Evolve

The pairing of a 20-core Intel Core i7-14700F with an 8 GB AMD Radeon RX 580 in Evolve is a study in imbalance. The data shows a processor that ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, paired with a graphics card that sits near the median at the 53rd percentile. This creates a scenario where the GPU is almost certainly the limiting factor in every measurable frame rate, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The benchmark results paint a clear picture of a system where the CPU's potential headroom is left largely untapped by the graphics subsystem's capabilities. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, providing a practical guide for what to expect from this combination.

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

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and can boost up to 5.40 GHz. This is a high-end desktop part, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35443 and single-core score of 5003. In Evolve, a game released in 2015, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage game logic. With a processor this powerful, it is highly unlikely that it becomes a bottleneck in this title, even at lower resolutions where the CPU load is typically higher relative to the GPU.

The data supports this interpretation. At 1080p Low settings, where the GPU load is minimized, the system achieves an average of 86.5 FPS. This is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset, suggesting that the CPU is capable of pushing the frame rate well beyond what the RX 580 can deliver at higher settings. The i7-14700F's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X with a deltaPct of -0.6 and the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 with a deltaPct of 1.2, show that it is in the top tier of processors. The CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory further cement its position as a high-end component that is not the performance constraint here. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is ready to handle any settings configuration, leaving the final frame rates entirely dependent on the GPU's output.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound system. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 51.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 32.8 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 22.3 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a performance reduction of approximately 36% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 32% reduction from 1440p to 4K. This steep decline is directly attributable to the RX 580's rendering capabilities being overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count.

The scaling pattern is even more telling at Ultra settings. The frame rate falls from 38.9 FPS at 1080p to 23.2 FPS at 1440p and then to a nearly unplayable 14.9 FPS at 4K. The consistent, steep drop-off across all settings presets strongly suggests that the system is not limited by the CPU's ability to process game data, but rather by the GPU's pixel fill rate and shader throughput. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau or show less dramatic drops when moving to higher resolutions, as the CPU workload would remain relatively constant. The data shows the opposite, confirming that the AMD Radeon RX 580 is the performance gatekeeper in this configuration.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks at position 1577 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the bottom 7% of all tested pairings, which is a surprisingly low rank given the CPU's high performance class. The ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations; the RX 580, while having an 8 GB frame buffer, is an older architecture that struggles with the demands of Evolve at higher settings and resolutions.

The low combo rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capability but rather a mismatch in performance tiers. The GPU's average benchmark score of 13559 places it in the same performance bracket as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (deltaPct 0) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (deltaPct 0.1). These are older, lower-end cards that are simply not designed for high-refresh-rate or high-resolution gaming in a modern title like Evolve. Consequently, the combination's rank is dragged down entirely by the GPU, and the i7-14700F's potential is wasted in this pairing. The data suggests that this combo is only suitable for playing Evolve at 1080p with lower settings, where the frame rates are still acceptable.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Evolve?

A: The highest average frame rate measured is 86.5 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this CPU-GPU combination well-balanced for playing Evolve at 4K?

A: No, the data shows that at 4K resolution, the average frame rates are 22.3 FPS on High, 26.1 FPS on Medium, and 14.9 FPS on Ultra. These are all well below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating the GPU is not powerful enough for 4K in this title.

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

A: The i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 54097. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, has a score of 54450, which is a deltaPct of -0.6, meaning the i7-14700F is slightly behind. It is 1.2% ahead of the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 and 1.7% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7313P.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS for Low settings is 54.6, while for Ultra settings it is 23.2. This represents a performance drop of more than half when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: What does the GPU's "passmark_g3d" score of 8813 indicate about its performance?

A: This score, which corresponds to the GPU's general 3D performance, places it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. This indicates it is a mid-range performer, which is consistent with the frame rates observed in the Evolve benchmarks.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the primary bottleneck in this system for Evolve?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU's high benchmark scores and the steep frame rate drops as resolution and settings increase point to the AMD Radeon RX 580 as the limiting component.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is a mid-range graphics card from 2017, built on the 14 nm Polaris 20 chip with the GCN 4.0 architecture. It has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1257 MHz with a boost clock of 1340 MHz, and its memory runs at an effective speed of 8 Gbps. These specifications are modest by modern standards, but the 8 GB VRAM is a notable feature for its time.

In Evolve, the 8 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for 1080p and 1440p textures, but the card's raw compute power is the limiting factor. The GPU's FP32 performance is 6.175 TFLOPS, and it has 2304 shading units. The measured frame rates show that the card is unable to maintain high frame rates even at 1080p with High settings, achieving an average of 51.6 FPS. The situation worsens at 4K, where even Low settings only produce 31.5 FPS. The GPU's average benchmark score of 13559 places it on par with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 and GTX 950, which are significantly less powerful than the CPU in this system. The data shows that the RX 580's performance is the defining characteristic of this combo, and its 185 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for a card of this class.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1920x1080, Low settings are required, as they are the only preset that breaks the 60 FPS barrier with an average of 86.5 FPS. Medium settings at 1080p provide 64.5 FPS, which is still playable, while High settings drop to 51.6 FPS, which is acceptable for some but not ideal for fast-paced FPS gameplay. Ultra settings at 1080p are not recommended, as they yield only 38.9 FPS, which may feel sluggish.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that Low settings are the only viable option for a playable experience, delivering an average of 54.6 FPS. Medium settings at 1440p drop to 44.1 FPS, and High settings fall to 32.8 FPS, both of which are below the preferred 60 FPS mark. Ultra settings at 1440p are not recommended, as they produce only 23.2 FPS. For 3840x2160, none of the settings presets provide an acceptable frame rate, with the highest being 31.5 FPS on Low. The best experience per the measured rows is to play at 1080p with Low or Medium settings to ensure a frame rate above 60 FPS, or at 1440p with Low settings for a slight resolution bump while maintaining a playable frame rate. Choosing anything higher will result in a significant performance hit that negatively impacts gameplay.