Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B370 integrated GPU presents an unusual combination for a 2015 FPS title like Evolve. The data shows a processor that ranks in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, paired with an integrated graphics solution that sits near the bottom of the GPU performance charts. This pairing produces playable frame rates only at lower resolutions and settings, with the integrated GPU acting as the primary bottleneck. The following analysis breaks down what this means for actual gameplay, based strictly on the measured data.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Evolve?*

A: The best measured result is 80 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration where the average frame rate exceeds 60 FPS, making it the sole preset that delivers consistently smooth gameplay at 1080p.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K resolution in Evolve?*

A: At 3840x2160, the best average is 31 FPS on Low settings. High settings drop to 19 FPS, Medium to 24 FPS, and Ultra to 13 FPS. None of these results approach a consistently playable level, indicating that 4K is not viable for this game with this hardware.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003. This is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807), 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090), and 1.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 9135 (82980). It trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 (85072) by 1.3%.

Q: What is the GPU percentile ranking for the Intel Arc B370?

A: The Arc B370 falls into the 5th percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher, while the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 54 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 23 FPS. This represents a 31 FPS difference, or roughly a 57% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Q: Does the CPU’s multi-core strength translate to high frame rates in this game?

A: No. The CPU scores very well in synthetic benchmarks, such as 51731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 21727 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, but the measured FPS in Evolve remains low. The GPU, with its 5th percentile ranking, limits performance far more than the CPU’s 96th percentile standing can compensate for.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It operates at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and can boost up to 5.80 GHz. The CPU is built on a 3 nm process from TSMC and features a 36 MB shared L3 cache, with 192 KB of L1 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core. This processor supports DDR5 memory through a dual-channel interface, providing 115.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its performance is reflected in a 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003.

In synthetic workloads, this CPU demonstrates substantial processing power. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and single-core score of 7303 indicate strong performance across both heavily threaded and single-threaded tasks. PassMark results reinforce this, with a multi-thread score of 60860 and a single-thread score of 4823. The processor also handles data-intensive operations well, scoring 698346 in data compression and 52563 in data encryption. The 24 threads operate at a 1:1 ratio with the 24 cores, meaning there is no hyper-threading overhead, which can be beneficial for certain workloads but does not directly translate to gaming performance.

For Evolve, a game released in 2015, the CPU’s capabilities are far beyond what the title requires. The game’s logic, AI, and physics systems are unlikely to stress a processor with this level of throughput. The measured frame rates, however, show that the CPU is not the limiting factor. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves 49 FPS, and at Low settings it reaches 80 FPS. These numbers are constrained by the integrated GPU, not the CPU. The processor’s high boost clock of 5.80 GHz helps with single-threaded game logic, but it cannot compensate for the GPU’s low rendering throughput.

The data suggests that the CPU is effectively idle waiting for the GPU. The 36 MB L3 cache and 115.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide ample data feeding for the graphics pipeline, but the Arc B370 cannot utilize this bandwidth effectively for rendering. In this context, the CPU’s role is to ensure that frame times are consistent and that there are no stutters caused by processor bottlenecks. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU does its job, as the FPS drops are consistent with GPU load rather than CPU stalls. However, the overall experience is defined by the GPU’s limitations, and upgrading to a discrete graphics card would unlock the CPU’s full potential in this title.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by Intel. It features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. The GPU runs at a base clock of 300 MHz and boosts up to 2400 MHz. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system’s DDR5 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which in practice means it relies on the same 115.2 GB/s dual-channel bandwidth as the CPU.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are modest. It delivers 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 12.29 TFLOPS of FP16 performance with a 2:1 ratio. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. These figures place the Arc B370 in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184 from the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals are older discrete cards like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% higher) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% higher), which highlights the Arc B370’s performance class. The TDP of 25 W and IGP slot width confirm that this is not designed for high-end gaming.

In Evolve, the GPU’s limitations are immediately apparent. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 31 on Low settings, which drops to 13 on Ultra. At 2560x1440, Low settings yield 54 FPS, but Ultra drops to 23 FPS. At 1920x1080, the best result is 80 FPS on Low, with High at 49 FPS, Medium at 62 FPS, and Ultra at 34 FPS. The pattern is clear: the GPU struggles as resolution and settings increase. The lack of dedicated VRAM means it must contend with the CPU for memory bandwidth, and the system’s dual-channel DDR5 is not sufficient to feed the GPU at high resolutions.

