Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS, presents an interesting case study when paired with a modern flagship CPU and GPU. The data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination shows exceptional performance across all tested resolutions and settings, firmly placing this system in the top tier for this title. The benchmark results reveal a system capable of delivering high frame rates even at 4K with maximum settings, while also highlighting how the game's engine scales with different hardware configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 46th out of 2872 tested combinations in the database for this game, placing it in the top 1.6% of all systems tested.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5090 compared to its nearest rival, the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 79,842, which is 0.3% higher than the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB's score of 79,605, making the performance difference nearly negligible in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves an average of 160 FPS. At 4K Ultra, this drops to 61 FPS, representing a significant 61.9% decrease in performance as resolution increases.

Q: Which settings preset at 1440p offers the highest frame rate?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers the highest average frame rate at 254 FPS, followed by Medium at 197 FPS, High at 155 FPS, and Ultra at 107 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU have a high single-core performance relative to its peers?

A: The Core Ultra 5 225 scores 3,655 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which contributes to its 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Ryzen 5 5600F, has a nearly identical average benchmark score, with a delta of 0%.

Q: Is there a large gap between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: Yes, the difference is substantial. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 145 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS, a 57.9% reduction in frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this configuration for Evolve. The GPU's massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s, which is more than sufficient for the game's textures and assets at any resolution. The 32 GB frame buffer is a significant asset, as it ensures that even at 4K with Ultra settings, the system is unlikely to encounter memory-related stuttering or texture pop-in.

The GPU's clock speeds are also a key factor. With a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, the RTX 5090 operates at high frequencies that directly translate to frame rate. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is an enormous amount of compute power, and the data shows this in practice. At 1080p Low, the system hits an average of 379 FPS, which reflects the GPU's raw fill rate. Even at the most demanding settings tested (4K Ultra), the GPU still manages an average of 61 FPS, indicating that Evolve is well-optimized for high-end hardware.

The benchmark results suggest that the RTX 5090 is not significantly bottlenecked by the CPU in this game. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a clear GPU-bound trend, with frame rates decreasing as resolution increases, which is the expected behavior. The 92nd percentile ranking of the GPU among all GPUs reinforces its position as a top-tier part, and its performance in Evolve aligns with that status.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the user's display and performance goals. For players with a 4K display, the Medium preset at 3840x2160 offers a compelling balance, delivering an average of 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS. This is a very playable experience that maintains high visual fidelity. The High preset at 4K drops to 88 FPS, which is still smooth, but the Medium preset's higher minimum frame rate of 95 FPS provides a more consistent experience. Ultra at 4K is playable at 61 FPS but may not be ideal for fast-paced competitive play.

For 1440p users, the High preset at 155 FPS is the recommended choice for a high-refresh-rate experience. This offers a significant improvement over the Medium preset's 197 FPS and the Low preset's 254 FPS, but it provides a much better visual experience. The Ultra preset at 107 FPS is also viable for 1440p, offering a robust frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 160 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a high level of detail while still maintaining a frame rate that exceeds most 1440p monitors' refresh rates. The data suggests that the system is powerful enough to run the game at maximum settings at 1080p and 1440p with excellent results.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and RTX 5090 combination ranks 46th out of 2872 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the top 1.6% of all systems. This is a strong result, indicating that this pairing is exceptionally well-suited for this game. The rank is more impressive when considering the CPU's position in the market. The Core Ultra 5 225 is not a flagship processor; it sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its performance is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, with a delta of 0%, and it is slightly ahead of the Ryzen 5 5500X3D.

The high combo rank is mostly attributable to the GPU's prowess. The RTX 5090 is a top-tier graphics card, and its performance in Evolve is excellent. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU's role is to provide enough processing power to keep the GPU fed, and the Core Ultra 5 225 appears to do this effectively. The rank of 46 indicates that there are only 45 other combinations that perform better, likely featuring even more powerful CPUs or slightly better tuned systems. This result suggests that the Core Ultra 5 225 is not a significant bottleneck for the RTX 5090 in Evolve, making it a very effective pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals clear insights into the system's bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 379 FPS. At 1440p Low, this drops to 254 FPS, a 33% decrease. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 145 FPS, a 42.9% decrease from 1440p. This pattern is consistent across all settings. At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 160 FPS at 1080p, 107 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K.

This scaling behavior indicates that the system is heavily GPU-bound in Evolve. As the resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The CPU's performance is not the limiting factor here; if it were, the frame rates would plateau or show less dramatic drops at higher resolutions. The fact that the frame rate scales almost linearly with the number of pixels suggests that the RTX 5090 is the primary determinant of performance. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings is 61.9%, which is a significant reduction, but it is expected for a game that relies heavily on pixel fill rate and shader complexity. The data implies that the RTX 5090's 32 GB of VRAM and 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth are sufficient to handle the game's demands at all resolutions, but the raw compute power is still the deciding factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across different settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers outstanding results. The Low preset achieves an average of 379 FPS, while Medium averages 294 FPS with a minimum of 250 FPS and a maximum of 338 FPS. The High preset averages 231 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 160 FPS. These numbers show that the system is capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p with ease, even at the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, performance remains very strong. The Low preset averages 254 FPS, Medium averages 197 FPS with a minimum of 168 FPS and a maximum of 227 FPS, High averages 155 FPS, and Ultra averages 107 FPS. The 1440p results are ideal for users with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors, as the High preset comfortably exceeds these refresh rates. At 3840x2160, the system still delivers excellent performance. The Low preset averages 145 FPS, Medium averages 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS, High averages 88 FPS, and Ultra averages 61 FPS. The 4K data shows that the system can handle 4K gaming at high settings, but the Ultra preset is best suited for players who prioritize visual quality over maximum frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 plays a supporting but crucial role in this configuration for Evolve. With 10 cores and 10 threads, the CPU provides enough parallelism to handle the game's background tasks and physics calculations. The base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz ensure that the processor can deliver high single-threaded performance, which is often critical for game logic and draw call submission. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,655 and multi-core score of 25,891 indicate a well-balanced processor.

The CPU's performance in the context of this combo is best understood by comparing it to its rivals. The Ryzen 5 5600F has an identical average benchmark score, with a delta of 0%. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% slower, and the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 is 0.4% slower. This means the Core Ultra 5 225 is essentially on par with these processors in synthetic benchmarks. The data from Evolve suggests that this level of CPU performance is sufficient to avoid creating a bottleneck for the RTX 5090. The frame rates at 1080p, where the CPU has a larger relative role, are exceptionally high, indicating that the CPU is handling the game's demands without issue. The 65W TDP of the Core Ultra 5 225 is notable, as it shows that high performance is achievable without excessive power consumption, which is a positive attribute for system builders. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache also aids in keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores, which can improve game performance.