Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 asymmetrical FPS, presents a fascinating test case for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system with immense headroom, but the pattern of performance scaling suggests the interaction between this specific CPU and GPU is more nuanced than a simple "it's fast" verdict. The data indicates where the bottleneck shifts as workload changes, offering a clear picture of what this pairing can deliver in a title that is now over a decade old.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is the most telling metric for understanding this system's balance. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 335 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average falls to 225 FPS, a reduction of 110 FPS. The jump to 4K Low yields 128 FPS, which is another drop of 97 FPS. This steep decline as resolution increases points toward the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor, even at the lowest graphical preset. The sheer pixel count at 4K is demanding enough to engage the RTX 4080 significantly, pulling the frame rate down from the extreme heights seen at 1080p.

However, the scaling pattern changes dramatically when the settings are raised. At Ultra settings, the frame rate at 1080p is 141 FPS, at 1440p it is 95 FPS, and at 4K it plummets to 54 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 33%, and from 1440p to 4K is another 43%. This is a much more aggressive scaling curve than what was observed at Low settings. The increasing load from both higher resolution and more complex graphical effects at Ultra places a heavier burden on the GPU, confirming that its performance is the dominant constraint in this scenario. The data shows a system that is capable of exceeding 300 FPS at 1080p Low, but which settles into a more conventional performance envelope as the GPU is pushed harder.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy for visual quality versus performance. For players prioritizing the highest refresh rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers an average of 335 FPS, which is a staggering number. Even at 1440p, the Low preset maintains an average of 225 FPS, making it an excellent choice for competitive play on high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset offers a substantial step up in visual fidelity while still providing very high performance, with 260 FPS at 1080p and 174 FPS at 1440p. This setting appears to be the sweet spot for a balanced experience, offering a significant improvement over Low without a crippling performance cost.

The High preset is where the performance begins to become more moderate. At 1080p, it still delivers a very playable 204 FPS, and at 1440p it hits 137 FPS. This is the recommended preset for users who want a strong visual upgrade and still have plenty of headroom for high refresh rates. The Ultra preset, while offering the best image quality, shows the most significant performance hit. The 141 FPS at 1080p is still smooth, but the 95 FPS at 1440p and 54 FPS at 4K suggest that this preset is best reserved for users with 1080p displays or those who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rates. The data suggests that for most users, the Medium or High presets provide the best compromise between visual quality and the consistently high frame rates this hardware can achieve.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. Its benchmark scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and the single-core score of 4648, indicate a very capable modern processor. In the context of Evolve, the high frame rates observed, especially at lower resolutions and settings, suggest the CPU is more than adequate to feed the GPU. The fact that 1080p Low results in 335 FPS shows that the processor is not a bottleneck in this scenario. The single-thread performance, as measured by the Cinebench R23 score, is likely a key factor in maintaining high minimum frame rates in a game that relies on consistent simulation and game logic updates.

The CPU's 5.10 GHz boost clock and 24 MB of shared L3 cache are specifications that contribute to strong gaming performance. The data suggests that in Evolve, the Core Ultra 5 245 provides a solid foundation, enabling the GPU to reach its full potential. The processor's position in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995, reinforces its high-end status. It sits very close to rivals like the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which has an average score of 49228 and a deltaPct of -0.5, and the Intel Core i5-14600K, with a score of 48618 and a deltaPct of 0.8. This indicates that the processor's computational power is on par with some of the best gaming CPUs available, which is reflected in its ability to sustain high frame rates in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

When looking at the overall performance of this specific CPU and GPU pairing in Evolve, the data places it at rank 222 out of 3700 tested combinations. This puts the combo in the top 6% of all systems tested for this game, which is a very strong result. The high ranking shows the strength of both components. The RTX 4080 is a top-tier GPU, and the Core Ultra 5 245 is a high-performance processor, and their combined effort is clearly effective in this title. The data implies that this system is positioned to deliver an excellent gaming experience, with the capability to handle high refresh rates and high resolutions.

This ranking is particularly impressive when considering the age of the game. Evolve was released in 2015, and the hardware powering this test is from a much later generation. The combination's rank suggests that it is not just capable but is among the most powerful systems tested. This is likely due to the significant advancements in both CPU and GPU architecture since the game's launch. The sheer processing power of the Core Ultra 5 245, combined with the massive graphical throughput of the RTX 4080, results in a system that can brute-force its way through this title's engine, producing frame rates that were unattainable for systems contemporary to the game's release.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the clear driving force behind the high frame rates, especially at higher resolutions. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for handling the texture and geometry data at 4K. The GPU's performance in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247, confirms its position as a high-end part. Its benchmark scores, such as the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567, further underscore its capabilities. The RTX 4080's nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, has an almost identical average score of 54209 with a deltaPct of 0.1%, showing that this GPU is at the very top of its class.

The data from the measured FPS directly reflects the GPU's workload. The significant frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K at all settings are a direct consequence of the GPU's rendering load. The RTX 4080's architecture, based on Ada Lovelace, with 9728 shading units and 112 ROPs, is designed for high-throughput rasterization. In Evolve, this translates to exceptional performance. The GPU's boost clock of 2505 MHz allows it to maintain high compute throughput, ensuring that the frame rate remains high even under sustained load. The fact that the system can achieve 128 FPS at 4K Low and 54 FPS at 4K Ultra demonstrates the GPU's ability to scale its performance according to the demands of the resolution and settings, making it the definitive component for high-fidelity gaming in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and RTX 4080 combination produces remarkable results. The Low preset yields an average of 335 FPS, which is the highest measured value. The Medium preset produces an average of 260 FPS, with a minimum of 221 and a maximum of 299 FPS, showing a tight and stable frame time distribution. The High preset delivers an average of 204 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces 141 FPS. The scaling is consistent, with each settings tier costing a predictable amount of performance. Even at Ultra, the frame rate remains high enough to drive a 144Hz monitor without issue.

Moving to 2560x1440, frame rates remain very high. The Low preset produces an average of 225 FPS. The Medium preset results in 174 FPS, with a similar stable range of 148 to 200 FPS. The High preset delivers 137 FPS, which is still excellent for a 1440p experience. The Ultra preset brings the average down to 95 FPS. The drop between Medium and High is 37 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 42 FPS, indicating that the more demanding settings have a linear impact on performance at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to feel the strain, but the results are still impressive. The Low preset averages 128 FPS, which is a great result for 4K gaming. The Medium preset produces 99 FPS, with a minimum of 84 and a maximum of 114 FPS. The High preset averages 78 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 54 FPS, which is on the edge of what many would consider playable for a smooth experience. The data shows a clear and predictable progression of frame rates across all three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for the highest frame rate in Evolve?

A: The data shows that the highest average frame rate of 335 FPS is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: Yes, it can. At 3840x2160, the system delivers an average of 128 FPS on Low, 99 FPS on Medium, and 78 FPS on High. The Ultra preset is the only one that dips below 60 FPS, averaging 54 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance impact the game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648. This high single-thread performance is likely a major factor in sustaining the very high frame rates observed, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU has more influence on the final frame output.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 the main bottleneck for this system in Evolve?

A: The data suggests yes, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The frame rate drops significantly when moving from 1080p to 4K, which indicates the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as its rendering load increases.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Medium and High presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 174 FPS, while the High preset averages 137 FPS. This is a difference of 37 FPS, representing a 21% reduction in performance for the visual upgrade.

Q: How does this system rank compared to other tested combinations?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is ranked 222 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the top 6% of all systems tested.