Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, presents an interesting stress test for the pairing of Intel's flagship Core Ultra 9 290K Plus processor with the older NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER. The benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s immense power ensures that even the lowest settings produce very high frame rates. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to understand where the bottlenecks lie and how to best configure the game for this specific hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a dramatic and predictable decline as resolution increases, but the rate of that decline tells a clear story about the limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 160 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 107 FPS, a 33% reduction. At 4K, the average falls to 61 FPS, which is a further 43% drop from the 1440p figure and a 62% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario; the CPU has enough headroom to feed frames at 1080p, but the RTX 2060 SUPER's rendering workload scales almost linearly with pixel count.

The scaling pattern is even more telling when looking at higher settings. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 97 FPS at 1080p to 65 FPS at 1440p (a 33% decrease), and then to 37 FPS at 4K (a 43% decrease from 1440p). This consistent proportional drop across all settings strongly suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at every resolution above 1080p. The CPU, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, is unlikely to be the limiting factor in a game from this era, even at lower resolutions where the FPS is highest.

The data implies that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the definitive performance ceiling for this combo in Evolve. The CPU is not holding the system back; rather, the GPU's fill rate and shading power are being exhausted as the pixel count increases. For a player targeting 4K, the GPU is simply not powerful enough to maintain high frame rates, regardless of the CPU's capabilities. The scaling is smooth and predictable, indicating no sudden CPU-related stutters or frame rate cliffs, but the overall trend is one of a system whose graphical output is firmly capped by its graphics card.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is an absolute powerhouse, and its benchmark scores confirm it sits in the top tier of processors. With 24 cores and 24 threads, a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, and a 96th percentile ranking against all CPUs, it provides an enormous amount of computational headroom. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51,731 and single-core score of 7,303 are exceptionally high. This is a processor designed for heavy multi-threaded workloads, and its performance in a game like Evolve is almost certainly overkill.

In the context of this game, the CPU's role is to ensure that the GPU is never starved of data. The data suggests this is the case, as the FPS drops are so directly tied to resolution. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions, where the CPU's frame generation limit would be reached. However, the FPS continues to rise from 1440p to 1080p, reaching 160 FPS at Low settings, indicating the CPU is capable of far more than the GPU can render. The processor's high single-core performance, evidenced by its Passmark single-thread score of 4,823, is particularly relevant for game logic and draw calls, ensuring smooth frame pacing.

The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is arguably wasted in this pairing, as its capabilities far exceed what the RTX 2060 SUPER can utilize in Evolve. Its 36 MB of shared L3 cache and high memory bandwidth (115.2 GB/s) are beneficial for overall system responsiveness, but they do not translate into higher FPS when the GPU is the clear limiting factor. The benchmark results indicate the CPU is operating well within its limits, providing a stable foundation for the GPU to work from, but its performance is not the defining characteristic of this combo's in-game results.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and a Passmark G3D score of 16,462, it is a solid mid-range card from its generation. Its 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs puts it in the middle of the pack. The card's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is the primary resource being consumed as resolution and settings increase.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the demands on the 8 GB frame buffer become significant. The benchmark data shows the 4K Ultra preset dipping to an average of 26 FPS, a clear sign that the card is overwhelmed. The card is not just struggling with raw compute; the 8 GB VRAM capacity is likely being maxed out at 4K with Ultra textures, leading to severe performance degradation. The card's memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) is not enough to compensate for the high-resolution data transfer demands.

