Evolve

Evolve is a 2015 FPS title that stresses both CPU and GPU depending on resolution and settings. The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H paired with the AMD Radeon 8060S delivers a wide spread of frame rates across the measured configurations, from 28 FPS at 4K Ultra to 176 FPS at 1080p Low. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the 14-core Meteor Lake processor provides ample headroom at 1080p. This analysis walks through the measured FPS rows, the role of each component, and how this specific combo ranks among the 2,872 tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a game like Evolve where pixel fill rate becomes the dominant factor. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 107 FPS at 1920x1080 to 72 FPS at 2560x1440, then further to 41 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 33% reduction going from 1080p to 1440p, and another 43% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the AMD Radeon 8060S is being pushed progressively harder at each higher resolution.

At Low settings, the pattern is similar but with higher absolute numbers. The average FPS drops from 176 at 1080p to 118 at 1440p, and then to 67 at 4K. The percentage drops are 33% and 43% respectively, matching the High settings scaling almost exactly. This consistency suggests that resolution scaling is independent of the quality preset, which points to the GPU being the limiting component across all settings. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 18 threads, is not creating a bottleneck that would flatten the curve at lower resolutions.

Medium settings show the same trend with slightly different values: 137 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 33%, and from 1440p to 4K is 43%, again matching the other presets. Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates, with 74 FPS at 1080p, 50 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K. The 1440p to 4K reduction here is 44%, nearly identical to the other settings. This uniform scaling across all four presets strongly indicates that the Radeon 8060S is the primary constraint, and that the Core Ultra 5 125H has enough compute headroom to feed the GPU at every resolution tested.

The frame time data at Medium settings provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 137 with a minimum of 116 and maximum of 157. At 1440p Medium, the average is 92 with a minimum of 78 and maximum of 105. At 4K Medium, the average is 52 with a minimum of 44 and maximum of 60. The minimum-to-average gap widens slightly at higher resolutions, suggesting that occasional spikes in rendering complexity have a larger impact when the GPU is already near its capacity. This is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where the frame rate is determined by pixel throughput rather than CPU processing.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8060S is an integrated graphics solution based on the Strix Halo chip, built on RDNA 3.5 architecture with a 4 nm process. Its memory configuration is System Shared, meaning it draws from the same pool as the CPU, with bandwidth described as System Dependent. This is a critical factor in Evolve, where texture streaming and geometry processing can be sensitive to memory bandwidth. The GPU has 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, with a boost clock of 2900 MHz. The pixel rate is 185.6 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 464.0 GTexel/s, while FP32 performance is rated at 14.85 TFLOPS.

In the measured results, the GPU's role is most evident at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 28. This is below the 30 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for playable frame rates. The GPU is clearly saturated at this configuration, with the 64 ROPs struggling to fill the 3840x2160 pixel buffer at Ultra quality. At 4K Low, the average rises to 67 FPS, showing that reducing the quality preset dramatically reduces the pixel shading workload. The difference between 4K Ultra (28 FPS) and 4K Low (67 FPS) is a 139% improvement, which highlights how much headroom exists in the GPU when the settings are lowered.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 87th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 55,757. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, which scores 55,698 (a delta of 0.1%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, which scores 56,083 (a delta of -0.6%). This puts the Radeon 8060S in a competitive position relative to dedicated graphics cards, despite being an integrated solution. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,162 and the Geekbench OpenCL score of 84,626 further confirm its mid-range to upper-mid-range positioning.

At 1080p, the GPU is not the limiting factor in most settings. The 176 FPS at Low and 137 FPS at Medium suggest that the CPU is capable of driving the GPU to high frame rates, but the transition from Medium to High (137 to 107 FPS) and High to Ultra (107 to 74 FPS) shows that the GPU's shading units and ROPs begin to take over as the primary constraint. The boost clock of 2900 MHz is relatively high for an integrated GPU, which helps at lower resolutions where clock speed matters more than raw pixel throughput.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H combined with the AMD Radeon 8060S ranks 1,664 out of 2,872 tested combos in Evolve. This places the combo in the 58th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning it outperforms more than half of the systems tested but sits below the top tier. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU, where the Radeon 8060S is strong for an integrated solution but not at the level of high-end discrete GPUs that would push the combo higher in the rankings.

The CPU itself ranks in the 79th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27,507. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, which scores 27,535 (a delta of -0.1%), and the Intel Core i5-12600K, which scores 27,578 (a delta of -0.3%). The Core Ultra 5 125H is essentially on par with these desktop-class processors, which is remarkable for a mobile chip with a 28 W TDP. This suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in the combo's ranking; rather, the GPU's performance ceiling determines where the combo lands.

