Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS built on the CryEngine, presents a peculiar challenge for modern hardware. The benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination reveals a system with immense headroom, where the limiting factor shifts dramatically depending on resolution and settings. This analysis examines the measured frames per second (FPS) to understand how these two components interact, and what the numbers say about their respective roles in this specific title.

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 processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It operates at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and can boost up to 4.90 GHz. For a game released in 2015 like Evolve, the question is whether a modern, high-core-count CPU is fully utilized or if the game's engine is more dependent on raw single-thread performance. The benchmark results suggest the latter is not a bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 280 FPS, indicating the CPU is feeding the GPU with more than enough frames at lower resolutions.

The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks provides context. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 25891, and its single-core score is 3655. In Passmark, the single-thread score is 4412. These figures place the chip in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it is a strong performer. The nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct 0), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (deltaPct -0.2), and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (deltaPct -0.4). This positions the Ultra 5 225 as a mid-to-high-tier CPU that is statistically tied with these competitors. In Evolve, this level of performance is more than adequate; the data shows the CPU is not the limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios, as the FPS scales predictably with GPU load.

The 3 nm process and 20 MB of shared L3 cache are technical details that support fast data access, but the game's age means it likely doesn't leverage the full architectural complexity. The data implies that Evolve is not a CPU-bound title for this processor. Instead, the Ultra 5 225 provides a stable, high-performance foundation that allows the GPU to be the primary driver of frame rates, especially as resolution increases. The 10 cores and 10 threads are likely underutilized, but their presence ensures minimal frame drops due to background tasks or game logic, as evidenced by the high minimum FPS at Medium settings (184 FPS at 1080p).

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings for this combo in Evolve?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 114 frames per second.

Q: How does the FPS at 4K Low compare to 4K High?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS on Low settings is 107, which is significantly higher than the 65 FPS average on High settings. This indicates a substantial performance cost for the higher visual fidelity.

Q: Is the frame rate at 1080p Ultra higher than at 1440p Medium?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 118. At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 145. Therefore, 1080p Ultra is lower than 1440p Medium in terms of measured average FPS.

Q: What is the range of FPS (min-max) recorded at 4K Medium?

A: The data shows a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings, with an average of 83 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 545th out of 2872 tested combinations in the game.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low?

A: At 1920x1080 Low, the average FPS is 280. At 3840x2160 Low, the average FPS is 107. This represents a decrease of 173 FPS when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings.

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

The FPS scaling across resolutions is the most telling indicator of system balance. At Low settings, the progression is 280 FPS at 1080p, 188 FPS at 1440p, and 107 FPS at 4K. This is a clear and expected decline, but the magnitude is critical. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 92 FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 81 FPS. This non-linear decrease suggests that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases. At 1080p Low, the CPU can feed the GPU so many frames that the GPU is likely not at full utilization, but as resolution rises, the GPU's workload increases, and the frame rate falls.

For High settings, the trend is similar but with lower absolute values: 170 FPS at 1080p, 114 FPS at 1440p, and 65 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are more pronounced here. The 4K High result of 65 FPS is a 62% reduction from the 1080p High result. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 5070, with its 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth, is working hard at 4K, but the data shows it cannot maintain high frame rates at the highest settings.

This scaling behavior indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is not the limiting component in this game. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions, where the CPU's maximum frame output is reached. The fact that FPS continues to rise significantly at 1080p and 1440p suggests the CPU has more headroom. The limiting component is undoubtedly the GPU, especially at 4K, where the demands on the RTX 5070's 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 80 ROPs become evident. The data implies that for high-refresh-rate 1080p or 1440p gaming, this CPU is more than sufficient, while the GPU will dictate the final performance.

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

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 280 FPS on Low, 217 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 184 and maximum of 249), 170 FPS on High, and 118 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show that even at the highest settings, the frame rate is well above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p an excellent resolution for this combo, capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS is 188 on Low, 145 on Medium (min 124, max 167), 114 on High, and 79 on Ultra. The 1440p results show a clear step-down in performance. While Low and Medium settings provide very smooth gameplay, Ultra settings start to dip closer to the 80 FPS range, which is still very playable but indicates the GPU is working harder.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops further. The average FPS is 107 on Low, 83 on Medium (min 70, max 95), 65 on High, and 45 on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 45 FPS is the only scenario where the average falls below 60 FPS. This suggests that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 4K, users should stick with High settings or lower. The Medium setting provides a playable 83 FPS average, but the Ultra setting is not suitable for smooth gameplay. The data clearly shows that 4K is the most demanding resolution for this combo, and the GPU's performance limits are reached here.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the global ranking for Evolve, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 holds the 545th position out of 2872 tested combinations. This places it in the top 19% of all systems tested for this game. This is a strong showing, indicating that the combo is well above average in a broad field that includes both older and newer hardware.

The rank is a holistic metric that considers all resolutions and settings. Given the FPS data, this high rank is expected. The system performs admirably at 1080p and 1440p, and even at 4K, it can manage High settings with an average of 65 FPS. The rank relative to other combos suggests that while there are faster systems (those in the top 544), this pairing offers a balanced level of performance that will satisfy most users. The fact that it ranks in the 545th spot out of 2872 means it is not a top-tier enthusiast setup, but it is far from a low-end one. The data implies that this combo is a solid mid-to-high-range performer, with its main weakness being 4K Ultra settings.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, Ultra settings provide an average of 118 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience on a standard 60 Hz or even a 144 Hz monitor. There is no reason to lower settings at 1080p, as even the most demanding preset delivers a high frame rate.

At 1440p, the choice is between High and Ultra. Ultra yields 79 FPS, which is above 60 but not ideal for a 144 Hz display. High settings offer a much better 114 FPS average, making it the superior choice for high-refresh-rate gaming. Medium settings at 145 FPS are also an option for competitive play, but High provides a better balance of visual quality and performance.

At 4K, the data suggests that High settings are the sweet spot, offering a 65 FPS average, which is playable. Ultra settings at 45 FPS are too low for a smooth experience and should be avoided. Medium settings at 83 FPS are a viable alternative if a higher frame rate is preferred over visual fidelity. Low settings at 107 FPS are the best for maximum performance, but the visual sacrifice is significant. The recommendation is to use High settings for 4K, as it provides the best balance between image quality and playable frame rates.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 plays the decisive role in Evolve's performance, as evidenced by the resolution scaling. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 2325 MHz, with a boost clock of 2512 MHz. The 6144 shading units and 80 ROPs are the key specs for rasterization performance, which is what Evolve primarily uses. The GPU's Passmark G3D score is 29137, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs.

The data shows that the RTX 5070's performance is the primary driver of the FPS numbers. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed, producing an average of 45 FPS. This is where the 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power and the 201.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are insufficient for the workload. The 12 GB of VRAM is likely not a limiting factor at these settings, as the game is from 2015 and would not require a large memory footprint, but the raw processing power is the bottleneck.

The GPU's role is further clarified by its nearest rivals in average benchmark score: the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (deltaPct 0.1), AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (deltaPct 0.8), and AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (deltaPct -1.2). These are professional workstation cards, and the RTX 5070's performance is statistically comparable to them. In Evolve, this translates to a GPU that can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease but starts to struggle at 4K with higher settings. The boost clock of 2512 MHz helps maintain performance under load, but the overall compute capacity is what determines the 4K results. The data indicates that for this game, the RTX 5070 is a strong mid-range performer that excels at standard resolutions but is not a 4K Ultra powerhouse.