Evolve

Evolve pairs the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, a combination that produces a wide spread of frame rates depending on resolution and quality preset. The data shows a system that is clearly capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution climbs, with the 4K Ultra preset dropping to an unplayable 25 FPS average. This analysis breaks down the measured results, contextualizes the hardware roles, and provides settings guidance based strictly on the recorded benchmarks.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture using a 3 nm TSMC process. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, and it carries a 65 W TDP. The CPU includes 20 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside 192 KB of L1 cache per core and 3 MB of L2 cache per core. Memory support is limited to DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates strong single-threaded performance, scoring 3,655 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4,412 in Passmark single-thread tests. Its multi-threaded results are equally solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25,891 and a Passmark multithread score of 30,459. The CPU’s overall percentile ranking against all processors is 85, indicating it outperforms the majority of tested chips. Its average benchmark score of 36,938 places it in close competition with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (scoring 36,945, a 0% delta) and slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (36,945 vs 37,018, a -0.2% delta).

For Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured frame rates across all presets suggest that the Core Ultra 5 225 is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 157 FPS average, which is a high enough figure to indicate that the CPU can maintain a high frame delivery ceiling. The boost clock of 4.90 GHz is particularly relevant for a game of this era, as Evolve was designed for older, lower-core-count processors; the single-thread performance of this Ultra 5 225 is more than sufficient to avoid bottlenecks in most scenarios. The data shows no signs of CPU stalling, as even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset drops to 25 FPS average, a clear sign of GPU limitation rather than CPU constraint.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 10 chip, manufactured on a 7 nm TSMC process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 1605 MHz, with a boost clock of 1905 MHz and a game clock of 1755 MHz. Memory operates at 1750 MHz, effectively 14 Gbps. The card has 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, offering a pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 304.8 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 9.754 TFLOPS.

In synthetic GPU benchmarks, the RX 5700 XT scores 16,277 in Passmark G3D and 7,650 in Passmark GPU compute. Its overall GPU percentile ranking is 59, meaning it sits above average but not in the top tier. The nearest rivals in the database are the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (scoring 16,351, a 0.1% delta) and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (scoring 16,408, a -0.3% delta), showing that the RX 5700 XT is closely matched with those cards in aggregate performance.

For Evolve, the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates at higher resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for a 2015 title, even at 4K, but the raw compute power of the RX 5700 XT becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. The data confirms this: at 1080p, the GPU pushes frame rates from 66 FPS (Ultra) to 157 FPS (Low), but at 4K, the highest preset drops to 25 FPS average. The boost clock of 1905 MHz helps maintain performance at lower resolutions, but the architecture’s age is exposed when pixel count climbs. The 448 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for this game’s textures, but the GPU’s shading throughput is not enough to sustain high frame rates at 4K Ultra.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, the average frame rates drop consistently across all settings, but the magnitude of the drop reveals which component is under stress.

At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 157 at 1080p to 105 at 1440p, then to 60 at 4K. This represents a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 43% drop from 1440p to 4K. The fact that Low settings still produce 60 FPS at 4K indicates that the GPU is not completely overwhelmed, but the scaling is non-linear, suggesting that the RX 5700 XT’s compute units are the primary constraint.

At Medium settings, the drop is less steep in percentage terms but still significant: 121 FPS at 1080p, 81 FPS at 1440p, and 46 FPS at 4K. This is a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 43% drop from 1440p to 4K, mirroring the Low preset’s scaling ratio. The consistency of these percentages across Low and Medium suggests that the GPU’s workload is scaling predictably with pixel count, confirming that the CPU is not introducing a bottleneck.

At High settings, the 1080p result is 95 FPS, dropping to 64 FPS at 1440p and 36 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are similar to those seen at Low and Medium, reinforcing the GPU-bound analysis. At Ultra settings, the 1080p average is 66 FPS, falling to 44 FPS at 1440p and a mere 25 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest recorded, and the scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is a 62% reduction, indicating that the GPU is struggling with the highest quality settings at high pixel counts.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution, as even the lowest FPS at 4K Ultra (25 FPS) is far below what the Core Ultra 5 225’s single-thread performance would cap. The RX 5700 XT is the bottleneck, particularly at 4K, where its 9.754 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is insufficient for high-quality rendering at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table summarizes all measured average FPS values, with min and max figures where available.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 157 FPS average
• Medium: 121 FPS average, with a min of 103 FPS and max of 140 FPS
• High: 95 FPS average
• Ultra: 66 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 105 FPS average
• Medium: 81 FPS average, with a min of 69 FPS and max of 94 FPS
• High: 64 FPS average
• Ultra: 44 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 60 FPS average
• Medium: 46 FPS average, with a min of 39 FPS and max of 53 FPS
• High: 36 FPS average
• Ultra: 25 FPS average

The Medium preset is the only one with recorded min and max values across all resolutions, providing a window into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the min of 103 FPS and max of 140 FPS show a 37 FPS spread, which is acceptable for a fast-paced FPS. At 1440p Medium, the spread is 25 FPS (69 to 94), and at 4K Medium, the spread is 14 FPS (39 to 53). The narrowing spread at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is operating closer to its limits, reducing the variability but also lowering overall performance.

