Evolve

Evolve with an Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti shows a classic case of a modern CPU paired with an aging GPU. The benchmark data indicates that this system’s performance ceiling is defined almost entirely by the graphics card, particularly as resolution increases. The measured results provide a clear picture: the GTX 1080 Ti, while capable, is the limiting factor in this pairing, even though the i7-14700F ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a predictable and steep decline in frame rates as resolution climbs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 182 at 1080p to 121.3 at 1440p, and finally to 68.9 at 4K. This represents a 62% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, which indicates that the GPU is being pushed to its limits at higher pixel counts. The scaling is less linear at higher settings; for example, at Ultra settings, the drop from 76.9 FPS at 1080p to 52.8 FPS at 1440p is a 31% decline, but then the plunge to 27.8 FPS at 4K is a 47% drop from 1440p. This non-linear behavior suggests that at 4K Ultra, the game’s demands exceed what the GTX 1080 Ti can deliver, creating a severe bottleneck.

The delta between 1080p and 1440p is significant, but the jump to 2160p is where the system struggles most. At High settings, the 1080p result of 109.2 FPS falls to 73.9 FPS at 1440p, a 32% drop, and then to 41.5 FPS at 4K, a 44% further decline. This pattern—where the 1440p to 4K transition is more punishing than the 1080p to 1440p transition—confirms that the GPU’s fillrate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for 4K gaming in Evolve. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is unlikely to be the cause of these drops, as even at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 182 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the optimal experience balances visual fidelity with smooth frame rates. For 4K gaming, High settings are the only viable option, delivering 41.5 FPS on average. This is playable but not ideal for fast-paced FPS action. Dropping to Medium at 4K yields 55.6 FPS, which is a significant improvement and likely the sweet spot for a 60Hz display, as it maintains a higher level of detail than Low settings while providing a more responsive experience. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as the 27.8 FPS average makes the game feel sluggish.

At 1440p, the options open up. High settings achieve 73.9 FPS, which is smooth for most players. Medium settings provide 91.7 FPS, a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Low settings reach 121.3 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual compromise may be too steep for some. Ultra at 1440p is playable at 52.8 FPS, but the jump to High is a 40% performance gain for a minor visual difference, making High the recommended choice for 1440p.

For 1080p, the system has plenty of headroom. Ultra settings still deliver 76.9 FPS, which is perfectly smooth. High settings hit 109.2 FPS, Medium reaches 140 FPS, and Low achieves 182 FPS. For most users, Ultra at 1080p provides the best experience, as the frame rate is above 60 FPS and the visual quality is maximized. The data indicates that this system is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p, where the GTX 1080 Ti can keep up with the CPU’s capabilities.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F a bottleneck for the GTX 1080 Ti in Evolve?

A: No. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 182 FPS, which is far beyond what the GPU can sustain at higher resolutions. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and Passmark multithread score of 41765 indicate it has far more processing power than this game requires.

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K smoothly?

A: Not at high frame rates. The measured results show 41.5 FPS at High settings and 55.6 FPS at Medium settings for 3840x2160. These are playable but not ideal for competitive FPS play. Ultra settings at 4K are not viable, with an average of only 27.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz 1080p monitor?

A: High settings, which deliver 109.2 FPS, or Low settings at 182 FPS if you prioritize maximum frame rates. Ultra settings at 76.9 FPS are also above 60 FPS, but High offers a better balance of fidelity and speed.

Q: How does the GTX 1080 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 19402. Its closest competitor, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780, scores 19405, a delta of 0%. The AMD Radeon Pro 560X scores 19426, a 0.1% difference. The NVIDIA TITAN Xp scores 19184, which is 1.1% lower.

Q: Does the CPU’s high core count help in Evolve?

A: The i7-14700F has 20 cores and 28 threads, but Evolve is a 2015 FPS title that likely does not scale well beyond a few cores. The CPU’s single-core Cinebench R23 score of 5003 and Passmark single-thread score of 4261 are more relevant, and they are more than sufficient for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 182 FPS, Medium settings hit 140 FPS, High settings reach 109.2 FPS, and Ultra settings manage 76.9 FPS. These numbers show a clear progression, with a 42 FPS difference between Low and Medium, a 30.8 FPS difference between Medium and High, and a 32.3 FPS difference between High and Ultra. The data indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at this resolution, as the CPU is likely idle.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. Low settings average 121.3 FPS, Medium settings produce 91.7 FPS, High settings achieve 73.9 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 52.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 29.6 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 21.1 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is becoming more stressed, but the system remains capable of smooth gameplay at most presets.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 68.9 FPS, Medium settings produce 55.6 FPS, High settings achieve 41.5 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 27.8 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 13.3 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is also 13.7 FPS. This tight grouping at the lower end of the spectrum indicates that the GPU is fully saturated, and even reducing settings from Ultra to Low only yields a 41.1 FPS improvement, which is not enough to reach a consistently smooth 60 FPS at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is built on the Pascal architecture and features 11 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 352-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 484.4 GB/s. The GPU has 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 88 ROPs. Its base clock is 1481 MHz with a boost clock of 1582 MHz, and it delivers 11.34 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. These specifications, while impressive for a 2017 card, are clearly challenged by Evolve at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s Passmark G3D score is 18600, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the GTX 780, scores 19405, which is essentially identical. This suggests that in synthetic benchmarks, the GTX 1080 Ti is a solid mid-range performer. However, the measured FPS data shows that its memory bandwidth and fillrate are insufficient for 4K Ultra settings, where the 27.8 FPS average is unplayable. The 11 GB of VRAM is not the limiting factor, as Evolve’s textures are not excessively demanding, but the GPU’s raw compute power is stretched thin at 3840x2160.

The GPU’s performance in DirectX 11 (Passmark score of 151) and DirectX 12 (Passmark score of 66) indicates that it handles older APIs well, which is relevant for Evolve’s engine. The fact that the GPU is end-of-life and has a successor in the GeForce 20 series explains why it struggles with modern titles, but for Evolve, it remains a capable performer at 1080p and 1440p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 14th-generation Raptor Lake processor with 20 cores and 28 threads. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, along with 33 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark scores are exceptional: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003. Its Passmark multithread score is 41765, and its Passmark single-thread score is 4261. These figures place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

In Evolve, the CPU’s role is minimal. The game was released in 2015 and is unlikely to utilize more than a few cores. The i7-14700F’s high single-core performance is more relevant, as it ensures that the game’s main thread is never a bottleneck. The measured FPS at 1080p Low settings (182 FPS) proves that the CPU can feed the GPU with more frames than it can render, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, which scores 54450, a delta of -0.6% compared to the i7-14700F’s average benchmark score of 54097. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores 54681, a delta of -1.1%. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 53469, a 1.2% difference. These comparisons show that the i7-14700F is a top-tier performer, but that power is largely wasted in Evolve, which does not need 20 cores. The CPU’s TDP of 65 W and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a versatile choice, but for this specific game, its high core count provides no tangible benefit over a more modest processor.