Evolve

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the Intel Arc B370 is a combination that heavily favors the CPU side of the equation. The data for Evolve shows a system where the processor has ample headroom, but the graphics solution becomes the primary constraint at every resolution tested. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, focusing on what the numbers indicate about the balance between the 20-core processor and the integrated-class GPU.

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

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and reaches a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor includes a substantial cache hierarchy: 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a desktop-class chip with a 125 W TDP, supporting both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The processor's benchmark scores reinforce its high-end positioning; it achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44167 and a single-core score of 6235, while Geekbench multicore and single-core results are 21462 and 2578, respectively. The PassMark multithread score is 52425, with a single-thread score of 4480.

In the context of Evolve, released in early 2015, the game's engine is unlikely to stress this processor severely. The 14700KF's performance percentile places it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, indicating it is far more capable than what the game requires. The nearest rivals show how tightly grouped the top-tier CPUs are: the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F averages a benchmark score of 69996, which is just 0.2% behind the Intel chip's average of 70163. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (avg score 69875) is 0.4% behind, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (avg score 69515) is 0.9% behind. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is the only rival that edges ahead, with an average score of 70879, representing a 1% lead over the 14700KF. This tight clustering means that swapping the 14700KF for any of these rivals would produce nearly identical frame rates in Evolve, because the bottleneck is not the CPU.

The measured FPS data confirms this. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 80 FPS average. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see frame rates scale with resolution, but they do not; they drop sharply as resolution increases. The processor's 28 threads and high boost clock ensure that even the most demanding physics or AI moments in Evolve are handled without introducing CPU-bound stutters. However, the data suggests that the GPU is saturated well before the CPU reaches its limits. The single-core performance, represented by the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 628 and PassMark single-thread score of 4480, is more than sufficient for a 2015 title. The real takeaway is that the 14700KF is vastly overqualified for this pairing, but that does not hurt performance; it simply means the GPU is the sole determinant of the frame rate.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on Intel's 3 nm process. It is part of the Arc Graphics-M generation for Panther Lake platforms. The GPU operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it has no dedicated VRAM; instead, it uses the system's main memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its compute performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16 (at a 2:1 ratio). The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. The TDP is just 25 W, and it occupies an IGP slot width with no power connectors required. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The benchmark data for this GPU is sparse, with only a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. That score places the Arc B370 in the 5th percentile among all GPUs, which is a very low position. The nearest rivals show exactly where this part falls: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher; the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5% higher; and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7% higher. The only rival that scores lower is the AMD FirePro M2000 with 1168, which the Arc B370 beats by 1.4%. This places the Arc B370 in the same performance tier as decade-old discrete mobile GPUs, which is a critical context for interpreting the Evolve results.

Because the Arc B370 relies on shared system memory, its performance is inherently dependent on the speed of the host system's RAM. The lack of dedicated VRAM means that at higher resolutions, the GPU must contend for memory bandwidth, which likely contributes to the steep frame rate drops observed. The boost clock of 2400 MHz is respectable for an integrated part, but the low shading unit count and the 5th percentile ranking indicate that it is not designed for demanding gaming workloads. In Evolve, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck at every setting and resolution. The frame rates scale inversely with resolution and settings, which is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU's role is effectively neutral; it provides enough throughput to feed the GPU, but the GPU cannot translate that into high frame rates.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 4K gaming in Evolve?*

A: The data shows a clear preference for 1080p. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 80, which is the highest recorded. At 4K Low, the average drops to 31 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting yields only 13 FPS, making it unplayable, while 1080p Ultra still manages 34 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% higher), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher). The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower than the Arc B370.

*Q: Does the Intel Core i7-14700KF bottleneck the system in Evolve?*

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44167 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4480, place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The frame rates in Evolve drop significantly with resolution and settings, which indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, not the processor.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p for this combo?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low setting produces an average of 54 FPS, which is smooth. The Medium setting drops to 42 FPS, and High reduces it further to 33 FPS. Ultra at 1440p yields only 23 FPS, so Low or Medium are the practical choices.

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

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 49. At 4K High, the average FPS is 19. This represents a drop of 30 FPS, or roughly 61% lower performance. The GPU’s shared memory architecture is likely the cause of this steep decline.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B370’s 25 W TDP an advantage for this system?