The jump from Low to Ultra at each resolution is substantial. At 1080p, the difference between Low (157 FPS) and Ultra (66 FPS) is 91 FPS, a 58% reduction. At 1440p, the difference is 61 FPS (105 to 44), a 58% reduction as well. At 4K, the difference is 35 FPS (60 to 25), a 58% reduction. This consistent 58% penalty for moving from Low to Ultra indicates that the graphical settings have a predictable impact on GPU workload, independent of resolution.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT achieves a rank of 2,135 out of 2,872 tested combos in Evolve. This places the combo in the lower-middle tier of the database, with roughly 74% of tested combinations performing better. The rank reflects the GPU’s age and mid-range positioning, as the RX 5700 XT’s 59th percentile ranking among GPUs is the primary driver of this result.

Given the CPU’s high percentile ranking (85th), the combo’s overall rank is clearly dragged down by the GPU. The data shows that the Core Ultra 5 225 has the headroom to support a faster graphics card, but the RX 5700 XT cannot leverage that headroom at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 157 FPS, which is competitive even against newer combos, but at 4K Ultra, the 25 FPS average is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

The rank of 2,135 out of 2,872 suggests that this combo is better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming rather than 4K. The measured FPS at 1080p High (95 FPS) and 1440p High (64 FPS) are respectable for a title like Evolve, but the 4K results are not. The combo’s position in the database reflects this split personality: it can deliver high refresh rates at lower resolutions but falls behind when pixel count increases.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1080p gaming, the Low preset delivers 157 FPS average, which is ideal for competitive play on high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 121 FPS average is also excellent, offering a better visual experience while staying well above 100 FPS. The High preset at 95 FPS average is still smooth and provides a good balance of quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 66 FPS average is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action, as the lower frame rate can affect responsiveness. Given the data, Medium is the recommended preset for 1080p, as it delivers a high frame rate with only a 23% reduction from Low, while providing significantly better visuals than Low.

For 1440p gaming, the Low preset at 105 FPS average is the only option that exceeds the 100 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 81 FPS average is still smooth, and the High preset at 64 FPS average is playable but may show some stutter in demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 44 FPS average is not recommended for serious play. The best experience at 1440p is Low or Medium, depending on the user’s preference for visual fidelity. The data shows that Medium at 81 FPS average is the sweet spot, as it provides a playable frame rate with improved textures and effects over Low.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only option that achieves 60 FPS average, which is the minimum for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 46 FPS average is borderline, and the High preset at 36 FPS average is not recommended. The Ultra preset at 25 FPS average is unplayable. The data clearly indicates that Low is the only viable preset at 4K, and even then, the 60 FPS average may dip in heavy combat scenarios. Users prioritizing 4K should accept the visual compromise of Low settings.

Overall, the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p offers the best balance of performance and visual quality, based on the measured frame rates. The data shows that moving from Low to Medium costs 36 FPS at 1080p (from 157 to 121) and 24 FPS at 1440p (from 105 to 81), but the visual improvement is likely worth the trade-off for most players.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Evolve?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 157 at 1080p with Low settings. The next highest is 121 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 105 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves 60 FPS average. At Medium settings, the average drops to 46 FPS, and at Ultra settings, it falls to 25 FPS, which is not playable.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36,938. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, scores 36,945, a 0% delta. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37,018, a -0.2% delta, and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37,112, a -0.5% delta.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 16,361. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M scores 16,351, a 0.1% delta, and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell scores 16,408, a -0.3% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 scores 16,504, a -0.9% delta.

Q: What is the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 121 at 1080p to 81 at 1440p, then to 46 at 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 75 FPS, representing a 62% reduction in average frame rate.

Q: Which preset provides the best experience at 1440p?

A: Based on the data, Medium at 1440p provides 81 FPS average, which is a smooth experience. Low at 1440p provides 105 FPS average, but Medium offers better visuals at a still-playable frame rate. The High preset at 64 FPS average is less ideal, and Ultra at 44 FPS average is not recommended.