Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 asymmetrical FPS, is an older title, but the data measured for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 shows that this combination still delivers a wide spectrum of performance depending on how you configure it. The benchmark results across three resolutions and four quality presets paint a clear picture of a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher settings, but capable of extremely high frame rates when the load is lightened. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS to understand where this combo excels and where its bottlenecks lie, providing practical guidance for getting the most out of this specific hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a predictable, yet steep, decline as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces an average of 247 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 166 FPS, a 32.8% reduction. At 4K, the average falls further to 94 FPS, which is 61.9% lower than the 1080p Low figure. This scaling pattern is not linear, and the percentage drops between each step are significant, indicating that the Radeon RX 9070’s rendering pipeline is the primary constraint as pixel count increases.

The pattern holds for other settings, though the absolute numbers change. With High settings, the average FPS at 1080p is 150, which drops by 32.7% to 101 at 1440p, and then by a further 43.6% to 57 at 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 191 FPS at 1080p, 128 FPS at 1440p (a 33.0% drop), and 73 FPS at 4K (a 61.8% drop from 1080p). The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, starts at 104 FPS at 1080p, falls to 70 FPS at 1440p (a 32.7% drop), and then plummets to 40 FPS at 4K (a 61.5% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across all presets is a strong indicator that resolution scaling is uniform and entirely dependent on the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth.

What does this tell us about the limiting component? At 1080p, even with the most demanding Ultra preset, the system maintains an average of 104 FPS, which is well above playable thresholds. This suggests the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has ample headroom to feed the GPU at this resolution. The fact that the frame rate almost doubles from 4K Ultra (40 FPS) to 4K Low (94 FPS) while the CPU workload remains largely unchanged proves that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K. The RX 9070, with its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth, is simply working harder to push the larger frame buffer. The data shows that for a 60 FPS target at 4K, you are limited to the Medium preset, which hits 73 FPS, while High falls short at 57 FPS. The system’s performance is therefore dictated by the GPU’s ability to process pixels, not the CPU’s ability to calculate game logic.

Settings Recommendations

Choosing the right settings for this pairing depends entirely on your target resolution and desired frame rate, as the measured data provides a clear hierarchy of performance. For competitive play at 1080p, the Low preset delivers an exceptional 247 FPS average, which would maximize refresh rate potential on a high-Hz monitor. However, the jump to Medium is substantial, offering 191 FPS, which is still incredibly high and likely provides a better visual experience with minimal performance sacrifice. The High preset at 1080p, at 150 FPS, remains well above the 144 Hz threshold and represents a solid balance for most players. Ultra at 1080p drops to 104 FPS, which is still smooth but shows that even at this resolution, the most demanding settings begin to tax the GPU.

At 1440p, the recommendations shift. The Low preset hits 166 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate gaming. Medium provides 128 FPS, a 22.9% reduction but still very fluid. High at 101 FPS is the sweet spot for a 100 Hz or 144 Hz display, offering a good mix of visual fidelity and performance. Ultra at 1440p falls to 70 FPS, which is playable but indicates that the GPU is working much harder; for a consistently smooth experience, the High preset is the better choice here. The data shows that the step from High to Ultra at 1440p is a 30.7% performance hit, which is a significant cost for the visual gains.

At 4K, the choices become more constrained. Ultra is effectively out of the question for smooth gameplay, with an average of only 40 FPS. High is marginal, at 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Medium is the recommended preset for 4K, delivering 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS, ensuring a mostly stable experience above 60 FPS. The Low preset at 4K yields 94 FPS, which is surprisingly high and would be the choice for players who prioritize frame rate over all visual details. The measured minimum FPS of 62 for 4K Medium is particularly useful, as it indicates that the frame time consistency is good enough to avoid major stutters. In summary, the best experience per the measured rows is: 1080p High for a balance, 1440p High for high-refresh gaming, and 4K Medium for a solid 60+ FPS experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. In a game like Evolve, which was released in 2015 and is not known for utilizing massive core counts, the sheer number of cores is less important than the high single-thread performance. The benchmark scores reflect this strength, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2439 and a Passmark single-thread score of 5068. These numbers are significant because they indicate the CPU can handle the game’s primary game logic and rendering thread without becoming a limiting factor.

The data supports this conclusion. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 247 FPS, which is a very high frame rate. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see the frame rate plateau or become inconsistent at these levels. Instead, the frame rate scales consistently with resolution and settings, which points to the GPU being the limiting factor. The CPU’s multi-threaded performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253 and a Passmark multithread score of 68574, but this is more relevant for productivity tasks than for this specific game. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide ample bandwidth for feeding the GPU, but the game’s performance is not dictated by these factors.