A: The 25 W TDP means the GPU consumes very little power and requires no additional power connectors. However, this low power budget also explains its limited performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile, showing that the low power draw comes at the cost of gaming capability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2639 out of 2872 tested combos for Evolve. This places the combo in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations, which is a poor result. The ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU’s low performance. The CPU is a top-tier part, but the Arc B370’s 5th percentile standing among all GPUs drags the overall combo down. In practical terms, this means that most other tested combos, even those with older or mid-range CPUs, will outperform this pairing in Evolve because they are likely paired with a more capable discrete GPU.

The delta between this combo and the top performers is substantial. The data shows that the GPU’s nearest rivals are all from the ATI/AMD HD 5000 and 7000 series, which are over a decade old. This places the Arc B370 in a performance tier that is not competitive for a game like Evolve, even at lower settings. The CPU’s high percentile ranking (94th) does little to boost the combo’s position because the frame rate is constrained by the GPU. For comparison, if the same CPU were paired with a mid-range discrete GPU, the combo rank would likely improve by hundreds of positions, but with the Arc B370, the result is firmly in the bottom tier.

The rank of 2639 out of 2872 also indicates that there are 233 combos that perform worse. These would likely be systems with both older CPUs and weaker integrated graphics. However, the presence of the 14700KF in this combo means that the CPU is not the limiting factor; it is the GPU that hampers the experience. The practical takeaway is that this combo is not suitable for playing Evolve at acceptable frame rates beyond 1080p Low or Medium, and even at those settings, the performance is modest. The ranking reflects a fundamental mismatch between the CPU’s capability and the GPU’s output.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 80 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 54 FPS, a reduction of 26 FPS. At 4K Low, the average falls to 31 FPS, which is a further drop of 23 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K Low shows a total decline of 49 FPS, or 61% lower performance. This steep drop is consistent with a GPU that relies on shared system memory, as higher resolutions require more memory bandwidth and fill rate, which the Arc B370 cannot provide.

For Medium settings, the pattern is similar. At 1080p Medium, the average is 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 42 FPS (min 35, max 48), and at 4K Medium, the average is 24 FPS (min 20, max 27). The delta between 1080p and 1440p is 20 FPS, and between 1440p and 4K is 18 FPS. The scaling is nearly linear, which indicates that the GPU is being saturated at each step. The High settings show an even larger relative drop: 1080p High is 49 FPS, 1440p High is 33 FPS, and 4K High is 19 FPS. The gap from 1080p to 4K High is 30 FPS, which is a 61% reduction, matching the Low setting’s percentage drop.

Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 34 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 23 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 13 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 11 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 10 FPS. The fact that the frame rate drops consistently across all settings and resolutions points to the GPU as the limiting component. The CPU’s performance, as measured by its high benchmark scores, does not change with resolution, so the only variable is the GPU’s rendering load. The data suggests that the Arc B370 is unable to maintain playable frame rates above 1080p, and even at 1080p, only the Low and Medium settings provide averages above 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of what to expect from this combo in Evolve. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the results are as follows:

• Low: Average 80 FPS. This is the best result in the dataset and is smooth for most gameplay.
• Medium: Average 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. The minimum suggests occasional dips during heavy scenes, but it remains playable.
• High: Average 49 FPS. This setting is playable but will show some stutter in intense moments.
• Ultra: Average 34 FPS. This is on the edge of playability; action sequences may feel sluggish.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably:

• Low: Average 54 FPS. This is still acceptable for a competitive shooter, though not ideal.
• Medium: Average 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. The minimum is below 60 FPS, indicating noticeable frame pacing issues.
• High: Average 33 FPS. This is borderline; fast-paced gameplay will be affected.
• Ultra: Average 23 FPS. This is not recommended for any serious play.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable:

• Low: Average 31 FPS. This is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.
• Medium: Average 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. The frame rate is consistently low.
• High: Average 19 FPS. This is a slideshow in action scenes.
• Ultra: Average 13 FPS. This is the worst result and is effectively unplayable.

The data shows that the only settings that deliver a consistently smooth experience are 1080p Low and Medium. At 1080p High, the frame rate is acceptable for slower moments but will struggle in combat. For 1440p, only Low settings approach playability, and 4K is out of the question for this GPU. The minimum FPS values, where available, show that the Medium settings at 1080p (53 FPS) and 1440p (35 FPS) can dip below their averages, reinforcing the idea that the GPU is under heavy load. The maximum FPS values indicate that the GPU can spike higher, but the averages and minimums are the more reliable indicators of real-world performance. Overall, this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming at lower settings, and users should not expect to push Evolve beyond that without significant compromises.