Evolve

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a benchmark-verified performance profile for Evolve that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset selection. Measured data shows this combination ranges from a fully playable 60.2 FPS average at 4K High settings to a high-refresh-rate 262.9 FPS average at 1080p Low, with the GPU consistently acting as the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. The data confirms this combo ranks 849th out of 3,700 tested configurations in this game, placing it in the upper quartile of systems capable of running Evolve smoothly across most scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the measured average frame rates show clear scaling with graphical load. Low settings produce an average of 98.1 FPS, which is the highest 4K result in the dataset. Medium settings yield 76.9 FPS, while High settings drop to 60.2 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, falls below the playable threshold with an average of 44.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 53.3 FPS, representing a 54.3% performance reduction when moving from the least to most demanding preset.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the same preset progression shows substantially higher headroom. Low settings average 172.5 FPS, Medium averages 136.9 FPS, High averages 109.9 FPS, and Ultra averages 73.6 FPS. All four settings at this resolution remain above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 98.9 FPS, with Ultra delivering 42.7% of the Low preset's frame rate.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), performance becomes exceptional across the board. Low settings reach 262.9 FPS, Medium hits 205.7 FPS, High achieves 160.1 FPS, and Ultra still maintains 111.1 FPS. The spread between lowest and highest settings is 151.8 FPS, with Ultra retaining 42.3% of the Low preset's performance. This resolution offers the greatest margin above the 60 FPS threshold, with even the most demanding preset delivering over 85% more frames than required.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the RTX 3080 Ti is the dominant performance factor at all three tested resolutions, with the i3-12100F providing sufficient throughput to avoid becoming the primary limiter. Evidence for this comes from the scaling behavior between resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system produces 262.9 FPS; at 1440p Low, it produces 172.5 FPS; and at 4K Low, it produces 98.1 FPS. This represents a 62.3% frame rate drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 43.1% drop from 1440p to 4K. Such steep declines with resolution are characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, where pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor.

The preset scaling within each resolution further supports GPU dominance. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average from 262.9 to 111.1 FPS, a 57.7% reduction. At 1440p, the same preset change reduces performance from 172.5 to 73.6 FPS, a 57.3% reduction. At 4K, the reduction is 54.3% (98.1 to 44.8 FPS). This consistent drop across resolutions indicates that the GPU's shading and rasterization workload scales predictably with preset complexity, while the CPU maintains stable frame delivery.

The i3-12100F's 3DMark scores provide context for its role. Its 4-thread score of 2859 and 8-thread score of 4026 suggest adequate multi-threaded capability for a 2015-era FPS title like Evolve. The single-thread score of 893 in 3DMark and 1674 in Cinebench R23 indicate strong per-core performance that supports high frame rates in GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 13494, places it comfortably above the minimum requirements for feeding a high-end GPU at these settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 849th out of 3,700 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the top 22.9% of all configurations. This rank reflects the balance between the i3-12100F's mid-tier processing power and the RTX 3080 Ti's high-end graphics capability. The GPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs (average score 41187) is the primary driver of this strong position, while the CPU's 68th percentile ranking (average score 13494) provides sufficient support without dragging down the overall result.

The rank of 849 indicates that this combo outperforms approximately 77.1% of tested systems in Evolve specifically. This is notable because the CPU's relative weakness compared to the GPU could theoretically limit performance in CPU-heavy titles, but the measured FPS data shows this is not the case here. The combination's ability to maintain 60+ FPS at 4K High and 4K Medium, along with 73.6 FPS at 1440p Ultra, demonstrates that the overall system is well-matched for this game's rendering demands.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 44.8, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable 4K setting is High, which averages 60.2 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming on this hardware?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 73.6 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the recommended maximum for 1440p.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 262.9 at 1080p to 98.1 at 4K, a reduction of 164.8 FPS or 62.7%. At High settings, the drop is from 160.1 to 60.2 FPS, a 62.4% reduction.

Q: Is the i3-12100F a bottleneck for the RTX 3080 Ti in this game?

A: The data suggests minimal CPU bottlenecking. The consistent GPU-bound scaling across resolutions and presets, combined with the CPU's strong single-thread score of 1674 in Cinebench R23, indicates the processor can keep pace with the GPU's output.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 Medium is 205.7, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: Does this combo rank higher or lower than average for Evolve?

A: It ranks 849th out of 3,700 tested combos, meaning it outperforms roughly 77% of tested systems. This places it in the upper quartile of performance for this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is High, which delivers exactly 60.2 FPS. This is the only 4K setting that clears the threshold, as Ultra falls to 44.8 FPS. Medium at 76.9 FPS and Low at 98.1 FPS also remain playable, but High represents the best visual quality that still meets the playability criterion.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings are playable with an average of 73.6 FPS. This is the recommended maximum, providing the highest visual fidelity while maintaining a 22.7% margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Lower presets (High at 109.9, Medium at 136.9, Low at 172.5) all exceed the threshold but offer diminishing returns for users prioritizing frame rate over visual detail.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver 111.1 FPS on average, making it the best settings option with substantial headroom. All four presets at this resolution exceed 60 FPS, with Low reaching 262.9 FPS for competitive play and Ultra providing the most visually rich experience without sacrificing smoothness.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve at all three tested resolutions, but with important preset limitations. At 3840x2160, the system is playable at Low, Medium, and High settings, with High barely clearing the 60 FPS threshold at 60.2 FPS average. Ultra at 4K is not playable, averaging 44.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, every preset including Ultra is playable, with Ultra achieving 73.6 FPS and lower presets ranging from 109.9 to 172.5 FPS. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable with Ultra at 111.1 FPS and Low at 262.9 FPS.

The verdict is clear: this combination is fully capable of delivering a smooth Evolve experience at 1080p and 1440p with maximum settings, and at 4K with High or lower settings. The GPU's 34.10 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 912.4 GB/s memory bandwidth provide ample raw power, while the CPU's 4.30 GHz boost clock and 12 MB shared L3 cache ensure consistent frame pacing. Users with 4K displays should stick to High settings for the best balance of quality and performance, while 1440p and 1080p users can max out the game without concern.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on nearestRivals data, the CPU's closest performance equivalents are the Intel Core 3 N355 (average score 13492, delta 0%), the Intel Core i5-9500 (average score 13452, delta 0.3%), and the Intel Core 5 120UL (average score 13594, delta -0.7%). These processors would behave nearly identically to the i3-12100F in Evolve, as their benchmark scores fall within 1.1% of each other. The Intel Core i7-1250U (average score 13351, delta 1.1%) is also a close match, though slightly lower in overall throughput.

On the GPU side, the nearest rivals to the RTX 3080 Ti are the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (average score 40870, delta 0.8%), the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB (average score 41707, delta -1.2%), and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 (average score 41897, delta -1.7%). These GPUs would produce similar frame rates in Evolve, with the Radeon Pro 5300 being marginally faster and the Tesla M40 variants slightly slower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (average score 40377, delta 2%) is also a close performer, though it trails the RTX 3080 Ti by 2% in aggregate benchmarks. For a user considering alternative hardware, these CPUs and GPUs represent the nearest performance equivalents that would yield comparable results in Evolve.