Evolve

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER presents a stark contrast in capabilities: a top-tier 24-core processor driving a mid-range, end-of-life graphics card. In Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, this combination produces playable frame rates at 1080p but struggles significantly at higher resolutions, clearly demonstrating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. This analysis focuses strictly on the measured performance data for this specific combo.

FAQ

*Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings for this combo in Evolve?*

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 74.5. This is a solidly playable frame rate for a fast-paced FPS, indicating the combo handles the game well at this resolution and preset.

Q: How does the performance at 1440p Medium compare to 1080p High?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 63.5, which is 11 frames per second lower than the 74.5 FPS seen at 1080p High. This shows that increasing resolution has a more significant impact than the slight reduction in graphical preset.

Q: Is this combo capable of hitting 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: No. The best average FPS at 3840x2160 is 45.1, achieved only with Low settings. With High settings, the average drops to 27.3 FPS, and with Ultra settings, it falls to 21.6 FPS, making 4K gameplay largely impractical for this GPU.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p, the Low preset yields an average of 126 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 51.3 FPS. This represents a drop of 74.7 FPS, or roughly 59%, when moving from the lowest to the highest graphical settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1510 out of 1695 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the lower percentile of all tested systems, highlighting that the GPU holds the overall system performance back despite the powerful CPU.

Q: What are the GPU's key specifications regarding its memory?

A: The GPU features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The memory clock is listed as 1750 MHz or 14 Gbps effective.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the decisive component in this pairing for Evolve. Its role is defined by its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and its clock speeds, which are a base of 1530 MHz and a boost of 1785 MHz. The data indicates this graphics card is the limiting factor. At 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS falls to 21.6, a figure that points to the GPU being unable to process the graphical load. Even at 1080p, the performance range from 51.3 FPS at Ultra to 126 FPS at Low shows the GPU's workload is entirely dependent on the settings.

The GPU's overall benchmark percentile is 55, and its average benchmark score is 14286. It sits very close to rivals like the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, which has a deltaPct of -0.2, and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, also at -0.2. This indicates that while the GTX 1660 SUPER is not a low-end part, its performance class is firmly in the mid-range. The powerful Intel Core i9-14900K, which ranks in the 97th percentile, is clearly not being fully utilized in this scenario. The measured FPS data, which shows a steep decline as resolution increases, is a classic symptom of a GPU bottleneck, where the CPU is waiting for the graphics card to finish its rendering tasks.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combo in Evolve depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, the High preset offers a strong balance, delivering an average of 74.5 FPS. This is likely the best choice for a smooth and visually appealing experience. While the Low preset provides a much higher frame rate of 126 FPS, the jump to Medium (98.3 FPS) and then High (74.5 FPS) offers diminishing returns in visual fidelity for the frame rate cost. The Ultra preset, at 51.3 FPS, is the only one that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, making it less ideal for consistent performance.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is a reasonable starting point, yielding 63.5 FPS. The High preset at 47.4 FPS is still playable, but the Low preset at 81.5 FPS is the only option that provides a clear margin above 60 FPS. For a competitive FPS, the Low preset at 1440p might be preferable to maintain high frame rates. At 4K, no preset achieves a consistently playable frame rate. The Low preset's 45.1 FPS is the only option above 30 FPS, but it may still feel less fluid. The data shows that for this title, the best experience is at 1080p with High settings, which provides a good combination of visual quality and performance without dropping below 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark results place this specific combo at rank 1510 out of 1695 tested combinations for Evolve. This ranking, which is in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, underscores a significant performance imbalance. The Intel Core i9-14900K is a high-end processor, as evidenced by its 97th percentile ranking and an average benchmark score of 79824. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7413 (deltaPct -0.3), Intel Core i9-14900KF (deltaPct 0.7), and Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (deltaPct 0.9), all of which have near-identical average scores.

In contrast, the GTX 1660 SUPER is a mid-range GPU, ranking in the 55th percentile with a much lower average benchmark score of 14286. The low combo rank of 1510 is a direct result of this GPU limitation. The processor is capable of far more, but the graphics card cannot keep up, especially at higher resolutions. This pairing represents a scenario where a high-end CPU is paired with a modest GPU, and the overall gaming performance is dictated by the weaker component. The data suggests that the CPU's potential is largely untapped in this game, as the frame rates are consistently limited by the GPU's rendering capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable trend as resolution increases, which further confirms the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. At 1080p with High settings, the average FPS is 74.5. Moving to 1440p at the same High settings, the frame rate drops to 47.4 FPS, a decrease of 27.1 FPS (approximately 36%). The jump to 4K at High settings results in 27.3 FPS, a further drop of 20.1 FPS from the 1440p result. This pattern shows a significant performance penalty for every step up in resolution.

The scaling also offers insight into the limiting component. While the CPU has to manage more pixels, the primary workload of rendering the scene falls on the GPU. The steep decline in performance, from 126 FPS at 1080p Low to 21.6 FPS at 4K Ultra, is far more characteristic of a GPU bottleneck than a CPU one. A system limited by the CPU would see a much smaller performance delta between resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain relatively constant. Here, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are overwhelmed at higher resolutions, causing the frame rate to plummet. This indicates that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the definitive constraint, and its 6 GB memory buffer and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering in Evolve.