Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS, presents an extreme challenge for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. The benchmark data shows this combination ranks 2833rd out of 2872 tested combos for this game, placing it in the bottom 1.4% of all systems. This is a configuration where the GPU is the overwhelming bottleneck, and the measured frame rates confirm that playable performance is only achievable at the lowest settings and resolution. The data indicates a system that is fundamentally mismatched for Evolve's demands at higher graphical presets.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS across resolutions reveals a classic case of GPU-bound scaling, where the load on the graphics card increases dramatically as pixel count rises. The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, underscoring that the GTX 1050 Ti's processing power is the limiting factor. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 62 FPS at 1920x1080 to 42 FPS at 2560x1440, a 32% reduction. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields just 24 FPS, which is a 61% drop from the 1080p result. This pattern demonstrates that higher resolutions exponentially increase the GPU's workload, and this card cannot sustain fluid motion at those pixel densities.

The scaling is even more punishing at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 38 at 1080p to 25 at 1440p (a 34% decline) and then to 14 at 4K (a 63% decline from 1080p). The Ultra preset shows a similar trajectory, with frame rates falling from 26 at 1080p to 17 at 1440p and a mere 10 at 4K. This data suggests that the relationship between resolution and performance is not linear; the cost of each additional pixel becomes more significant as the resolution increases, quickly overwhelming the GPU's 112.1 GB/s memory bandwidth and 2.138 TFLOPS of compute power.

The limiting component is unambiguously the GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225, with its 10 cores and 20 MB of L3 cache, provides ample processing capability for this title. The evidence for this is the way performance scales with resolution—a CPU bottleneck would show minimal FPS differences between 1080p and 4K, as the CPU's workload remains relatively constant. Instead, the data shows frame rates being cut by more than half in several scenarios when moving from 1080p to 4K, which is the signature of a GPU that is saturated. The GTX 1050 Ti simply cannot render Evolve's scenes fast enough at higher resolutions, making it the definitive constraint on performance in this configuration.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a modern, high-performance desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It features 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 36938 is essentially on par with its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, with delta percentages near zero. This indicates that the CPU is more than capable of handling the computational demands of a game like Evolve.

However, in this specific pairing, the CPU's role is largely relegated to feeding frames to a much weaker GPU. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not the bottleneck; it has significant headroom to process game logic and physics. The measured FPS is entirely dictated by the GTX 1050 Ti's ability to render frames. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 62 FPS, but this is likely near the practical limit of the GPU at that setting. The CPU is not holding the system back; the GPU is.

This is not a situation where a more powerful CPU would yield higher frame rates. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution and setting combination. The Core Ultra 5 225's strength, evidenced by its 25891 Cinebench R23 multi-core score, is irrelevant when the GPU can only output 10 FPS at 4K Ultra. The CPU's performance is sufficient to ensure that it never becomes the primary constraint, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's lack of rendering power. The system's performance is capped by the GTX 1050 Ti, and the CPU's capabilities are effectively untapped in this workload.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at a playable frame rate?

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings, where the measured average FPS is 62. At Medium settings, the average drops to 48 FPS, which is still playable. Higher settings or resolutions result in averages below 40 FPS, which is generally not considered smooth for an FPS.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS?

A: The data shows that only the 1920x1080 Low preset achieves an average FPS of 62. All other tested configurations, including 1080p Medium (48 FPS), fall below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that Low settings at 1080p are required for a consistently smooth experience.

Q: How does the performance at 2560x1440 compare to 1920x1080?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS is significantly lower across all settings. For example, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 38 at 1080p to 25 at 1440p. At Low settings, it drops from 62 to 42. The GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates at this resolution for most presets.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor for performance in Evolve?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The performance drops dramatically as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a high-performing processor, ranking in the 85th percentile, and is not the cause of the low frame rates.

Q: What kind of frame rate can be expected at 4K resolution?

A: The results at 3840x2160 are very poor. The average FPS ranges from 24 at Low settings to just 10 at Ultra settings. At Medium settings, the average is 18 FPS with a minimum of 16 FPS. This resolution is not viable for gameplay with this hardware.

Q: How does the GTX 1050 Ti compare to its direct rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has an average benchmark score of 4193, which is very close to its nearest rivals. It is 0.6% faster than the AMD Radeon R5 M330 and 1% faster than the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, but it is 1.1% slower than the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M and 1.8% slower than the AMD Radeon Vega 3. This shows it is an entry-level GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combination are consistently low, reflecting the GPU's limitations. The only configuration that approaches a smooth experience is at the lowest resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: with Low settings, the average FPS is 62. With Medium settings, the average drops to 48 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS. High settings yield an average of 38 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of just 26 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each increase in graphical fidelity costs a significant number of frames.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades further. The Low preset averages 42 FPS. The Medium preset averages 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS. High settings drop the average to 25 FPS, and Ultra settings manage only 17 FPS. The step from 1080p to 1440p results in a roughly 30-35% reduction in average FPS across all presets.

At 3840x2160, the system is overwhelmed. The Low preset averages 24 FPS. The Medium preset averages 18 FPS, with a minimum of 16 FPS and a maximum of 21 FPS. High settings yield an average of 14 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces an unplayable 10 FPS average. These numbers confirm that 4K gaming is out of reach for this hardware configuration, as even the lowest settings cannot provide a stable, playable frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark data places this combination at rank 2833 out of 2872 tested combos for Evolve. This puts the system in the bottom 1.4% of all tested configurations, a clear indicator of its low performance ceiling. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's capabilities; the GTX 1050 Ti sits in the 25th percentile of all GPUs, and its performance is on par with some of the weakest dedicated graphics cards on the market.

The CPU's strong performance does little to improve the overall ranking. While the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a fast processor, its power is wasted when paired with a GPU that is this limited. The ranking reflects the combined performance, and the GPU's 25th percentile standing drags the entire combo down. The system's overall ranking reflects how a severe bottleneck can define the experience, regardless of other components' strengths.

This is a configuration that is not well-suited for Evolve, or any modern FPS at higher settings. The data suggests that the GPU is the primary reason for this poor ranking. The system is only capable of providing a passable experience at the lowest settings and resolution, and its overall position in the database reflects this limited capability. Users with this hardware should have very low expectations for performance in graphically demanding games.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the only viable settings for a playable experience in Evolve are at 1920x1080 resolution. At this resolution, the Low preset is the only one that achieves an average FPS above 60, hitting 62 FPS. This should provide a smooth and responsive experience for an FPS title. The Medium preset is a secondary option, offering an average of 48 FPS, which is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action.

All other settings and resolutions are not recommended. At 1080p, the High preset's 38 FPS and the Ultra preset's 26 FPS averages are too low for a game where quick reflexes are essential. At 2560x1440, even the Low preset's 42 FPS average is borderline, and the higher presets drop into the 17-32 FPS range, which is unplayable. The 3840x2160 resolution results are uniformly poor, with all presets averaging below 25 FPS.

For the best experience per the measured rows, users should prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. The clear recommendation is to use 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth frame rate. If a user can tolerate some stutter, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a visual upgrade while keeping the average FPS at 48. Any attempt to increase resolution or use higher quality presets will result in a significant and unacceptable drop in performance, as evidenced by the benchmark data.