Evolve

# Evolve with Intel Core i7-14700KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER lands at rank 2604 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the lower third of all configurations. This ranking reflects a substantial mismatch between the two components: the CPU sits in the 94th percentile among all processors, while the GPU rests in the 62nd percentile among all graphics cards. The data reveals a system where the processor is clearly overqualified for the graphics workload, a dynamic that becomes increasingly apparent as resolution and settings change.

How This Combo Ranks

At position 2604 of 3700 combinations, this pairing occupies the 70.4th percentile of tested systems for Evolve — meaning roughly 30% of configurations perform worse. The rank is surprising given the hardware involved. The i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread Raptor Lake Refresh part with a 94th percentile standing versus all CPUs, making it one of the more capable processors in the database. The RTX 2060 SUPER, by contrast, holds a 62nd percentile rank among all GPUs — respectable, but hardly top-tier.

The gap between the CPU's percentile (94) and the GPU's percentile (62) is the defining characteristic of this combo. Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the bottleneck in virtually every scenario for Evolve. The measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p Low, the system produces 160 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it drops to 26 FPS, a 6.2x reduction. The CPU's headroom is never fully utilized because the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot feed frames fast enough to stress the i7-14700KF.

Compared to its nearest CPU rivals, the i7-14700KF is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (0.2% ahead), AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.4% ahead), and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.9% ahead), while trailing the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1%. This tight clustering suggests CPU performance is not the differentiator here — the GPU is. For Evolve specifically, the combo's rank would likely improve dramatically if paired with a stronger GPU, but the data shows what it shows: this is a mid-pack performer for this game.

GPU Role

The RTX 2060 SUPER brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its TU106 chip, built on TSMC's 12 nm process, contains 10,800 million transistors across a 445 mm² die. Clock speeds start at 1470 MHz base and boost to 1650 MHz, which are modest figures by 2024 standards but adequate for a game released in 2015.

For Evolve, the GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth matter more than raw compute. The card's 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 224.4 GTexel/s texture rate are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K results show strain. At 4K High, the combo averages 37 FPS; at 4K Ultra, just 26 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor at higher resolutions, though the fact that the card's Passmark G3D score is 16462 (62nd percentile) suggests it is performing near expectations.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the RTX 3060 Mobile (0.4% behind in average score), AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (0.5% behind), AMD Radeon RX 460 (1.5% ahead), and Intel Arc A770M (1.6% ahead). These margins are tiny, indicating the RTX 2060 SUPER is firmly in its performance class. For Evolve, the data implies the GPU is the constraining component: the FPS differences between settings at any given resolution are driven by GPU workload, not CPU capability.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear GPU-bound pattern. At 1080p Low, the system hits 160 FPS; at 1440p Low, it drops to 107 FPS; at 4K Low, it falls to 61 FPS. That is a 62% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. At High settings, the drop is steeper: 97 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K — a 62% decline from 1080p to 4K as well.

The consistency of these percentages points to a GPU that is scaling predictably with pixel count. The CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution; if it were, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions. Instead, every resolution increase produces a proportional FPS decrease, which is the signature of a graphics-bound workload.

At Medium settings, the only setting with min/max data, the scaling shows: 124 FPS average at 1080p (min 106, max 143), 83 FPS at 1440p (min 71, max 96), and 47 FPS at 4K (min 40, max 55). The min FPS values at 4K Medium (40) are above the average at 4K High (37), suggesting that dropping to Medium is more effective for maintaining playability than keeping High. The Ultra settings tell a similar story: 68 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K — all playable at 1080p and 1440p, but marginal at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full measured dataset covers three resolutions (3840x2160, 2560x1440, 1920x1080) and four settings tiers (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). At 1080p, the results are strong across the board: Low averages 160 FPS, Medium 124 FPS (min 106, max 143), High 97 FPS, and Ultra 68 FPS. These numbers indicate the combo can handle Evolve at high refresh rates even on Ultra, making 1080p the sweet spot for this pairing.

At 1440p, the performance remains respectable but begins to show GPU limitations. Low produces 107 FPS, Medium 83 FPS (min 71, max 96), High 65 FPS, and Ultra 45 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 33-35% across all settings, which is consistent with the increased pixel count (1.78x more pixels) but not a perfect linear scaling — suggesting some efficiency in the rendering pipeline.

