Evolve

The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 pairing in Evolve presents a classic high-end matchup, but the benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, is a compute powerhouse that ranks in the 93rd percentile among all processors. Its single-thread performance, measured at 1136 in the 3DMark single-thread test, is strong, but its multithreaded capabilities are where it truly excels. The 3DMark max-threads score of 12412 and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 indicate a chip that can handle massive parallel workloads, though Evolve is unlikely to stress all 16 cores equally. The CPU's base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz provide a wide operating range, and the 30 MB of shared L3 cache helps with data-heavy scenarios. This is a processor designed to prevent bottlenecks, ensuring that the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates in most situations, particularly at lower resolutions. The measured frame rates at 1080p, exceeding 252 FPS on Low settings, suggest the CPU is feeding the GPU more than enough data to maintain high output. The question is not whether this CPU can keep up, but rather whether the GPU can translate that data into pixels at the highest settings.

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

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its high boost clock of 5.40 GHz is critical for gaming, as it allows for rapid single-thread execution, which is often the bottleneck in older game engines like the one powering Evolve. The data shows a 3DMark 2-thread score of 2262 and a 4-thread score of 4469, indicating robust performance even when the game engine scales across several cores. In the context of this game, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and physics calculations. The benchmark results show that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 252.8 FPS, which is a strong indication that the CPU is not a limiting factor at these lower graphical loads. The processor's 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 2 MB of L2 cache per core are moderate, but the shared 30 MB L3 cache is substantial, helping to reduce memory latency and keep frequently accessed data close to the cores. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-13700K scores an average benchmark of 47282, which is 0.1% below the Intel Core i7-13700KF and 0.4% above the Intel Core i9-12900F. This suggests that within its performance class, it is tightly grouped, and the CPU's raw power is more than sufficient for Evolve, even if the game is not optimized to utilize all 24 threads.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the definitive performance driver in this configuration. With 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 320-bit memory bus, it provides a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s, which is crucial for high-resolution textures and effects. The GPU's base clock of 1440 MHz and boost clock of 1710 MHz, when paired with 8704 shading units, allow for massive parallel processing of graphics data. The RTX 3080's 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores are features that Evolve, a 2015 title, likely does not utilize, but they do not hinder performance. The benchmark results show a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 38.8, a substantial dip from the 58.4 FPS at 4K High. This indicates that the GPU is being pushed to its limits by the most demanding settings. The GPU's percentile rank of 80 among all GPUs is respectable, but it is not at the top tier. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, which has an average score 0.9% higher, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile, which is 1% higher. This places the RTX 3080 in a competitive but not dominant position. The GPU's 10 GB of VRAM is adequate for Evolve at all settings, but the data suggests that the GPU's raw compute power, not memory capacity, is the limiting factor when frame rates drop at 4K Ultra.

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

The measured FPS data shows a predictable scaling pattern that reveals the bottleneck's shift from CPU to GPU as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 252.8 FPS, which is likely a CPU-bound scenario where the GPU is not fully saturated. Moving to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 168.9 FPS, a reduction of 33.2% from 1080p. This drop is significant but still leaves a very playable frame rate. At 4K Low, the FPS falls to 97, a further 42.6% reduction from 1440p. This pattern suggests that the GPU is becoming increasingly the limiting component as the pixel count rises. The same trend is visible at High settings: 152.5 FPS at 1080p, 103.8 FPS at 1440p, and 58.4 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings is a 43.7% reduction, which is steeper than the drop from 1080p to 1440p (31.9%). This indicates that the GPU's rendering workload is scaling superlinearly with resolution. At Ultra settings, the trend is even more pronounced: 108.9 FPS at 1080p, 69.1 FPS at 1440p, and 38.8 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the 60 FPS threshold, making it a challenging setting for this hardware. The data clearly shows that the RTX 3080 is the primary bottleneck at 4K, while the i7-13700K's headroom allows it to push higher frame rates at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the broader database of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 506th out of 1695 combos in Evolve. This places it in the top 30% of all tested systems, which is a strong result given the age of the game and the high-end nature of the components. The rank of 506 suggests that while this combo is very capable, there are many other systems that can achieve higher frame rates, likely those with more recent GPUs like the RTX 40-series or higher-tier RTX 30-series cards. The CPU's performance is not a liability here; its average benchmark score of 47282 is within 0.5% of its nearest rivals, indicating it is performing as expected. The GPU's average score of 35787 is also in line with its class. The combination's rank implies that the RTX 3080 is the limiting factor for achieving top-tier scores, but it is still a very solid performer. The data suggests that this combo is well-balanced for 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates across all settings, and it is capable of 4K gaming at High settings, but Ultra settings may require compromises.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and frame rate. For 1080p gaming, all settings are playable, with even Ultra achieving 108.9 FPS. The High preset at 152.5 FPS offers a significant visual improvement over Low (252.8 FPS) while still maintaining a very high frame rate, making it the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 1440p, the High preset at 103.8 FPS is the clear winner, as it provides a smooth experience well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 130.3 FPS is also viable for those seeking higher refresh rates, but the jump from Medium to High yields a 20.3% reduction in FPS (from 130.3 to 103.8), which is a noticeable cost for the visual upgrade. Ultra at 1440p drops to 69.1 FPS, which is still playable but begins to approach the lower end of acceptable for fast-paced FPS games. For 4K gaming, the High preset at 58.4 FPS is the recommended choice, as it is just below the 60 FPS target but offers a much better visual experience than Medium (76.4 FPS) or Low (97 FPS). Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as the 38.8 FPS average is too low for a smooth experience. The data indicates that the High preset is the "sweet spot" for this hardware combination across all resolutions, providing a substantial visual upgrade over Medium with a moderate performance cost.

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

The following table presents the exact average FPS figures from the dataset for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 252.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 192 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 152.5 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 108.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 168.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 130.3 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 103.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 69.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 97 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 76.4 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 58.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 38.8 |

The data shows a consistent pattern: moving from Low to Ultra settings at any resolution incurs a significant performance penalty. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 143.9 FPS, a 56.9% drop. At 1440p, the drop is 99.8 FPS (59.1%), and at 4K, the drop is 58.2 FPS (60%). This indicates that the Ultra preset is disproportionately demanding, likely due to advanced shadows, post-processing, and texture filtering that strain the GPU. The jump from High to Ultra is particularly steep at all resolutions, suggesting that the Ultra preset includes features that are not well optimized for this hardware.

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

Q: At what resolution and settings does this combo achieve over 250 FPS?

A: The combo achieves 252.8 FPS at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

*Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this hardware in Evolve?*

A: The lowest average frame rate is 38.8 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-13700K compare to the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, which is 0.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945's score of 47527, as indicated by the deltaPct of -0.5 for the AMD part.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset yields 103.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 69.1 FPS, a difference of 34.7 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 3080's memory bandwidth sufficient for 4K gaming?

A: The RTX 3080 has a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s, and the measured data shows it can achieve 58.4 FPS at 4K High settings, indicating the bandwidth is sufficient for playable performance, though not for Ultra settings.

*Q: What is the rank of this combo among all tested combinations in Evolve?*

A: This combo ranks 506th out of 1695 tested combinations in Evolve, placing it in the upper portion of the database.