Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 lands at rank 1212 out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve. This places the configuration in the 67th percentile of all possible pairings, a solidly above-average result that reflects a hardware pairing capable of high-refresh gameplay without being an absolute top-tier outlier. The ranking suggests that while this combo handles the game’s demands with authority, there is a substantial population of more exotic or newer configurations ahead of it. Given the game’s 2015 release, the data indicates that this combo is far beyond the title’s original target hardware, yet the measured frames show that even this powerful duo hits hard diminishing returns at maximum settings, particularly at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1212 out of 3700 tested configurations places it firmly in the upper third of all possible CPU/GPU pairings for Evolve. This is a strong showing, but not a dominant one. The percentile position implies that roughly two-thirds of tested combos deliver lower performance in this specific title, while about one-third outperform it. The data suggests that the bottleneck dynamics in Evolve favor raw GPU throughput at lower resolutions, where the RTX 4080’s massive shader count can flex, but at higher resolutions the CPU’s 24-core design becomes less relevant.

Benchmark results indicate that the CPU’s average benchmark score of 67469 places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals like the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (deltaPct -0.3) and AMD EPYC 4484PX (deltaPct -0.5) showing near-identical aggregate performance. This means the 275HX provides a massive computational headroom that Evolve simply cannot utilize fully, as the game’s engine is not designed to scale across 24 threads. The GPU, meanwhile, sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the RTX 4080 SUPER (deltaPct 0.1), indicating that this card is essentially at the ceiling of its performance class. The combo’s rank reflects a system where the CPU is overqualified for the game’s threading model, while the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant force in this pairing for Evolve. It carries 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This memory configuration is crucial for maintaining stable frame delivery at 4K, where the game’s textures and geometry demand substantial data throughput. The card’s base clock of 2205 MHz and boost clock of 2505 MHz, combined with 9728 shading units, provide the raw compute necessary to push the game’s particle effects and lighting at high resolutions.

Measured data shows the GPU’s performance scales predictably with resolution. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the card achieves 92 FPS, but dropping to Ultra settings halves that figure to 39 FPS, a 58% reduction that highlights the game’s punishing shader complexity at maximum quality. The card’s 112 ROPs and 304 TMUs are tasked heavily at 4K Ultra, where the fill rate becomes the limiting factor. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 34457 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567 position it as a high-end part, but Evolve’s age means it does not leverage modern APIs like DirectX 12 Ultimate features to the fullest, leaving performance largely dependent on raw rasterization speed.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves 98 FPS, and Medium settings deliver 125 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS. Even at 3840x2160, Medium settings hold 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS, making 4K playable at medium quality.

*Q: How does the CPU’s core count affect Evolve performance?*

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX has 24 cores and 24 threads, but Evolve is not a highly threaded title. The data shows the CPU’s PassMark multithread score of 55759 is in the 94th percentile, yet frame rates scale more directly with GPU settings, indicating the CPU is not a bottleneck at any tested resolution.

Q: Is the RTX 4080’s 16 GB VRAM sufficient for 4K Ultra in this game?

A: Yes, the 16 GB GDDR6X buffer is more than adequate. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the combo produces 39 FPS, which is a GPU compute limitation rather than a memory capacity issue. Lowering to High settings increases frames to 56 FPS, showing the VRAM is not exhausted.

Q: What is the performance delta between the RTX 4080 and its closest rival?

A: The nearest rival is the RTX 4080 SUPER with an average benchmark score of 54209, a deltaPct of 0.1% faster than the standard RTX 4080’s 54247. This is a negligible difference, confirming the cards are effectively identical in aggregate performance.

*Q: Can this combo hit 240 FPS in Evolve?*

A: Only at 1920x1080 with Low settings, where it hits 241 FPS. At High settings, the frame rate drops to 146 FPS, indicating that 240 FPS requires the lowest quality preset at 1080p.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance for this game?

A: The CPU scores 2204 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 35589 in multi-core. For Evolve, the single-core performance is more relevant, but the data shows GPU settings dictate frame rates more than CPU speed, as evidenced by the 92 to 39 FPS swing at 4K when going from Low to Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates its peak performance. Low settings produce an average of 241 FPS, which is the highest recorded frame rate across all tests. Medium settings deliver 186 FPS with a minimum of 158 and maximum of 214, ensuring a smooth experience on high-refresh displays. High settings drop to 146 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 101 FPS. This resolution shows a clear 2.4x performance gap between the lowest and highest quality presets, indicating that the GPU is heavily utilized even at 1080p when settings are maxed.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected scaling. Low settings yield 161 FPS, which is a 33% reduction from 1080p Low. Medium settings produce 125 FPS with a tight minimum of 106 FPS, making this the sweet spot for competitive play. High settings drop to 98 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 68 FPS. The data reveals that 1440p High offers a better balance of visual fidelity and performance than 1080p Ultra, with only a 3 FPS difference between the two configurations.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle with the highest quality presets. Low settings still manage 92 FPS, which is impressive for 4K. Medium settings produce 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS, making it the only 4K preset that guarantees a 60 FPS floor. High settings drop to 56 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 39 FPS. The gap between 1440p and 4K at High settings is 42 FPS, representing a 43% performance loss, which is substantial and suggests that 4K High is only viable on displays with adaptive sync.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with 36 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 35589 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2204 in single-core, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. However, Evolve’s engine is not designed to exploit this many cores, as evidenced by the frame rate data showing no significant scaling beyond what the GPU can provide.

The CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 4713 and multi-thread score of 55759 illustrate its dual nature: it is extremely capable in both regimes, but the game’s workload is largely single-threaded with moderate multi-thread usage for AI and physics. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 241 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited in terms of frame pacing, but the GPU still has headroom. The 36 MB L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for the game’s traversal and asset streaming, but the 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth of the dual-channel DDR5 interface is not a constraining factor here. The CPU’s 24 threads are overkill for Evolve, but its high single-core boost clock ensures that the game’s primary thread is well-served.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for optimal settings. At 1920x1080, Medium settings deliver 186 FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance for high-refresh monitors. High settings at 146 FPS are still excellent, but the 40 FPS drop from Medium to High is significant. Ultra settings at 101 FPS are playable but do not offer a proportional visual upgrade over High.

For 2560x1440, Medium settings at 125 FPS are the recommended choice, as they provide a 60+ FPS buffer above the minimum of 106 FPS. High settings at 98 FPS are also viable, but the data shows that Medium offers a 27% performance increase with only a modest visual compromise. Ultra settings at 68 FPS are acceptable for slower-paced play but risk frame drops in combat scenarios.

At 3840x2160, Medium settings are the only preset that maintains a 60 FPS minimum, with an average of 71 FPS. High settings at 56 FPS are borderline, and Ultra at 39 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The data suggests that 4K gamers should prioritize Medium settings to maintain fluidity, as the jump to High only adds 15 FPS but sacrifices the 60 FPS floor. For the best overall experience, 1440p Medium settings offer the highest frame rate consistency across all resolutions, with a minimum FPS of 106 that ensures no stutter during intense firefights.