Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS built on the CryEngine, is a demanding title that punishes weaker graphics hardware. The pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, a 24-core processor with a 5.50 GHz boost clock, with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, a 4 GB Pascal card, is an extreme mismatch that results in performance almost entirely dictated by the GPU. The data shows this combo ranks 2833 out of 2872 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 1.4% of all tested combos for this game, meaning that while the CPU is capable of far more, the GTX 1050 Ti acts as a severe bottleneck, making this configuration only suitable for low-resolution, low-detail play.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 1920x1080 with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at the lowest settings. The measured average FPS at 1080p Low is 62, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. At Medium settings, the average drops to 48 FPS, and at High it falls to 38 FPS, which may be too choppy for a fast-paced FPS.

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

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the average FPS exceeds 60, and it only does so on the Low preset. While 2560x1440 Low yields 42 FPS, it is still below the smoothness target of 60 FPS. 3840x2160 is not viable, with the highest average being 24 FPS at Low settings.

Q: How does the GTX 1050 Ti compare to its immediate rivals in general GPU performance?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has an average benchmark score of 4193, which places it in the 25th percentile of all GPUs. It is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon R5 M330, which scores 4170 (a 0.6% difference), and the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M, which scores 4241 (a -1.1% difference).

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus a strong processor for other tasks, based on the data?

A: Yes. The CPU has a 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 93785. Its multi-core performance is strong, as shown by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253, and its single-core score of 2439 indicates strong per-thread performance.

Q: Does the GTX 1050 Ti have enough VRAM for Evolve at high settings?

A: The GPU has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory. The benchmark data indicates that even with this memory capacity, the card cannot maintain smooth frame rates at higher settings. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 38, and at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 26, suggesting the GPU's compute capabilities, rather than just its memory, are limiting performance.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the components in this combo?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has a launch MSRP of $299. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti has a launch MSRP of 139 USD.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the primary determinant of performance in this Evolve configuration. Based on the measured data, the GPU's capabilities are the hard ceiling for frame rates. The GTX 1050 Ti features 768 shading units and 32 ROPs, running at a base clock of 1291 MHz and a boost clock of 1392 MHz. These specifications, combined with its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus (providing 112.1 GB/s of bandwidth), are simply insufficient for Evolve's demands at higher resolutions and settings.

The data illustrates this clearly. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate never exceeds 24 FPS, even on the Low preset. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is completely overwhelmed, likely due to the pixel fill rate (44.54 GPixel/s) and texture rate (66.82 GTexel/s) being too low to handle the workload. The GTX 1050 Ti's general performance percentile is 25th, and its average benchmark score of 4193 places it in the company of much older or lower-end mobile parts, confirming its status as an entry-level desktop GPU.

The 4 GB VRAM capacity is another limiting factor. While it might be sufficient for older games or low-detail settings, Evolve's high-resolution textures at Ultra settings likely exceed this capacity, causing stuttering and reduced frame rates. However, the FPS drops are so severe across all settings that it's clear the GPU's raw compute power is the primary bottleneck. The 2.138 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is just not enough to maintain fluid gameplay in a modern FPS title, even with a top-tier CPU like the Ultra 7 270K Plus feeding it data.

Settings Recommendations

For this specific combination of hardware, the data points to a single viable path for a playable experience. The primary goal must be to achieve a frame rate that is smooth enough for an FPS, and the only settings that achieve this are at 1920x1080. At this resolution, the Low preset delivers an average of 62 FPS, which is the only measured configuration that exceeds the standard 60 FPS target.

Moving up to the Medium preset at 1080p drops the average to 48 FPS. This is a significant decrease and would likely be noticeable in fast-paced gameplay, but it may be acceptable to some players if visual fidelity is prioritized. However, the High and Ultra presets at 1080p yield averages of 38 FPS and 26 FPS, respectively, which are too low for a responsive and competitive FPS experience. The performance cost of moving from Low to Medium is a 14 FPS loss, while moving from Medium to High costs another 10 FPS.

At higher resolutions, the situation becomes untenable. While 2560x1440 on Low produces 42 FPS and 1920x1080 on Medium produces 48 FPS, the frame rates are inconsistent, and the experience will be subpar. The data suggests that for a consistent and playable experience, 1920x1080 with the Low preset is the only logical choice. This will leverage the CPU's power to minimize any potential CPU-side bottlenecks and allow the GTX 1050 Ti to operate at its maximum potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Evolve with this combo provides a clear picture of its performance envelope across different resolutions and settings. The performance scales as expected, with lower resolutions and lower quality settings resulting in higher frame rates, but the overall numbers are consistently low.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the results are not playable. The Low preset averages 24 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset averages 18 FPS, with a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 21 FPS, showing tight but very low performance. High settings drop to 14 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 10 FPS. This resolution is clearly not viable for this GPU.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), performance remains below the 60 FPS target. The Low preset yields an average of 42 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. Medium settings average 32 FPS, with a range of 27 to 37 FPS. High settings drop the average to 25 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 17 FPS. While 1440p Low is more playable than 4K, it still doesn't hit the performance targets for a competitive shooter.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the data shows the only playable configuration. The Low preset achieves an average of 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 48 FPS, with a minimum of 41 and a maximum of 55 FPS, providing a more consistent but lower frame rate. High settings average 38 FPS, and Ultra settings average 26 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a steep drop, highlighting the GPU's limitations as settings increase.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti ranks 2833 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the bottom 1.4% of all configurations tested for this game, indicating that it is one of the least capable systems in the database for this title. This low ranking is entirely attributable to the GPU, which is a major bottleneck.

The CPU's performance data shows it is a high-end part. It has a 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 93785. Its nearest rivals in terms of average score include the Intel Xeon 6520P (0% delta), the AMD EPYC 4564P (-1.5% delta), and the AMD EPYC 9175F (-1.9% delta). These are all high-core-count server processors, underscoring the Ultra 7 270K Plus's strong multi-threaded performance.

In contrast, the GPU is an entry-level part. Its average benchmark score of 4193 places it near the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (0.6% delta) and the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (1% delta). The stark contrast between the CPU's high percentile (96) and the GPU's low percentile (25) confirms the massive imbalance in this pairing. The ranking in Evolve is a direct reflection of this, as the game's performance is heavily dependent on the GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a flagship-tier processor that is massively overqualified for use with the GTX 1050 Ti in this context. It features 24 cores and 24 threads based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its large 36 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with 115.2 GB/s of bandwidth make it a powerhouse for any CPU-bound workload.

In Evolve, however, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution or setting. For example, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 62, which is likely near the GPU's maximum capacity for that setting. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau regardless of resolution or settings. Instead, we see a clear scaling with resolution and settings, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

The CPU's single-thread performance is also excellent, as shown by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2439. This is important for games that rely on a few threads for main game logic. However, even with this strong performance, the GTX 1050 Ti simply cannot keep up. The data shows that the CPU is ready to deliver far more frames, but the GPU's 2.138 TFLOPS of compute power is the hard limit. This is a classic case of a high-end CPU being wasted on a low-end GPU, as the overall system performance in Evolve is dictated entirely by the graphics card.