Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS built on the CryEngine, presents a demanding workload that scales dramatically with resolution and settings. Benchmarking the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K reveals a configuration where the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s robust single-threaded performance keeps frame rates high at lower settings. The data indicates a pairing that can deliver smooth 1080p and capable 1440p gameplay, but requires careful settings management to maintain playable frame rates at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 122 FPS at 1080p to 82 FPS at 1440p, a drop of 40 FPS, and then further to 47 FPS at 4K, representing a 35 FPS decline from 1440p. This scaling indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the pixel output demand increases significantly, placing a heavier load on the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth.

The scaling pattern changes when moving to the Low preset. Here, the average frame rate at 1080p is 201 FPS, which drops to 135 FPS at 1440p and 77 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 33%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is approximately 43%. This suggests that even at Low settings, where the GPU workload is reduced, the RX 7700 still becomes the bottleneck at 4K, though the CPU's strong performance allows for higher absolute frame rates than at High settings.

Analyzing the Medium preset, which includes minimum and maximum frame rate data, provides further insight. At 1080p, the average is 156 FPS with a minimum of 133 FPS and a maximum of 179 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 105 FPS, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS. At 4K, the average is 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. The consistency of the minimum frame rates relative to the averages suggests that the GPU is delivering a stable performance envelope without significant frame time spikes.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with frame rates dropping from 85 FPS at 1080p to 57 FPS at 1440p and 32 FPS at 4K. This 4K result is below the generally accepted threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that the RX 7700's compute resources are fully saturated. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra is a 28 FPS drop, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 25 FPS, showing a nearly linear degradation as pixel count increases.

Overall, the data shows that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p Low to the GPU at 4K Ultra. At 1080p Low, the 201 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU, while at 4K Ultra, the 32 FPS result indicates the GPU is overburdened. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235, with its boost clock of 5.00 GHz, appears to be a capable partner, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution without unexpected stutters, based on the available minimum and maximum data.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance for this configuration is the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers an average of 156 FPS, which is high enough for a fluid experience on most displays, and the minimum of 133 FPS ensures minimal dips during intense action sequences. Moving up to High at 1080p yields 122 FPS average, which is still smooth, but the 34 FPS reduction from Medium may not be justified by the marginal visual improvement in a fast-paced FPS.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides an average of 105 FPS, which is an excellent result for a higher-resolution display. The minimum of 89 FPS remains above the 60 FPS threshold, making this a highly playable setting. High at 1440p drops to 82 FPS average, which is still acceptable, but Medium offers a more comfortable margin for frame rate stability. The Low preset at 1440p reaches 135 FPS, but this comes at a significant cost to visual quality, which is not necessary given the strong performance at Medium.

At 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. Medium delivers an average of 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS. This is a borderline playable experience, as the average hits the target but the minimum can dip below. High at 4K drops to 47 FPS, which is not ideal for a competitive FPS. Low at 4K achieves 77 FPS, making it the only preset that provides a comfortable frame rate at this resolution, but it requires sacrificing most visual effects.

Given the data, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point for all resolutions. It provides the best measured balance of frame rate and visual quality, with the minimum frame rates staying within a reasonable range of the averages. For users prioritizing maximum frame rates at 1080p, the Low preset at 201 FPS is the best choice, but for a general experience, Medium offers the most consistent performance without the visual penalties of Low. At 4K, users should accept the Medium preset's 60 FPS average or consider reducing the resolution to 1440p for a more stable experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. In Evolve, the game's performance at lower resolutions and settings, particularly the 201 FPS result at 1080p Low, indicates that the CPU is capable of handling the game's simulation and physics workloads without becoming a bottleneck. The high boost clock of 5.00 GHz is likely a key factor in this, as Evolve's single-threaded performance is critical for frame pacing.

The CPU's architecture, based on Arrow Lake and built on a 3 nm process, provides a strong foundation for gaming. Its cache hierarchy, with 192 KB of L1 per core and 3 MB of L2 per core, along with a shared 24 MB L3 cache, helps reduce memory latency for frequently accessed game data. This is reflected in the benchmark results, where the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and a multi-core score of 14769, indicating strong per-core performance.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role becomes more prominent at 1080p with lower settings, where the GPU is less strained. The data shows a 45 FPS difference between the Low and High presets at 1080p (201 vs 122 FPS), which suggests that while the GPU is still the primary driver of frame rate differences, the CPU has enough headroom to allow for significant frame rate increases when the GPU workload is reduced. At 4K, the CPU's influence is minimal, as the GPU is fully saturated, evidenced by the 32 FPS result at Ultra.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, deltaPct -0.1). This indicates that the CPU provides a comparable level of performance to these high-end processors, which is sufficient for Evolve's requirements. The CPU's 14 threads, while not hyperthreaded, are adequate for the game, as Evolve does not heavily utilize more than a few threads for its core game logic.

The data suggests that the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is not a limiting factor in this configuration. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K follows the expected pattern for a GPU-bound scenario, with the CPU providing consistent performance across all settings. Users with this CPU can expect stable frame delivery, as the minimum frame rates at Medium settings (133 FPS at 1080p, 89 FPS at 1440p) are close to the averages, indicating no significant CPU-related stutters.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1291 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve. This places the pairing in the upper-middle tier of all configurations, indicating that it offers solid performance but is not at the very top of the spectrum. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's strong single-threaded performance and the GPU's mid-range capabilities, which is appropriate for the game's demands.

