Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly across resolutions and settings. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, based on benchmark data. The combination demonstrates a clear performance hierarchy, with the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions and graphical presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 167 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's performance compare to its nearest rival, the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score that is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, placing them in a very close performance bracket.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 185 on Low settings to 78 on Ultra settings, a significant reduction of 107 FPS.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all tested processors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H falls into the 81st percentile when compared to all CPUs in the benchmark database.

Q: Does the performance data show a consistent frame time for Medium settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the measured frame rate ranges from a minimum of 69 FPS to a maximum of 94 FPS, with an average of 81 FPS.

Q: What is the combination's rank among all tested combos for this game?

A: This specific CPU and GPU pairing holds the rank of 567 out of 2872 tested combinations in Evolve.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a mobile processor with 14 cores and 18 threads, a configuration designed to handle multitasking and modern game workloads. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz, which can boost up to 4.60 GHz. This processor is built on the Meteor Lake architecture using a 7 nm process node. The cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 18 MB L3 cache. The processor's single-thread performance, as measured by the Cinebench R23 single-core test, is a score of 1700. Its multi-core capability is reflected in a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role is to manage game logic, physics, and AI. The data indicates that the processor is not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 275 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding frames to the GPU efficiently. However, the processor's performance relative to its rivals is tight. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, has an average score that is -0.1% different from the Core Ultra 5 135H, indicating nearly identical overall CPU performance. Similarly, the Intel Core i5-13500HX is -0.6% behind, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT is +0.5% ahead. These small deltas suggest that in CPU-bound scenarios, the choice between these processors would yield minimal frame rate differences.

The processor's 18 threads and high boost clock help maintain consistent performance in scenes with many entities. The data shows that at 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 213, with a minimum of 181 FPS and a maximum of 245 FPS. This frame time variance is a normal characteristic of a CPU handling variable game logic. The processor's performance, while not top-tier, is sufficient to drive the RTX 5090 to very high frame rates at 1080p, demonstrating a balanced pairing for this game at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this pairing. It features the GB202 chip based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. The GPU is equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a substantial 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. With 21760 shading units and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, the card's raw compute power is immense, offering 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth are critical for high-resolution textures and complex rendering.

In Evolve, the GPU's influence is most apparent at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS falls to 44. This is a dramatic drop from the 105 FPS average at 4K with Low settings. The RTX 5090's performance is clearly being taxed by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical fidelity. The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79842. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, is only 0.3% behind in average score, showing that the RTX 5090 is at the forefront of graphics performance.

The data reveals that the RTX 5090 is the limiting factor when pushing for maximum visual quality. At 1440p, the frame rate drops from 185 FPS on Low to 78 FPS on Ultra, a 58% reduction. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card's fill rate and shader performance dictate the final output. The GPU's 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs handle the pixel and texture processing, respectively. The substantial 32 GB VRAM ensures that texture loading is not a bottleneck, even at 4K resolutions. The RTX 5090 is clearly the component that dictates the upper limits of performance in Evolve.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a detailed view of performance across different configurations. At 1920x1080, the resolution most forgiving to the CPU, the system performs exceptionally well. With Low settings, the average FPS is 275. Moving to Medium settings reduces the average to 213 FPS, with a minimum of 181 FPS and a maximum of 245 FPS. High settings at 1080p yield an average of 167 FPS. The most demanding preset at this resolution, Ultra, still maintains a high average of 116 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as the GPU takes on more work. Low settings produce an average of 185 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 143 FPS, with a range between 122 FPS (min) and 165 FPS (max). High settings at 1440p see the average drop to 112 FPS. Ultra settings at this resolution result in an average of 78 FPS, showing a significant demand from the game's highest quality options.

The most demanding resolution, 3840x2160, shows the heaviest load on the system. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS is 105. The Medium preset at 4K averages 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 94 FPS. High settings at 4K reduce the average to 64 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most taxing combination tested, producing an average of only 44 FPS. This data demonstrates a clear and consistent performance degradation as both resolution and settings increase.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a rank of 567 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve. This places the pairing in the top 20% of all tested configurations. The rank reflects the balance between the two components. While the GPU is a top-tier performer, the CPU is more mid-range in its class. The overall ranking confirms the GPU's ability to compensate for the CPU's less dominant standing. The CPU's average benchmark score is 29093, with its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, having an average score of 29123, a delta of -0.1%. This close competition in CPU performance means the GPU's 92nd percentile standing is the primary driver of the combo's high rank.

The high rank is not necessarily indicative of a perfectly balanced system. The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, suggesting the CPU is adequate for the task. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold often desired for smooth gameplay. This indicates that while the combo ranks well overall, the gaming experience at maximum settings and resolution is not ideal. The rank of 567 suggests that many other combinations, likely with faster CPUs, achieve higher frame rates in this specific game. The performance is strong, but the pairing shows a clear bottleneck in the CPU when aiming for the highest possible frame rates at lower resolutions, and a GPU bottleneck at the highest resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, the High preset is the highest quality option that achieves this, with an average of 64 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K is also a viable option, offering a higher average of 81 FPS, which provides headroom for frame time spikes.

At 1440p, the High preset is an excellent choice, delivering an average of 112 FPS. This provides a smooth experience on high refresh rate monitors. For players seeking maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1440p offers 185 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play. The Medium preset at 1440p, with an average of 143 FPS, is a strong middle ground. The Ultra preset at 1440p, averaging 78 FPS, is playable but does not fully utilize the potential of a high-refresh-rate display.

For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset is the best recommendation, as it still achieves a high average of 116 FPS. This allows for the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 1080p, with an average of 167 FPS, is also an excellent choice for those who prioritize frame rates over visual fidelity. The data indicates that the Ultra preset at 1080p strikes the best balance between image quality and performance for this combination, offering a premium experience without the frame rate penalty seen at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the changing bottleneck dynamics of this system. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 275. When moving to 1440p, the average drops to 185, a 33% reduction. At 4K, the average falls to 105, a 62% reduction from the 1080p figure. This pattern of diminishing returns is typical of a system that is initially CPU-bound at low resolutions and becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution increases.

The scaling is more dramatic at higher settings. With the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 116 at 1080p, dropping to 78 at 1440p (a 33% reduction) and then to 44 at 4K (a 62% reduction from 1080p). The consistent percentage drops across different settings indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at resolutions above 1080p. The RTX 5090's 32 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth prevent memory-related issues, but the sheer pixel count and shading complexity of 4K resolution are overwhelming for even this powerful card.

The data suggests that the CPU's influence on frame rate is most pronounced at 1080p. The high frame rates at this resolution show that the processor is capable of handling the game's logic without becoming a bottleneck. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, and the frame rate becomes more dependent on the graphics card's capabilities. This is evident in the close scaling between 1440p and 4K, which shows a linear relationship with the number of pixels being rendered. The system is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the GPU is the unequivocal limiting factor.