The processor’s 96th percentile ranking versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 93785, places it in the top tier of available processors. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6520P (delta 0%), AMD EPYC 4564P (delta -1.5%), and AMD EPYC 9175F (delta -1.9%), which are all server-class chips, underscoring its high performance in synthetic tests. However, in Evolve, the practical impact of this CPU power is that it never holds the system back. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (247 FPS) versus 4K Low (94 FPS) shows a 62% reduction in performance, which is far more than any CPU limitation could cause. The CPU is effectively providing a stable platform, allowing the RX 9070 to reach its full potential in this title. The 125W TDP and 3 nm process node from TSMC also mean it does this efficiently, but the performance data is the key takeaway here.

FAQ

Q: Can this CPU and GPU combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K in Evolve?

A: Yes, but only with the Medium preset, which measures an average of 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS. The High preset falls short at 57 FPS, and Ultra is not viable at 40 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144 Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: The High preset is the best option, delivering an average of 101 FPS. While it doesn't fully saturate a 144 Hz display, it offers a strong balance of visual quality and performance. The Low preset hits 166 FPS, which would be better for a 165 Hz monitor if you prioritize frame rate.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus a bottleneck for the AMD Radeon RX 9070 in this game?

A: The data suggests it is not a bottleneck at any resolution tested. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 247 FPS, and performance scales consistently with resolution, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s high single-thread score of 2439 in Cinebench R23 supports its ability to keep up.

Q: How much performance is lost by using the Ultra preset instead of High at 1080p?

A: The performance drop from High to Ultra at 1080p is 30.7%, with the average FPS falling from 150 to 104. This is a significant reduction for the visual improvements, and High is often the better choice.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can produce in Evolve?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 247, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This represents the maximum performance ceiling for this specific pairing.

Q: How does the RX 9070's performance here compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 9070 has an average benchmark score of 23877, which is 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z, 1.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile, and 0.8% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6800S. Its performance is in a similar tier to these cards, though the measured FPS in Evolve is specific to this game.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is the clear workhorse in this pairing for Evolve, as the measured FPS data shows a direct correlation between the graphics settings and the resulting frame rates. The GPU is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip, manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for a 2015 title, and the bottleneck is not memory capacity but rather the GPU’s compute and fill rate capabilities at higher resolutions. The boost clock of 2520 MHz and the game clock of 2070 MHz are the key drivers of performance.

The Passmark G3D score of 25381 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290 provide a synthetic baseline, but the measured FPS in Evolve is the real-world proof. At 1080p Low, the GPU is able to produce 247 FPS, showing it can handle the game’s geometry and effects with ease when the pixel count is low. As you increase the resolution to 4K, the GPU’s pixel fill rate becomes the limiting factor. The pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s are the specs that matter here. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 40, which is a 83.8% reduction from the 1080p Low score. This is a massive hit, but it is typical for a game that was not designed for the kind of resolution scaling we expect from modern hardware.

The GPU’s 69th percentile ranking versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23877, places it in the mid-to-high range. Its nearest rivals, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (delta 0.6%), AMD Radeon RX 6800S (delta -0.8%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile (delta 1.1%), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (delta -1.2%), all show that the RX 9070 is competitive with older flagship and newer mid-range cards. The 16 GB of VRAM is a strong asset, but in Evolve, the game’s memory requirements are low, so it doesn’t become a factor. The GPU’s 56 RT cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate are also irrelevant for this title. The core takeaway is that the RX 9070’s raw compute power dictates the frame rates at each resolution and settings combination, and the CPU is not holding it back.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is directly from the measured FPS table for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination in Evolve.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS is 247. This is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo, representing the absolute performance ceiling when the GPU load is minimal.
• Medium: Average FPS is 191, with a minimum of 163 and a maximum of 220. This preset offers a substantial 22.7% reduction in performance from Low, but still provides very high frame rates suitable for competitive play.
• High: Average FPS is 150. This is a 21.5% drop from Medium, but remains a very smooth experience for most displays and is a good balance of quality and speed.
• Ultra: Average FPS is 104. This is a 30.7% drop from High, showing that the most demanding settings exact a heavy toll on the GPU even at 1080p.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS is 166. This is a 32.8% reduction from the 1080p Low score, highlighting the impact of increased pixel count.
• Medium: Average FPS is 128, with a minimum of 109 and a maximum of 148. The minimum FPS here is still well above 60, ensuring a consistent experience.
• High: Average FPS is 101. This is a 21.1% drop from Medium and is the recommended preset for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming.
• Ultra: Average FPS is 70. This is a 30.7% drop from High, making it a less desirable option when smoother frame rates are available with the High preset.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS is 94. This is a surprising result, showing that even at 4K, the low preset can deliver near-100 FPS performance.
• Medium: Average FPS is 73, with a minimum of 62 and a maximum of 84. This is the only 4K preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, making it the optimal choice for a 60 Hz display.
• High: Average FPS is 57. This falls just below the 60 FPS target, indicating that the GPU is struggling to maintain smooth frame rates at this quality level.
• Ultra: Average FPS is 40. This is the lowest score measured and is not recommended for any serious play, as the frame rate is too low for a responsive experience.