Evolve

# Evolve with Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT delivers a capable Evolve experience across the board, with measured frame rates ranging from 35 FPS at 4K Ultra to 221 FPS at 1080p Low. This combination ranks in the 64th percentile among all tested combos (1043rd of 2872), indicating solid mid-pack performance for this 2015 FPS title. The data shows a system that can handle the game comfortably at mainstream resolutions, though 4K Ultra demands more than either component can deliver at playable frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2 lineup, built on Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, drawing 65 W TDP. The CPU sits on Intel Socket 1851 and supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. Its cache hierarchy includes 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 24 MB shared L3.

In Evolve, the CPU's role manifests through the frame rate ceiling at lower settings and resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 221 FPS average, which is substantially higher than any other resolution or settings combination in the measured data. This suggests the processor can feed the GPU efficiently at high frame rates when graphical load is minimal. The gap between 1080p Low (221 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (93 FPS) is 128 FPS, indicating that while the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at Ultra, it still must maintain game logic and physics for the FPS title.

The processor's benchmark scores contextualize its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 32,924 multi-core and 4,648 single-core, placing it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 48,995 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49,196, delta -0.4%) and AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49,228, delta -0.5%), while slightly ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48,698, delta 0.6%) and Intel Core i5-14600K (48,618, delta 0.8%). This parity with the Ryzen 9 7900, a higher-tier part, suggests the Ultra 5 245 provides ample compute headroom for Evolve's single-threaded and multi-threaded demands.

At 1440p, the CPU keeps pace with the GPU across settings. The 1440p Low result of 148 FPS is 73 FPS lower than 1080p Low, a drop that reflects increased pixel throughput demands on the GPU rather than CPU limitation. The processor's 14 threads handle Evolve's background simulation without apparent frame pacing issues, as evidenced by consistent averages across repeated resolution settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High delivers 90 FPS average, which balances visual quality and smoothness. At 1080p, all settings except Ultra exceed 134 FPS, while 4K only reaches 51 FPS at High. The 1440p Medium result of 115 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS indicates a particularly stable experience.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1043rd out of 2872 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all systems evaluated for Evolve. This percentile position aligns with the mid-to-high tier performance observed in the measured frame rates.

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

A: At 1080p Low, the 221 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of driving very high frame rates. However, the drop to 93 FPS at 1080p Ultra (a 128 FPS decrease) indicates the GPU becomes the primary constraint as graphical settings increase, since the CPU workload remains similar across settings.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with medium settings?

A: The measured data shows 65 FPS average at 4K Medium, with a minimum of 55 FPS and maximum of 75 FPS. This is the only 4K setting with recorded minimum/maximum values, indicating a playable but not high-refresh experience.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 22,549 is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (22,435), 0.8% behind the RTX 4060 Mobile (22,729), 1.5% behind the RTX 2080 (22,895), and 1.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (22,170). These near-parity results suggest consistent performance within a narrow band.

Q: Does the CPU's 14-core configuration benefit Evolve specifically?

A: Evolve, as a 2015 FPS title, likely does not utilize all 14 cores efficiently. However, the CPU's strong single-thread performance (4,648 in Cinebench R23 single-core) and high boost clock of 5.10 GHz help maintain frame consistency, as seen in the 1440p Medium minimum of 97 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases. Starting from 1080p, the average frame rates at High settings drop from 134 FPS to 90 FPS at 1440p, a 32.8% reduction, and then to 51 FPS at 4K, a 43.3% reduction from 1440p. This progressive decline indicates the GPU is the dominant scaling factor, as the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth become increasingly taxed at higher resolutions.

The RX 7700 XT's 12 GB GDDR6 memory with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth and 192-bit bus width provides the data throughput necessary for these resolutions. At 4K, the texture and geometry demands of Evolve stress the GPU's 96 ROPs and 216 TMUs, explaining why the 4K Ultra setting drops to 35 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows consistent behavior: at 1080p, the range spans 221 FPS to 93 FPS; at 1440p, it spans 148 FPS to 62 FPS; at 4K, it spans 84 FPS to 35 FPS.

The frame rate drops between Low and Ultra settings are proportionally similar across resolutions. At 1080p, Ultra is 57.9% lower than Low; at 1440p, Ultra is 58.1% lower; at 4K, Ultra is 58.3% lower. This consistency suggests the GPU's compute units (3,456 shading units) scale linearly with workload, and neither the CPU nor memory bandwidth introduces a disproportionate bottleneck at any resolution. The 4K Medium result of 65 FPS with a 55 FPS minimum indicates the system maintains reasonable frame pacing even under 4K load, though the 35 FPS at 4K Ultra confirms that maximum settings at 4K exceed the combo's comfortable envelope.

