Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 pairing delivers a playable but demanding experience in Evolve, a 2015 FPS that still stresses modern hardware at higher settings. The data shows a system that excels at 1080p but struggles to maintain fluid frame rates at 4K Ultra, positioning it as a mid-range contender in the benchmark database.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, with average FPS ranging from 71 on Ultra to 169 on Low. At 2560x1440, averages drop to between 48 and 113, while 3840x2160 sees averages from 27 to 64.

Q: How does the CPU's core configuration affect gaming performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has 14 cores and 14 threads, which is a unique configuration without hyper-threading. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and single-core score of 4648 suggest strong per-thread performance, which is relevant for Evolve's engine.

Q: What is the GPU's VRAM capacity and how might it impact Evolve?

A: The RTX 5050 comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The data indicates this is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS suggests potential memory or bandwidth limitations at extreme settings.

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

A: The combination ranks 1749 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's 66th percentile performance among all GPUs, while the CPU sits in the 90th percentile.

Q: What settings preset provides the most balanced experience?

A: At 1080p, Medium delivers 131 FPS average with a minimum of 111 FPS, offering a strong balance between visual quality and smoothness. High settings at 103 FPS are also viable, while Ultra drops to 71 FPS.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the primary bottleneck in this game?

A: The resolution scaling data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. Dropping from 1080p to 4K at High settings reduces FPS from 103 to 39, a 62% decrease, while the CPU's strong single-thread score of 4648 in Cinebench R23 indicates it can keep pace.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 secures a rank of 1749 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the 39th percentile of all systems. This is a modest position, reflecting that while the CPU is a high performer in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, the GPU's 66th percentile standing drags the overall combo down. The data implies that the RTX 5050, not the processor, is the anchor limiting the system's placement.

Benchmark results indicate the CPU is not the weak link. The Core Ultra 5 245's average benchmark score of 48995 places it within 0.8% of the Intel Core i5-14600K (48618) and just 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196). This near-parity with established mid-range processors means the combo's rank is almost entirely a function of GPU performance. The RTX 5050's average benchmark score of 21035 is 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713) but 1.6% behind the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379), showing it sits in a crowded performance band.

The 1749th rank suggests that many other tested combos pair stronger GPUs with similar or weaker CPUs, achieving better results in Evolve. The game's age does not guarantee high performance on modern hardware; the data shows it remains demanding, especially at higher resolutions and presets. For a system targeting this rank, the takeaway is that the GPU choice will determine success, and the CPU's headroom is largely untapped in this title.

Resolution Scaling

Resolution scaling reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings drops the average FPS from 103 to 69, a 33% reduction. Pushing further to 3840x2160 at High yields 39 FPS, a 62% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets, indicating the RTX 5050's rendering throughput is the primary constraint.

The scaling behavior is non-linear, suggesting memory bandwidth and fill rate limits. At Low settings, the drop from 169 FPS at 1080p to 113 FPS at 1440p (33% reduction) and then to 64 FPS at 4K (62% reduction) mirrors the High preset's percentages almost exactly. This uniform scaling points to a GPU that is consistently saturated across all quality levels, rather than a CPU limit that would flatten the curve at lower resolutions.

The RTX 5050's specifications support this interpretation. Its 320.0 GB/s bandwidth and 82.30 GPixel/s pixel rate are modest figures, and the 8 GB VRAM may become a factor at 4K Ultra where the average FPS collapses to 27. The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal; the Core Ultra 5 245's robust single-core performance of 468 in Cinebench R15 single-core ensures it can feed frames well beyond the GPU's capabilities at all resolutions tested.

The data shows that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo at playable frame rates, with 4K requiring significant settings compromises. The 33% performance hit from 1080p to 1440p is typical of a mid-range GPU, but the subsequent 43% drop from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings (88 to 50 FPS) emphasizes that 4K is not a realistic target except at Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers strong performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 169 FPS, while Medium achieves 131 FPS with a minimum of 111 FPS and maximum of 150 FPS. High settings average 103 FPS, and Ultra drops to 71 FPS. These numbers indicate that even the most demanding preset at 1080p remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, making this resolution fully playable.

