Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 delivers a mid-range gaming experience in Evolve, landing in the 2228th position out of 2872 tested combos. This places the configuration in the lower-middle portion of the database, indicating that while it can handle the game, it is not a top-tier performer. The combination’s percentile ranking reflects a setup that is more suited to 1080p and 1440p play rather than pushing extreme frame rates at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame of 2228 out of 2872 places this hardware pairing in the 23rd percentile of all tested configurations for Evolve. This is a significant finding because it shows the system is not optimized for high-end performance in this title. The data suggests that roughly three-quarters of tested combos outperform this specific CPU-GPU match. However, the rank is not a condemnation—it indicates a balanced but modest setup that prioritizes consistency over raw speed.

The CPU itself, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235, holds an 89th percentile ranking when compared against all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 46,062 places it in close competition with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, which scores 46,030 (a 0.1% difference), and the Intel Core i9-13900HX at 46,098 (a -0.1% difference). This shows the processor is a strong component that is not holding back the GPU in most scenarios. The GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 6600, sits at the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,036. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, scores 19,030 (0% difference), while the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile scores 19,049 (-0.1% difference). This indicates the graphics card is an average performer, which aligns with the overall combo ranking being lower than the CPU’s individual standing.

The discrepancy between the CPU’s high percentile and the combo’s lower rank points to the GPU being the limiting factor in Evolve. Benchmark results confirm that the processor has ample headroom, but the graphics card’s capabilities cap the final output. For a game like Evolve, which is an FPS title from 2015, the data shows this combo is adequate for smooth gameplay at lower resolutions but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip, manufactured on a 7 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock runs at 1626 MHz, with a boost clock of 2491 MHz and a game clock of 2044 MHz. The memory operates at 1750 MHz, or 14 Gbps effective. These specifications position the card as a capable 1080p performer, which is reflected in the measured FPS data for Evolve.

In terms of raw compute, the RX 6600 has 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. It also includes 28 ray tracing cores, though Evolve does not utilize ray tracing given its 2015 release date. The card delivers a pixel rate of 159.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 279.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 8.928 TFLOPS. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows it becomes a bottleneck at 4K where the average FPS drops below playable thresholds.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range status. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 1,492, while PassMark G3D gives it 15,096. Its DirectX 11 score of 152 and DirectX 12 score of 51 suggest that the card handles older APIs better, which is relevant for Evolve since the game was released before DirectX 12 became standard. The GPU’s overall percentile of 63 shows it is slightly above average in the database, but its performance in Evolve at higher resolutions reveals its limitations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data in Evolve shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 147 FPS, which drops to 98 FPS at 1440p and further to 56 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 62% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as the CPU’s performance remains constant regardless of resolution.

At High settings, the frame rates follow a similar trend: 89 FPS at 1080p, 60 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 33%, and from 1080p to 4K it is 62%. This consistent percentage drop across settings suggests that the GPU is being saturated at higher resolutions, while the CPU has sufficient headroom to handle the increased pixel count without becoming a bottleneck. The fact that the FPS drops proportionally with resolution indicates a GPU-bound scenario, which is typical for a mid-range card like the RX 6600.

The Ultra settings data reinforces this finding. At 1080p Ultra, the combo averages 62 FPS, which drops to 41 FPS at 1440p (a 34% decrease) and 24 FPS at 4K (a 61% decrease). The near-linear scaling across all settings confirms that the limiting component is the GPU. The 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are likely causing the steep decline at 4K, as the game’s textures and effects require more memory bandwidth than the card can provide at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 147, which is highly playable for a fast-paced FPS like Evolve. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. High settings yield 89 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 62 FPS. The data shows that even at Ultra, the frame rate remains above 60 FPS, making 1080p a fully playable experience across all settings.