At 4K, the GPU clearly struggles. Low averages 61 FPS, which is playable. Medium averages 47 FPS (min 40, max 55), dipping below 60 FPS for sustained periods. High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra drops to 26 FPS — both figures that would be considered unplayable by most standards for a fast-paced FPS. The 4K results show a 2.6x reduction from 1080p at Low, 2.6x at Medium, 2.6x at High, and 2.6x at Ultra — remarkably consistent scaling, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of this combo.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Evolve at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, at 1080p all settings achieve at least 68 FPS (Ultra), and at 1440p Low (107 FPS) and Medium (83 FPS) also exceed 60 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings (61 FPS) reach 60 FPS.

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p provides the most consistent experience, with all settings above 60 FPS. 1440p is viable for Low through High settings, while 4K is only viable at Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its rivals?

A: The i7-14700KF is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and 1% behind the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K in average benchmark scores.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck in this system for Evolve?

A: The data strongly suggests yes. The consistent FPS scaling across resolutions (approximately 2.6x reduction from 1080p to 4K at every setting) indicates a GPU-bound workload, not a CPU-bound one.

Q: What is the GPU's performance class based on benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER scores 16462 in Passmark G3D and holds a 62nd percentile rank. Its closest rival is the RTX 3060 Mobile (0.4% behind), followed by the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (0.5% behind).

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings in Evolve?

A: Yes, but only at 1080p where Ultra averages 68 FPS. At 1440p Ultra drops to 45 FPS, and at 4K Ultra falls to 26 FPS, making it impractical at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data points to 1080p High as the most balanced configuration for this combo in Evolve. At 97 FPS average, it provides smooth gameplay while maintaining visual quality. For players prioritizing frame rate, 1080p Low at 160 FPS is the clear choice, though it sacrifices visual fidelity. Medium at 1080p offers a compromise at 124 FPS (min 106, max 143), with the max FPS suggesting headroom for occasional spikes.

At 1440p, Medium (83 FPS average, min 71) is the highest setting that consistently stays above 60 FPS. High at 1440p averages 65 FPS, which is playable but leaves little margin for demanding scenes. Ultra at 1440p (45 FPS) is not recommended for competitive play.

For 4K, only Low (61 FPS) achieves playable frame rates. Medium at 4K averages 47 FPS (min 40), which is borderline for a FPS, while High (37 FPS) and Ultra (26 FPS) are not viable. The data indicates that 4K is only practical with significant graphical compromises on this hardware.

The overarching recommendation is to target 1080p for the best experience, or 1440p Medium if display resolution is a priority. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for Evolve's 2015-era engine, but the card's 7.181 TFLOPS compute is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample capacity for gaming workloads. The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive: Cinebench R23 multicore at 44167, single-core at 6235, and Geekbench multicore at 21462.

However, for Evolve, the CPU's role is minimal. The 94th percentile ranking and the fact that the nearest rivals are all within 1% of its average score suggest that any modern mid-to-high-end CPU would produce similar results in this game. The FPS data shows no evidence of CPU limitation: at 1080p Low, the system reaches 160 FPS, which is likely near the game's engine limit or the GPU's maximum output, not a CPU constraint.

The CPU's Passmark multithread score of 52425 and single-thread score of 4480 indicate it is vastly overprovisioned for Evolve, a game released in 2015 that likely does not utilize more than a few cores effectively. The 20-core, 28-thread configuration is wasted on this workload; the data suggests the combo's rank of 2604 out of 3700 would not improve meaningfully with a faster CPU, as the GPU is the binding constraint at every resolution and setting.

Benchmark results for the CPU show it excels at synthetic workloads — Cinebench R20 multicore at 18550, Passmark integer math at 183056, and floating-point math at 134393 — but these strengths do not translate to Evolve's frame rates. The game's performance is dictated by the GPU's 62nd percentile standing, and the CPU's 94th percentile is simply unused headroom. For this specific game, the i7-14700KF is a Ferrari engine in a commuter car; the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor, and no amount of CPU power can overcome that.