Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS built on the CryEngine, presents an interesting stress test for the pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. The measured frame rates across resolutions and presets reveal a system where the legacy GPU is the definitive bottleneck, even when paired with a modern, high-core-count processor. The data indicates that this combination is capable of delivering smooth gameplay at lower resolutions, but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with higher graphical fidelity.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings presets, clearly indicating that the graphics card is the limiting component in this configuration. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 107.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 71.8 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of roughly 33%. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields an average of only 40.2 FPS, which is a 63% decrease from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is a classic sign of GPU-bound rendering, where the resolution increase demands exponentially more pixel throughput that the GTX 1080 Ti cannot supply.

The trend is even more pronounced at the Ultra preset. The system manages 75.3 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 49.9 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 28.5 FPS at 4K. The frame rate at 4K Ultra is not just low; it is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience, indicating that the GPU is overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical effects. Interestingly, the gap between 1440p and 4K is larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p, suggesting that the memory bandwidth and raw compute of the GTX 1080 Ti are insufficient for the 4K workload, regardless of the CPU’s capability.

The data also shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this resolution scaling. The Intel Core i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, provides ample headroom to feed the GPU. The fact that frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution confirms that the bottleneck shifts entirely to the GPU as pixel count increases. For a user targeting 4K, this combo will not deliver a high-refresh-rate experience, but at 1080p, the scaling shows the system can push well beyond 100 FPS, making it viable for competitive play on lower settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, based on the Pascal architecture, is the clear performance ceiling in this pairing. Its 11 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 352-bit bus provides 484.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which is substantial for its generation but is challenged by the demands of Evolve at higher resolutions. The GPU’s base clock of 1481 MHz and boost clock of 1582 MHz are relatively modest by modern standards, and the 11.34 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is now considered mid-range. This is reflected in its benchmark scores, where it sits at the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19402.

The GPU’s role as the limiting factor is most evident when comparing the Low and Ultra presets. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 182.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 75.3 FPS. This 107.5 FPS difference is entirely attributable to the GPU’s inability to process the increased shading, texture, and post-processing effects at the same rate. The same pattern holds at 1440p, where the gap is 73.4 FPS between Low (123.3 FPS) and Ultra (49.9 FPS). The GPU’s 88 ROPs and 224 TMUs are simply saturated by the higher preset demands.

The VRAM capacity of 11 GB is not a limiting factor at any tested resolution, as even the 4K Ultra preset does not appear to exceed this allocation. However, the sheer compute load is the issue. The GPU’s performance relative to its nearest rivals is telling: it is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 (0% deltaPct) and the AMD Radeon Pro 560X (-0.1% deltaPct), and only 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA TITAN Xp. This suggests that while the 1080 Ti was a flagship in its day, it now performs on par with much older or lower-tier hardware in synthetic benchmarks, which aligns with its observed struggles in Evolve at high settings.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested CPU and GPU combinations for Evolve, this pairing ranks 1034 out of 1695 total combos. This places it in the bottom 40% of tested configurations, which is a surprisingly low position given the CPU’s strength. The ranking is heavily weighted by the GPU’s performance, as the GTX 1080 Ti’s age and architecture limit its ability to compete with modern graphics cards. The Intel Core i7-13700K, by contrast, is a top-tier processor, ranking in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 47282.

The disconnect between the CPU and GPU performance is stark. The i7-13700K is only 0.1% slower than the Intel Core i7-13700KF, its closest rival, and 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i9-12900F. This indicates that the processor is performing at a near-flagship level. However, the combo’s rank in Evolve is dragged down by the GPU, which is only 0.6% faster than the NVIDIA Tesla K40m and 1.1% slower than the NVIDIA TITAN Xp. The discrepancy between the CPU’s high percentile and the combo’s low rank confirms that the system’s overall performance is dictated by the weakest link, which is unequivocally the graphics card.

This ranking suggests that for Evolve specifically, users with this combo will see performance that is worse than the majority of other tested systems. The 1034th place out of 1695 means that over 600 other combinations deliver higher average frame rates. This is not a reflection of the CPU’s capabilities but rather a consequence of pairing a modern high-end processor with a legacy GPU that was designed for a different era of gaming. The data shows that the combo is significantly underperforming what the CPU alone could potentially deliver if paired with a more modern graphics solution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance for this combo is the Medium preset at 2560x1440. This configuration yields an average of 92.4 FPS, which is smooth and responsive, while providing a meaningful visual upgrade over Low settings. At 1080p, the Medium preset is also excellent, achieving 138.5 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 1440p is also viable, with 71.8 FPS, though it approaches the edge of what is considered ideal for fast-paced action.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p is the clear choice, delivering 182.8 FPS. This is the only setting that approaches the 144Hz or higher refresh rate territory, and it is recommended for competitive play where frame time consistency is more important than visual fidelity. At 4K, however, no preset is truly recommended for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 4K achieves 71.2 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium (53.1 FPS) and High (40.2 FPS) presets are not. The Ultra preset at any resolution is not recommended, as it only reaches 75.3 FPS at 1080p and drops to an unplayable 28.5 FPS at 4K.

The data indicates that the Ultra preset is too demanding for the GTX 1080 Ti, even at 1080p. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p costs 32.2 FPS, which is a significant penalty for what is often a marginal visual improvement. Users should avoid the Ultra preset entirely with this combo unless they are willing to accept frame rates below 60 FPS at all resolutions. The sweet spot for this system is clearly 1440p Medium or 1080p High, where the GPU can maintain frame rates above 70 FPS without being overburdened.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve over 100 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 182.8 FPS and the Medium preset achieves 138.5 FPS. The High preset at 1080p falls just short of 100 FPS with 107.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset exceeds 100 FPS, with 123.3 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 4K with this hardware?

A: No. The measured average FPS for Ultra settings at 3840x2160 is 28.5 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth, responsive gameplay. Even the High preset at 4K only reaches 40.2 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282. It is 0.1% slower than the Intel Core i7-13700KF, 0.3% faster than the AMD EPYC 4364P, and 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i9-12900F.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19402.

Q: What is the most significant performance difference between presets at 1440p?

A: The difference between Low and Ultra at 2560x1440 is 73.4 FPS, with Low hitting 123.3 FPS and Ultra dropping to 49.9 FPS. This indicates a heavy load on the GPU for higher graphical settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 1034 out of 1695 total tested combinations, placing it in the lower 40% of all systems tested for this game.