Settings Recommendations

For the best measured experience, 1440p Medium stands out as the optimal combination of visual fidelity and performance. The 115 FPS average with a minimum of 97 FPS and maximum of 132 FPS provides a smooth, consistent frame rate that exceeds typical 60 FPS expectations while maintaining solid graphical quality. This setting avoids the 62 FPS Ultra result, which, while playable, offers less headroom for demanding scenes.

At 1080p, High settings deliver 134 FPS, which is an excellent choice for high-refresh monitors. The jump to Ultra reduces performance to 93 FPS, a 30.6% penalty that may not justify the marginal visual improvements in Evolve's art style. For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, 1080p Low's 221 FPS offers competitive-level responsiveness, though the visual sacrifices are significant.

For 4K users, Medium is the only viable setting, yielding 65 FPS. The High setting at 51 FPS is borderline, while Ultra's 35 FPS is below acceptable playability thresholds for an FPS genre. The data indicates that 4K Medium provides the best balance, with a minimum of 55 FPS ensuring no severe dips during intense action sequences. At 1440p, the Medium setting's minimum of 97 FPS ensures the frame rate never approaches the 60 FPS threshold, making it the safest recommendation across all measured configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT achieves a rank of 1043 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the 63.7th percentile. This ranking reflects the system's ability to handle the game at mainstream settings, though it does not reach the upper echelons occupied by high-end configurations. The rank aligns with the hardware's market positioning: the CPU sits in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 67th percentile among all GPUs, suggesting the combo performs slightly below what the CPU's percentile might imply, constrained by the GPU's mid-range standing.

The delta between the CPU and GPU percentiles (90 vs. 67) indicates the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing for Evolve. The measured FPS data supports this, as the frame rates at 4K Ultra (35 FPS) are far below what the CPU alone could sustain, while the 1080p Low result (221 FPS) approaches the practical ceiling for the GPU's rasterization throughput. Compared to the nearest rival combos, this system's performance is consistent with expectations, as the RX 7700 XT's closest competitors (RTX 5060 Mobile, RTX 4060 Mobile, RTX 2080, RX 5700) all fall within a 1.7% band of average benchmark scores.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce 221 FPS average, Medium yields 171 FPS with a minimum of 145 and maximum of 197, High achieves 134 FPS, and Ultra drops to 93 FPS. The 1080p Medium frame pacing is particularly stable, with a 52 FPS range between minimum and maximum, indicating consistent GPU workload distribution.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 148 FPS, Medium achieves 115 FPS with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 132, High reaches 90 FPS, and Ultra settles at 62 FPS. The 1440p Medium result shows a 35 FPS range, tighter than the 1080p Medium range, suggesting the GPU operates more efficiently when less CPU-bound.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 84 FPS, Medium delivers 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 and maximum of 75, High drops to 51 FPS, and Ultra falls to 35 FPS. The 4K Medium range of 20 FPS is the narrowest across all resolution/settings combinations, indicating that at this resolution, the GPU's workload is more uniformly distributed, with neither the CPU nor memory subsystem introducing significant variance.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the Navi 32 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process. It features 3,456 shading units, 216 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, with 54 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1435 MHz, a game clock of 2171 MHz, and a boost clock of 2544 MHz. Its 12 GB GDDR6 memory runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) across a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Evolve, the GPU's role is dominant at higher resolutions and settings. The 35.17 TFLOPS FP32 compute capability is sufficient for the game's 2015-era graphics, but the 4K Ultra result of 35 FPS reveals the limits of its 96 ROPs and 244.2 GPixel/s pixel rate when handling 4K resolution with maximum effects. The 549.5 GTexel/s texture rate supports the 216 TMUs, but at 4K, the texture sampling demands of Evolve's environments stress this subsystem.

The GPU's 67th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-to-upper range, with an average benchmark score of 22,549. Its nearest rivals show tight competition: the RTX 5060 Mobile trails by 0.5%, the RTX 4060 Mobile leads by 0.8%, the RTX 2080 leads by 1.5%, and the RX 5700 trails by 1.7%. The 12 GB VRAM capacity proves sufficient for Evolve at all measured settings, as no memory-related stutters appear in the minimum FPS data; the 4K Medium minimum of 55 FPS suggests the GPU maintains its memory footprint without exceeding the 12 GB allocation. The 432.0 GB/s bandwidth supports the frame rates observed, particularly at 1440p where the GPU achieves 115 FPS Medium without apparent bandwidth constraints.