Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 asymmetric FPS, places unusual demands on a system because it must render a large, detailed arena while keeping the monster and four hunters visible simultaneously. For the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, the measured data reveals a pairing that is heavily constrained by the GPU at higher settings but capable of delivering smooth gameplay when tuned appropriately. The benchmark results indicate that this system’s performance profile is defined by a clear hierarchy of settings and resolutions, with the most playable experience found at 1080p, where the CPU has enough headroom to push the GPU to its limits.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear directive for the optimal experience with this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 97 FPS, which is a strong result for a fast-paced FPS. While the Low preset achieves a much higher 160 FPS average, the jump to Medium yields 124 FPS, and High at 97 FPS represents the best balance between visual fidelity and playability. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 68 FPS, which, while playable, introduces a significant performance cost for marginal visual gains over High. Consequently, the High preset at 1080p is the recommended default, as it provides a smooth, responsive experience without the frame rate volatility seen at lower settings.

Moving up to 2560x1440, the situation changes. The High preset averages 65 FPS, which is still acceptable for many players, but the Medium preset at 83 FPS offers a more comfortable margin. The data shows that the step from Medium to High at this resolution costs 18 FPS, a substantial penalty that suggests the GPU is beginning to struggle with the increased pixel count. The Ultra preset at 45 FPS is borderline, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold that competitive FPS players typically prefer. Therefore, for 1440p, the Medium preset is the more prudent choice, as it maintains frame rates above 80 FPS while retaining a reasonable level of graphical detail.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overmatched for high-fidelity gaming. The High preset averages only 37 FPS, which is below the playability threshold for an action game. Even the Medium preset, which is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum frame times, averages 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS, indicating noticeable stutter. The Low preset at 61 FPS is the only option that approaches a smooth experience at 4K, but it requires sacrificing almost all graphical features. Given these numbers, 4K gaming should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept Low settings, and even then, the experience is marginal. The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally the High preset at 1080p, which offers the ideal combination of frame rate and visual quality.

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 the context of Evolve, the CPU's role is to manage the game's simulation, AI for the monster and wildlife, and the physics of the dynamic environment. The benchmark results show that at 1080p, the CPU is not the primary bottleneck for this pairing. The progression from Low (160 FPS) to High (97 FPS) demonstrates that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU is able to feed the graphics card with enough data to reach these frame rates. The processor's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655, is crucial for the game's main thread, which handles game logic and rendering commands.

The CPU’s performance relative to its peers is notable. Its average benchmark score of 36938 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, showing that it is a high-performing part. The nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with an average score of 36945, show a delta of 0%, indicating statistical parity. This means the Core Ultra 5 225 delivers compute performance on par with established mid-range processors, which is more than sufficient for Evolve's CPU demands. The processor's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support, with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, ensure that it can handle the game's data streaming without causing hitches. In this game, the CPU provides a solid foundation, but the data does not show it as the component that dictates the playable settings; that role falls squarely on the GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the defining component in this system's Evolve performance. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the GPU has ample memory capacity and throughput for the game's textures and geometry at 1080p and 1440p. The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 1470 MHz and a boost of 1650 MHz, are standard for the Turing architecture. The benchmark data reveals a clear pattern: the GPU is the performance limiter at every resolution, and its capabilities dictate the playable settings. The measured FPS drop from 160 at 1080p Low to 68 at 1080p Ultra is a 58% reduction, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's shading units (2176) and texture mapping units (136) being overwhelmed by the increased pixel shader work and texture detail at higher presets.

The RTX 2060 SUPER's overall performance is competitive within its class. Its average benchmark score of 18093 places it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a mid-range performer. The nearest rivals show close competition: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile with an average score of 18159 (delta -0.4%) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 with 18189 (delta -0.5%). This suggests that the desktop RTX 2060 SUPER is roughly equivalent to a mobile RTX 3060, which confirms its efficiency. For Evolve, this means the GPU can handle the game at 1080p High with ease, but its limits are exposed at 4K, where the 8 GB VRAM and the GPU's compute throughput are insufficient for high-detail settings. The data confirms that the RTX 2060 SUPER is a capable 1080p and entry-level 1440p card for this title, but it is not a 4K solution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall ranking for Evolve, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER holds the 2025th position out of 2872 tested combos. This places the system in the lower-middle tier of all possible configurations, which is consistent with the GPU's mid-range status. The ranking is likely dragged down by the GPU's performance at higher resolutions, as many other combos with more powerful graphics cards will achieve significantly higher frame rates at 4K. However, the ranking does not tell the whole story, as it is a single aggregate position that does not account for the specific resolution and settings used.

