Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 asymmetrical FPS, places distinct demands on a system, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 produces a dataset that reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. The measured FPS values show a system that is overwhelmingly capable at standard high refresh rates but begins to show its limits when pushed to maximum visual fidelity at 4K, indicating a nuanced balance between CPU and GPU workloads.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 with this hardware shows a predictable and steep decline in average frame rates, characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At the "Low" settings preset, the average FPS drops from 241 at 1080p to 161 at 1440p, a reduction of approximately 33%. Pushing further to 4K yields an average of 92 FPS, which is a 62% decrease from the 1080p figure. This sharp scaling curve at low settings indicates that even at lower graphical loads, the GPU's rendering throughput is the primary bottleneck, as the frame rate drops disproportionately with the increase in pixel count.

The "Medium" preset tells a similar story, with averages of 186 FPS at 1080p, 125 FPS at 1440p, and 71 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 61 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 54 FPS, showing a consistent scaling penalty. The "High" preset follows the trend: 146 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K. The most demanding "Ultra" preset shows the steepest relative decline, starting at 101 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 68 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 39 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K on Ultra represents a 43% performance loss.

These numbers suggest that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the high frame rates (101-241 FPS depending on settings) suggest that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately, but the GPU is still the primary constraint, as even the lowest settings cannot push the frame rate into the 300+ FPS territory that an uncapped CPU might allow. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU's workload becomes undeniably dominant. The RTX 4080, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth, is powerful, but the data shows it is not sufficient to maintain high refresh rates at 4K with the "Ultra" preset, where the average of 39 FPS falls below the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread mobile processor based on the Panther Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. Its base clock is 2.10 GHz, which can boost up to 5.10 GHz. In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but its performance ceiling is what allows the high frame rates seen at 1080p. The processor's single-core performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2200.5, is robust and likely sufficient to handle the game's core simulation and AI logic without becoming a significant bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities, reflected in a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18911, are substantial. This is further supported by its Passmark multi-thread score of 36811 and an average benchmark score of 44466, which places it in the 88th percentile among all CPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals in the database, the Core Ultra X9 388H is effectively at parity. It scores a 0.5% delta against the Intel Core i5-13600 and a 0.3% delta against the Intel Core i9-13950HX, indicating that its overall compute power is very competitive with those desktop-class parts. The data shows that in this game, this level of CPU performance is not the limiting factor at 4K, as the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is far too steep to be attributed to CPU limitations. Instead, the CPU's strong single-threaded performance allows the GPU to reach its maximum potential at 1080p, where the average FPS on "Low" hits 241.

The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and the 153.6 GB/s memory bandwidth on LPDDR5X memory provide a solid foundation for feeding the 16 cores. The fact that the processor maintains high frame rates at 1080p across all presets, from 101 FPS on Ultra to 241 FPS on Low, indicates that it is not a performance ceiling in this title. The evidence points to the CPU being a capable partner that provides ample headroom, with the overall system performance being dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the clear driver of performance in this pairing. With 9728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, it is a high-end mobile GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture. Its boost clock of 2505 MHz and 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provide a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU's benchmark scores are equally impressive, with a Passmark G3D score of 34457 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 263779, placing it in the 86th percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 54247 is nearly identical to the RTX 4080 SUPER, with a delta of only 0.1%, showing that this mobile part performs essentially on par with that desktop variant.

In Evolve, the GPU's role is decisive. The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern tied to the GPU's workload. The difference between the "Low" and "Ultra" presets at 4K is stark: 92 FPS versus 39 FPS, a 58% performance penalty for maxing out the settings. This demonstrates that the visual features enabled by the "Ultra" preset, likely including higher shadow quality, more detailed textures, and additional post-processing effects, place a heavy load on the GPU's compute and memory subsystems. The RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game, as no memory-related performance anomalies are present in the data; the frame rates scale smoothly with resolution, indicating that the GPU is not running out of memory.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s are more than adequate for a game from 2015. The data suggests that the RTX 4080 is the primary reason for the high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but its limits are exposed at 4K with the "Ultra" preset. The 39 FPS average at 4K Ultra is not a smooth experience, and the 56 FPS at 4K High, while playable, is not ideal for a high-refresh-rate monitor. The GPU's performance is the defining factor in this combo, as its scaling with resolution and settings perfectly mirrors the changes in the measured FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 pairing holds a rank of 885 out of 2872 combos. This places it in the top 31% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. The data indicates that this is a high-performing combination, likely because the CPU is powerful enough to not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios, allowing the RTX 4080 to perform to its full potential.

