Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 FPS from Turtle Rock Studios, presents an interesting test case for the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 pairing. This combination of a high-end mobile processor with a flagship desktop GPU creates a unique bottleneck profile that becomes immediately apparent when examining the performance data across different resolutions and settings. The benchmark results, measured directly from this configuration, reveal a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions but begins to show the CPU's limitations at 1080p, particularly when frame rates climb past the 200 FPS mark. This analysis will break down the measured FPS data to show exactly where this combo excels and where it leaves performance on the table.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly demonstrates that the RTX 4090 is the primary driver of performance in Evolve. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 263 FPS at 1920x1080 to 177 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 101 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 62% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, which is a direct result of the GPU's rendering workload increasing with pixel count. The RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth are being pushed harder as resolution increases, and the data shows a consistent, predictable decline in FPS.

At High settings, the scaling pattern shifts slightly. The drop from 1080p (160 FPS) to 1440p (107 FPS) is a 33% reduction, while the drop from 1440p to 4K (61 FPS) is a 43% reduction. This steeper decline at higher resolutions indicates that the game's High preset adds enough graphical complexity—likely through more detailed textures and effects—that the GPU's compute resources become the limiting factor sooner. The 4K High result of 61 FPS is notably close to the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that this preset is right at the edge of what the RTX 4090 can handle at that resolution without any upscaling technology.

The Medium settings data provides the most complete picture, with min and max FPS values recorded. At 1080p Medium, the average is 204 FPS with a min of 174 FPS and max of 235 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 137 FPS (min 116, max 157), and at 4K Medium it falls to 78 FPS (min 66, max 90). The variance between min and max FPS narrows as resolution increases, from a 61 FPS spread at 1080p to a 24 FPS spread at 4K. This narrowing suggests that at higher resolutions, the consistent load on the GPU smooths out frame pacing, whereas at 1080p, the CPU can occasionally become a bottleneck, causing more significant frame dips.

The Ultra settings data reveals the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 111 FPS, which drops to 74 FPS at 1440p and 42 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 42 FPS is the only measured instance where the system fails to maintain a playable 60 FPS, indicating that this preset is simply too demanding for the RTX 4090 at native 4K resolution. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 33% drop, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 43%, showing that the Ultra preset's additional effects scale disproportionately with pixel count.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a rank of 599 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve. This places the pairing in the top 21% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing given the diversity of hardware configurations in the database. The rank reflects that while this combo is not the absolute fastest for Evolve, it sits well above the median performer, putting it in the upper quartile of systems capable of running this game.

The CPU's individual benchmark performance helps contextualize this rank. The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H has an average benchmark score of 44466, which places it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, which scores 44573, a delta of -0.2%. This means the Ultra X9 388H is essentially tied with that rival in synthetic benchmarks. The Intel Core i9-13950HX trails at 44342 (0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 follows at 44309 (0.4% delta). These sub-1% differences indicate that the Ultra X9 388H is competitive with top-tier desktop and mobile processors, but it is not a standout performer in raw CPU throughput.

The GPU's ranking reinforces this picture. The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60347 and sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, has a score of 60326, a delta of 0%. This is a surprising near-tie, though it likely reflects the specific benchmark suite used. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896 (-2.5% delta), and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657 (2.9% delta). The RTX 4090's position in the 88th percentile for both CPU and GPU explains why the combo ranks in the top 21% for Evolve—both components are individually strong, but neither is in the top 5% of their respective categories.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 plays the dominant role in Evolve's performance, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The GPU's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory is more than sufficient for Evolve's texture requirements at any resolution, meaning VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios. The memory operates at 1313 MHz with 21 Gbps effective speed, delivering a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s across a 384-bit bus. This high bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and geometry data transfer do not become bottlenecks, even at 4K Ultra settings where the game is most demanding.

The GPU's clock speeds—a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz—are derived from the AD102 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process. The boost clock of 2520 MHz is particularly relevant for Evolve, as the game's engine appears to scale well with raw shader throughput. The RTX 4090's 16384 shading units and 512 TMUs provide the raw computational power needed to maintain high frame rates at 1440p, where the GPU is the clear limiting factor in most presets. The 176 ROPs handle the pixel output, which becomes more critical at 4K resolution.

