Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS built on the CryEngine, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700. This combination sits at a specific performance tier, and the measured frame rates reveal a system that is clearly capable of high-refresh 1080p play, yet becomes increasingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The data indicates a solid, balanced pairing for this title, with the CPU's substantial core count and high boost clock providing ample headroom for the GPU to operate, but the GPU's performance ceiling becomes the defining factor as pixel count increases.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, which are key figures for single-threaded performance. The processor includes 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and it supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel interface. In synthetic benchmarks, the 265K scores 35850 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2020 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 23085 and a single-core score of 2713. Its Passmark multithread score is 58594, and its single-thread score is 4928. The CPU's average benchmark score is 70879, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

For a 2015 title like Evolve, the CPU's role is significant but not dominant. The game's engine, while demanding for its era, does not leverage the full 20 threads efficiently. The high boost clock of 5.50 GHz is more relevant than the core count for ensuring smooth frame pacing and avoiding bottlenecks in single-threaded game logic. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 201 FPS average, which is a very high number that suggests the CPU is not holding back the GPU at this resolution. The nearest rivals to the 265K in CPU benchmark scores include the Intel Xeon 6511P (deltaPct -0.2), the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 (deltaPct -0.7), and the Intel Core i7-14700KF (deltaPct 1). The 265K's score is effectively on par with these, indicating that any performance differences in Evolve would be minimal and more attributable to the GPU.

In terms of game-specific CPU impact, the measured FPS at 1080p Ultra is 85 FPS, which is a substantial drop from the Low preset's 201 FPS. This drop is not due to CPU limitations but rather the GPU's workload increasing with higher settings. The CPU's 20 threads do not become a bottleneck in this scenario. The processor's performance in synthetic tests, such as a Passmark physics score of 3731 and a data compression score of 665554, shows it is more than capable of handling the game's simulation and AI tasks. The 265K's high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R15 single-core score of 708, ensures that the game's main thread has enough processing power. Therefore, the CPU's role in Evolve is to provide a stable, high-frequency foundation that allows the RX 7700 to reach its limits, which is particularly evident at lower resolutions where the CPU has more influence on the overall frame rate.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings for this combo?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 122 FPS. This indicates a smooth experience for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K has an average benchmark score of 70879. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6511P, has an average score of 71051, which is a deltaPct of -0.2. This means the 265K is essentially performance-equivalent to that Xeon, differing by less than one percent.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution, the lowest average FPS is 32, which is measured with the Ultra preset. This is the most demanding configuration tested for this system.

Q: Does the system achieve over 200 FPS at any tested configuration?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, the system reaches an average FPS of 201. This is the only tested configuration that exceeds the 200 FPS threshold.

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

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has a percentile of 58, meaning it performs better than 58% of all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 15852.

Q: How does the 4K Medium FPS compare to the 1440p Medium FPS?

A: At 4K (3840x2160) with Medium settings, the average FPS is 60. At 1440p (2560x1440) with Medium settings, the average FPS is 105. This shows a significant drop of 45 FPS when moving to 4K, highlighting the GPU's workload increase.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU scaling. At 1080p (1920x1080), the system is highly performant across all settings. The average FPS for High, Medium, and Ultra are 122, 156, and 85, respectively, with Low reaching 201 FPS. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the GPU is the primary driver of frame rate, but the CPU is also providing sufficient support to avoid major bottlenecks. The jump from 1080p to 1440p (2560x1440) shows a typical decline: High drops from 122 to 82 FPS (a 33% reduction), Medium from 156 to 105 FPS (a 33% reduction), and Ultra from 85 to 57 FPS (a 33% reduction). This consistent proportional decrease points to the GPU being the limiting factor, as the pixel count increases by 78% (from 2.07 million to 3.69 million pixels), and the FPS drops by roughly a third.

Moving to 4K (3840x2160) intensifies this trend. The High preset average FPS falls from 82 at 1440p to 47 at 4K, a 43% reduction. Medium drops from 105 to 60 FPS, a 43% reduction. Ultra drops from 57 to 32 FPS, a 44% reduction. This scaling behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU, with its 20 cores and high boost clock, is not the bottleneck; the RX 7700 is struggling to fill the 8.3 million pixels of 4K. The fact that the FPS drops are not linear with pixel count (4K has 2.25x the pixels of 1440p, but FPS drops by ~1.43x) suggests that memory bandwidth and fill rate are also becoming constraints. The RX 7700 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth, which is substantial, but the 4K workload saturates it. At 1080p Low, the 201 FPS result indicates the GPU is not the limiting factor, but as resolution increases, the GPU's limitations become more apparent, confirming that the RX 7700 is the primary performance constraint in this pairing for Evolve at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination is ranked 1291 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the 55th percentile of all tested systems (1291/2872). This ranking reflects the performance of this specific pairing relative to all other CPU-GPU combos in the database for this game. The rank indicates that while this system is not at the top tier, it is also not below average. It sits in the middle of the pack, which is consistent with the individual component rankings. The CPU scores in the 94th percentile, but the GPU's percentile is 58, which pulls the overall combo ranking down. The combo rank is a holistic measure that accounts for the interaction between the CPU and GPU. A high-end CPU with a mid-range GPU will often have a lower combo rank than a balanced pairing.

