Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a performance profile that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset selection in Evolve. The measured data indicates a system capable of high refresh rate play at 1080p, but one that requires careful settings management to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the combo's standing, and examines the distinct roles the CPU and GPU play in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, particularly at higher settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces an average of 190 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average drops to 127 FPS, a reduction of approximately 33%. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average falls to 72 FPS, which is roughly 43% lower than the 1440p result and 62% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline as resolution increases indicates that the rendering workload is scaling strongly with pixel count, which is the primary factor limiting performance.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced when examining the High and Ultra presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 115 at 1080p to 77 at 1440p (a 33% decrease), and then to 44 at 4K (a 43% decrease from 1440p). At Ultra settings, the trend is steeper: 80 FPS at 1080p falls to 54 FPS at 1440p (a 32.5% drop), and then plummets to 31 FPS at 4K (a 42.6% drop from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops between resolutions across all settings suggest that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting components; the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU's workload becomes the bottleneck as pixel count increases.

Notably, the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (190 FPS) and Ultra (80 FPS) is 110 FPS. At 4K, the difference between Low (72 FPS) and Ultra (31 FPS) is 41 FPS. While the absolute gap shrinks, the relative performance cost of Ultra over Low increases from about 58% at 1080p to about 57% at 4K, indicating that the extra graphical effects and shading complexity at Ultra are equally taxing on the GPU regardless of resolution. This data strongly suggests that for 4K play, the RTX 4070 is the primary constraint, while at 1080p, the system is capable of very high frame rates that may approach CPU limits.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 1533rd out of 2872 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the 53rd percentile of all tested systems, meaning it performs better than a slight majority of other combinations but is far from the top tier. The ranking suggests that while this hardware is competent, it does not represent a peak-performance configuration for this particular game.

The combo's mid-pack ranking can be attributed to a balance of strengths and weaknesses. The RTX 4070 is a strong GPU, ranking in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, but it is not a top-tier card. The Core Ultra 5 125H ranks in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, indicating solid but not exceptional processing power. When combined, their performance in Evolve lands them in the middle of the field, suggesting that other combos with more powerful GPUs or higher-clocked desktop CPUs can achieve better results, especially at the demanding 4K Ultra preset where the data shows an average of only 31 FPS.

Comparing the components to their nearest rivals provides context for their individual standing. The CPU's average benchmark score of 27507 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, which scores 27535 (a delta of -0.1%), and the Intel Core i5-12600K, which scores 27578 (a delta of -0.3%). This indicates that the Core Ultra 5 125H offers processing performance on par with these established desktop chips, at least in synthetic benchmarks. The GPU's average benchmark score of 37648 is similarly close to the NVIDIA Tesla P4, which scores 37628 (a delta of 0.1%), and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, which scores 37507 (a delta of 0.4%). This suggests that the RTX 4070's raw compute capabilities are in the same class as these older or specialized cards, though its feature set and efficiency are more modern.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is a significant factor in this combo's performance. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This bandwidth is crucial for handling the high-resolution textures and geometry data that Evolve presents, especially at 1440p and 4K. The GPU's 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output processors determine its raw pixel and texture processing rates, which are rated at 158.4 GPixel/s and 455.4 GTexel/s, respectively. The boost clock of 2475 MHz allows for high sustained performance in gaming workloads.

The GPU's role as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions is clearly illustrated by the measured FPS data. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 31, which is below the threshold for smooth, playable frame rates in a fast-paced FPS. The GPU simply runs out of computational throughput to maintain higher frame rates with all settings maxed out. Even at 4K High, the average of 44 FPS is marginal, while 4K Medium achieves 56 FPS and 4K Low reaches 72 FPS. This progression demonstrates that the RTX 4070's performance is heavily dependent on the workload; reducing the settings from Ultra to Low at 4K more than doubles the frame rate from 31 to 72 FPS, a 132% improvement.

