Evolve

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Evolve with the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB shows a steep performance curve as resolution increases, which is a classic indication of GPU-bound behavior at higher settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 113 FPS. Dropping to 2560x1440 Low reduces that to 76 FPS, a 32.7% decrease. Moving to 3840x2160 Low yields only 43 FPS, which is 62% below the 1080p Low figure. The progression is not linear; the gap between 1440p and 4K is proportionally larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p, suggesting the GPU's rendering pipeline becomes the dominant constraint as pixel count grows.

At Medium settings, the scaling pattern is similar but starts from a lower base. The 1080p Medium average is 88 FPS, falling to 59 FPS at 1440p Medium (a 33% drop), and then to 33 FPS at 4K Medium (a 62.5% drop from 1080p). The High preset shows 69 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. Across all three resolutions, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 33-34%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is roughly 43-48%. This disproportionate decline at 4K indicates that the RTX 3050 4 GB's memory bandwidth and fill rate are insufficient for the higher pixel workload.

The Ultra preset tells a harsher story. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 48 FPS, already below the 60 FPS threshold typically considered smooth for FPS titles. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 32 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 18 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p Ultra is a 33.3% reduction, consistent with other settings, but the 1440p to 4K Ultra drop is 43.8%. These numbers reveal that even at the lowest settings, 4K remains a challenge: 43 FPS at 4K Low is playable but not ideal for a competitive FPS. The data indicates the limiting component shifts from the CPU at low resolutions to the GPU at 4K, and the RTX 3050 4 GB's 192.0 GB/s bandwidth is the bottleneck.

The 1080p to 1440p scaling is relatively mild across all presets, which suggests that at 1080p the CPU is still contributing to frame delivery. The i7-14700F with 20 cores and 28 threads has ample headroom. However, the steep 4K penalties point to the GPU's 128-bit memory bus and 4 GB VRAM as the primary constraint. Notably, the 1440p Medium preset shows a min FPS of 50 and max of 68, while the 4K Medium shows min 28 and max 39. The min-to-max spread at 4K is narrower in absolute terms but represents a larger variance relative to the average, indicating frame pacing instability under heavy load.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA107 chip, fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process. Its base clock is 1545 MHz, boosting to 1740 MHz. The memory runs at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective speed, across a 128-bit bus, yielding 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 4 GB GDDR6 frame buffer is the most striking limitation for a 2015 FPS title like Evolve, which was designed for GPUs of that era but still demands consistent memory allocation at higher resolutions.

In the measured data, the GPU's VRAM capacity becomes a visible factor at 4K. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only manages 43 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 18 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 25 FPS, a 58% reduction, which is larger than the corresponding difference at 1080p (113 to 48 FPS, a 57.5% reduction). This suggests that the 4 GB VRAM is insufficient for Ultra textures and effects at 4K, causing the GPU to rely on slower memory paging. The 32 ROPs and 64 TMUs on the RTX 3050 4 GB deliver a pixel rate of 55.68 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 111.4 GTexel/s, but these are not enough to sustain high frame rates at 4K.

The GPU's percentile vs all GPUs is 50, meaning it sits exactly at the median of tested GPUs. This aligns with the measured FPS: the card is capable of 113 FPS at 1080p Low, which is respectable, but falls apart at 4K. The fp32 performance of 7.127 TFLOPS is modest for modern standards, yet the game's age means it does not require ray tracing or DLSS, both of which the RTX 3050 4 GB supports but are not leveraged by Evolve's pixel-based rendering. The GPU's 90 W TDP and suggested 250 W PSU indicate a low-power design, but the measured FPS at 4K Low (43 FPS) shows that power headroom is not the issue; raw throughput and memory bandwidth are.

The RTX 3050 4 GB has no direct nearestRivals listed in the data, which means its benchmark average score is zero and its percentile is 50. This lack of comparative data forces reliance on the measured FPS rows alone. The GPU's boost clock of 1740 MHz is the highest operational frequency, and the data shows that at 1080p Low, the card is likely hitting that boost, but the 4K results indicate thermal or power throttling is not the cause — rather, the memory subsystem saturates. The 4 GB VRAM is also a concern for future titles, but for Evolve, the measured results show that 1080p Medium (88 FPS) is the sweet spot where the GPU delivers smooth gameplay without overwhelming memory.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 18, which is below playable thresholds for an FPS. The Low preset at 4K yields 43 FPS, which is the only 4K setting approaching playability.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p?

A: The data shows a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p across all settings, indicating the GPU is the primary limiter. The i7-14700F's 20 cores and 28 threads provide ample compute headroom, so the RTX 3050 4 GB's 192.0 GB/s bandwidth and 4 GB VRAM are the limiting factors.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: The minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 50 FPS, with a maximum of 68 FPS and an average of 59 FPS.

Q: Does the combo achieve 60 FPS at 1080p Ultra?

A: No, the average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 48, which is below 60. To reach 60 FPS, the user must drop to High settings, which average 69 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations for Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 3245 out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the lower 12.3% of all combinations. This low rank is driven by the GPU's 4 GB VRAM and mid-range performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB ranks 3245 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the bottom 12.3% of all combinations, which is a poor showing for a CPU that ranks in the 91st percentile among all CPUs. The i7-14700F's avg benchmark score is 53620, with a nearest rival being the Intel Xeon 6505P at 53701 (delta -0.2%) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X at 53288 (delta 0.6%). The CPU is not the issue; the GPU holds the combo back.

