Evolve

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER in Evolve produces a dataset that clearly illustrates the classic tension between a high-end CPU and a mid-range GPU. The 20-core, 28-thread processor is far ahead of the graphics card in compute potential, and the measured frame rates reflect this imbalance. The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER becomes the primary constraint as resolution and settings increase, while the CPU's headroom is only fully utilized at lower graphical loads.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a pronounced GPU-bound scenario typical of a pairing where the graphics card is the limiting factor. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches an average of 163 FPS. This high frame rate, combined with the fact that the CPU is one of the strongest in its class, suggests the processor is doing its job without bottlenecking the GPU. However, the picture changes dramatically as resolution climbs. Moving from 1080p Low to 1440p Low, the average FPS drops to 106.7, a substantial 34.5% reduction. This sharp decline is a clear indicator that the GPU's rendering pipeline is being saturated.

The trend becomes even more pronounced at 4K. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS falls to 61, which is less than half the 1080p Low result. This is a textbook example of pixel-count scaling: the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus are being pushed to their limits. The 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p, but the sheer volume of data required for 4K textures and shading overwhelms the card. The data indicates that the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases, with the GPU's fill rate and shader throughput becoming the dominant factors.

The scaling from High to Ultra settings further confirms this. At 1440p, the difference between High (62.4 FPS) and Ultra (42.9 FPS) is a 31% performance hit, while at 4K the same settings drop from 39.7 FPS to 28.3 FPS. This non-linear decline is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of compute resources. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply not enough to maintain fluid frame rates at 4K Ultra, where the average dips below the 30 FPS playability threshold. The conclusion from the resolution scaling is unambiguous: this is a 1080p and, marginally, a 1440p gaming setup for Evolve, not a 4K one.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combo in Evolve?*

A: The highest measured average is 163 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER perform at 4K Ultra settings in this game?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 28.3 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS standard for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the combo hits 95.9 FPS. Given the i7-14700K's high single-thread performance (6287 in Cinebench R23), the GPU is the bottleneck here, as the CPU is capable of far higher frame rates.

Q: What frame rate can a user expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 82.3, indicating a good balance for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p Low to 4K Low?

A: The average FPS drops from 163 to 61, a 62.6% decrease, demonstrating the severe impact of resolution on the GPU.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM of the RTX 2060 SUPER appear to be a constraint in this game?

A: The data shows a significant FPS drop at 4K, with the card producing only 49.3 FPS at Medium settings. While not definitive proof, this aligns with the GPU's memory bandwidth and capacity being taxed at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, running on a 10 nm process. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz, combined with a 33 MB shared L3 cache, provide substantial raw compute power. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 44534 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6287 in single-core, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. This level of performance is vastly superior to what Evolve, a game released in 2015, requires for logic and physics simulation.

In this specific benchmark, the CPU's role is best described as a facilitator. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 163 FPS. The fact that this is far below the CPU's potential maximum frame rate indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is already limiting output. The i7-14700K is not breaking a sweat; it is waiting for the GPU to draw frames. The processor's high core count and clock speeds ensure that there is no CPU-side bottleneck, even when the GPU is working at its maximum capacity. The CPU's 125 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a flexible platform, but for Evolve, its primary job is to stay out of the way. The benchmark results show that it succeeds admirably, as no resolution or settings combination produces a frame rate that would imply a CPU limitation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are consistently playable. Low settings yield an average of 163 FPS, Medium produces 123.9 FPS, and High delivers 95.9 FPS. Even Ultra settings maintain an average of 65.6 FPS, which is smooth for most users. This resolution is clearly where this pairing excels, with all settings hitting above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain respectable but show the GPU's strain. Low settings produce an average of 106.7 FPS, while Medium drops to 82.3 FPS. High settings yield 62.4 FPS, which is still adequate for 60 Hz monitors. Ultra settings, however, fall to 42.9 FPS, which may be problematic for users seeking consistent high frame rates. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 63.8 FPS, highlighting the significant cost of graphical fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 SUPER is clearly overmatched. Low settings produce an average of 61 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that reaches a playable threshold. Medium settings drop to 49.3 FPS, High falls to 39.7 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 28.3 FPS. The progressive decline from Low to Ultra at 4K is steep, with a 32.7 FPS difference between the lowest and highest settings. The data shows that for 4K gaming, users would need to significantly compromise on visual quality to maintain frame rates, and even then, the experience would be marginal.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Evolve, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1227 out of 1695 combos. This places it in the 72nd percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it performs better than the majority of configurations but is far from the top tier. The rank is a composite measure that accounts for the overall FPS across all resolutions and settings.

When analyzing this rank, it is important to consider the components' individual standings. The CPU ranks in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. The combo's rank of 1227 out of 1695 is heavily dragged down by the GPU's relative weakness. The i7-14700K is a top-tier processor, as evidenced by its average benchmark score of 70074, which is within 0% of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and only 0.5% off the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X. However, the RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 19774 puts it in a lower tier, close to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (19706) and the RTX 2070 (19680).

The data suggests that the combo's rank is a reflection of a CPU that is overqualified for the GPU it is paired with. While the i7-14700K ensures that the system will never be CPU-limited in Evolve, the RTX 2060 SUPER's performance ceiling prevents the combo from climbing higher in the rankings. For users with this setup, the rank indicates that the system is solid for 1080p and capable at 1440p, but it is not a high-end 4K solution. The benchmark results place this combo in a mid-tier position, where the CPU's potential is largely untapped due to the GPU's constraints.