Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 asymmetrical FPS, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination. The measured data reveals a system that is profoundly overqualified for the game’s engine, delivering frame rates that far exceed the refresh rates of most displays. The analysis below focuses on how this specific hardware pairing behaves across resolutions and settings, using the benchmark data to infer where the bottleneck lies and what the optimal experience is.

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, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. It features a 30 MB shared L3 cache and a 102.4 GB/s dual-channel DDR5 memory interface. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates immense headroom, scoring 35,850 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,020 in single-core. Its PassMark multithread score of 58,594 places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier processing power.

In the context of Evolve, a game released in 2015, this level of CPU performance is almost entirely latent. The game’s engine was designed for the quad-core and hexa-core processors of its era, meaning the 265K’s 20 cores are largely underutilized. The benchmark data supports this: at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 292 FPS. At 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 123 FPS, a reduction of 169 FPS. If the CPU were the primary limiting factor at 1080p, we would expect a performance plateau where increasing graphics settings does not significantly change the frame rate. Instead, the frame rate scales heavily with settings, indicating that the GPU is taking over the workload as the graphical fidelity increases.

The CPU’s single-core performance is robust, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,020, which is crucial for games that rely on a single main thread for game logic. The data suggests that at no point in the tested configurations does the 265K become a bottleneck. Even at 1080p Low, where the game is least demanding on the GPU, the CPU provides enough throughput to feed the RTX 4070 SUPER, allowing it to reach nearly 300 FPS. This confirms the IPC (instructions per clock) improvements of the Arrow Lake architecture, which handles the legacy game engine's demands with ease. The CPU’s role here is to ensure a stable, high ceiling, while the GPU dictates the actual performance based on resolution and settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is ranked 616th out of 3,700 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the top 17% of all configurations. This rank is surprisingly modest for such a high-end pairing, but it is a direct result of the game’s age and the raw performance of the components. The rank does not reflect a deficiency in the hardware, but rather the fact that a massive portion of the system's capability is simply unused by a 2015 title.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 7 265K has an average benchmark score of 70,879, which is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon 6511P (71,051, -0.2% delta) and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 (71,370, -0.7% delta). It is 1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F. This indicates that in general computing, the 265K is competitive with these other high-end chips. In a game like Evolve, which is not heavily threaded, the performance differences between these CPUs would be minimal, meaning the 265K is likely performing at its expected level relative to its peers.

For the GPU, the RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 43,223. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, has a score of 43,262 (-0.1% delta), showing they are statistically tied. The RTX 4070 SUPER is 1% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile, which is impressive for a desktop card. The GPU's 83rd percentile rank among all GPUs is notable. The combo rank of 616 suggests that while both components are powerful, the game’s engine is the limiting factor, preventing the combo from breaking into the top 100. The high rank is still a positive indicator, but it does not fully represent the immense headroom this system has.

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

Resolution scaling is the most revealing aspect of this dataset. At 1080p High, the combo produces 177 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 119 FPS. At 4K High, it further drops to 68 FPS. This pattern is a textbook example of GPU-bound scaling. The CPU is capable of handling the game’s logic at any resolution, but the GPU’s rendering workload increases exponentially as the pixel count rises.

The data at Low settings makes the GPU's role even clearer. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 292 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 196 FPS. At 4K Low, it is 111 FPS. The frame rate nearly halves when moving from 1080p to 4K, which is expected given that 4K has four times the pixels of 1080p. The fact that the frame rate does not drop to a quarter (which would be 73 FPS) suggests that the GPU is not fully saturated at 1080p Low, and other bottlenecks like draw call submission or driver overhead are becoming more prominent.

The shift in the bottleneck is evident when comparing the frame rate deltas. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the FPS drops by 58 (from 177 to 119). From 1440p to 4K, it drops by 51 (from 119 to 68). These drops are proportional, confirming a consistent GPU limitation. The CPU is not the constraint here; it is providing a stable platform, and the RTX 4070 SUPER is the sole determinant of performance. This is an ideal scenario for a benchmark, as it isolates the GPU’s capabilities without CPU interference, making the RTX 4070 SUPER look like a very capable 4K card for older titles, though it will struggle with modern, more demanding games at that resolution.

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

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Evolve?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 292 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the system first drop below 60 FPS?

A: The system drops to 47 FPS at 3840x2160 (4K) resolution with Ultra settings. This is the only configuration in the dataset where the average frame rate falls below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested systems in this game?

