Evolve

# Evolve with Intel Core i9-14900K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers the top measured performance in Evolve, ranking first out of 2,872 tested CPU/GPU combinations. This is a flagship pairing built around Intel's 24-core Raptor Lake Refresh processor and NVIDIA's 32 GB Blackwell 2.0 GPU, and the benchmark data confirms it leaves virtually nothing on the table in this 2015 FPS title.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in Evolve?

A: This CPU/GPU pairing ranks 1st out of 2,872 tested combos, making it the highest-performing configuration in the database for this game.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5090 D have, and does Evolve need it?

A: The RTX 5090 D comes with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus. Evolve is a 2015 title with modest VRAM demands, so this capacity is far beyond what the game requires, but it ensures zero memory-related bottlenecks even at 4K Ultra settings.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset delivers 94 FPS average, while Medium hits 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 FPS. The data suggests High is the sweet spot for visual quality at playable frame rates, with Medium available if you want more headroom.

Q: How does the i9-14900K compare to its closest rival in CPU benchmarks?

A: The i9-14900K scores an average of 79,097 across all CPU benchmarks, which is 0.3% behind the Intel Core i9-14900KF (79,371) and 1.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (77,740). It sits comfortably in the 95th percentile of all CPUs tested.

Q: What is the RTX 5090 D's GPU benchmark standing?

A: The GPU averages 77,712 across all tests, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, scores 76,904, just 1.1% behind, showing how tightly packed the top-tier scores are.

Q: Can this combo handle 1080p competitive play?

A: Yes, the data shows 405 FPS average at 1920x1080 on Low settings, and 246 FPS on High. This pairing crushes Evolve at 1080p, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1st out of 2,872 tested combinations is the headline number here, but what does it actually mean for gameplay? In practical terms, this pairing has no measurable competition in Evolve — every other CPU/GPU combo in the database falls behind it. The rank reflects a perfect alignment of CPU throughput and GPU rasterization power for this specific title.

The i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads, boosting to 6.00 GHz, provide massive single-thread headroom. Evolve's engine, like most FPS titles from the mid-2010s, scales well with high clock speeds and strong per-core performance. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,262.5 and multi-core score of 39,399.5 put it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, which translates to consistent frame pacing and high minimums in game.

Meanwhile, the RTX 5090 D's 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth ensure that the GPU never becomes the limiting factor, even at 4K Ultra. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 and Passmark G3D score of 44,065 confirm the GPU's position in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. When both components operate at their peak, the result is a combo rank that no other tested configuration can match.

The gap to the rest of the field is substantial. At 1440p High, the combo delivers 165 FPS, and at 4K High it holds 94 FPS. These numbers are not just high — they are the highest measured for this game. For a title released in February 2015, this pairing effectively future-proofs the experience with massive overhead for any mods, overlays, or background tasks.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the primary driver of frame rates in Evolve, and its specifications explain why. With 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output pipelines, the GPU has an enormous amount of raw processing power. The boost clock of 2,407 MHz, paired with a base clock of 2,017 MHz, keeps that hardware fed with instructions at a pace that older titles like Evolve simply cannot saturate.

Memory is where this GPU distinguishes itself. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory runs at an effective 28 Gbps across a 512-bit bus, yielding 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Evolve's textures and geometry from 2015 are small by modern standards, so this bandwidth is vastly overprovisioned. The practical effect is that the GPU never stalls waiting for data, which keeps frame times consistent even in chaotic firefights with multiple monsters and effects on screen.

The GPU's benchmark results reinforce its standing. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 310,674 and Vulkan score of 376,915 show strong compute and graphics API performance. The Passmark G3D score of 44,065 places it in the 92nd percentile, and the Passmark GPU Compute score of 28,396 indicates robust non-graphics workloads. In Evolve specifically, the GPU's rasterization power is what matters most, and the measured FPS data confirms it delivers.

The RTX 5090 D's 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested PSU indicate a power-hungry part, but the performance payoff is clear. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages 65 FPS average — the only setting where the GPU is pushed hard enough to drop below triple digits. At every other resolution and preset, the GPU has enough headroom to maintain frame rates far above what a standard 60 Hz display can show.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance across all three tested resolutions. At 4K, High delivers 94 FPS average, which is smooth for most displays and leaves room for minor dips without becoming noticeable. The Medium preset at 4K pushes the average to 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 FPS, which is the better choice if you have a 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitor and want to guarantee no drops below triple digits.

