Evolve

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER presents a fascinating study in generational asymmetry. The data reveals a system where a modern, high-end GPU is often waiting on a six-core processor released several years prior. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings in Evolve show a clear narrative: the RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant force, but its potential is increasingly constrained by the CPU as resolution drops. This combination ranks 314th out of 1695 tested combos, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations, yet the internal performance dynamics tell a more complex story about where the bottleneck truly lies.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is the clearest indicator of system balance. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 210.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 129.6 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 81.2 FPS or roughly 38.5%. This is a substantial decline, but the absolute numbers remain high, suggesting the GPU is still capable of heavy lifting even at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Low settings shows a drop from 182.6 FPS to 129.6 FPS, a 53 FPS decrease, which points to the GPU becoming the primary limiter as pixel count increases.

However, the scaling pattern shifts dramatically when comparing the Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the system produces 142.8 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 56.2 FPS. This is a staggering 86.6 FPS drop, representing a 60.6% reduction in performance. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra is also telling, with a decrease from 142.8 FPS to 92.1 FPS. The data implies that at 1080p, the CPU is holding back the RTX 4080 SUPER, preventing it from reaching its full potential. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU workload becomes so immense that the CPU bottleneck diminishes, and the true power of the graphics card is exposed through a more dramatic FPS decline. The scaling is not linear; it is steepest at Ultra, indicating that the combination of high resolution and heavy graphical settings creates a perfect storm that overwhelms the GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores are modest by modern standards, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125. The processor sits at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is an average performer. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i7-8809G, have nearly identical average scores, with deltas of just 0.2% and -0.6% respectively. This suggests the i5-9400 is firmly in a mid-range performance tier.

In Evolve, the CPU’s influence is most visible at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 210.8 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors, but the data suggests this is not the GPU’s maximum output. The fact that the 4K Low result is 129.6 FPS indicates the GPU can push much harder when unburdened by the CPU. The i5-9400’s six threads are likely saturating at these high frame rates, creating a ceiling. The boost clock of 4.10 GHz is helpful for single-threaded performance, but the lack of hyper-threading means the processor has a finite amount of work it can do per frame. The data shows that at 1440p, the CPU still has some influence, as the FPS at Low (182.6) is lower than what the GPU could theoretically produce, but the gap narrows compared to 1080p. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU, and in this pairing, it is a bottleneck that becomes less relevant as the GPU’s rendering time increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a behemoth of a graphics card, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a massive 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s boost clock is 2550 MHz, and it houses 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Passmark G3D score of 34245 and an average benchmark score of 53610, placing it at the 88th percentile of all GPUs. It outperforms its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, by a slim 0.2% margin. This is a top-tier component designed for 4K gaming.

The GPU’s dominance is evident in the measured FPS data. Even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains 56.2 FPS, which is playable, and at 4K High, it jumps to 79.8 FPS. The RTX 4080 SUPER’s raw compute power is what allows for these high numbers, with its 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Evolve, a game from 2015, and it is unlikely to be a limiting factor. The GPU’s role is to render the frame, and it does so efficiently. The data shows that the GPU is the star of the show, but its performance is capped by the CPU at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low result of 210.8 FPS reflects the GPU’s ability, but the fact that it cannot exceed this number suggests the CPU is the limiting component. The GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading units are not the constraint; the CPU’s instruction throughput is.

FAQ

Q: Is this combination better suited for 1080p or 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: The data shows that the system is capable of high frame rates at all resolutions, but the CPU bottleneck is most pronounced at 1080p. At 1080p Ultra, the system hits 142.8 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 56.2 FPS. The 4K results better utilize the GPU’s potential, while the 1080p results are limited by the CPU.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to its closest rival in terms of raw performance?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 53610, while its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 53489. This puts the NVIDIA card 0.2% ahead, indicating a near-identical level of raw performance.

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile relative to all other processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 ranks at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it is an average performer. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 places it in the middle of the pack.

Q: Does the CPU have enough cores and threads for this game?

A: The i5-9400 has 6 cores and 6 threads. The data suggests it is a limiting factor at 1080p, where the FPS is capped at 210.8 at Low settings. This indicates that the CPU’s processing power is insufficient to fully feed the GPU at those high frame rates.

Q: Is the GPU's 16 GB of VRAM a factor in this game?

A: The 16 GB of VRAM on the RTX 4080 SUPER is unlikely to be a constraint for Evolve, a game released in 2015. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s is more than adequate for the game’s textures and geometry.

Q: How does the i5-9400's single-core performance impact gaming?

A: The i5-9400 has a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, and its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 1125. This is a moderate score, and the data implies it is sufficient for gaming, but it is the primary bottleneck at 1080p, where the CPU cannot keep up with the GPU’s frame rendering speed.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 314th out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the top 18.5% of all configurations, which is a respectable position. However, the rank reflects a system that is not perfectly balanced. The GPU is a top-tier component, ranking at the 88th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is an average component, ranking at the 50th percentile. The high rank is likely due to the sheer power of the GPU, which can overcome the CPU’s limitations in most scenarios. The data suggests that a more balanced pairing, perhaps with a stronger CPU, could yield a higher rank. The current setup is a classic example of a GPU-heavy build, where the graphics card is the primary driver of performance. The rank of 314 indicates that while the system is fast, it is not among the elite, and the CPU is holding it back from achieving its full potential.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the target resolution and frame rate. At 4K, the High preset offers the best balance, with an average of 79.8 FPS. This is a significant improvement over the Ultra preset’s 56.2 FPS, and it is likely that the visual difference between High and Ultra is not worth a 23.6 FPS loss. The Medium preset at 4K also performs well at 95.3 FPS, but the High preset offers a better visual quality for a relatively small performance cost. At 1440p, the High preset is the best choice, delivering 135.2 FPS, which is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 92.1 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for competitive play. The Medium preset at 1440p offers 166.4 FPS, but the High preset provides a better balance of visuals and performance.

At 1080p, the data shows that the CPU is the limiting factor. The Low preset achieves 210.8 FPS, but the High preset still manages 176.3 FPS, which is an excellent result. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 142.8 FPS, which is also very high. Given the CPU bottleneck, the High preset at 1080p is the recommended choice, as it provides a superior visual experience without a massive FPS penalty. The Ultra preset is also viable, but it is the most demanding on the CPU. The data indicates that the GPU is not the bottleneck at 1080p, so choosing a higher preset does not impact the GPU as much as it does the CPU. For the best overall experience, the High preset at 1440p or 4K is recommended, as it offers a strong combination of frame rate and visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system produces the highest frame rates, with an average of 210.8 FPS at Low, 194.7 FPS at Medium, 176.3 FPS at High, and 142.8 FPS at Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 68 FPS, which is significant, but all results are above 140 FPS. At 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease, with 182.6 FPS at Low, 166.4 FPS at Medium, 135.2 FPS at High, and 92.1 FPS at Ultra. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the first setting where the FPS drops below 100, indicating a heavier load on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are further reduced, with 129.6 FPS at Low, 95.3 FPS at Medium, 79.8 FPS at High, and 56.2 FPS at Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest in the entire dataset, and it is the only result below 60 FPS. The data shows a clear scaling pattern: as resolution increases, the FPS decreases, but the rate of decrease is not uniform. The jump from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra results in a 50.7 FPS drop, while the jump from 1440p to 4K at Ultra results in a 35.9 FPS drop. This suggests that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p. The measured data provides a comprehensive view of how this combination performs, and it is clear that the RTX 4080 SUPER is capable of delivering high frame rates, but the i5-9400 limits its performance in less demanding scenarios.