competitive scenarios where players might drop to Low settings to maximize FPS, this CPU will sit around the 212.8 FPS ceiling at 1080p, which is high but not exceptional for a 2015 FPS title.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

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

A: The data indicates 1440p High provides the best balance. It delivers 107.7 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS, while 4K High only manages 61.1 FPS and 1080p Ultra hits 108.7 FPS. At 1440p High, the combo avoids the CPU bottleneck seen at 1080p Low and stays well within GPU headroom.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41,224, which is 0.5% lower than the RTX 3090's 41,441 and 0.9% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5300's 41,610. It outperforms the RTX 5070, which scores 41,687, by 1.1% according to the deltaPct values.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 41.9 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, so players targeting 4K would need to use High settings (61.1 FPS) or Medium settings (79.9 FPS) for a playable experience.

Q: Is the i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RTX 3080 Ti in Evolve?

A: The data suggests a partial bottleneck at 1080p Low, where the combo reaches 212.8 FPS. At 1440p Low, the FPS drops to 177.4, which is a 16.6% decrease. If the GPU were the sole limit, the drop from 1080p to 1440p would be larger, so the CPU is constraining performance in the Low preset at lower resolutions.

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

A: The combo ranks 505th out of 1,695 tested combinations in Evolve. This places it in the top 30% of all combos, which is consistent with a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU.

Q: What is the difference between the 1080p Medium and 1440p Medium results?

A: At 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 191 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it drops to 137.5 FPS. This 53.5 FPS difference shows the GPU is taking on more load as resolution increases, but the CPU is still delivering enough frames to keep the experience fluid at both resolutions.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At High settings, the combo goes from 157.2 FPS at 1080p to 107.7 FPS at 1440p, a drop of 49.5 FPS (31.5%). Moving to 4K, it drops another 46.6 FPS to 61.1 FPS, a 43.3% reduction from 1440p. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario at High settings, where the RTX 3080 Ti's workload increases proportionally with pixel count.

At Low settings, the scaling is different. From 1080p to 1440p, FPS drops from 212.8 to 177.4, a reduction of 35.4 FPS (16.6%). From 1440p to 4K, it drops to 99.7 FPS, a reduction of 77.7 FPS (43.8%). The relatively small drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings indicates the CPU is becoming a limiting factor at 1080p, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs. Once the resolution increases to 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, as evidenced by the steep FPS decline.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling. It starts at 108.7 FPS at 1080p, drops to 74.4 FPS at 1440p, and then falls to 41.9 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is barely playable, and the 33.8% drop from 1440p to 4K aligns with the GPU being pushed to its limits by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical detail.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranks 505th out of 1,695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the 70th percentile of performance. This rank reflects the pairing of a 50th-percentile CPU with an 83rd-percentile GPU. The CPU's average benchmark score of 2,305 puts it just 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i3-10305 (2,300) and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Xeon E-2134 (2,295). Meanwhile, the GPU's average score of 41,224 is 0.5% behind the RTX 3090 (41,441) and 1.1% behind the RTX 5070 (41,687).

The rank of 505 suggests that in Evolve, the combo performs better than many other pairings with similar CPU scores but worse than those with higher-end CPUs. The RTX 3080 Ti is clearly capable of driving high frame rates, but the i5-9400 holds the combo back from reaching the top tier. Combos ranked above 505 likely use CPUs with stronger single-threaded performance, which matters for Evolve's frame rate ceiling at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 212.8 FPS, Medium settings produce 191 FPS, High settings produce 157.2 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 108.7 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 104.1 FPS, showing how much headroom the GPU has at this resolution even with a mid-range CPU.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings yield 177.4 FPS, Medium yields 137.5 FPS, High yields 107.7 FPS, and Ultra yields 74.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 103 FPS, similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower. The 1440p Ultra result of 74.4 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold, making it a viable setting for players with high-refresh monitors.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles with the highest settings. Low settings produce 99.7 FPS, Medium produces 79.9 FPS, High produces 61.1 FPS, and Ultra produces 41.9 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 19.2 FPS, which is the largest single-setting jump at 4K, indicating that Ultra settings impose a significant additional load on the GPU. For 4K gaming, Low and Medium presets are the only options that maintain frame rates above 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For players with a 1080p monitor, the Medium preset offers the best experience. It delivers 191 FPS, which is only 21.8 FPS less than Low but provides substantially better visual fidelity. High settings at 1080p are also acceptable at 157.2 FPS, but the 33.8 FPS drop from Medium to High is steeper than the visual improvement justifies in a fast-paced FPS. Ultra at 1080p is unnecessary; the 108.7 FPS it produces is lower than what the 1440p High preset achieves, and the visual difference between High and Ultra is rarely noticeable in combat.

For 1440p users, High settings are the clear choice. At 107.7 FPS, this preset stays above the 100 FPS mark while providing near-maximum visual quality. Medium settings at 1440p offer 137.5 FPS, which is smoother, but the visual downgrade is significant in a game like Evolve where environmental detail matters for spotting enemies. Ultra at 1440p drops to 74.4 FPS, which is still playable but leaves little headroom for dips in intense firefights.

For 4K users, the choice is between Low and Medium. Low produces 99.7 FPS, which is excellent for 4K, while Medium drops to 79.9 FPS. High settings at 4K yield 61.1 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS minimum but risks stuttering in busy scenes. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as the 41.9 FPS result is below playable thresholds for an FPS. The data suggests that 4K Medium is the sweet spot for visual quality and performance, offering 79.9 FPS with a substantial improvement over Low settings.