At 1440p, High delivers 165 FPS average, matching the refresh rate of many high-end monitors. This is the recommended setting for 1440p users — it provides the visual enhancements of High without the frame rate penalty of Ultra, which drops to 114 FPS. The Low preset at 1440p hits 271 FPS, but the visual downgrade is unnecessary given the High preset's already excellent performance.

For 1080p users, High at 246 FPS is the clear recommendation. It offers the full visual experience while still exceeding the refresh rate of even the fastest 240 Hz monitors. The Ultra preset at 1080p manages 170 FPS, which is playable but not worth the visual sacrifice of High's 246 FPS. Low at 405 FPS is only relevant for extreme competitive scenarios where every millisecond matters, but the visual quality loss is significant.

The Ultra preset, while playable at 1440p (114 FPS) and 1080p (170 FPS), represents diminishing returns. At 4K, Ultra drops to 65 FPS, which is below the 70 FPS threshold many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The data suggests that High is the optimal preset for this pairing — it maintains high frame rates at all resolutions while delivering the visual quality that justifies the hardware investment.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combo produces 154 FPS on Low, 120 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 102 and maximum of 138), 94 FPS on High, and 65 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a predictable degradation, with Ultra costing nearly 58% of the Low preset's performance. The Medium preset's minimum of 102 FPS indicates that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above triple digits.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers climb substantially. Low delivers 271 FPS, Medium hits 210 FPS (minimum 179, maximum 242), High reaches 165 FPS, and Ultra maintains 114 FPS. The 1440p results show a comfortable margin above 60 FPS even at Ultra, making this resolution the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming with maximum visual settings.

At 1920x1080, the performance is extraordinary. Low produces 405 FPS, Medium achieves 314 FPS (minimum 267, maximum 361), High delivers 246 FPS, and Ultra still manages 170 FPS. These numbers are far beyond what any monitor can display — even 360 Hz panels would be fully saturated by the Medium preset's minimum frame rate.

The frame time consistency, visible in the Medium preset's min/max values, is worth noting. At 4K Medium, the spread from 102 to 138 FPS represents a 35% variance, which is acceptable for a fast-paced FPS. At 1440p Medium, the spread from 179 to 242 FPS is tighter relative to the average, and at 1080p Medium, the 267 to 361 FPS range shows minimal stutter risk. The data indicates that this pairing delivers smooth, consistent frame delivery across all settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K provides the computational backbone for this combo, and its specifications are tailored for high-performance gaming. With 24 cores (8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores) and 32 threads, the CPU handles both the game's main thread and background processes without contention. The base clock of 3.20 GHz and boost clock of 6.00 GHz are among the highest available, giving Evolve's engine the single-thread speed it needs.

The CPU's cache hierarchy — 80 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 36 MB shared L3 — ensures that frequently accessed data stays close to the cores. This reduces memory latency, which is critical for FPS games where input response and frame pacing depend on quick data retrieval. The DDR4 and DDR5 memory support with dual-channel configuration provides ample bandwidth for the CPU to feed the GPU.

Benchmark results show the CPU's strengths. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39,399.5 and single-core score of 2,262.5 demonstrate balanced performance across both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The Geekbench multi-core score of 21,697 and single-core score of 2,655 reinforce this picture. The Passmark multi-thread score of 58,674 and single-thread score of 4,697 show similar consistency.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is less demanding than the GPU's, but still important. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (405 FPS) approaches the ceiling of what the CPU can feed to the GPU, indicating that the i9-14900K's single-thread performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking even at extreme frame rates. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, but the CPU still maintains smooth frame delivery.

The CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,097, places it just behind the i9-14900KF (79,371, 0.3% ahead) and the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79,574, 0.6% ahead). It also outperforms the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (77,740, 1.7% behind). This tight grouping at the top of the CPU charts means the i9-14900K is not the absolute fastest processor in every workload, but it is close enough that in gaming scenarios, the GPU and game engine determine the final result.