Evolve

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 places this combo at rank 880 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve, positioning it in the top 24% of all systems evaluated. This is a notably strong showing for a configuration pairing a quad-core budget processor with a high-end Ada Lovelace GPU, indicating that the combination clears the playable threshold comfortably across most settings and resolutions. The benchmark data, which is measured rather than estimated, shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but capable of delivering exceptional frame rates at 1080p, making it a versatile option for this 2015 FPS title.

How This Combo Ranks

At position 880 out of 3700 combos, the i3-12100F + RTX 4070 configuration sits comfortably in the upper quartile of all tested systems for Evolve. The percentile ranking reinforces this: the CPU scores in the 68th percentile against all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 81st percentile against all graphics cards. This asymmetry—a mid-tier CPU paired with a high-tier GPU—produces a system that ranks well overall, though the data suggests the CPU occasionally limits performance in less demanding scenarios.

The rank of 880 out of 3700 means roughly 76% of tested combos perform worse in this game, which is impressive given the CPU's modest specifications. The i3-12100F has 4 cores and 8 threads with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost up to 4.30 GHz, while the RTX 4070 features 5888 shading units, 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. The combination of a high-end GPU with a capable quad-core CPU yields a system that ranks well above average, though not in the top tier—the gap between this combo and the very best configurations likely stems from CPU limitations in CPU-bound scenarios.

Looking at the measured FPS across all resolutions, the system demonstrates consistent strength. At 1080p, even the most demanding Ultra preset achieves 109.8 FPS average, while the 4K Ultra setting drops to 40.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This pattern suggests the combo's ranking is driven primarily by its excellent performance at 1440p and 1080p, with 4K Ultra being the only setting where it falls short of playable standards.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the i3-12100F and RTX 4070 depending on resolution and preset. At 4K, the GPU dominates the workload: moving from Low to Ultra settings at 3840x2160 drops average FPS from 99.9 to 40.5, a 59.4 FPS penalty that shows how much the RTX 4070's load increases with graphical complexity. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are clearly being taxed at this resolution, especially with Ultra settings.

At 1440p, the balance shifts. The spread from Low (175.5 FPS) to Ultra (75.6 FPS) is still substantial, but the system maintains playable frame rates even at the highest preset. This indicates that at 2560x1440, the RTX 4070 has enough headroom that even demanding settings don't overwhelm it, and the i3-12100F's 4 cores and 8 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU adequately.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at 1080p. Here, the jump from Low (262.7 FPS) to Medium (204.8 FPS) to High (158.1 FPS) shows diminishing returns as the GPU becomes less of a bottleneck. The i3-12100F's single-thread performance—scoring 893 in 3dmark_single_thread and 1674 in cinebench_r23_singlecore—becomes more relevant at this resolution, where the GPU can render frames faster than the CPU can issue draw calls. The fact that Ultra at 1080p still achieves 109.8 FPS suggests the CPU can keep up, but the scaling pattern indicates the quad-core processor is the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the i3-12100F, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core 3 N355 with an avgScore of 13492 (0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 at 13452 (0.3% faster), the Intel Core 5 120UL at 13594 (0.7% slower), and the Intel Core i7-1250U at 13351 (1.1% faster). These processors would behave nearly identically to the i3-12100F in Evolve, meaning that swapping in any of these would yield similar frame rates, particularly in CPU-bound scenarios at 1080p.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (avgScore 37628, 0.1% faster), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507, 0.4% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135, 1.3% slower), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37157, 1.3% faster). For Evolve specifically, these alternatives would produce very similar FPS numbers to the RTX 4070 at each resolution and preset, since their average benchmark scores are within 1.3% of each other. A system with any of these GPUs paired with the i3-12100F would land at essentially the same rank and deliver comparable playability.

