Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS, presents an interesting test for the Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER. The benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by resolution and settings, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck at higher loads. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions to provide a clear picture of what this combination can deliver.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern: performance degrades significantly as resolution increases, confirming that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers a smooth 109.9 FPS average. Dropping to Low settings at the same resolution pushes the average to 180 FPS, indicating substantial headroom when the graphical load is lightened. The jump from 1080p High to 1440p High shows a 33 FPS drop, landing at 73.9 FPS. This is a steep decline of roughly 33%, demonstrating the heavy toll that pixel count takes on the GPU.

The most dramatic scaling occurs at 4K. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS plummets to 41.7. This represents a 62% reduction from the 1080p High result, showing that the RTX 2070 SUPER is not well-suited for 4K gaming in this title. Even at 4K Low settings, the system only manages 69.6 FPS, which is still lower than the 1440p Ultra result of 47.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is nearly unplayable, averaging just 29.8 FPS.

The data suggests that the sweet spot for this combination is at 1440p, where the GPU can maintain playable framerates even at higher presets. At 1080p, the CPU is likely not being fully utilized, as the i7-14700KF is a high-end processor with 20 cores and 28 threads, capable of much higher frame rates than the GPU can produce. The scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low shows a 110.4 FPS drop, reinforcing that the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated as resolution increases. The performance gap between Low and Ultra presets also widens at higher resolutions, indicating that the GPU's shading units and texture units are working harder to render more complex scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the i7-14700KF and RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1045 out of 1695 combos for Evolve. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the pack, which is expected given the age of the GPU relative to the modern CPU. The GPU itself holds a 65th percentile ranking against all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 96th percentile, highlighting the significant imbalance in this pairing.

The data indicates that the CPU is far more capable than the GPU. The i7-14700KF scores 44,557 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6,290 in single-core, placing it in the top tier of processors. In contrast, the RTX 2070 SUPER's Passmark G3D score of 18,169 puts it in a mid-range position. This disparity means that in Evolve, the GPU is almost certainly the primary determinant of performance, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

Looking at the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 2070 SUPER is closely matched with the NVIDIA RTX A400, which has a deltaPct of -0.5, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z, which is 0.9% slower. It also sits within 2.3% of the RTX 4060 Mobile and is 2.5% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5700. These close scores suggest that the 2070 SUPER's performance in this game is typical for its class, and the overall combo rank is more a reflection of the CPU's high placement pulling the average up rather than the GPU being a standout performer.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, High settings at 109.9 FPS is an excellent balance, providing a smooth experience that makes full use of a high-refresh-rate monitor. Low settings at 180 FPS are available for competitive play, but the visual compromise is significant. Ultra at 1080p drops to 74.1 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for fast-paced action.

At 1440p, the data suggests that Medium settings at 92.7 FPS offers the best trade-off between visual fidelity and smoothness. High settings at 73.9 FPS are also viable, but the jump to Ultra causes a steep drop to 47.4 FPS, which may feel stuttery in intense firefights. Low settings at 1440p provide 119.4 FPS, a strong competitive option if frame rate is the top priority.

For 4K gaming, this combo is not recommended. The best result is Low settings at 69.6 FPS, but this sacrifices most visual quality. High and Medium settings produce 41.7 and 50.2 FPS respectively, which are below the smoothness threshold for a fast-paced FPS. Ultra at 4K is effectively unplayable at 29.8 FPS. The practical recommendation is to target 1080p or 1440p, where the RTX 2070 SUPER can perform within its comfortable range.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 4K smoothly?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 69.6 on Low settings. High settings yield only 41.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 29.8 FPS, making 4K impractical for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU pairing?

A: The data shows that 1440p provides the best balance. At Medium settings, the combo achieves 92.7 FPS, which is smooth, while High settings at 73.9 FPS are also acceptable. 1080p offers higher frame rates but may be CPU-limited.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 22,206. It is 0.5% faster than the RTX A400 and 0.9% faster than the GTX TITAN Z. It is 2.3% slower than the RTX 4060 Mobile and 2.5% faster than the RX 5700.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this setup?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The i7-14700KF ranks in the 96th percentile for all CPUs, while the RTX 2070 SUPER ranks in the 65th percentile. The FPS drops with resolution scaling confirm the GPU's limitations.

Q: What settings should I use for 1080p gaming?

A: High settings at 109.9 FPS is recommended for a good visual and performance balance. If you prefer maximum frame rates, Low settings at 180 FPS is available, but Ultra at 74.1 FPS is less desirable for competitive play.

Q: Does the CPU's high core count help in this game?

A: The i7-14700KF has 20 cores and 28 threads, but Evolve's performance is heavily GPU-bound. The CPU's power does not translate to higher FPS at higher resolutions, as the scaling is primarily dictated by the GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the determining factor for performance in Evolve. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The GPU is based on the TU104 chip with 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and it operates at a TDP of 215 W.

The benchmark results show that the GPU's performance is directly tied to its memory and compute resources. At 4K, the average FPS at High settings (41.7) is a fraction of the 1080p High result (109.9), indicating that the GPU's pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s are overwhelmed by the higher resolution. The FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS is modest by modern standards, which explains the significant drop in frame rates when moving to Ultra settings. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 18,169 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1,651 reflect its mid-range standing, but in Evolve, it is the primary component that dictates playability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a high-end desktop processor that provides more than enough compute power for this game. With 20 cores and 28 threads, it has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It features 33 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44,557 and a single-core score of 6,290.

In Evolve, however, the CPU's role is secondary. The comparison of frame rates across resolutions shows that the GPU is the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system hits 180 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this title, but the 14700KF is capable of far more in less GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's Passmark multithread score of 52,425 and single-thread score of 4,480 indicate it can handle any game logic and physics simulation that Evolve throws at it without breaking a sweat. The data indicates that this processor is not being fully utilized in this pairing, as the GPU cannot keep up with its potential. The CPU's high percentile ranking (96th) versus the GPU's (65th) makes it clear that any performance upgrade should focus on the graphics card first.