Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B580 combination delivers a remarkably consistent performance profile in Evolve, scaling predictably across resolutions and settings. The data reveals a pairing where the CPU provides ample headroom, leaving the GPU as the primary arbiter of frame rates. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes the components' roles, and offers clear guidance for optimizing the experience.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best measured performance for this combo in Evolve?*

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 155 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This drops to 65 FPS at the same resolution with Ultra settings, showing a significant performance cost for maximum visual fidelity.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested hardware combinations?

A: The combination ranks 2156th out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the lower-mid tier of all configurations. This suggests that while it is capable of playable frame rates, many other setups deliver higher performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 25, while at 1080p with Low settings, it reaches 155 FPS. This massive scaling with resolution and settings points to the graphics card being the performance constraint, as the CPU's workload does not change as drastically.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 155 on Low to 65 on Ultra, a reduction of 90 FPS. This indicates that the Ultra preset imposes a substantial load on the GPU, nearly halving the frame rate compared to the lowest settings.

Q: Does the combo maintain 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440, the combo achieves an average of 63 FPS on High settings and 80 FPS on Medium. However, the Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 44 FPS, failing to maintain a consistent 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 39, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. At 2560x1440, the minimum is 68 FPS, and at 1920x1080, it is 102 FPS, showing that lower resolutions provide more stable frame pacing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. In Evolve, a game from 2015, this modern CPU provides substantial processing power. The benchmark results for this chip are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655. This indicates a high level of both multi-threaded and single-threaded performance, which is crucial for handling game logic, physics, and AI.

The CPU's performance percentile of 85 means it outperforms the vast majority of all tested CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, have an average score of 36945, with a deltaPct of 0, indicating virtually identical overall performance. Another rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, is only 0.2% slower, showing that the Core Ultra 5 225 is in a highly competitive performance bracket. In the context of Evolve, the CPU's capabilities are likely more than sufficient. The game's engine, while demanding at its release, does not typically require the latest high-core-count processors to achieve high frame rates. The data supports this, as the frame rates scale dramatically with GPU-related settings and resolution, rather than being capped by a CPU bottleneck.

The 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide fast access to frequently used data, which helps maintain consistent frame times. The CPU's dual-channel DDR5 memory support with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s ensures that the processor is well-fed with data, preventing stalls in game logic. While the game is older, the sheer speed of the Core Ultra 5 225's cores, evidenced by its PassMark single-thread score of 4412, suggests it can easily handle the game's main thread, allowing the GPU to be the limiting factor. The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this pairing, as the FPS is highly responsive to GPU load changes.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of how different settings impact performance. For a smooth experience at 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers an excellent balance with an average of 120 FPS and a minimum of 102 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, ensuring fluid gameplay without sacrificing too much visual quality. The High preset at 94 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset's higher minimum frame rate makes it a safer choice for consistent performance.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, yielding an average of 80 FPS with a minimum of 68 FPS. This is a solid sweet spot, delivering high frame rates while maintaining a visually appealing image. The High preset at 63 FPS is playable but offers less headroom for demanding scenes. Dropping to Low at this resolution provides a significant boost to 104 FPS, but the visual trade-off may be too steep for many users. For 4K gaming, the data shows that even the Low preset only achieves an average of 59 FPS, which is on the edge of playability. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 46 FPS, and High to 36 FPS, making 4K gaming a challenge for this combo.

The Ultra preset is consistently the most demanding, with frame rates dropping to 65 FPS at 1080p and 25 FPS at 4K. Given the significant performance cost, the Ultra preset is not recommended for this combination in Evolve. The data suggests that the Medium or High presets provide the best overall experience, allowing for high frame rates without a substantial reduction in visual fidelity. The specific choice between Medium and High should be based on the user's resolution and preference for frame rate over minor graphical enhancements.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware, this Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B580 combination ranks 2156th out of 2872 combos in Evolve, placing it in the 25th percentile of all tested systems. This indicates that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is far from the bottom. The ranking suggests that many other combinations, likely with more powerful GPUs, can achieve higher frame rates. However, the combo's performance is not poor; it is simply in a competitive mid-range segment.