The GPU's percentile rank of 87 places it higher than the combo's overall rank, which indicates that the GPU is the stronger component in this pairing. However, the combo rank of 1,664 out of 2,872 suggests that many other tested combinations feature GPUs that are better suited to Evolve's demands at higher resolutions. The gap between the GPU's individual percentile and the combo's percentile implies that the system shared memory configuration might introduce some overhead compared to systems with dedicated VRAM, though the measured FPS data does not directly quantify this effect.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest performance. Low settings produce an average of 176 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors and indicates a smooth experience. Medium settings average 137 FPS, with a minimum of 116 and maximum of 157, providing a solid margin above 60 FPS. High settings average 107 FPS, still comfortably playable. Ultra settings drop to 74 FPS, which remains above 60 FPS but shows a significant reduction from Low. The spread from 176 to 74 FPS across settings at 1080p demonstrates that the GPU has substantial headroom at this resolution, and the CPU is capable of maintaining high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops are noticeable but the combo remains playable in most configurations. Low settings average 118 FPS, which is still high. Medium settings average 92 FPS, with a minimum of 78 and maximum of 105, keeping the experience above 60 FPS. High settings average 72 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS threshold but still acceptable for most players. Ultra settings drop to 50 FPS, which is below 60 FPS and may introduce noticeable stutter on displays with high refresh rates. The transition from High to Ultra at 1440p represents a 31% reduction in frame rate, highlighting the cost of enabling the most demanding graphical features.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. Low settings average 67 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. Medium settings average 52 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and maximum of 60, which is borderline. High settings drop to 41 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS mark and may feel sluggish. Ultra settings average 28 FPS, which is not playable for most users. The 4K results clearly show that the Radeon 8060S is not designed for 4K gaming at high quality presets, and users would need to rely on Low or Medium settings to achieve anywhere near smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Evolve?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 offers the best balance of performance and quality. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 107, and at Medium it is 137, both well above playable thresholds. At 2560x1440 High, the average drops to 72 FPS, and at 3840x2160 High it falls to 41 FPS, making 1080p the most reliable choice.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings?

A: Yes, but only at 1080p. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average FPS is 74, which is playable. At 2560x1440 Ultra, the average drops to 50 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Ultra it falls to 28 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H has an average benchmark score of 27,507, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27,535, delta -0.1%) and the Intel Core i5-12600K (27,578, delta -0.3%). It also outperforms the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G (27,382, delta 0.5%).

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The AMD Radeon 8060S is in the 87th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 55,757. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, scores 55,698, putting the Radeon 8060S slightly ahead by 0.1%.

Q: Which settings preset gives the highest frame rate?

A: Low settings at 1920x1080 produces the highest average frame rate at 176 FPS. Medium settings at the same resolution average 137 FPS, and High averages 107 FPS. The Low preset is the only configuration that exceeds 150 FPS.

Q: Is the system GPU-limited or CPU-limited in Evolve?

A: The data indicates the system is GPU-limited at resolutions above 1080p. The frame rate scales consistently with resolution across all settings, and the CPU's high benchmark scores (14 cores, 18 threads, boost clock of 4.50 GHz) suggest it has sufficient headroom. At 1080p, the GPU still governs performance, as shown by the drop from 176 FPS at Low to 74 FPS at Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H is a mobile processor from the Core Ultra Series 1, built on the Meteor Lake architecture with a 7 nm process. It features 14 cores and 18 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The L3 cache is 18 MB shared, and the memory bandwidth is 89.6 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 interface. The CPU has a TDP of 28 W, which is modest for a processor with this many cores, and it integrates an Arc Xe-LPG 96EU graphics unit, though the measured FPS data uses the discrete AMD Radeon 8060S.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls, physics calculations, and game logic. The benchmark scores show strong multithreaded performance: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 12,804.5, and Passmark multithread scores 21,100. The single-thread performance is also solid, with Cinebench R23 single-core at 1,647.5 and Passmark single-thread at 3,399. These scores indicate that the CPU can handle the game's processing demands without becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The CPU's percentile rank of 79 among all CPUs places it above average, and its nearest rivals are all desktop-class processors with similar average scores. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800, Intel Core i5-12600K, and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X all score within 0.3% of the Core Ultra 5 125H, which is notable given that this is a mobile chip running at 28 W. In the measured FPS data, the CPU's capability is most evident at 1080p Low, where the combo achieves 176 FPS, suggesting that the CPU can sustain high frame rates when the GPU is not the limiting factor.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is relevant because the GPU uses System Shared memory. This means the CPU and GPU share the same memory controller, and the 89.6 GB/s bandwidth must accommodate both CPU and GPU traffic. At 1080p, this appears sufficient, but at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is heavily loaded, the shared bandwidth may contribute to the low 28 FPS average. The dual-channel DDR5 support helps, but the system-dependent nature of the GPU's memory bandwidth means that the actual performance can vary based on the laptop's memory configuration.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear picture of which settings offer the best experience. For users prioritizing smooth gameplay at high frame rates, the 1920x1080 Low preset delivers an average of 176 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or high refresh rate displays. If visual quality is more important, 1920x1080 Medium averages 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS, offering a good balance between performance and fidelity. The High preset at 1080p averages 107 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS and provides a noticeable improvement in graphical detail over Medium.

At 2560x1440, the best experience is achieved with the Low preset, which averages 118 FPS. Medium averages 92 FPS, which is also playable, but High drops to 72 FPS and Ultra falls to 50 FPS. For users with 1440p monitors, Medium is the recommended setting to maintain a comfortable frame rate while retaining some visual enhancements. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset (67 FPS) and Medium preset (52 FPS) are viable, and even then, the experience is not ideal for fast-paced gameplay. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended due to average frame rates of 41 and 28 FPS respectively.

The data suggests that the combo's sweet spot is 1080p with Medium or High settings. Medium provides a 137 FPS average with a tight frame time range (min 116, max 157), while High offers 107 FPS with no recorded frame time variance. For users who want to push visual quality, 1080p Ultra at 74 FPS is acceptable, but the jump from High to Ultra carries a 31% performance penalty that may not justify the graphical gains. At higher resolutions, users must accept significant compromises, with Low settings being the only way to maintain frame rates above 60 FPS at 1440p, and even then only marginally at 4K.