Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination delivers a high-refresh-rate experience in Evolve, with benchmark results showing a clear shift from GPU-bound performance at 4K to CPU-bound performance at 1080p. The measured data indicates that the 24-core, 24-thread processor, with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, provides ample headroom for this 2015 title, while the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution and settings scale upward. This pairing ranks 190th out of 2,872 tested combinations, placing it in the top 7% of all configurations evaluated.

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 desktop processor built on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz can boost up to 5.80 GHz, which directly contributes to the high frame rates observed at lower resolutions. The processor's L3 cache is 36 MB shared, with 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 per core, providing substantial data locality for game logic and physics calculations that Evolve relies on for its monster-versus-hunter gameplay.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51,731 and a single-core score of 7,303, indicating strong performance across both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The PassMark multi-thread score of 60,860 and single-thread score of 4,823 further reinforce this profile. The processor ranks in the 96th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84,003. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with an average score of 83,807 (0.2% higher), the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83,090 (1.1% higher), the AMD EPYC 9135 at 82,980 (1.2% higher), and the AMD EPYC 7F72 at 85,072 (1.3% lower).

At 1080p with Low settings, the combination achieves 333 FPS average, suggesting the CPU can feed frames well beyond typical display refresh rates. The 24 threads are largely sufficient for Evolve's AI-driven monster AI and environmental interactions. However, the data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions; instead, the GPU takes over as the primary constraint. The processor's 125 W TDP and DDR5 dual-channel memory support with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation, but these specifications matter less in this game's measured results than the core clock speed and thread count, which are both ample for the workload.

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

Analyzing the measured FPS across all settings and resolutions, the Medium preset emerges as the most balanced option for this combination. At 1440p Medium, the system delivers 173 FPS average with a minimum of 147 FPS and a maximum of 199 FPS, providing a smooth experience with minimal frame dips. The 147 FPS minimum is notably higher than the 60 FPS threshold typically required for fluid gameplay, making this preset suitable for competitive play without sacrificing visual fidelity.

At 1080p, the Medium preset reaches 258 FPS average with a minimum of 220 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor. The High preset at 1080p drops to 203 FPS, still excellent, but Medium offers a 27% improvement over High in average frame rate. For users prioritizing maximum visual quality, the Ultra preset at 1080p yields 140 FPS, which remains playable but represents a 46% reduction compared to Medium. At 4K, the Medium preset drops to 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS, which is still within acceptable range for most players, though the lower minimum could cause noticeable hitches in intense combat scenarios.

The Low preset at 1440p achieves 224 FPS, but the visual compromise is substantial and unnecessary given the performance headroom. The data suggests that Medium settings provide the best balance of image quality and frame rate stability across all three resolutions tested. For 4K users, the choice between High (77 FPS) and Medium (99 FPS) is significant, with Medium offering a 28% average frame rate advantage while the visual difference in Evolve's dark, foliage-heavy environments is moderate. Ultra at 4K drops to 54 FPS, which falls below the smoothness threshold and is not recommended for this combination.

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

The measured data reveals a consistent and predictable frame rate decline as resolution increases, indicating the GPU becomes progressively more dominant as the performance limiter. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 258 at 1080p to 173 at 1440p (a 33% reduction) and then to 99 at 4K (a 43% reduction from 1440p). This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload, where the number of pixels rendered directly impacts the frame output.

The High preset shows a similar trend: 203 FPS at 1080p, 136 FPS at 1440p (a 33% drop), and 77 FPS at 4K (a 43% drop from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings strongly suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution, as a CPU bottleneck would manifest as a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions. Instead, the 1080p Low preset's 333 FPS average demonstrates the CPU's capability to support very high frame rates, while the GPU's rendering throughput caps performance as resolution increases.

The Ultra preset follows the same pattern: 140 FPS at 1080p, 94 FPS at 1440p (a 33% drop), and 54 FPS at 4K (a 43% drop from 1440p). This consistent scaling behavior across all four settings presets confirms that the RTX 4080 SUPER's pixel throughput is the determining factor. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for Evolve's textures at all resolutions, so the frame rate decline is purely a function of shading and rasterization workload rather than memory capacity constraints.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combination in Evolve?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 333, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This demonstrates the CPU's ability to drive extremely high frame rates when the GPU workload is minimal.