The rank of 3245 is heavily influenced by the RTX 3050 4 GB's 50th percentile standing among all GPUs. The measured FPS data confirms this: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 113 FPS, which would be competitive, but the 4K results are abysmal. The combo's rank suggests that most other tested configurations either have stronger GPUs or more balanced pairings. The fact that the CPU is a high-end desktop part with 20 cores and 28 threads, yet the combo still ranks low, indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor in nearly all scenarios.

Comparing to the CPU's nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 7900X has a similar avg score (53288, delta 0.6%), but the RTX 3050 4 GB's performance would likely pair better with a lower-end CPU if the goal is cost-effective 1080p gaming. The combo rank of 3245 out of 3700 means that only 455 combinations perform worse. This is a stark warning for users expecting 1440p or 4K gaming from this setup. The data shows that at 1440p Ultra, the combo only hits 32 FPS, which is unplayable for an FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 18 FPS.

The rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capability; the i7-14700F's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35122 and single-core of 4958 are strong. Rather, it is the GPU's 4 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus that cap the combo's potential. For Evolve, which was released in 2015, the game's engine is not particularly demanding by modern standards, but the RTX 3050 4 GB still struggles at higher resolutions. The combo rank of 3245 is a clear signal that users should stick to 1080p or 1440p with reduced settings to get acceptable performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete matrix of performance across four settings presets and three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 113 FPS, making it the only configuration that exceeds 100 FPS. Medium follows at 88 FPS, High at 69 FPS, and Ultra at 48 FPS. The 1080p Medium preset has a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS, showing a 26 FPS spread. The 1080p results indicate that the combo is well-suited for 1080p gaming, even at High settings, which average 69 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low averages 76 FPS, Medium averages 59 FPS (min 50, max 68), High averages 46 FPS, and Ultra averages 32 FPS. The 1440p Medium preset's min of 50 FPS is above the 30 FPS threshold but below the 60 FPS target, meaning users will experience frame drops in intense scenes. The 1440p High preset at 46 FPS is borderline playable, but the Ultra preset at 32 FPS is not recommended for FPS gameplay. The data shows a consistent 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p across all presets, confirming the GPU as the bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor. Low averages 43 FPS, Medium averages 33 FPS (min 28, max 39), High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. The 4K Medium preset's min of 28 FPS is below the 30 FPS playability threshold, and the max of 39 FPS is barely acceptable. The 4K Low preset at 43 FPS is the only 4K setting that approaches playable, but it still falls short of the 60 FPS ideal. The 4K Ultra preset at 18 FPS is a slideshow and should be avoided entirely.

The data reveals a clear hierarchy: 1080p is viable for all settings, 1440p is viable only for Low and Medium, and 4K is not viable for competitive play. The min and max FPS values are only provided for the Medium presets at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range is 75-101 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 50-68 FPS; at 4K Medium, it is 28-39 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is consistently saturated, leaving little headroom for variance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and the user's tolerance for frame rate dips. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 69 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 48 FPS is playable but does not offer a significant visual improvement over High, and the drop below 60 FPS is noticeable in a fast-paced FPS. The Medium preset at 88 FPS is the best choice for users who prioritize smoothness over fidelity, as it provides a 19 FPS headroom over High.

For 1440p gaming, the Medium preset at 59 FPS is the recommended choice. The Low preset at 76 FPS is smoother but sacrifices too much visual detail, while the High preset at 46 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset's min of 50 FPS and max of 68 FPS indicate that frame times are somewhat inconsistent, but the average is acceptable. The Ultra preset at 32 FPS should be avoided, as it is not stable enough for FPS gameplay.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that this combo is not suitable. The Low preset at 43 FPS is the only option above 40 FPS, but it still misses the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 33 FPS is marginal, and the High and Ultra presets are unplayable. Users who insist on 4K should consider lowering the resolution or upgrading the GPU. The 4K Medium preset's min of 28 FPS is a strong indicator that the 4 GB VRAM is insufficient for this resolution.

The best overall experience per the measured rows is at 1080p with Medium settings, which yields 88 FPS with a min of 75 FPS. This configuration provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the 1080p Low preset at 113 FPS is the only option that exceeds 100 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off may not be worth it. The 1440p Medium preset at 59 FPS is a viable alternative for users who prefer higher resolution over framerate, but it is borderline.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.10 GHz, boosting to 5.40 GHz. The CPU has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it is built on Intel's 10 nm process with a die size of 257 mm². The CPU's TDP is 65 W, and it has a launch MSRP of $359.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role is less critical than the GPU, as evidenced by the FPS scaling. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 113 FPS, which is high enough that the CPU's single-thread performance is sufficient. The i7-14700F's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958 and Geekbench single-core score of 2429 indicate strong per-core performance, which is important for games that rely on a few threads. The CPU's passmark single-thread score of 4257 further confirms its capability.

The CPU's multicore performance is exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35122 and a passmark multithread score of 41317. However, Evolve is not a heavily threaded game, so the 20 cores and 28 threads are likely underutilized. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution, as the FPS drops are consistent with GPU limitations. The CPU's percentile rank of 91 among all CPUs indicates it is in the top 9%, and its avg benchmark score of 53620 is within 1% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6505P (avg score 53701, delta -0.2%) and the AMD EPYC 7313P (avg score 53206, delta 0.8%). These comparisons show that the i7-14700F is competitive with server-grade processors in synthetic benchmarks, but for gaming, the GPU pairing is what matters. The CPU's 65 W TDP and 10 nm process node ensure efficient operation, but the FPS data shows that even a high-end CPU cannot compensate for the RTX 3050 4 GB's limitations at 4K. The CPU's boost clock of 5.40 GHz is the highest in its class, which helps maintain high frame rates at 1080p, but the GPU's 1740 MHz boost clock is the limiting factor.