The GPU's VRAM capacity of 12 GB appears sufficient for Evolve across the tested settings, as the data does not indicate any performance anomalies that would suggest memory swapping or capacity limitations. The consistent FPS scaling with settings and resolution points to compute and shading limitations rather than memory constraints. The RTX 4070's position in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37648, confirms its capability, but the data shows that it is not a card that can dominate Evolve at maximum settings on a 3840x2160 display.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. At Low settings, the average FPS is 190. Medium settings yield an average of 147 FPS, with a minimum of 125 and a maximum of 169 FPS. High settings produce an average of 115 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to an average of 80 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the combo can easily drive high-refresh-rate monitors, with even the Ultra preset maintaining a frame rate above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's workload. Low settings average 127 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. Medium settings average 99 FPS, with a minimum of 84 and a maximum of 113 FPS. High settings average 77 FPS, and Ultra settings average 54 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, with the Low preset losing 63 FPS and the Ultra preset losing 26 FPS. At 1440p, the system is well-suited for high refresh rate gaming on Low or Medium, and it provides a solid 60+ FPS experience on High.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings average 72 FPS, which is playable. Medium settings average 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65 FPS, placing it on the edge of smooth playability. High settings drop to an average of 44 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to an average of 31 FPS. The 4K results show that this combo is not ideal for maximum-quality 4K gaming in Evolve, as the Ultra preset fails to maintain a consistent 30 FPS, and even the High preset struggles to stay above 45 FPS. The data indicates that 4K gaming is only viable with reduced settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 80 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay while providing the highest visual fidelity. If a player prioritizes maximum refresh rates, the High preset at 115 FPS or the Medium preset at 147 FPS are also excellent options, with Medium offering a 28% improvement over High.

For 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended balance, delivering an average of 77 FPS. This provides a smooth experience for most players while maintaining good visual quality. The Ultra preset, at 54 FPS, is playable but may feel less fluid in fast-paced action sequences. For players with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, the Medium preset at 99 FPS or Low preset at 127 FPS are preferable, as they ensure frame rates that can keep up with 120Hz or 144Hz displays.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only reliably smooth option, with an average of 72 FPS. The Medium preset, at 56 FPS, is playable but may experience noticeable frame drops, as indicated by the minimum of 48 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for 4K, as they average 44 and 31 FPS respectively, which is below the generally accepted standard for a smooth FPS experience. Players with 4K displays should prioritize a lower settings preset to achieve playable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a consistent 60+ FPS experience?

A: At 1920x1080, all presets (Low: 190 FPS, Medium: 147, High: 115, Ultra: 80) exceed 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Low (127), Medium (99), and High (77) presets all average above 60 FPS, while Ultra (54) falls short. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset (72 FPS) exceeds 60 FPS, with Medium (56) and High (44) below the threshold.

Q: How much performance is gained by lowering settings from Ultra to Low at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS increases from 31 at Ultra to 72 at Low, a gain of 41 FPS, which is a 132% improvement in average frame rate.

Q: Does this combo rank in the top half of all tested systems for Evolve?

A: Yes, the combo ranks 1533rd out of 2872 tested combinations, placing it in the 53rd percentile, which is just above the median performance level.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum frame rates recorded for this combo?

A: The only presets with recorded minimum and maximum FPS are Medium. At 1920x1080, the min is 125 FPS and the max is 169 FPS. At 2560x1440, the min is 84 FPS and the max is 113 FPS. At 3840x2160, the min is 48 FPS and the max is 65 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H has an average benchmark score of 27507, which is 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800's score of 27535, indicating nearly identical synthetic performance.

Q: Is the RTX 4070's 12 GB of VRAM sufficient for Evolve at these settings?

A: The measured data shows no signs of memory-related stuttering or performance cliffs, indicating that the 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the tested resolutions and settings in Evolve.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, while not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios, still plays a vital role in ensuring the GPU can perform at its peak. This processor features 14 cores and 18 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. It is built on the Meteor Lake architecture using a 7 nm process. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration is designed to handle the game logic, physics calculations, and AI processing that Evolve requires.

The CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 190 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that demands significant CPU throughput for game state updates and draw calls. The fact that the CPU can sustain this performance while the GPU is not overloaded shows that the Core Ultra 5 125H has enough processing power to keep up with the RTX 4070. The CPU's PassMark multithread score of 21100 and single-thread score of 3399 indicate strong overall compute capability.

However, at higher resolutions, the CPU's role diminishes as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The data shows that the FPS differences between resolutions are consistent, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12804.5, suggests it is capable of handling demanding multi-threaded workloads, but Evolve's reliance on GPU rendering is the primary determinant of frame rate at 1440p and 4K. The CPU's 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms it is a capable processor, but it is not the component that defines the gaming experience in this title; the RTX 4070's rendering capabilities and the chosen resolution are far more influential on the final FPS numbers.