The data shows that the combo's performance in Evolve is heavily influenced by the GPU. At 1080p, where the CPU can flex its muscles, the combo achieves high frame rates, but at 4K, the GPU's limitations become evident, capping the average FPS at 77 even on Low settings. The rank of 1291 out of 2872 suggests that there are many combos that perform better, likely those with more powerful GPUs. However, it also means there are a significant number of combos that perform worse. The combo's position is a direct result of the RX 7700's mid-tier performance, as evidenced by its average benchmark score of 15852, which is within 1.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (deltaPct -1.7) and 1.1% of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (deltaPct 1.1). This places the RX 7700 in a specific performance band, and the combo rank reflects that. The 265K's powerful CPU does not boost the combo rank as much as a more powerful GPU would, because Evolve's frame rates scale more significantly with GPU load at higher settings and resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following is the complete measured FPS data for this combo in Evolve:

At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average FPS of 201 on Low settings. The High preset yields 122 FPS average. The Medium preset produces 156 FPS average, with a minimum of 133 and a maximum of 179. The Ultra preset reduces the average to 85 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 135 FPS. High settings yield 82 FPS average. Medium settings produce 105 FPS average, with a minimum of 89 and a maximum of 120. Ultra settings drop the average to 57 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset results in an average FPS of 77. High settings yield 47 FPS average. Medium settings produce 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 68. Ultra settings result in the lowest measured average of 32 FPS.

These numbers show a clear hierarchy. The 1080p Low result of 201 FPS is the highest measured, indicating that the CPU is capable of driving the GPU to very high frame rates when the GPU's workload is low. The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is the lowest, representing a challenging scenario for the RX 7700. The Medium settings at each resolution provide a balanced experience, with 4K Medium hitting 60 FPS exactly, which is a common target for smooth gameplay. The minimum FPS data for Medium settings (133 at 1080p, 89 at 1440p, and 51 at 4K) shows that frame pacing remains relatively stable, though the 4K minimum of 51 is close to the average of 60, suggesting some variance.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's resolution and performance target. For 1080p, the High preset at 122 FPS average offers a strong balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. The Ultra preset at 85 FPS is still playable but sacrifices frame rate for marginal visual gains. The Medium preset at 156 FPS is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh monitors, as it provides a substantial frame rate boost over High while maintaining decent visuals. The Low preset at 201 FPS is only recommended for esports-style play where maximum frame rate is paramount.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 105 FPS is the best recommendation. It provides a high frame rate that is smooth on most displays, while the High preset at 82 FPS is also acceptable. The Ultra preset at 57 FPS is borderline, as it may feel less fluid for fast-paced action. The Low preset at 135 FPS is viable but sacrifices too much visual quality for the frame rate gain.

For 4K, the Medium preset at 60 FPS is the clear winner. It is the only preset that consistently hits the 60 FPS target, providing a playable experience without significant dips (minimum 51 FPS). The High preset at 47 FPS is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced FPS. The Low preset at 77 FPS is the best for frame rate in 4K, but the visual downgrade is severe. The Ultra preset at 32 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay. Therefore, the Medium preset is the most balanced choice across all resolutions, offering a playable frame rate without requiring the lowest visual settings.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture using a 5 nm process. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 624.1 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1900 MHz, a game clock of 2041 MHz, and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. It contains 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, with 40 ray tracing cores. Its FP32 performance is 25.18 TFLOPS. In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 7700 scores 20974 in Passmark G3D, 106028 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 2865 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its average benchmark score is 15852, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R9 370X (deltaPct -0.1), the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (deltaPct -1), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (deltaPct -1.7).

In Evolve, the GPU's role is central to the performance scaling observed. At 1080p Low, the GPU is not the limiting factor, as the 201 FPS average is likely near the engine's or CPU's cap. However, as settings increase, the GPU's workload grows. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for Evolve, even at 4K Ultra, so VRAM capacity is not a bottleneck. The memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the higher pixel throughput demands more bandwidth, which contributes to the FPS drop. The boost clock of 2459 MHz is moderate, and the GPU's raw compute power (25.18 TFLOPS FP32) is what determines the frame rate at higher settings. The measured FPS drops from 201 at 1080p Low to 32 at 4K Ultra indicate that the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are being heavily taxed. The GPU's percentile of 58 aligns with its mid-range status, and the combo's overall rank of 1291 out of 2872 reflects this. The RX 7700 is a capable GPU for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Evolve, but it struggles at 4K, particularly with higher presets, making Medium settings the practical ceiling for a smooth 4K experience.