The percentile position of this combo suggests that it outperforms roughly 55% of all tested setups. This is a reasonable result for a modern CPU paired with a mid-range GPU. The fact that the combo ranks 1291 out of 2872 means there are 1581 configurations that are slower, which indicates that this pairing is capable of delivering playable frame rates in most scenarios.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU's percentile rank is 89, meaning it is faster than 89% of all CPUs tested. This high percentile reflects the Intel Core Ultra 5 235's strong performance. In contrast, the GPU's percentile rank is 58, indicating it is faster than 58% of all GPUs. The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's lower percentile suggests that the combo's overall rank is constrained by the GPU, not the CPU.

This is consistent with the resolution scaling data, which shows the GPU becoming the bottleneck at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the combo's rank might be lower, as the CPU would struggle to feed the GPU. Instead, the data indicates that the CPU has ample headroom, and the combo's rank is primarily determined by the RX 7700's performance class.

In comparison to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852, which is close to the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862, deltaPct -0.1) and slightly below the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16014, deltaPct -1). This places the GPU in a specific performance tier, and the combo rank reflects this positioning. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235's high percentile ensures that the combo is not held back by CPU limitations, allowing the GPU to perform to its full potential.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process. It features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units, which are responsible for the pixel and texture processing that directly impacts Evolve's frame rates. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz, providing the computational throughput for rendering scenes.

The GPU's memory configuration is a critical factor at higher resolutions. It has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This high bandwidth is essential for feeding the shading units at 4K resolutions, where texture and geometry data demands increase significantly. The measured data confirms this, as the frame rate drops from 60 FPS at 4K Medium to 47 FPS at 4K High, indicating that the memory bandwidth and compute resources are being taxed.

The GPU's compute capabilities, rated at 25.18 TFLOPS for FP32, contribute to its performance in Evolve. The game's visual effects, including lighting and particle systems, rely on these shading units. The RX 7700's 40 ray tracing cores are present but are not heavily utilized in Evolve, as the game predates widespread ray tracing adoption. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support ensures compatibility with modern rendering techniques, but the measured data shows that the game's performance is primarily limited by raw rasterization power.

The RX 7700's percentile rank of 58 places it in the mid-range of GPUs, which aligns with its measured performance in Evolve. At 1080p, the GPU delivers between 85 FPS (Ultra) and 201 FPS (Low), showing that it can handle the game at high refresh rates with appropriate settings. However, at 4K, the GPU struggles to maintain 60 FPS even at Medium settings, indicating that it is not designed for 4K gaming without significant compromises.

The GPU's power consumption, rated at 200 W TDP, is a consideration for system builders, but the benchmark data focuses on performance rather than efficiency. The card's 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Evolve's textures, even at 4K, so VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor in this game. Instead, the GPU's compute throughput and memory bandwidth are the determining factors, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling across resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the configuration produces an average of 201 FPS at Low settings, which drops to 156 FPS at Medium, 122 FPS at High, and 85 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 133 FPS and a maximum of 179 FPS, indicating a stable frame delivery. The spread from Low to Ultra is 116 FPS, showing a wide range of performance depending on the graphical load.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 135 FPS at Low, 105 FPS at Medium, 82 FPS at High, and 57 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset here provides a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p ranges from 34 FPS (Low) to 28 FPS (Ultra), showing that the GPU's workload increases consistently across presets.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 77 FPS at Low, 60 FPS at Medium, 47 FPS at High, and 32 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. This resolution shows the most significant performance degradation, with the Ultra preset falling below playable thresholds. The drop from 1440p to 4K ranges from 58 FPS (Low) to 25 FPS (Ultra), indicating that the GPU becomes increasingly saturated at higher pixel counts.

The data also reveals that the difference between Low and Medium presets is consistent across resolutions: 45 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K. This suggests that the Medium preset adds a similar computational load relative to Low, but the absolute impact is smaller at higher resolutions due to the GPU being more constrained. The jump from Medium to High is 34 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 13 FPS at 4K, while the jump from High to Ultra is 37 FPS at 1080p, 25 FPS at 1440p, and 15 FPS at 4K.

For users seeking the highest frame rates, 1080p Low at 201 FPS is the target. For a balance of quality and speed, 1440p Medium at 105 FPS is the sweet spot. At 4K, only the Low preset (77 FPS) provides a comfortable frame rate, while Medium (60 FPS) is playable but with dips to 51 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution above 1080p, as frame rates drop to 57 FPS at 1440p and 32 FPS at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Evolve?

A: The highest average frame rate is 201 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: Is this configuration capable of 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: Yes, but with limitations. The Low preset delivers 77 FPS average, and the Medium preset delivers 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 FPS. The High and Ultra presets fall below 50 FPS, making them less suitable.

Q: What is the recommended preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: The Medium preset is recommended, as it provides an average of 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without significant frame drops.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, deltaPct -0.1), indicating comparable performance.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth, and why does it matter for Evolve?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has a memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This is important for high-resolution rendering, as the data shows frame rates dropping significantly at 4K, which is a symptom of the GPU's memory system being taxed.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in Evolve?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combo ranks 1291 out of 2872 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of performance.