At 2560x1440, performance becomes more variable. Low settings achieve 98 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings average 76 FPS, with a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 88 FPS. High settings drop to 60 FPS, which is borderline for competitive play. Ultra settings fall to 41 FPS, which may feel less responsive. The step-down from Medium to High is notable, representing a 21% performance loss, while the drop from High to Ultra is even steeper at 32%.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles. Low settings average 56 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings drop to 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. High settings fall to 34 FPS, and Ultra settings plummet to 24 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in Evolve, as even Low settings barely maintain a playable frame rate. The gap between 1440p and 4K is significant, with a 43% performance drop at Low settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 1080p with high settings?*

A: Yes, the measured data shows an average FPS of 89 at 1920x1080 with High settings. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, though not as high as the 147 FPS achieved at Low settings.

*Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware in Evolve?*

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At Medium settings, the combo achieves 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS, providing the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1440p, frame rates drop below 100 FPS even at Low settings.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600 scores 19,036 on average, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 at 19,030 (0% difference) and the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile at 19,049 (-0.1% difference). This shows the RX 6600 is a mid-pack performer in the database.

*Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this GPU in Evolve?*

A: No, the data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 scores 46,062 on average, which is comparable to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 at 46,030 (0.1% difference) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX at 46,098 (-0.1% difference). The FPS scaling across resolutions indicates the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the combo averages 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS target, so 4K is not recommended for this hardware.

Q: Does the combo perform better at Low or High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings achieve 98 FPS while High settings achieve 60 FPS. The difference is 38 FPS, representing a 39% performance loss when moving from Low to High. Medium settings sit in between at 76 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo in Evolve depend on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best experience, delivering an average of 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining better visual quality than Low settings. High settings at 1080p still achieve 89 FPS, which is acceptable, but the jump to Ultra drops the frame rate to 62 FPS, which is only marginally above the playable threshold.

For 2560x1440, the Low preset is recommended, as it achieves 98 FPS and ensures smooth gameplay. Medium settings at 76 FPS are also viable, but the minimum of 65 FPS may cause occasional stutters in intense scenes. High settings at 60 FPS are borderline, and Ultra settings at 41 FPS are not recommended for competitive play. The data suggests that players should prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the combo is not well-suited for Evolve. Even Low settings only achieve 56 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for an FPS. Medium settings at 43 FPS and High settings at 34 FPS are both too low for a responsive experience. The Ultra preset at 24 FPS is unplayable. For 4K, the data recommends either lowering the resolution or accepting reduced visual quality to maintain playable frame rates.

The overall recommendation is to use Medium settings at 1080p for the best balance of performance and visuals. This configuration yields an average FPS of 114, which is 90% higher than the 4K Medium result and 50% higher than the 1440p Medium result. The data shows that this combo is best utilized at 1080p, where it can deliver a consistently smooth experience across all settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features 24 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. These specifications are more than sufficient for Evolve, a game released in 2015 that does not require modern multi-core processing power.

The CPU’s benchmark scores confirm its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 14,769 in multi-core and 2,085 in single-core tests. PassMark multithread gives it a score of 37,816, while single-thread performance is 4,516. These figures place the CPU in the 89th percentile of all processors, showing it is a high-end part. The nearest rivals in performance are the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46,030 average score, 0.1% higher) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46,098 average score, 0.1% lower), indicating the Ultra 5 235 is competitive with top-tier mobile and desktop chips.

In Evolve, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with data and handle game logic. The measured FPS data shows that the CPU does not become a bottleneck at any resolution or settings level. The consistent frame rates at 1080p across different settings, from 147 FPS at Low to 62 FPS at Ultra, demonstrate that the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s demands. The 14 cores and 14 threads provide ample parallel processing power for the game’s AI and physics systems, but the lack of hyperthreading (14 threads for 14 cores) does not hinder performance in this title.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s and dual-channel DDR5 support ensure that data is transferred efficiently to the GPU. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU is not used in this configuration, as the discrete RX 6600 handles all rendering. The processor’s high single-core performance, evidenced by the 2,085 Cinebench R23 score, is particularly relevant for Evolve’s single-threaded game logic, ensuring that frame times remain consistent even in complex scenes. Overall, the data indicates that the CPU is a strong partner for the RX 6600, providing more than enough performance to avoid limiting the GPU in this game.