Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti presents a high-end combination for playing Evolve, though the data suggests a clear performance ceiling set by the GPU at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates and explains how each component contributes to the overall experience.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and can boost up to 5.80 GHz, which provides substantial single-thread headroom for a game like Evolve, a 2015 FPS that is unlikely to utilize all 24 cores effectively. The processor's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 115.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth are ample for modern gaming workloads, but the sheer core count is more relevant for multi-threaded productivity tasks than for this particular title.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 290K Plus achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its Passmark multi-thread score of 60860 and single-thread score of 4823 further confirm its high-end status. The data shows this CPU is positioned just 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K in average benchmark score, and 1.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4584PX. In the context of Evolve, the CPU's high boost clock of 5.80 GHz ensures that even at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed, the processor is unlikely to become a limiting factor. The 24 threads are more than sufficient for the game's engine, meaning the measured frame rates at 1080p are primarily a reflection of the GPU's ability to push frames, with the CPU providing a stable foundation without bottlenecking the render pipeline.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the clear driver of performance in this combo, featuring 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. Its GA102 chip, built on an 8 nm process, includes 10240 shading units and 80 RT cores, with a boost clock of 1665 MHz. This hardware configuration is more than capable of handling Evolve's demands, which is a title from 2015 and does not require the latest ray tracing or DLSS features. The 12 GB VRAM buffer is generous for this game, ensuring that even at 4K Ultra settings, memory capacity is not a limiting factor.

Benchmark data indicates the GPU scores 26896 in Passmark G3D and 15282 in GPU Compute, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 41187 is 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 and 2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, though it lags behind the Tesla M40 24 GB by 1.2%. For Evolve, the GPU's raw rasterization power is what matters most. As the resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the frame rates drop significantly, which is a classic sign of the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck. The 3080 Ti's high texture and pixel rates (532.8 GTexel/s and 186.5 GPixel/s) allow it to maintain playable frame rates at 4K High, but the data shows a steep decline when moving to Ultra settings, indicating that the GPU's compute and memory resources are being fully taxed by the higher preset.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable scaling pattern that identifies the RTX 3080 Ti as the performance limiter at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves an average of 261 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, this drops to 175 FPS, a 33% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 99 FPS, which is a 62% reduction from the 1080p Low figure. This steep decline is a clear indicator that the GPU is being pushed harder as the pixel count increases, while the CPU's role diminishes.

A similar pattern is visible on High settings. The combo delivers 158 FPS at 1080p, 106 FPS at 1440p (a 33% drop), and 60 FPS at 4K (a 62% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and High presets suggests that the scaling is primarily resolution-driven rather than settings-driven, which points directly to the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth as the limiting factors. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance gap between 1080p and 1440p, as the GPU would have more headroom. Instead, the data shows a linear decline with resolution, confirming that the RTX 3080 Ti is the component dictating these frame rates. The 175 FPS at 1440p Low versus the 99 FPS at 4K Low highlights how much processing power is required to drive those additional pixels, leaving the 290K Plus with plenty of idle capacity.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The dataset provides a full matrix of average frame rates across three resolutions and four settings presets, with some rows also including minimum and maximum values.

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its highest performance. On Low settings, it averages 261 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 202 FPS, with a minimum of 172 FPS and a maximum of 232 FPS. High settings produce an average of 158 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to an average of 110 FPS. This range shows that even at the most demanding 1080p preset, the system maintains a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages scale down accordingly. Low settings average 175 FPS, a significant drop from 1080p. Medium settings average 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS. High settings deliver 106 FPS on average, and Ultra settings settle at 74 FPS. The 1440p Ultra figure of 74 FPS is still comfortably playable, but it shows the performance cost of enabling the highest preset at a higher resolution.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3080 Ti starts to show its limits. Low settings average 99 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings average 77 FPS, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 89 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 60 FPS, which is exactly the standard for console-like smoothness. Ultra settings, however, bring the average down to 42 FPS, which is below the ideal playable threshold for a fast-paced FPS. The minimum FPS data for 4K Medium (66 FPS) and 1440p Medium (115 FPS) provide useful context for frame time consistency, indicating that the system maintains stable performance without major stutters at those settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Evolve, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 960th out of 3700 total combos. This places it in the top 26% of all systems tested for this game, which is a strong showing given the age of the title. The rank reflects the fact that the RTX 3080 Ti, while powerful, is not the absolute fastest GPU available, and the 290K Plus, despite its high core count, does not provide a significant advantage over slightly older CPUs in a game that is not heavily multi-threaded.

The combo's position is primarily driven by the GPU's percentile ranking of 83, which is lower than the CPU's 96th percentile. This means that while the processor is a top-tier performer, the graphics card is the more average component in this pairing, pulling the overall rank down from what it might be with a faster GPU. The 960th rank suggests that there are 959 other tested combinations that deliver higher average frame rates in Evolve, likely featuring more powerful GPUs like the RTX 4090 or newer 40-series cards. For a system built around this combo, the data indicates it is a high-end setup that will run Evolve exceptionally well at 1080p and 1440p, but it is not at the absolute pinnacle of performance for this specific game.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset at 110 FPS is the best choice, as it provides a high level of visual fidelity while still maintaining a frame rate that is smooth on a 120Hz or 144Hz monitor. If a player prefers maximum competitive performance, the Low preset at 261 FPS is available, but the Ultra setting offers a better balance of quality and speed without sacrificing playability.

For 1440p, the High preset at 106 FPS is the recommended sweet spot. It delivers a fluid experience on a 100Hz+ monitor and looks significantly better than Medium. The Ultra preset at 74 FPS is also viable for players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, but the 106 FPS of High is more consistent for a fast-paced shooter. The Medium preset at 135 FPS is a good fallback if frame rate stability is the primary concern, but High provides a noticeable visual upgrade for only a 29 FPS cost.

At 4K, the situation is more delicate. The High preset at 60 FPS is the best choice, as it hits the standard for smooth gameplay on a 60Hz display while maintaining good image quality. The Medium preset at 77 FPS is also excellent, offering a bit more headroom. However, the Ultra preset at 42 FPS should be avoided, as it falls below the 60 FPS target and would result in a less responsive and less enjoyable experience in a competitive FPS. The Low preset at 99 FPS is an option for players who want a higher frame rate on a 4K high-refresh monitor, but it comes with significant visual compromises. Ultimately, the data suggests that for this combo, 4K High is the optimal balance, while 1440p High is the best overall experience for frame rate and fidelity.