The combo's rank of 2025 out of 2872 suggests that a majority of tested systems outperform it, but it is important to contextualize this within the GPU's class. The RTX 2060 SUPER is an older, end-of-life product, and its performance is expected to be below that of newer mid-range and high-end cards. The CPU's strong performance, evidenced by its 85th percentile ranking, does not compensate for the GPU's limitations in this game. The data indicates that this combination is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can compete with more modern systems, but it will fall behind at higher resolutions. For a user with a 1080p monitor, this combo is a solid choice; for 1440p, it is a compromise; for 4K, it is inadequate.

Resolution Scaling

The impact of resolution on frame rate is stark and clearly illustrates the GPU bottleneck. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 97 at 1920x1080 to 65 at 2560x1440, a 33% reduction. The further drop to 37 at 3840x2160 represents a 62% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the number of pixels to render quadruples from 1080p to 4K, but the frame rate does not halve consistently due to other bottlenecks. The fact that the frame rate does not scale linearly with pixel count suggests that while the GPU is the primary limiter, there are other factors, such as memory bandwidth and fill rate, that also constrain performance.

The data for the Medium preset shows a similar trend, with frame rates dropping from 124 at 1080p to 83 at 1440p and 47 at 4K. Notably, the 4K Medium result has a minimum FPS of 40, which indicates frame pacing issues and stutter, making it an inconsistent experience. The Low preset, which is less demanding on the GPU, shows less dramatic scaling: 160 FPS at 1080p, 107 at 1440p, and 61 at 4K. This suggests that at Low settings, the CPU starts to become more relevant, as the GPU is not as heavily taxed. Overall, the resolution scaling data confirms that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting component, and any attempt to play at 4K requires a significant reduction in settings to achieve playable frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. With the Low preset, the average FPS is 160, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the CPU is capable of pushing the GPU to its maximum output. The Medium preset averages 124 FPS, with a minimum of 106 and a maximum of 143, showing a stable frame time distribution. The High preset averages 97 FPS, which is a 22% reduction from Medium, but still well within the range for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset averages 68 FPS, which is the lowest at this resolution, but it remains above the 60 FPS threshold for acceptable playability.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops are significant. The Low preset averages 107 FPS, which is a 33% reduction from 1080p Low. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 96, indicating that while the average is good, there is some variance. The High preset averages 65 FPS, which is a 22% reduction from Medium, and the Ultra preset falls to 45 FPS. This resolution is where the GPU starts to show its limitations, and the Ultra preset is not recommended.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. The Low preset averages 61 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. The Medium preset averages 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 55, which is a marginal experience due to the low minimum frame rate. The High preset averages 37 FPS, which is too low for a smooth experience, and the Ultra preset averages 26 FPS, which is essentially unplayable. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo unless the user is willing to accept Low settings and even then, the frame rate is barely acceptable.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system in Evolve?

A: The best experience, per the measured data, is the High preset at 1920x1080, which delivers an average of 97 FPS. This provides a balance between visual quality and smooth gameplay, as the frame rate is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: Yes, but only with significant compromises. The Low preset at 3840x2160 averages 61 FPS, while Medium averages 47 FPS and High averages 37 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 26 FPS, which is unplayable. For a consistent experience, 4K is not recommended.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its direct rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938, placing it in the 85th percentile. It is statistically tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (delta 0%) and slightly behind the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (delta -0.2%), indicating it is a high-performing processor.

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

A: The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rate scales significantly with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance. The CPU’s strong single-thread score and high frame rates at Low settings confirm it is not the limiting component.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 65 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 45 FPS. This is a 20 FPS reduction, or a 31% performance penalty, which makes Ultra less desirable at this resolution.

Q: How does this GPU rank compared to its nearest competitors?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. It is nearly identical in performance to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (delta -0.4%) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (delta -0.5%).