The GPU's 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 82.58 TFLOPS of FP16 performance (1:1 ratio) indicate that the card is exceptionally well-suited for both standard rendering and compute-heavy workloads. In Evolve, this translates to the ability to run Medium and High presets at 4K with playable frame rates, while the Ultra preset's additional post-processing effects push the GPU past its limits. The 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are present but not heavily utilized in this game, as Evolve does not feature ray tracing or DLSS support, meaning the raw rasterization performance is what matters most here.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers high frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 263 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 204 FPS, with a minimum of 174 FPS and a maximum of 235 FPS. High settings average 160 FPS, and Ultra settings average 111 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is rarely GPU-bound, and the CPU's performance becomes more relevant. The 16-core, 16-thread Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, is sufficient to feed the RTX 4090 at these frame rates, though the gap between Low (263 FPS) and Medium (204 FPS) suggests that even at 1080p, the GPU's rendering load increases noticeably with settings.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales as expected. Low settings average 177 FPS, Medium averages 137 FPS (min 116, max 157), High averages 107 FPS, and Ultra averages 74 FPS. The 1440p results show a more even distribution of load between CPU and GPU. The 177 FPS at Low settings still allows the CPU to stretch its legs, but the 74 FPS at Ultra indicates that the GPU is starting to become the primary constraint. The Medium preset's min FPS of 116 is the lowest recorded at this resolution, suggesting some frame pacing issues that are likely CPU-related, as the GPU's workload at Medium settings is not as demanding as High or Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the GPU takes over completely. Low settings average 101 FPS, Medium averages 78 FPS (min 66, max 90), High averages 61 FPS, and Ultra averages 42 FPS. The 4K results show a clear hierarchy where each settings tier costs roughly 20 FPS on average. The Ultra preset's 42 FPS is the only unplayable result, falling well below the 60 FPS target. The High preset's 61 FPS is just at the edge of playability, while Medium at 78 FPS offers a comfortable margin. The Low preset at 101 FPS demonstrates that even at 4K, this combo can deliver high refresh rates if visual quality is sacrificed.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the clear winner. At 3840x2160, Medium settings deliver an average of 78 FPS with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS. This provides a smooth experience that stays above the 60 FPS threshold even in the most demanding moments. The High preset, at 61 FPS, is technically playable but leaves no headroom for dips, and the Ultra preset's 42 FPS is not viable for competitive play. The Medium preset's min FPS of 66 shows that even the worst-case frame times remain acceptable.

For 1440p, the High preset offers the best balance. At 2560x1440, High settings average 107 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and provides a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 74 FPS is also playable and would be the choice for gamers who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, but the High preset's 107 FPS average provides a 45% performance uplift over Ultra with relatively minor visual differences. The Low preset at 177 FPS is unnecessary unless chasing maximum refresh rates, as the High preset already delivers triple-digit FPS.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset is the optimal choice. The 111 FPS average at 1920x1080 Ultra is the only resolution where Ultra settings maintain triple-digit FPS, making it the best way to experience Evolve's maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 160 FPS is the alternative for gamers with 165Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, but the 49 FPS difference between High and Ultra is not worth the visual downgrade for most players. The Medium preset at 204 FPS is only recommended for esports-style play where every frame counts, but Evolve is not a competitive shooter in the traditional sense, so the visual fidelity of Ultra is generally preferred.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in Evolve?

A: The data shows that the CPU only becomes a factor at 1080p with Low settings, where the average FPS reaches 263. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU is the clear limiting factor, as evidenced by the consistent FPS drops across all settings when resolution increases. The CPU's 16 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock are sufficient for Evolve's engine, which does not appear to be heavily multi-threaded.

Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 4K with a 60 FPS target?

A: Yes, but only with the right settings. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 78 FPS, which provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The High preset averages 61 FPS, which is right at the threshold and may dip below in intense scenes. The Ultra preset averages 42 FPS and is not recommended for 4K gaming.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's performance compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60347, which is essentially tied with the Intel Arc Pro A60 at 60326 (0% delta). The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896 (-2.5% delta), meaning the RTX 4090 trails it by 2.5%, while the AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657 (2.9% delta), meaning the RTX 4090 leads it by 2.9%.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 107 FPS, making it the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 74 FPS is also playable and offers better visuals, but the 33 FPS performance cost may not be worth it for most players.

Q: How much VRAM does Evolve need at 4K?

A: The RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory is more than sufficient. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra settings, the GPU's 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth and 24 GB capacity do not become limiting factors. The 42 FPS average at 4K Ultra is due to compute limitations, not memory constraints.

Q: Does the combo's performance ranking in Evolve reflect its overall hardware strength?

A: The combo ranks 599 out of 2872 tested combos, placing it in the top 21%. This is consistent with the individual rankings of both components—the CPU is in the 88th percentile and the GPU is in the 88th percentile. The rank in Evolve is slightly lower than the individual percentiles would suggest, likely because the game's engine does not fully utilize the CPU's multi-threading capabilities or the GPU's advanced features like ray tracing cores.