Evolve

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination delivers a surprisingly robust experience in Evolve, but the data reveals a clear ceiling: the GPU is capable of far more than the CPU can consistently feed at lower resolutions. The measured frames per second (FPS) show a system that is firmly GPU-limited at 4K, yet increasingly CPU-bound as resolution drops, making the pairing's performance a study in bottleneck dynamics rather than raw component capability.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the dominant partner in this pairing, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process. Its specifications are substantial: a base clock of 2280 MHz and a boost clock of 2497 MHz, paired with 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In Evolve, the GPU’s influence is most evident at 4K, where frame rates scale almost linearly with the graphics preset, a clear sign that the renderer is the primary constraint. At 3840x2160, the data shows a jump from 31.5 FPS on Ultra to 48.5 FPS on High, then 60.7 FPS on Medium, and finally 76.7 FPS on Low—a progression that reflects the GPU’s raw throughput being taxed by pixel count and shading complexity.

The RTX 5060’s 3840 shading units and 120 texture mapping units (TMUs) give it ample headroom for the game’s effects, but the 48 ROPs (render output units) become a limiting factor at the highest settings. The 8 GB VRAM capacity appears sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, but the Ultra preset at 4K likely stresses memory bandwidth and capacity simultaneously, contributing to the sub-60 FPS result. Notably, the GPU’s compute potential—19.18 TFLOPS FP32—is not fully utilized in this title, as the measured FPS at 1080p Low (198.5 FPS) suggests the CPU is capping the frame rate well before the GPU’s pixel and texture rates (119.9 GPixel/s and 299.6 GTexel/s) become saturated.

The RTX 5060’s benchmark pedigree supports its role: its PassMark G3D score of 20891 places it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 30109. Its nearest rivals—the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (deltaPct 0) and AMD Radeon RX 570 (deltaPct -0.2)—show that it sits at a performance plateau, yet in Evolve the GPU is rarely the bottleneck except at 4K Ultra. The data indicates that for this game, the RTX 5060 is a high-end part whose potential is only fully realized when the resolution is high enough to shift the load away from the processor.

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

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor from the Coffee Lake Refresh generation, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It lacks Hyper-Threading, meaning its six threads must handle all game logic and draw-call submission. In Evolve, this becomes the critical constraint at 1080p. The benchmark results show that while the GPU can push frame rates over 198 FPS at Low settings, the CPU’s inability to feed the GPU at that pace likely caps performance, a classic sign of a processor bottleneck.

The CPU’s 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (42.7 GB/s bandwidth) are adequate for the game’s demands, but its benchmark scores reveal its mid-range standing. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and single-core score of 1125 place it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2305. Its nearest rivals—the Intel Core i3-10305 (deltaPct 0.2) and Intel Core i3-1125G4 (deltaPct 0.2)—show it is competitive with newer budget parts, but the lack of additional threads becomes apparent in frame-time consistency.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s load decreases relative to the GPU, and the data reflects this: the FPS gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution rises. At 1080p, the spread from Low (198.5 FPS) to Ultra (85.7 FPS) is 112.8 FPS, indicating the CPU is holding back the GPU at lower settings. At 4K, the same spread is 45.2 FPS (76.7 to 31.5), showing the GPU is now the dominant limiter. The i5-9400’s 65 W TDP and 14 nm process are modest, but its 4.10 GHz boost clock provides sufficient single-thread performance for the game’s core logic, though the six-thread limitation prevents it from matching the GPU’s output at high refresh rates.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the pairing’s behavior across three resolutions and four presets. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low 198.5 FPS, Medium 155.9 FPS, High 122.8 FPS, and Ultra 85.7 FPS. This shows a steep drop-off from Low to Ultra, a 56.8% reduction in frame rate. At 2560x1440, the numbers are: Low 133.5 FPS, Medium 105.6 FPS, High 80.4 FPS, and Ultra 59.1 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra here is 55.7%, similar to 1080p, but the absolute values are lower, indicating a balanced shift of load to the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the figures are: Low 76.7 FPS, Medium 60.7 FPS, High 48.5 FPS, and Ultra 31.5 FPS. The percentage drop from Low to Ultra is 58.9%, showing that the GPU is now the primary constraint, but the frame rates remain playable on Medium and Low. The data shows a consistent pattern: at 1080p, the CPU limits the maximum FPS, while at 4K, the GPU’s pixel throughput becomes the bottleneck. The 1440p results represent a middle ground where both components are more evenly matched, though the CPU still exerts influence at Low settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 846th out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the 50.1st percentile of all pairings. This is a middling ranking that reflects the CPU’s limitations rather than the GPU’s strengths. The GPU alone sits in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, and the CPU in the 50th percentile of all CPUs, so the combo’s ranking is dragged down by the processor’s relative weakness.

The data suggests that the RTX 5060’s potential is wasted in this pairing at lower resolutions, as the i5-9400 cannot keep up. Had the combo used a stronger CPU, the ranking would likely be higher, given the GPU’s benchmark position. Conversely, the 4K results show the combo performing more in line with the GPU’s capabilities, suggesting that the ranking is heavily dependent on the resolution and settings chosen. In practical terms, this combo is best suited for 1440p or 4K gaming, where the CPU bottleneck is less pronounced, rather than high-refresh-rate 1080p play.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo in Evolve?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 198.5, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

*Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Evolve?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 76.7 FPS. At Medium, it drops to 60.7 FPS, and at High it falls to 48.5 FPS.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p, as evidenced by the large FPS gap between Low (198.5) and Ultra (85.7), which indicates the GPU is not fully utilized.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rival in benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 30109, which is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (deltaPct 0) and the AMD Radeon RX 570 (deltaPct -0.2).

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 on Medium or High settings provides a good balance, with 105.6 FPS and 80.4 FPS respectively, avoiding the CPU bottleneck at 1080p and the GPU strain at 4K.

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

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings (60.7 FPS). At High, it falls below 60 FPS to 48.5 FPS, and at Ultra it drops significantly to 31.5 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data points to 2560x1440 with Medium settings as the sweet spot, yielding 105.6 FPS. This avoids the CPU bottleneck seen at 1080p and the GPU strain at 4K. If a higher frame rate is desired at 1440p, Low settings push the average to 133.5 FPS, but this sacrifices visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, High settings (122.8 FPS) are recommended over Ultra (85.7 FPS), as the latter’s performance drop is steep and likely not worth the visual gain. For 4K, Medium is the only preset that maintains a playable frame rate above 60 FPS, while High and Ultra should be avoided due to sub-60 FPS results.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is revealing. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 198.5 FPS at 1080p to 133.5 FPS at 1440p (a 32.7% reduction), then to 76.7 FPS at 4K (a 42.5% reduction from 1440p). At Ultra settings, the drop is from 85.7 FPS at 1080p to 59.1 FPS at 1440p (31.0% reduction), then to 31.5 FPS at 4K (46.7% reduction from 1440p). This pattern indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, as the FPS does not scale linearly with pixel count—the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 4K, the scaling is more consistent, showing that the GPU is now the primary constraint.

The data suggests that the i5-9400 can only sustain roughly 198 FPS in Evolve, and any resolution above that does not increase the CPU’s workload proportionally. Conversely, the RTX 5060’s performance at 4K is limited by its pixel and texture rates, resulting in the observed FPS. This makes the combo a 1440p-centric pairing, where the CPU and GPU reach a more balanced equilibrium, and the measured FPS at 1440p Medium (105.6) is a strong indicator of its intended use case.