The GPU's individual performance percentile is 68, meaning it is better than 68% of all tested GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 23021 places it near rivals like the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, which has a deltaPct of -0.2%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, which is 0.6% faster. This puts the Arc B580 in the same performance class as these older, high-end cards. The CPU's percentile of 85 is notably higher, indicating that the processor is a stronger component relative to its peers than the GPU. This reinforces the idea that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing.

The combo's rank of 2156, when considering the CPU's high percentile, suggests that the overall system performance is dragged down by the GPU. If the CPU were paired with a more powerful graphics card, the combo's rank would likely be significantly higher. The data implies that this is a balanced but GPU-limited system, where the CPU has significant untapped potential in gaming workloads. The rank also indicates that for Evolve, a game that can be demanding on the GPU, the Arc B580 is the primary determinant of the final frame rate.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is the clear performance driver in this configuration. With 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, it offers a memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s, which is substantial for a mid-range card. Its 2560 shading units and boost clock of 2670 MHz provide a raw compute capability of 13.67 TFLOPS. In Evolve, these specifications translate directly into the frame rates seen in the data. The GPU's role is evident when observing the performance drop as settings and resolution increase.

The GPU's benchmark scores are telling. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3068, and its PassMark G3D score is 15748. These place it in a performance bracket near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, which is 0.6% faster. However, its PassMark DirectX 11 score of 128 and DirectX 12 score of 76 are relatively low, suggesting that its performance can vary significantly depending on the API and workload. In Evolve, which was released in 2015 and likely uses an older DirectX API, the GPU's performance might not be fully optimized, possibly explaining the significant frame rate drops at higher settings.

The 12 GB of VRAM is a key asset. While it is not heavily utilized in Evolve at lower settings, it provides ample headroom for higher resolutions and textures without hitting memory limits that could cause stuttering. The GPU's 68th percentile ranking against all GPUs indicates it is a capable performer. Its nearest rivals, such as the RX 580 2048SP, have nearly identical average scores, but the Arc B580's modern architecture and features may offer better performance in other, newer titles. In this specific game, the data shows that the GPU is the component that dictates the playable settings and resolutions, as the CPU has ample power to keep up.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs admirably. The Low preset achieves an average of 155 FPS, providing an extremely smooth experience. The Medium preset is close behind with an average of 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS. The High preset delivers 94 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 65 FPS, showing a significant cost for the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, performance is still good but takes a noticeable hit. The Low preset averages 104 FPS, which is excellent. The Medium preset averages 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. The High preset drops to 63 FPS, which is just at the edge of a smooth 60 FPS experience. The Ultra preset falls to 44 FPS, making it not ideal for fast-paced gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, with an average of 59 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. The High preset averages 36 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 25 FPS. This data clearly shows that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo in Evolve at anything above Low settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about the system's bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 155. Moving to 1440p, it drops to 104 FPS, a 33% decrease. At 4K, it falls to 59 FPS, a 62% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is a classic sign of a GPU-limited system. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels the GPU must render grows exponentially, placing a much heavier load on the graphics card.

The CPU's workload, in contrast, does not scale with resolution. It must still process the same game logic and draw calls, but the frame rate is determined by how fast the GPU can complete its rendering tasks. The fact that the FPS drops so significantly with resolution confirms that the Intel Arc B580 is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU would be unable to feed the GPU faster frames regardless of the rendering load.

This analysis is further supported by the settings scaling. At 1080p, going from Low to Ultra drops the FPS from 155 to 65, a 58% reduction. This is also a GPU-centric workload, as higher settings increase the complexity of shaders, textures, and lighting effects. The data consistently points to the GPU as the primary performance constraint. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has more than enough headroom to handle the game's CPU demands, making the Arc B580 the definitive factor in determining the playable experience. For users seeking higher frame rates at 4K, a more powerful GPU would be necessary.