Q: How does the Medium preset at 1440p compare to High at 4K in terms of performance?

A: At 1440p Medium, the system delivers 173 FPS average with a minimum of 147 FPS, while at 4K High it drops to 77 FPS average. The 1440p Medium configuration offers a 125% higher average frame rate while providing a more stable experience due to the higher minimum FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor for 4K gameplay?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The frame rate scales proportionally with resolution across all settings, and the CPU can achieve 333 FPS at 1080p Low, showing it is not constraining performance at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 84 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings. This is the only measured configuration with a minimum below 100 FPS, and it remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

*Q: How does this combination rank among all tested configurations for Evolve?*

A: This combination ranks 190th out of 2,872 tested combos, placing it in the top 6.6% of all configurations evaluated for this game.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings achieve 333 FPS average, while Ultra settings achieve 140 FPS average. This represents a 58% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest visual quality preset.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, based on the AD103 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, is the primary determinant of frame rates in Evolve at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is more than adequate for Evolve's 2015-era textures and geometry, even at 4K with Ultra settings, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate scaling without memory-related stuttering.

The GPU's base clock of 2295 MHz and boost clock of 2550 MHz, combined with 10,240 shading units, deliver the raw compute throughput needed for the game's particle effects and lighting. The 320 texture mapping units and 112 ROPs handle the rasterization workload, while the 80 ray tracing cores and 320 tensor cores provide additional capabilities that are not heavily utilized by this title. The GPU achieves a PassMark G3D score of 34,245 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 260,075, placing it in the 86th percentile against all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 54,209.

The GPU's nearest rivals show tight competition: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 scores 54,247 (0.1% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54,828 (1.1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55,698 (2.7% higher), and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55,757 (2.8% higher). Despite these rivals having higher average benchmark scores, the RTX 4080 SUPER's measured performance in Evolve is strong, achieving 77 FPS at 4K High and 136 FPS at 1440p High. The GPU's 320 W TDP and triple-slot design require a 700 W suggested PSU, but these power characteristics do not directly impact the measured frame rates.

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

At 1920x1080, the combination demonstrates its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings achieve 333 FPS average, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium settings deliver 258 FPS average with a minimum of 220 FPS and a maximum of 297 FPS. High settings reach 203 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 140 FPS average. The spread between Low and Ultra is 193 FPS, indicating the GPU's workload increases substantially with visual quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low settings achieve 224 FPS average, a 33% reduction from 1080p. Medium settings deliver 173 FPS average with a minimum of 147 FPS and a maximum of 199 FPS, providing the best balance of performance and visual quality at this resolution. High settings reach 136 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 94 FPS average. The minimum FPS of 147 at Medium settings is notable, as it remains above the refresh rate of most 1440p monitors.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings achieve 127 FPS average, which is still playable but represents a 43% reduction from 1440p. Medium settings deliver 99 FPS average with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS, providing the only 4K configuration with a recorded minimum above 60 FPS. High settings reach 77 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 54 FPS average, which is the lowest measured value in the dataset. The 4K Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, making it unsuitable for this combination.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 190th out of 2,872 tested combinations for Evolve, placing it in the top 6.6% of all configurations evaluated. This ranking reflects the balance between the CPU's strong single-thread performance, which handles the game's AI and physics calculations, and the GPU's substantial rendering throughput, which maintains high frame rates across most settings and resolutions.

The ranking is particularly impressive given the processor's position in the 96th percentile against all CPUs and the GPU's 86th percentile against all GPUs. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a high-end GPU results in a system that avoids significant bottlenecks at any point in the tested range. The data shows that the CPU can deliver 333 FPS at 1080p Low, while the GPU can maintain 77 FPS at 4K High, demonstrating that neither component is severely underutilized.

The nearest rival CPUs for the processor, including the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (0.2% higher average score) and AMD EPYC 4584PX (1.1% higher), would likely produce similar results when paired with the same GPU, as the performance deltas are minimal. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (0.1% higher average score), would also yield comparable frame rates in Evolve. The ranking of 190th out of 2,872 indicates that while this combination is not the absolute top performer, it sits comfortably in the upper echelon of tested configurations, with only approximately 6.6% of combinations achieving higher measured frame rates in this game.