Evolve

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers a dominant performance profile in Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. The benchmark data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions and settings, while still possessing enough CPU headroom to push exceptional frame rates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, examines the role of each component, and contextualizes the combo’s standing within the broader database.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates where the performance bottleneck lies. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 383.7 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops this to 257.5 FPS, a reduction of 32.9%. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 148.2 FPS, which is 61.4% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline, despite the massive computational power of the RTX 5090, indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions, where the GPU is not being fully saturated.

At Ultra settings, the scaling pattern shifts. The average FPS at 1080p is 163, which drops to 110.4 at 1440p (a 32.3% decrease) and then to 63.4 at 4K (a 61.1% decrease from 1080p). The percentage drops are similar to the Low settings scenario, but the absolute numbers are much lower. This suggests that while the GPU is doing more work at Ultra, the rendering overhead is still significant enough to prevent the CPU from becoming the sole constraint at 1080p. The data shows a consistent pattern: the jump from 1440p to 4K is proportionally similar to the jump from 1080p to 1440p, indicating a smooth scaling curve.

The most telling comparison is at 4K. The difference between Low (148.2 FPS) and Ultra (63.4 FPS) is a massive 57.2% performance hit. This wide gap at the highest resolution confirms that the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of performance, with its workload increasing dramatically as settings are raised. The i9-14900K, with its 24 cores and 32 threads, is clearly not the bottleneck here; the data shows the system is firmly in GPU-bound territory at 4K, where the graphics card’s processing power dictates the final frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the centerpiece of this configuration, and its specifications align with the measured performance. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This immense memory subsystem is crucial for handling the high-resolution textures and effects that Evolve can present, especially at the Ultra preset. The card’s 21760 shading units and 176 ROPs are tasked with the heavy lifting, and the benchmark results show they are more than capable.

The GPU’s clock speeds are also a factor. The base clock is 2017 MHz, with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. These clocks, combined with the high core count, allow the card to maintain high throughput. In the Passmark G3D benchmark, the RTX 5090 scores 39650, placing it in the 94th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 84306, which puts it 0.1% ahead of the RTX 5090 D and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6600, according to the nearest rivals data.

The GPU’s role is most evident in the Low vs. Ultra gap. At 1080p, the move from Low to Ultra costs 220.7 FPS (from 383.7 to 163). At 4K, the same settings change costs 84.8 FPS (from 148.2 to 63.4). This indicates that the GPU is scaling its workload effectively, but the absolute cost of Ultra settings is high. The RTX 5090’s 575 W TDP and 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance are the raw resources behind these numbers, and the benchmark data confirms that it is the dominant component in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of 1695 tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a combo rank of 3. This places it in the top 0.2% of all tested systems, a position that reflects its elite status. The ranking is a composite measure of the system’s ability to run Evolve, and the data shows it is near the pinnacle of performance.

The CPU’s individual standing supports this high rank. The Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79824, placing it in the 97th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7413, scores 80041, a delta of -0.3%, meaning the EPYC is marginally ahead. However, the i9-14900K is 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core i9-14900KF and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF. This shows that the processor is one of the fastest available, providing a solid foundation for the GPU.

The GPU’s ranking is also strong, though slightly lower than the CPU’s. The RTX 5090 sits in the 94th percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 84306. Its performance is 0.1% ahead of the RTX 5090 D and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6600. The combination of a top-tier CPU and a top-tier GPU results in the number 3 overall rank, demonstrating that neither component is holding the other back in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across the board. Low settings produce an average of 383.7 FPS, Medium 296.4 FPS, High 234 FPS, and Ultra 163 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is capable of pushing well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors, even at the highest quality preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 257.5 FPS for Low, 197.7 FPS for Medium, 154.3 FPS for High, and 110.4 FPS for Ultra. The performance scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution is consistent, with the Ultra preset retaining a playable and smooth frame rate. At 3840x2160, the averages drop to 148.2 FPS for Low, 113.9 FPS for Medium, 91.7 FPS for High, and 63.4 FPS for Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the only one that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, though it still remains playable.

The data shows a clear pattern: the gap between Low and Ultra settings shrinks as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 220.7 FPS. At 1440p, it is 147.1 FPS. At 4K, it is 84.8 FPS. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is able to feed the GPU more frames, amplifying the settings-based differences. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the relative cost of higher settings is reduced in absolute terms, though it still represents a significant frame rate loss.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 63.4 FPS.

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

A: This combo ranks 3rd out of 1695 tested combinations.

Q: What is the performance difference between the CPU and its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79824, which is 0.3% lower than the AMD EPYC 7413's score of 80041.

Q: Which resolution shows the largest frame rate drop from Low to Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080, the drop from Low (383.7 FPS) to Ultra (163 FPS) is 220.7 FPS, the largest absolute difference among all resolutions.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is in the 94th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the frame rate at 1440p High settings above 150 FPS?

A: Yes, the average frame rate at 2560x1440 with High settings is 154.3 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K plays a critical supporting role in this system. With 24 cores and 32 threads, it provides ample processing power for game logic and physics. The base clock is 3.20 GHz, which can boost up to 6.00 GHz, ensuring high single-threaded performance that is often critical for older titles like Evolve. The processor’s 36 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, further improving responsiveness.

The CPU’s benchmark scores demonstrate its strength. It scores 49872 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 7040 in single-core tests. In Geekbench, it achieves 20370 multicore and 3064 single-core. The Passmark multithread score is 58674, and the single-thread score is 4697. These numbers indicate a processor that excels in both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. At 1080p Low settings, the system reaches 383.7 FPS, a figure that likely approaches the CPU’s maximum frame generation capability. The fact that the frame rate drops significantly at 4K, even at Low settings (148.2 FPS), confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The i9-14900K’s role is to keep up with the RTX 5090’s demands, and the benchmark results indicate it does so effectively until the GPU workload becomes overwhelming. Its 97th percentile ranking and close rivalry with the EPYC 7413 solidify its position as a top-tier processor that can unlock the full potential of the RTX 5090 in this game.