The RTX 2060 SUPER's architecture, Turing, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is relevant for modern games, but Evolve is a 2015 title that likely relies on older APIs. The benchmark shows the card's DirectX 11 score (130) is higher than its DirectX 12 score (61) in Passmark, which could be a factor in how it handles this specific game. However, the overarching finding is that the GPU's compute and memory resources are the primary determinant of the frame rates seen in the measured data. The 4K Low preset, at 61 FPS, shows the card's raw limit, while the 1080p Low preset at 160 FPS shows its peak capability when the workload is manageable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of excellent performance. The Low preset yields an average of 160 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth. The Medium preset drops to an average of 124 FPS, with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS. The High preset still maintains a very playable 97 FPS average. The Ultra preset, however, significantly reduces performance to an average of 68 FPS, showing that even at 1080p, the Ultra settings are demanding on the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the strain on the GPU becomes more apparent. The Low preset average drops to 107 FPS, still a good experience. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. The High preset falls to 65 FPS, which is on the edge of what many would consider ideal for a fast-paced FPS. The Ultra preset averages 45 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. The trend shows a consistent 30-35% performance hit from 1080p to 1440p across all settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened. The Low preset is the only one that achieves a playable average, hitting 61 FPS. The Medium preset averages 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS, indicating inconsistent frame pacing. The High preset drops to an average of 37 FPS, and the Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at an average of 26 FPS. This data clearly shows that 4K gaming with this GPU is only viable on the lowest settings, and even then, it barely hits the 60 FPS target.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader database of tested hardware combinations for Evolve, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks at 2025 out of 2872 combos. This places it in the lower third of all tested systems, which is a surprising result given the high-end CPU. The ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations. The CPU's performance is so high that it likely inflates the combo's average score, but the in-game FPS is capped by the GPU, pulling the ranking down.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals shows it is essentially tied with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, with a deltaPct of only 0.2%. This means the 290K Plus offers no meaningful performance advantage over its direct predecessor in this context. The GPU, however, is slightly below its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, by -0.4%. This indicates the desktop RTX 2060 SUPER is performing as expected, but it is simply outclassed by newer or more powerful hardware.

The low combo rank reflects the fact that a system is only as strong as its weakest link. While the CPU is a top-4% performer (96th percentile), the GPU is a mid-pack performer (62nd percentile). The combination's in-game rank of 2025 suggests that many other tested systems, likely with more balanced CPU-GPU pairings, achieve better overall performance in Evolve. The data implies that this specific CPU is not a good match for this GPU in this game, as its power is largely untapped.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend entirely on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the High preset at 97 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual fidelity and smoothness. For players who prioritize maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 160 FPS is the best choice for competitive play, while the Medium preset at 124 FPS is a strong middle ground. The Ultra preset, at 68 FPS, is the only option at this resolution that falls short of a high refresh rate experience, making it less recommended.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 83 FPS is the sweet spot, providing a good visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a frame rate above 60 FPS. The High preset at 65 FPS is also viable for those who can tolerate slightly lower frame rates for better visuals. The Low preset at 107 FPS is the best for high-refresh-rate monitors, while the Ultra preset at 45 FPS should be avoided unless visual quality is the absolute priority over gameplay smoothness.

For 4K, the recommendations are limited. The Low preset is the only one that achieves a playable average, at 61 FPS. This is the only viable option for 4K gaming with this combo. The Medium preset at 47 FPS is borderline, but the minimum FPS of 40 may lead to noticeable stutters. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended, as their average FPS of 37 and 26, respectively, make the game feel sluggish. The data clearly suggests that for a balanced experience, 1080p High or 1440p Medium are the best choices.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a smooth 60+ FPS experience?

A: For a consistent 60+ FPS, the 1080p High preset (97 FPS average) or the 1440p Medium preset (83 FPS average) are the strongest candidates. The 1440p High preset (65 FPS) also provides this, but with less headroom.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus a good match for the RTX 2060 SUPER in this game?

A: The data indicates a significant bottleneck. The CPU is ranked in the 96th percentile, while the combo ranks 2025th out of 2872. The GPU is the clear limiting factor, as evidenced by the large FPS drops when resolution increases, suggesting the CPU's power is largely underutilized.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: Yes, but only on the Low preset, which achieves an average of 61 FPS. All other 4K presets fall below 47 FPS, with the Ultra preset dropping to an unplayable 26 FPS average.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its closest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18,093. It is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, which is -0.4% lower. It is also very close to the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (-0.5%) and the AMD Radeon RX 460 (-1.5%).

Q: What is the highest average FPS this system can achieve?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 160, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: What does the CPU's 96th percentile ranking mean for its performance relative to other CPUs?

A: It means that the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus performs better than 96% of all CPUs in the benchmark database. This places it in the top tier of processors, but this high performance does not translate to equally high in-game FPS due to the GPU's limitations.