Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 FPS from Turtle Rock Studios, places unusual demands on hardware, and the combination of Intel's Core Ultra 7 165H and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4090 reveals a fascinating performance curve across resolutions and settings. The data shows a system capable of high refresh rate play at 1080p but one that becomes increasingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the 24 GB VRAM buffer of the RTX 4090 ensuring memory capacity is never a limiting factor. This analysis examines the measured performance of this specific pairing, interpreting the scores and frame rates to understand where the bottlenecks lie and what settings provide the optimal experience for this title.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 263 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only setting/resolution combination that pushes the average beyond the 250 FPS mark, indicating a significant headroom at the lowest visual fidelity.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H has an average benchmark score of 34083, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H's score of 33989. It is also 0.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, which posts an average score of 34260, meaning the 165H is slightly ahead of both.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 has a percentile rank of 88 among all GPUs, placing it in the top 12% of all hardware tested. This high percentile is reflected in its strong performance across all resolutions in Evolve, even at Ultra settings.

Q: At 4K resolution, what is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings?

A: The data shows a 59 FPS difference at 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate is 101 FPS, while at Ultra settings, it drops to 42 FPS. This substantial gap highlights the heavy performance cost of Ultra settings at 4K.

Q: How much faster is the 1080p Medium average compared to the 1440p Medium average?

A: The 1080p Medium average frame rate is 204 FPS, which is 67 FPS higher than the 1440p Medium average of 137 FPS. This represents a 48.9% increase in performance when dropping from 1440p to 1080p at Medium settings.

Q: Does the CPU's single-thread performance suggest it could be a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The Core Ultra 7 165H's Cinebench R23 single-core score is 1759, and its Passmark single-thread score is 3509. Given that the GPU reaches 263 FPS at 1080p Low, the CPU's single-thread performance appears sufficient to feed the GPU at very high frame rates, though the data does not isolate CPU vs. GPU usage.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration for Evolve. With a massive 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, the GPU delivers a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, which is more than sufficient for a game released in 2015. The data confirms this: across all tested resolutions and settings, the measured FPS scales predictably with GPU load, indicating that the 24 GB frame buffer is never a limiting factor.

The GPU's clock speeds further bolster its role. Operating at a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, the RTX 4090's raw compute power is evident. Its FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS translates directly into the high frame rates observed in the benchmark data. For instance, at 1080p High, the combo achieves 160 FPS, but at 1080p Low, it jumps to 263 FPS. This 103 FPS swing is a direct result of the GPU's ability to process fewer shading calculations at lower settings, allowing it to render frames faster. The GPU is clearly the primary component dictating performance, especially as resolution increases.

The GPU's architecture, Ada Lovelace, also plays a role. While the data doesn't specify which features are active in Evolve, the RTX 4090's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and its 128 RT cores and 512 Tensor cores suggest it is well-prepared for modern APIs. However, since Evolve is a pre-DX12 title, the GPU's raw rasterization power, reflected in its 443.5 GPixel/s pixel rate and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate, is what the benchmark results are most likely measuring. The performance differences between settings are stark, with the 4K Ultra average of 42 FPS being the only result that drops below the 60 FPS target, suggesting that even this flagship GPU is challenged by the combination of high resolution and maximum settings in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and expected trend: performance degrades as resolution increases, but the rate of degradation is not uniform across settings. This non-linearity provides insight into the system's limiting component. At Low settings, the system is likely more CPU-bound at lower resolutions, but as resolution climbs, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck.

For example, at Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 263 FPS at 1080p to 177 FPS at 1440p (a 32.7% decrease) and then to 101 FPS at 4K (a 42.9% decrease from 1440p). This steep drop from 1440p to 4K indicates that the GPU's fillrate and shading power are being heavily taxed. In contrast, at Ultra settings, the drop is less severe in percentage terms: from 111 FPS at 1080p to 74 FPS at 1440p (a 33.3% decrease) and then to 42 FPS at 4K (a 43.2% decrease from 1440p). The similar percentage drops across settings suggest that the GPU is the dominant factor at all resolutions when the workload is high.

The data implies that at 1080p Low, the CPU's 16 cores and 22 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, are capable of keeping up with the GPU's frame generation, allowing it to reach 263 FPS. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU's workload becomes so immense that the CPU's role diminishes, and the frame rate is entirely dictated by the RTX 4090's ability to process the 8.3 million pixels. The 101 FPS at 4K Low versus the 42 FPS at 4K Ultra highlights this: the GPU has to work nearly 2.4 times harder on Ultra, showcasing how resolution scaling amplifies the cost of visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a complete matrix of average frame rates across three resolutions and four settings, with min/max FPS recorded for Medium settings. This breakdown illustrates the performance envelope of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and RTX 4090 combination.

