Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS, shows a surprisingly demanding side when paired with the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. The data places this combination at rank 51 out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.4% of all configurations tested for this title. This is a formidable pairing for a game that predates both components by nearly a decade, and the benchmark results indicate that the RTX 5090 is the dominant force driving performance, though the i7-14700KF provides a robust foundation.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 51 out of 3700 tested combos signals a top-tier performance tier. This places it ahead of 99% of all tested hardware pairings for Evolve, a remarkable feat given the game’s age relative to the components. The data suggests that this pairing is not just adequate for Evolve; it is in the upper echelon of what the benchmark database has recorded. The position is a direct result of the GPU’s massive compute resources, which are detailed in the next section, and a CPU that is capable of feeding it without becoming a bottleneck.

The nearest rivals for the CPU, based on average benchmark scores, offer context for its role. The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70163, placing it a mere 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (score 69996) and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (score 69875). It also leads the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (score 69515) by 0.9%, but trails the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (score 70879) by 1%. These are tight margins, indicating that in a CPU-limited scenario, this processor would be statistically indistinguishable from its closest rivals. However, in Evolve, the performance deltas are far larger, confirming that the GPU is the primary determinant of the combo’s high rank.

The GPU’s own standing is similarly strong. Its average benchmark score of 79842 places it 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (score 79605) and 0.6% ahead of the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (score 79396). It leads the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (score 78940) by 1.1%, but is 1.4% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (score 80959). These rival deltas are minor, but the RTX 5090’s specialized features, particularly its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, are what allow it to dominate in a game like Evolve, which appears to scale aggressively with memory capacity and bandwidth.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the undisputed powerhouse in this configuration. It is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node and a massive 750 mm² die containing 92,200 million transistors. Its clock speeds are high, with a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The memory subsystem is where the RTX 5090 truly separates itself from the competition for this title: 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This is a critical figure for Evolve, as the game’s performance scaling from 1080p to 4K suggests it is heavily reliant on texture data and memory throughput.

The benchmark data for the GPU shows its raw compute capabilities. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 39650 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 376728. More importantly, its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 18355. These numbers are indicative of a card that can handle any modern workload, but Evolve’s 2015 release date means it does not utilize features like DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) to the same extent as newer titles. Instead, the game likely benefits most from the GPU’s pure fillrate and memory bandwidth. The RTX 5090’s pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are staggering figures that allow it to process the game’s high-resolution geometry and textures with ease, particularly at the 4K resolution where other cards would struggle.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 in Evolve?

A: The data suggests it is not a significant bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 379 FPS, which is a CPU-intensive scenario. The CPU’s 20 cores and 28 threads, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, provide enough processing power to maintain high frame rates. The single-core performance is also strong, as indicated by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6235. The performance gap between the CPU and its nearest rivals is under 1%, so any bottleneck would be minimal.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's 32 GB of VRAM affect Evolve's performance?

A: The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory is a major factor in the high frame rates. Evolve’s performance scales almost linearly with resolution, and the massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth ensures that the GPU is never starved for texture data. At 4K Ultra, the combo still manages 61 FPS, suggesting that even at the highest settings, the VRAM capacity and bandwidth are more than sufficient to prevent stutters or frame drops.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 254 on Low to 107 on Ultra. This is a 58% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the Ultra preset places a significantly higher load on the GPU. The difference is primarily due to increased draw distances, shadow quality, and other post-processing effects that are more demanding on the GPU’s shading units and memory.

Q: Does the RTX 5090’s performance in Evolve align with its overall benchmark scores?

A: Yes. The RTX 5090’s average benchmark score of 79842 places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its performance in Evolve, where it ranks as part of the 51st best combo out of 3700, is consistent with this high standing. The GPU’s Passmark DirectX 11 score of 341 and DirectX 12 score of 185 are indicative of its ability to handle the game’s API, which likely uses a DirectX 11 render path.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance contribute to Evolve?

