Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 asymmetrical FPS, places unique demands on a system: the hunter team's action is fast and particle-heavy, while the monster's abilities can flood the screen with volumetric effects. In this analysis, the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 produces a benchmark profile that is heavily GPU-bound at high resolutions, yet reveals surprising CPU headroom at 1080p. The data indicates a combo that excels at delivering high refresh rates at 1440p, but requires careful settings management to maintain a locked 60 FPS at 4K. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and presets show a clear scaling pattern that defines the strengths and limitations of this specific configuration.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

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. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz, combined with a 24 MB shared L3 cache, provide substantial throughput for modern game logic. In Evolve, which is a DirectX 12 title, the CPU's role is to manage the simulation of the monster's AI, the physics of the environment, and the network synchronization of four hunters versus one monster. The processor's multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769, ensures that these background tasks do not bottleneck the GPU.

However, the benchmark data suggests that in this specific game, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 335 FPS, a figure so high that it indicates the CPU is capable of feeding frames far beyond what most displays can show. The single-core performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085, is robust enough to handle the game's primary render thread without issue. The processor's 14 cores are likely underutilized in Evolve, as the game's engine may not scale perfectly across all threads, but the sheer clock speed and IPC of the Arrow Lake design prevent any CPU-induced stutter.

The relationship between the CPU and GPU becomes apparent when examining the drop in FPS from Low to Ultra settings. At 1080p, the Ultra preset yields 141 FPS, which is still exceptionally high, but represents a 58% reduction from the Low preset's 335 FPS. This indicates that as settings increase, the load shifts decisively onto the GPU. The Core Ultra 5 235's 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth) ensure that data can be fed to the RTX 4080 without creating a transfer bottleneck. In essence, this CPU provides a stable, high-frequency platform that allows the RTX 4080 to stretch its legs, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not yet saturated.

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

For the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 4080 combination, the measured data provides a clear picture of which settings presets deliver the most playable experience. The goal is to balance visual fidelity with frame rate consistency, as Evolve's fast-paced combat benefits from smooth motion. At 1080p, the High preset produces 204 FPS, which is well above the threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors and offers a significant visual upgrade over Low. The Medium preset, at 260 FPS, is also viable, but the jump from Medium to High is only a 22% FPS reduction while providing much better shadow and texture quality.

The most compelling argument for the High preset comes at 1440p. Here, High delivers 137 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz displays and provides a smooth, responsive experience. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 95 FPS, which is still playable but introduces a noticeable reduction in fluidity. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for 1440p, as it maintains a frame rate high enough to avoid screen tearing on standard VRR displays while offering a rich visual presentation.

At 4K, the recommendation changes drastically. The High preset yields 78 FPS, which is acceptable for a cinematic experience but not ideal for competitive play. The Ultra preset, at 54 FPS, falls below the 60 FPS threshold and is not recommended for sustained action. The Medium preset, at 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS, offers the best balance for 4K. It provides a stable frame rate that stays above 60 FPS in the most demanding moments, as indicated by the min FPS of 84. Therefore, the optimal configuration is to use High at 1080p and 1440p, and to drop to Medium at 4K to ensure a consistent and responsive experience.

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

The FPS scaling across resolutions is a textbook example of GPU-bound behavior. At 1080p High, the combo produces 204 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 137 FPS, a 33% reduction. At 4K High, the frame rate plummets to 78 FPS, a 62% reduction from 1440p and a 62% reduction from 1080p. This steep decline as resolution increases is a direct indicator that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily as the render target expands.

The data for the Low preset reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 335 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 225 FPS (a 33% reduction), and at 4K Low, it falls to 128 FPS (a 43% reduction from 1440p). The fact that even at Low settings the frame rate drops significantly with resolution shows that the RTX 4080 is still the limiting factor, as the CPU is clearly capable of generating far more frames than the GPU can render. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain relatively flat across resolutions at Low settings, but the data shows a consistent decline, confirming that the GPU's pixel throughput is the constraint.

This analysis is further supported by the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 141 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 95 FPS (a 33% reduction), and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 54 FPS (a 43% reduction from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across all presets indicate that the GPU's fill rate and shading units are the determining factor. The CPU, with its high boost clock and 14 cores, is never the limiting component in this configuration. The conclusion is that for this combo, lowering resolution is the most effective way to increase FPS, while adjusting settings has a secondary, but still significant, effect.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the broader database of tested combinations, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 4080 pairing ranks at 222 out of 3700 combos for Evolve. This places it in the top 6% of all tested systems, indicating a high-performance configuration that will handle the game comfortably. The rank is a holistic measure that considers the average FPS across all settings and resolutions, and this combo's strong performance at 1080p and 1440p, coupled with playable 4K frame rates, secures its position in the upper echelon.

To contextualize this rank, the CPU's nearest rivals by average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (0.1% higher score), the Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% lower score), and the AMD EPYC 4364P (0.2% higher score). These are all high-end processors, and the Core Ultra 5 235 sits squarely among them in terms of raw compute. The GPU's nearest rivals are led by the RTX 4080 SUPER (0.1% higher score), with the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S trailing by 2.6% and 2.7%, respectively. The fact that the RTX 4080 is only 0.1% behind its SUPER variant in average benchmark score suggests that this combo is near the top of the performance pyramid.

Given that the combo rank is 222 out of 3700, it is clear that this system is more than capable of delivering a premium Evolve experience. The rank also implies that there are 221 combos that perform better, likely featuring higher-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 or newer generation cards, but the RTX 4080's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs and the CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicate that this is a balanced, high-tier pairing that will not disappoint for this title.

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

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Evolve?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 335, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is this combo capable of maintaining 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only with the Medium or High presets. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 delivers 99 FPS, while High delivers 78 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375's score of 46030 and 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX's score of 46098.

Q: What is the benefit of using the Medium preset at 1440p over High?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers 174 FPS, which is 27% higher than the High preset's 137 FPS. The Medium preset also has a recorded minimum FPS of 148, ensuring smoother frame pacing during intense fights.

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

A: The combo ranks 222nd out of 3700 tested combinations, placing it in the top 6% of all systems for this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rate drops from 335 FPS at Low to 141 FPS at Ultra, a 58% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU is capable of delivering a high frame rate but is constrained by the GPU's rendering speed at higher settings.

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

The following table details the exact measured average FPS, along with minimum and maximum values where available, for each resolution and settings preset combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 78 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 128 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 99 | 84 | 114 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 54 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 137 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 225 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 174 | 148 | 200 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 95 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 204 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 335 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 260 | 221 | 299 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 141 | - | - |

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the Medium preset is the only one that provides frame time variance data, showing a 30 FPS spread between minimum and maximum at 1080p and a 26 FPS spread at 4K. This suggests that the Medium preset offers a more predictable performance envelope, which is beneficial for online multiplayer where sudden frame drops can be detrimental. The Low and High presets, while providing higher average FPS, do not have recorded minimum FPS values, indicating that their frame pacing may be less consistent. For players seeking maximum frame rate, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 335 FPS, but for a balanced experience that prioritizes visual quality and consistency, the High preset at 1440p (137 FPS) or the Medium preset at 4K (99 FPS) are the most data-backed choices.