Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS, shows a clear performance hierarchy when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. The data indicates that this combination is a capable 1080p performer but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra settings. The measured results show a definitive trend: as resolution and graphical fidelity increase, the frame rate drops substantially, revealing a system that is primarily GPU-limited at higher settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo reveals a steep performance curve as resolution scales from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system delivers an average of 169 FPS, which drops to 131 FPS at Medium and 103 FPS at High. The 4K (3840x2160) results show a dramatic reduction: the average FPS at Low is 65, at Medium it is 50, and at High it falls to 39. This represents a significant performance cost for higher resolutions, with the gap between 1080p Low and 4K Low being a 104 FPS difference.

The scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The RTX 4060's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus, with a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s, are likely strained by the pixel throughput required at 4K. The data shows that moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings results in a frame rate drop from 69 FPS to 39 FPS, a reduction of 30 FPS. This is a steep decline that suggests the rendering pipeline is overwhelmed by the increased pixel count.

The most telling data point for understanding the bottleneck is the performance delta between settings at the same resolution. At 4K, the jump from Low to Medium costs 15 FPS (65 to 50), while the jump from Medium to High costs another 11 FPS (50 to 39). The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is even more punishing, with the average dropping to 27 FPS. This non-linear scaling, where each step in quality yields a smaller absolute frame rate gain, is characteristic of a system where the GPU is saturated and cannot keep up with the demands of higher settings.

At 1080p, the system appears less constrained. The 169 FPS average at Low settings suggests the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU. However, the drop to 71 FPS at Ultra settings shows that the GPU still becomes a limiting factor when shader complexity increases. The data implies that for this game, the sweet spot for this combo is 1080p, where the GPU can maintain high frame rates across all settings, or 1440p with Medium settings, where the 88 FPS average is still fluid. The 4K resolution is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the 65 FPS average is not ideal for a competitive FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34731 and a single-core score of 4903. The data suggests this processor has substantial compute headroom for gaming, given its high multi-threaded performance.

In Evolve, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 169 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would require a capable CPU to sustain. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4683 indicates strong per-core performance, which is crucial for game logic and physics. This is supported by its PassMark physics score of 2550, which reflects its ability to handle complex simulations. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is able to keep up with the GPU's output, allowing the system to reach its maximum frame rates.

However, as resolution increases, the CPU's influence wanes. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at the same settings is far more pronounced than any variation in CPU load. The core count and clock speed of the Ultra 5 235HX are sufficient to prevent a CPU bottleneck in Evolve, as evidenced by the high frame rates at lower resolutions. The processor's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth provide adequate data throughput for the game's engine.

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the primary constraint for performance in Evolve. The system's performance is more closely tied to the GPU's capabilities, especially when moving to higher resolutions. The CPU's high single-thread performance, as shown by its Cinebench R20 single-core score of 2059, ensures that it can handle the game's single-threaded tasks without becoming a bottleneck. The data suggests that while the CPU is powerful, its impact on the measured FPS is minimal compared to the GPU's workload.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, is the primary driver of the measured performance in Evolve. It has a boost clock of 2460 MHz and a base clock of 1830 MHz. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This GPU sits at the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its closest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which is only 0.2% faster, and the AMD Radeon 780M, which is 0.3% slower.

The GPU's role is clearly defined by the resolution scaling data. At 4K Ultra, the system averages only 27 FPS, which is unplayable. This poor performance is directly tied to the GPU's memory bandwidth and VRAM capacity. The 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB VRAM are insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering in a modern FPS. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, as the frame rate drops precipitously when settings are increased.

At 1440p, the GPU performs adequately at Medium settings, achieving an 88 FPS average. This indicates that the RTX 4060 has enough power to handle the resolution when settings are tuned. The GPU's 3072 shading units and 96 texture mapping units are utilized effectively at this resolution. However, moving to High settings at 1440p reduces the average to 69 FPS, and Ultra drops it further to 48 FPS. This shows that the GPU's performance degrades quickly as shader complexity increases.

The GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is substantial, but it is not enough to overcome the memory bandwidth limitations at higher settings. The data implies that the RTX 4060 is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates across all settings. At 1080p Ultra, it achieves 71 FPS, which is playable, while at 1080p Low it reaches 169 FPS. The GPU's performance in Evolve is consistent with its specification, showing that it is a mid-range card that excels at lower resolutions but struggles with 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks at position 1740 out of 2872 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the lower-middle tier of tested configurations. The percentile ranking indicates that this combo outperforms roughly 39% of all tested combinations but is beaten by a majority of systems. This is a modest ranking, reflecting the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.

The CPU alone ranks at the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 52073. Its nearest rival is the AMD EPYC 8124P, which is 0.1% slower, and the Intel Core i7-14700, which is 0.4% faster. This shows that the processor is a high-end part that is not the limiting factor in this combo. In contrast, the GPU ranks at the 61st percentile, with an average benchmark score of 17639. The GPU's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which is 0.2% faster, indicating that the RTX 4060 is a mid-range part.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's lower percentile explains the combo's overall rank. The system is held back by the GPU, which cannot fully utilize the CPU's capabilities. In Evolve, the data shows that the combo's performance is more aligned with the GPU's tier than the CPU's. The combo rank of 1740 suggests that many other configurations, likely with more powerful GPUs, would perform better in this game. The data indicates that this combo is a balanced but not exceptional pairing, with the GPU being the primary constraint on performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average frame rate for this combo at 1920x1080 with High settings is 103 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of only 27 FPS, which is below playable thresholds.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in Evolve?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the main bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU's high single-thread performance allows it to keep up, but the GPU's frame rate drops sharply as resolution increases.

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

A: The combo ranks at 1740 out of 2872 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of performance.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 169 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and does it affect performance?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 27 FPS, which suggests the VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth are insufficient for the game's demands at that resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For a smooth competitive experience, the data suggests using Low settings at 1440p (114 FPS) or High settings at 1080p (103 FPS). The Low preset at 1440p offers a high frame rate, while High at 1080p provides a balance of visual quality and performance.

For players prioritizing visual fidelity, the Medium preset at 1440p is a strong choice, delivering 88 FPS with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS. This setting provides a stable frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1080p, the Medium preset achieves 131 FPS, which is excellent, and the High preset still offers a very playable 103 FPS.

The data does not recommend using Ultra settings at any resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 71 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. At 1440p Ultra, the average falls to 48 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it plummets to 27 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra settings is not justified by the visual improvements, especially at higher resolutions. The best experience per the measured rows is achieved by using Medium settings at 1440p or High settings at 1080p, both of which provide a good balance of frame rate and visual quality.