A: While Evolve is primarily a GPU-bound game, the CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities help maintain consistent frame pacing. The i7-14700KF scores 44167 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 18550 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. These scores ensure that background tasks and game logic threads are processed efficiently, preventing sudden frame time spikes that could be perceived as stutter.

Q: What is the significance of the min FPS data for the Medium preset?

A: The data includes min FPS for the Medium preset at all resolutions. At 4K, the min FPS is 95, which is 84% of the average 112 FPS. At 1440p, the min is 168 (85% of the 197 average), and at 1080p, the min is 250 (85% of the 294 average). This consistency indicates that the hardware can maintain a stable frame delivery without severe drops, even during intense combat scenes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 379 FPS on Low, 294 FPS on Medium, 231 FPS on High, and 160 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a min FPS of 250 and a max of 338, showing a tight variance. At 2560x1440, the scores are 254 FPS on Low, 197 FPS on Medium, 155 FPS on High, and 107 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset’s min and max are 168 and 227, respectively. At 3840x2160, the performance drops to 145 FPS on Low, 112 FPS on Medium, 88 FPS on High, and 61 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K shows a min of 95 and a max of 129.

These numbers reveal a clear pattern: the performance cost of each settings tier is substantial. Moving from Low to Medium costs roughly 22% of the frame rate at each resolution. Moving from Medium to High costs another 22%, and from High to Ultra costs another 30%. The scaling is consistent across resolutions, suggesting the GPU is the limiting factor in all cases. The 1080p Low result of 379 FPS is the highest recorded and is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame delivery rate for this game engine.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a 33 MB shared L3 cache. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Passmark multi-thread score of 52425 and a single-thread score of 4480. For Evolve, the CPU’s role is to maintain a high minimum frame rate and ensure the GPU is fed with data. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 379 FPS, which is a frame rate that would be difficult to reach if the CPU were a bottleneck.

The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is a top-tier processor. Its nearest rivals are all within 1% of its average score, meaning that swapping to a comparable chip would not yield a noticeable difference in Evolve. The CPU’s memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 is also relevant, though the data does not specify which memory type was used for the test. The processor’s 125W TDP and unlocked multiplier suggest it has headroom for overclocking, which could potentially push the 1080p Low score of 379 FPS even higher, but the stock performance is already sufficient.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1080p, it delivers 231 FPS, which is well above the 144Hz refresh rate of most gaming monitors. At 1440p, it provides 155 FPS, which is also excellent for high-refresh-rate displays. Even at 4K, the High preset yields 88 FPS, which is playable for a slower-paced FPS like Evolve. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, dropping to 61 FPS at 4K, which is below the 144Hz threshold and may not be worth the visual upgrade.

The Medium preset is a viable alternative for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, especially at 4K where it delivers 112 FPS. However, the jump from Medium to High is only a 22% performance cost, and the visual improvements are typically significant in a 2015 title that was designed to showcase high-end graphics. For competitive play, the Low preset at 1080p (379 FPS) or 1440p (254 FPS) provides the lowest latency, but the graphical fidelity is heavily reduced. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for this combo, offering high frame rates and near-maximum visual quality.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals the GPU-bound nature of the workload. At the High preset, the frame rate falls from 231 FPS at 1080p to 155 FPS at 1440p (a 33% drop) and then to 88 FPS at 4K (a 62% total drop from 1080p). This scaling is not linear with the pixel count increase, which is expected for a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 5090’s massive memory bandwidth and compute resources are still sufficient to handle the 4K resolution, but the frame rate is nearly halved compared to 1440p.

The scaling is similar across all presets. At the Low preset, the drop is from 379 FPS at 1080p to 254 FPS at 1440p (33% drop) and 145 FPS at 4K (62% drop). This consistent pattern indicates that the limiting component is the GPU, as the CPU’s performance does not change with resolution. The data also shows that the RTX 5090 is not fully utilized at lower resolutions; the 1080p Low score of 379 FPS is likely close to the engine’s maximum frame rate limit, which could be a CPU or engine-level cap. However, the 4K performance is still excellent, confirming that this combo is more than capable of delivering a high-quality Evolve experience at any resolution.