The 2560x1440 results show a noticeable step down. Low settings average 113 FPS, Medium averages 88 FPS with a range of 75 to 101 FPS, and High drops to 69 FPS. Ultra falls to 48 FPS, which is below the ideal smoothness threshold but still technically playable. The data suggests 1440p High is the highest quality preset that maintains a 60+ FPS average, while Ultra requires sacrificing frame rate for visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 5050 struggles. Low settings average 64 FPS, making it the only 4K preset to hit the 60 FPS mark. Medium averages 50 FPS with a range of 42 to 57 FPS, High drops to 39 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 27 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium at 4K costs 14 FPS (22% reduction), while High to Ultra costs 12 FPS (31% reduction), showing that each quality tier has a significant performance tax.

The min/max data available for Medium presets offers insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 111 to 150 FPS, a 39 FPS spread that indicates some scene complexity variation. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 75 to 101 FPS (26 FPS spread), and at 4K Medium, it tightens to 42 to 57 FPS (15 FPS spread). This pattern suggests that as the GPU becomes more saturated, frame rates stabilize relative to the average, but the absolute lows become more punishing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB207 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. Its 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs deliver 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The GPU's boost clock of 2572 MHz and base clock of 2317 MHz indicate a relatively high-frequency design that helps compensate for its modest core count.

Memory configuration is a critical factor in Evolve's performance. The 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM on a 128-bit bus provides 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a limiting factor at 4K Ultra. The 27 FPS average at 4K Ultra likely reflects both compute and memory pressure, as the game's textures and effects demand more than the bus can efficiently deliver.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2502 and PassMark G3D score of 17326 show it performs on par with the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which is 1.6% slower, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile, which is 1.6% faster. This positioning explains why the combo rank is middling; the GPU is competent but not exceptional.

The RTX 5050's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility are more than sufficient for Evolve, a game from 2015. The data shows the GPU handles the game's requirements at 1080p and 1440p with ease, but the 4K results reveal its limitations. The pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are the theoretical limits that manifest in the resolution scaling analysis.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience in Evolve, the data clearly points to 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This combination delivers an average of 131 FPS with a minimum of 111 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. The 150 FPS maximum indicates headroom for occasional spikes, and the visual quality at Medium is sufficient for a fast-paced FPS where clarity matters more than effects.

If visual fidelity is prioritized, 1080p High at 103 FPS average is a strong alternative. This preset maintains a 60+ FPS average with a comfortable margin, and the increased texture and shadow quality may enhance visibility in Evolve's dark environments. Ultra at 1080p, yielding 71 FPS, is playable but sacrifices the frame rate cushion that competitive players often prefer.

At 2560x1440, High settings at 69 FPS average is the recommended balance. This resolution offers sharper imagery than 1080p while maintaining a playable frame rate, though the 60 FPS floor is not as secure as at 1080p. Medium at 1440p, with an 88 FPS average and 75 FPS minimum, is the safer choice for those who prioritize consistency over resolution.

The data does not support 4K gaming for this combo except at Low settings, which yields 64 FPS but significantly reduces visual quality. Medium at 4K (50 FPS) and High (39 FPS) are below the 60 FPS threshold and may introduce noticeable stutter. For most users, the optimal experience is 1080p Medium or High, with 1440p Medium as a viable upgrade path for those with higher-resolution displays.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process at TSMC. Its base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz provide strong frequency headroom, and the 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps with game data locality. The 65 W TDP indicates efficient power delivery, though the socket 1851 platform is newer.

Benchmark results show the CPU's capabilities. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and single-core score of 4648 place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its PassMark single-thread score of 4394 and multithread score of 38706 confirm balanced performance. The nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (0.5% faster) and Intel Core i5-14600K (0.8% slower), showing the Ultra 5 245 competes with established high-end processors.

In Evolve, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The resolution scaling data shows minimal CPU bottleneck, as even at 1080p Low (169 FPS), the frame rates remain high without indicating a processor limit. The 14-core configuration is overkill for a game from 2015, which likely utilizes fewer threads, but the strong single-core performance of 468 in Cinebench R15 single-core ensures the main game thread runs efficiently.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provides ample data throughput for the GPU. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU is present but irrelevant for this discrete GPU setup. The data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield larger performance gains in Evolve than upgrading the CPU, as the RTX 5050 is clearly the limiting component in this pairing.