Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 asymmetric FPS, places a heavy load on both processor and graphics card, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER reveals a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions. This combination ranks 1217th out of 1695 tested combos in the game, indicating a mid-pack performance profile that struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K but offers strong, playable performance at 1080p and 1440p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a system where the graphics card is the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers 98 FPS, which drops to 67.9 FPS at 1440p and further to 38.7 FPS at 4K. This represents a 60.5% drop in performance from 1080p to 4K, a significant reduction that points squarely at the GPU's rendering limits rather than any CPU constraint.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all quality presets. At Low settings, the system produces 157.8 FPS at 1080p, 109.1 FPS at 1440p, and 58.6 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 62.9%, nearly identical to the High preset drop. This uniform scaling across presets confirms that the RTX 2060 SUPER's pixel throughput, not the processor's capabilities, dictates the frame rate ceiling. The 4K Ultra result of 24.1 FPS is particularly telling, as it falls well below the 30 FPS playability threshold, making 4K gaming impractical for this hardware.

At 1440p, the system shows more headroom. The High preset achieves 67.9 FPS, which is smooth for most gameplay scenarios, while Medium hits 82.5 FPS. The 1080p results are even more comfortable, with the High preset at 98 FPS and Low at 157.8 FPS, suggesting that 1080p is the resolution where this combination can fully express its potential without hitting the GPU wall. The data indicates that the limiting component shifts decisively to the GPU as resolution climbs, with the CPU's role diminishing in importance at 4K where the RTX 2060 SUPER's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are simply overwhelmed.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Raptor Lake-R architecture, running on a 10 nm process. Its 2.10 GHz base clock and 5.40 GHz boost clock provide substantial single-threaded headroom, which is critical for Evolve's gameplay logic. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. This processor is not the constraint in this system.

The data shows that even at 1080p with Low settings, where the GPU is least stressed, the system reaches 157.8 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck, as the 28 threads handle the game's background tasks and AI calculations efficiently. The i7-14700F's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample data locality for game assets, reducing latency in frame processing. Its PassMark multi-thread score of 41765 and physics score of 2495 further underscore its capacity to handle Evolve's simulation workloads without issue.

Comparatively, the i7-14700F sits close to the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X in average benchmark score, trailing by only 0.6%, and it outperforms the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 by 1.2%. This places it in elite company for desktop processors, meaning the CPU is likely delivering far more headroom than the GPU can utilize in this pairing. The 65 W TDP and DDR4/DDR5 memory support make it a flexible platform component, but in Evolve, the processor's role is to maintain a stable frame delivery pipeline, which it does admirably given the consistent FPS scaling pattern observed across resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the definitive limiting factor in this configuration. Built on the Turing architecture with a 12 nm process, this GPU features 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, operating at a boost clock of 1650 MHz. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but insufficient for 4K Ultra textures. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2011 and PassMark G3D score of 16462 place it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, a mid-range standing that explains its performance ceiling.

The GPU's benchmark results show it is closely matched with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, leading that card by just 0.3%, and it sits 0.5% behind the RTX 2070. This narrow margin indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is a solid 1440p-class card but lacks the raw compute for 4K gaming. In Evolve, this translates to the observed FPS pattern: the GPU can deliver 98 FPS at 1080p High but only 38.7 FPS at 4K High, a 60.5% reduction that aligns with the pixel count increase from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a notable constraint at 4K, where High and Ultra presets likely exceed this allocation, causing texture thrashing and reduced frame rates. The Ultra preset at 4K yields just 24.1 FPS, which is unplayable, while the Low preset at 58.6 FPS is marginal. The GPU's 175 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU indicate it is a power-efficient card for its performance class, but the data clearly shows that gamers should target 1080p or 1440p to get the best experience from this GPU in Evolve.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Evolve?

A: The data shows 1080p as the optimal resolution, with the High preset achieving 98 FPS and Low hitting 157.8 FPS. At 1440p, High still delivers a playable 67.9 FPS, but 4K drops to 38.7 FPS on High, which is below the 60 FPS target most players prefer.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F scores 54097 on average, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X's 54450 and 1.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D's 54681. It outperforms the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 by 1.2% and the AMD EPYC 7313P by 1.7%.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the main bottleneck at 4K?

A: The GPU is clearly the bottleneck at 4K. The FPS drops from 98 at 1080p High to 67.9 at 1440p High and 38.7 at 4K High, a scaling pattern that directly correlates with pixel count, while the CPU's 94th percentile ranking shows it has ample headroom.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Low preset delivers 109.1 FPS, while Ultra drops to 44.2 FPS. This represents a 64.8 FPS difference, showing that Ultra settings impose a massive load on the GPU that this card cannot sustain at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER rank against other GPUs?

A: The GPU sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 19774. It leads the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN by 0.3% and trails the RTX 2070 by 0.5%, placing it in a tight performance cluster around the 20-series mid-range.

Q: What 4K preset is most playable with this hardware?

A: The Low preset at 4K achieves 58.6 FPS, which is the only 4K option approaching playability. Medium drops to 49.8 FPS, High to 38.7 FPS, and Ultra to 24.1 FPS, so players should stick to Low at 4K or drop to 1440p for better quality.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of playable settings for this CPU-GPU combination. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 98 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it stays well above the 60 FPS threshold while delivering enhanced textures and effects. The Ultra preset at 66.4 FPS is still playable and represents the maximum visual immersion for players who prioritize image quality, but the 31.6 FPS drop from High to Ultra suggests diminishing returns that may not justify the performance cost.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 82.5 FPS is the recommended choice, as it maintains a smooth frame rate while providing a significant visual upgrade over Low. The High preset at 67.9 FPS is also viable for players with 144 Hz monitors who can tolerate slightly lower frame rates, but the Ultra preset at 44.2 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided for competitive play. The Low preset at 109.1 FPS is the best option for esports-focused players who prioritize maximum refresh rates.

For 4K gaming, the data strongly suggests avoiding this resolution entirely, as even the Low preset at 58.6 FPS is marginal and the Medium preset at 49.8 FPS is below playability standards. Players with 4K displays should either use the Low preset with dynamic resolution scaling or drop to 1440p where the High preset provides a far superior experience. The Ultra preset at 4K is effectively unplayable at 24.1 FPS and should be reserved for screenshot purposes only.

The best overall experience, according to the measured rows, is 1080p High at 98 FPS. This preset offers a 47.6% performance improvement over 1440p High while maintaining the same visual quality tier, making it the sweet spot for this hardware. Players seeking higher frame rates can drop to 1080p Medium at 124.8 FPS, which adds a 27.3% performance boost over High with minimal visual degradation. The 1440p Medium preset at 82.5 FPS is the second-best option for players with higher-resolution monitors, providing a smooth experience that balances visual fidelity with frame rate.