The deltaPct values are minimal across both lists, confirming that this combination's performance is representative of a broader cluster of hardware. Users with these alternative components can expect frame rates within a few percent of what the i3-12100F + RTX 4070 delivers in Evolve.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Evolve at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. At 3840x2160, the system achieves 99.9 FPS on Low, 77.2 FPS on Medium, and 59.3 FPS on High. The Ultra preset drops to 40.5 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The recommended best settings at 4K are Medium with an average of 77.2 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with frame rates ranging from 175.5 FPS on Low to 75.6 FPS on Ultra. The Ultra preset delivers 75.6 FPS average, which clears the 60 FPS threshold, making it the best choice for maximum visual quality.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the i3-12100F becomes more influential as the GPU has more headroom. The frame rates range from 262.7 FPS on Low to 109.8 FPS on Ultra. The scaling between Low and Medium (a 57.9 FPS drop) versus Medium to High (a 46.7 FPS drop) suggests the CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads are still sufficient to maintain playable performance, but the 3dmark_single_thread score of 893 indicates it is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 overkill for this game?

A: The data suggests yes, particularly at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system produces 262.7 FPS, far exceeding any display's refresh rate. Even at 1440p Ultra, 75.6 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The RTX 4070's 81st percentile ranking against all GPUs means it is a high-tier card, and Evolve, released in 2015, does not appear to fully utilize its capabilities at resolutions below 4K.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at each resolution?

A: The measured FPS data does not include minimum or maximum frame rate values—only average FPS is provided for each resolution and settings combination. All reported figures are averages, with no min or max data available in the benchmark results.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 880 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the top 24% of all configurations. This rank is driven by the GPU's 81st percentile performance and the CPU's 68th percentile performance. The system performs best at 1440p Ultra (75.6 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (109.8 FPS), while 4K Ultra remains the only unplayable setting.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the system delivers 99.9 FPS on Low settings, 77.2 FPS on Medium, 59.3 FPS on High, and 40.5 FPS on Ultra. These figures show a steady decline as graphical fidelity increases, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 59.4 FPS. The High preset at 59.3 FPS sits just below the 60 FPS playable threshold, while Medium comfortably clears it.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance improves substantially. Low settings produce 175.5 FPS, Medium 138.9 FPS, High 104.9 FPS, and Ultra 75.6 FPS. Every preset at this resolution exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, with even the most demanding settings offering a 15.6 FPS margin above playable. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 99.9 FPS, showing a more gradual drop than at 4K.

At 1920x1080, the system reaches its peak performance. Low settings hit 262.7 FPS, Medium 204.8 FPS, High 158.1 FPS, and Ultra 109.8 FPS. These numbers indicate that the combo can drive high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, with even Ultra settings nearly doubling the 60 FPS threshold. The difference between Low and Ultra is 152.9 FPS, the largest spread across all resolutions, reflecting the GPU's reduced bottleneck at lower pixel counts.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Medium, which achieves an average of 77.2 FPS. The High preset falls just short at 59.3 FPS, making Medium the optimal choice for 4K gameplay without sacrificing the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings deliver 75.6 FPS, clearing the 60 FPS threshold with a 15.6 FPS margin. This makes Ultra the best settings preset for 1440p, providing the highest visual quality while maintaining smooth performance. All other presets also exceed 60 FPS, but Ultra offers the best balance.

For 1920x1080, Ultra settings produce 109.8 FPS, which is the best available preset at this resolution. The 49.8 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold provides ample headroom for demanding scenes or future driver updates. Low, Medium, and High all also clear 60 FPS, with Low reaching 262.7 FPS for competitive play.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve at playable frame rates across nearly all tested configurations. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low (99.9 FPS) and Medium (77.2 FPS), with the best setting being Medium at 77.2 FPS. The High preset at 59.3 FPS falls marginally below the 60 FPS playable threshold, and Ultra at 40.5 FPS is not playable.

At 2560x1440, all settings are playable: Low (175.5 FPS), Medium (138.9 FPS), High (104.9 FPS), and Ultra (75.6 FPS). The best setting is Ultra at 75.6 FPS, providing the fullest visual experience while staying well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1920x1080, every preset is also playable, with Low (262.7 FPS), Medium (204.8 FPS), High (158.1 FPS), and Ultra (109.8 FPS) all exceeding 60 FPS. The best setting is Ultra at 109.8 FPS, offering maximum graphical quality with substantial performance headroom. Overall, the Intel Core i3-12100F + RTX 4070 combo delivers a strong gaming experience for Evolve, excelling at 1080p and 1440p while remaining viable at 4K with reduced settings.