A: The combo ranks 616th out of 3,700 tested combinations. This places it in the top 16.6% of all systems tested for Evolve.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The data shows an average of 152 FPS at 1440p Medium. Since the frame rate scales significantly with resolution and settings, the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU’s high single-core score of 2,020 in Cinebench R23 suggests it has ample headroom to support this frame rate.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the High preset produces an average of 119 FPS, while the Ultra preset produces an average of 82 FPS. This represents a 37 FPS loss for the upgrade to Ultra settings.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p Medium, and what are the minimum and maximum recorded?

A: At 1080p Medium, the average frame rate is 226 FPS, with a minimum of 192 FPS and a maximum of 260 FPS. This indicates a very stable performance window, with the minimum frame rate still being exceptionally high.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2475 MHz. The GPU has 7,168 shading units and 80 ROPs. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 29,995 in Passmark G3D and 17,108 in Passmark GPU Compute, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. This is a powerful card, but for a 2015 game, its raw capabilities are significantly underutilized.

The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the decisive factor in this combo’s performance. The GPU’s 12 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Evolve, as the game’s textures and geometry are simple by modern standards. The card’s high memory bandwidth and core count allow it to brute-force the game’s rendering. At 1080p Low, the card is likely not working at its full capacity, achieving 292 FPS. As settings increase, the GPU’s shading units and ROPs are tasked with more work, which is why we see a drop to 123 FPS at 1080p Ultra.

The GPU’s performance relative to its rivals is also telling. It is statistically tied with the Quadro M6000 24 GB (deltaPct: -0.1%) and only 1% slower than the RTX 4090 Mobile. This suggests that the 4070 SUPER is performing exactly as expected for its class. In Evolve, the card’s role is to provide a high, stable frame rate at any resolution below 4K Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 47 FPS is the only data point where the GPU is truly pushed, and it still manages to produce a playable, if not perfectly smooth, experience. The GPU’s strength lies in its consistency, delivering high average frame rates with no signs of stuttering or memory limitations in the measured data.

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

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target display and desired frame rate. The data includes four presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. The goal is to find a balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, avoiding any configuration that drops below 60 FPS.

For 1080p, the Ultra preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 123 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a high level of visual detail. While Low and Medium offer higher frame rates (292 and 226 FPS, respectively), the difference is imperceptible on most displays, which are limited to 144Hz or 165Hz. The Ultra preset is the only one that fully utilizes the GPU’s potential without sacrificing smoothness.

For 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot. It achieves 119 FPS, which is excellent for a 1440p monitor. The Medium preset offers a higher frame rate of 152 FPS, but the visual upgrade to High is often worth the 33 FPS loss. The Ultra preset, at 82 FPS, is still very playable, but the drop from High is significant, and the visual differences between High and Ultra in a game this old are often minimal. Therefore, High offers the best balance of performance and image quality.

For 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It produces an average of 86 FPS, providing a smooth experience. The High preset is also viable at 68 FPS, but it is closer to the 60 FPS minimum. The Low preset at 111 FPS is playable but looks noticeably worse. The Ultra preset at 47 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided for a consistent experience. The Medium preset’s minimum of 73 FPS and maximum of 99 FPS indicate a stable frame time, making it the most reliable option for 4K.

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

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: The average frame rate is 292 FPS.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 226 FPS, with a minimum of 192 FPS and a maximum of 260 FPS.
• High: The average frame rate is 177 FPS.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 123 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: The average frame rate is 196 FPS.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 152 FPS, with a minimum of 129 FPS and a maximum of 174 FPS.
• High: The average frame rate is 119 FPS.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 82 FPS.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: The average frame rate is 111 FPS.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 99 FPS.
• High: The average frame rate is 68 FPS.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 47 FPS.

The data reveals a clear hierarchy. At every resolution, the frame rate decreases as settings increase, which is expected. The Medium preset is the only one that provides minimum frame rate data, and it shows that the combo maintains stable performance, with the minimum being at least 73 FPS at 4K. This suggests a well-optimized driver and sufficient hardware headroom. The 1080p Low result of 292 FPS is the peak of this combo’s performance, while the 4K Ultra result of 47 FPS is the floor. The system is capable of delivering an excellent experience in Evolve, with the only compromise being at the absolute highest settings and resolution, where the frame rate dips below the 60 FPS mark.