The boost clock of 2400 MHz helps at lower resolutions, where the GPU can push more frames. The 80 FPS result at 1080p Low demonstrates that the chip can handle light loads, but it quickly becomes overwhelmed. The 10 ray tracing cores are irrelevant for a 2015 title like Evolve, which likely does not use ray tracing. The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 compliance are forward-looking, but they do not help with this older game. The data shows that the Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this combo, and its 5th percentile ranking is consistent with the low FPS figures observed across all settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth experience is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which averages 80 FPS. This is the sole preset where the average frame rate exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for gameplay. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average drops to 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. This is playable, but the lower minimum frame rate introduces occasional dips that could affect gameplay in a fast-paced FPS.

For users willing to accept lower frame rates, 2560x1440 with Low settings achieves an average of 54 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS target but may be acceptable for less demanding play. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS, which is noticeably less smooth. High settings at 1440p average 33 FPS, and Ultra drops to 23 FPS, both of which are too low for a responsive FPS experience.

At 3840x2160, no settings preset is recommended. The best average is 31 FPS on Low, which is below playable thresholds for a shooter. Medium at 4K averages 24 FPS, High at 19 FPS, and Ultra at 13 FPS. These numbers are all well below the 30 FPS minimum that many consider necessary for playability, and the lack of min FPS data for most 4K presets suggests the experience is inconsistent.

The data indicates that the best experience is at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This resolution and preset combination provides the highest average frame rate and avoids the frame rate dips seen at Medium settings. If a user prefers visual fidelity, Medium at 1080p offers a 62 FPS average, but the 53 FPS minimum may cause stutter during intense scenes. The gap between Low and Medium at 1080p is 18 FPS, which is significant, and the jump from Medium to High is another 13 FPS drop. For a competitive edge, Low settings at 1080p are the clear winner. For a more visually rich experience, Medium at 1080p is the only other viable option, but it comes with a trade-off in minimum frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus + Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2639 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, which is consistent with the GPU’s 5th percentile ranking. The CPU’s 96th percentile standing does not boost the combo’s position because the GPU is the limiting factor. In practical terms, this combo outperforms only the weakest integrated graphics solutions and low-end discrete cards from over a decade ago.

The combo’s rank is driven entirely by the Arc B370’s performance. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 1184 is only 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). These are comparable to entry-level GPUs from 2009-2010, which explains why the combo ranks so poorly. In contrast, the CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807, 0.2% lower) and AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090, 1.1% lower), are all high-end processors that would perform much better with a discrete GPU.

The measured FPS data confirms this ranking. At 1920x1080, the combo’s best result of 80 FPS on Low settings is achievable by many modern integrated GPUs, but the Arc B370 cannot maintain that performance at higher settings. The 2639th rank out of 2872 suggests that the vast majority of tested combos deliver better performance in Evolve. This is not surprising given the GPU’s limitations, but it underscores that this pairing is not suited for gaming beyond the most basic settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Evolve with the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and Intel Arc B370 is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its highest performance. Low settings produce an average of 80 FPS, which is the only result above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. High settings drop to 49 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 34 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steep decline: 80 → 62 → 49 → 34. The Medium preset’s minimum of 53 FPS indicates some frame time variance, but the average remains playable.

At 2560x1440, performance decreases across all settings. Low settings average 54 FPS, which is the best result at this resolution. Medium settings average 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. High settings average 33 FPS, and Ultra settings average 23 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 12 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 10 FPS. None of these results meet the 60 FPS target, and only Low settings approach a playable level.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles significantly. Low settings average 31 FPS, which is the highest result at this resolution. Medium settings average 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. High settings average 19 FPS, and Ultra settings average 13 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 20 FPS shows that even the best 4K results are inconsistent. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable option for this game with this hardware, as even the lowest settings produce an average below 32 FPS.

The resolution scaling is clear. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 80 FPS, but at 1440p Low, it drops to 54 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 31 FPS. This represents a 61% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K at the same settings. Similarly, at Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 34 FPS at 1080p to 23 FPS at 1440p to 13 FPS at 4K. The GPU’s limited pixel rate and memory bandwidth are the primary causes of this degradation. The data shows that the Arc B370 is only capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p with Low settings, and even then, it has no headroom for higher-quality presets.