At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. Low settings produce an average of 263 FPS. Medium settings yield 204 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 174 FPS and a maximum of 235 FPS. High settings average 160 FPS, and Ultra settings still manage a smooth 111 FPS average. These numbers show that a high refresh rate 1080p monitor (144Hz or 240Hz) can be fully utilized at High or Ultra settings, and even Medium settings offer a significant frame rate advantage.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's workload. Low settings average 177 FPS. Medium settings drop to 137 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. High settings average 107 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 74 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for balancing visual fidelity and performance, with High settings providing a comfortable margin above 100 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low settings still deliver a playable 101 FPS. Medium settings average 78 FPS, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS. High settings dip to 61 FPS, which is just at the cusp of the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings are the only configuration that falls below playable thresholds, with an average of 42 FPS. The min/max data for Medium settings shows a 24 FPS spread at 4K, indicating some frame pacing inconsistency, but the average remains stable.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand database of tested hardware combinations for Evolve, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 holds a specific position. With a combo rank of 599 out of 2872 tested combinations, it places in the top 20.9% of all systems tested for this game. This is a strong showing, but not a top-tier one, which is surprising given the high-end nature of the GPU.

The rank suggests that while the RTX 4090 is a powerhouse, the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H may be holding it back slightly in this specific title. The CPU's average benchmark score of 34083 places it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, but its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4244P and the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, which have comparable scores. The data indicates that the combo's 599th rank is likely due to the CPU not being able to fully saturate the GPU's capabilities at lower resolutions, where the frame rates are highest.

However, the combo's performance is still excellent. The 263 FPS at 1080p Low reflects the system's capability, and the 4K High average of 61 FPS shows that it can handle 4K gaming with high settings. The rank of 599, while not in the top 100, reflects a balanced system that excels at high refresh rate 1440p gaming and can manage 4K, making it a versatile option for a game like Evolve. The deltaPct values between the CPU and its rivals are minimal (under 0.5%), suggesting that swapping to a different CPU would not drastically change this combo's performance or rank.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware combination depend entirely on the target resolution and refresh rate. The goal is to maintain a frame rate that is at least 60 FPS, with higher being better for competitive play.

For 1920x1080, the recommendation is to use Ultra settings. The data shows an average of 111 FPS at Ultra, which is more than sufficient for a smooth experience on a standard 60Hz monitor and still provides a great experience on a 120Hz or 144Hz display. If a player has a 240Hz monitor, dropping to High settings (160 FPS) or Medium settings (204 FPS) would be necessary to fully utilize the display's refresh rate. However, the visual fidelity loss from Ultra to High is minimal, so High is a solid choice for high refresh rate monitors.

For 2560x1440, High settings provide the best balance. The 107 FPS average at High is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium settings. Ultra settings at 74 FPS are also playable and offer the best image quality, but the drop from 107 to 74 FPS is noticeable. For players who prioritize frame rate, High is the sweet spot; for those who want the best visuals, Ultra is still viable.

For 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. High settings yield 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target, making it the only high-fidelity option that is playable. Medium settings at 78 FPS provide a more comfortable margin and are recommended for a smoother experience. Low settings at 101 FPS are an option for players who want the highest frame rate at 4K, but the visual compromise is substantial. Ultra settings at 42 FPS are not recommended for a playable experience. Therefore, for 4K, Medium settings offer the best compromise between performance and visual quality.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H plays a crucial, albeit secondary, role in this system's performance. With 16 cores and 22 threads, it offers substantial multi-threaded capability, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14551. However, for a game like Evolve, single-thread performance is often more critical. The CPU's boost clock of 5.00 GHz and its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1759 are the key metrics here.

The data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. However, at 1080p, the CPU's performance becomes more relevant. The difference between 263 FPS at Low and 160 FPS at High at 1080p is not purely a GPU workload difference; the CPU must also process the game's logic and draw calls. The fact that the system reaches 263 FPS indicates that the CPU's single-thread performance is adequate for high refresh rate gaming, as it can feed the GPU with enough frames.

The CPU's architecture, Meteor Lake, and its 7 nm process node contribute to its efficiency, but its market segment is Mobile. This is a key point: the Core Ultra 7 165H is a mobile processor, and its performance in this desktop context is still impressive. Its 28W TDP is low, but the benchmark scores show it can hold its own against desktop rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, which has a higher power draw. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache likely helps with game data access, but the most significant takeaway is that the 165H provides enough single-thread headroom to allow the RTX 4090 to stretch its legs at 1080p, even if it cannot push the GPU to its absolute limit in all scenarios. The CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms it is a strong performer, but the combo's 599th rank suggests that a more powerful desktop CPU might push the system higher in the rankings for Evolve.