However, the rank of 885 also suggests there is significant room for improvement. The 2872 tested combos include systems with more powerful GPUs, such as the RTX 4080 SUPER, which is a direct rival to this GPU with a 0.1% higher average benchmark score. Equipping a system with that GPU would likely yield a higher rank. Similarly, the CPU is very capable, but its 16-thread count, while efficient, is not the absolute highest available. The rank confirms the balance of the pairing, but it is not a top-tier result. The data shows the system is very capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, but it is not optimized for the absolute highest frame rates at 4K with maximum settings, which likely explains why it is not ranked higher. The performance is solid, but the combination is not pushing the boundaries of what is possible, especially considering the GPU's end-of-life status and the fact that it is not the fastest in its own series.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Evolve?

A: The highest average FPS is 241, measured at 1920x1080 resolution with the "Low" settings preset.

Q: Can this system maintain a stable 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at certain settings. At 4K with the "Medium" preset, the average FPS is 71 with a minimum of 60 FPS. The "High" preset averages 56 FPS, which is below 60, and the "Ultra" preset averages 39 FPS.

Q: How does this CPU compare to the Intel Core i9-13950HX in overall benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H has an average benchmark score of 44466, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i9-13950HX's score of 44342.

Q: What is the performance difference between the "Low" and "Ultra" presets at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the "Low" preset averages 161 FPS, while the "Ultra" preset averages 68 FPS. This represents a 93 FPS difference, showing a significant performance cost for the highest visual settings.

Q: Which GPU is the closest rival to the RTX 4080 in this database?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the closest rival, with an average benchmark score of 54209, which is a 0.1% delta from the RTX 4080's score of 54247.

Q: How does the system's 1080p "High" preset performance compare to its 4K "High" preset performance?

A: At 1920x1080 with "High" settings, the system averages 146 FPS. At 3840x2160 with "High" settings, the average drops to 56 FPS, a reduction of 90 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For a 1080p display with a high refresh rate (144Hz or above), the "High" preset, which averages 146 FPS, or even the "Medium" preset at 186 FPS, are excellent choices that balance visual quality with very smooth performance. The "Ultra" preset at 1080p, averaging 101 FPS, is also viable for 100Hz displays, but the "Low" preset at 241 FPS is only necessary for 240Hz displays where maximum frame rates are the absolute priority.

At 1440p, the "High" preset is the sweet spot, achieving an average of 98 FPS, which is ideal for most 144Hz monitors. The "Medium" preset, with an average of 125 FPS, is also a strong option for competitive play. While the "Ultra" preset at 68 FPS is playable, the jump in visual quality may not justify the 30 FPS loss compared to "High."

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that the "Medium" preset is the most balanced choice, as it is the only preset that maintains an average FPS above 60 (71 FPS) with a minimum of 60 FPS. The "High" preset, averaging 56 FPS, is a compromise for those who prioritize visual fidelity over a locked 60 FPS, but it will not be as smooth. The "Ultra" preset at 4K, with an average of 39 FPS, should be avoided for a good gameplay experience, as it falls well below the 60 FPS target. The "Low" preset at 4K, while achieving 92 FPS, would likely look significantly worse than "Medium" without providing enough of a frame rate advantage to be worth the visual sacrifice on a high-resolution display.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured average FPS values for the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination in Evolve.

1920x1080:

• Low: 241 FPS average
• Medium: 186 FPS average (158 min, 214 max)
• High: 146 FPS average
• Ultra: 101 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 161 FPS average
• Medium: 125 FPS average (106 min, 144 max)
• High: 98 FPS average
• Ultra: 68 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 92 FPS average
• Medium: 71 FPS average (60 min, 82 max)
• High: 56 FPS average
• Ultra: 39 FPS average

This breakdown confirms the system's proficiency at lower resolutions and its limitations at 4K with higher settings. The data shows a clear hierarchy where the "Medium" preset provides the best balance of frame rate and visual quality across all resolutions, ensuring the most consistent and playable experience without requiring the user to compromise on the "Low" preset. The "Ultra" preset is only recommended for 1080p displays, where the average of 101 FPS is still very usable.