Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 presents a compelling mid-range combination for Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. The measured data shows this system delivers a wide range of performance depending on resolution and settings, scaling from a demanding 4K experience to a high-refresh-rate 1080p machine. The i5-12400, a 6-core, 12-thread Alder Lake processor, and the RX 7600, based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, form a balanced pair that appears well-suited for this game's engine. The benchmark results provide a clear picture of what to expect, with the most demanding preset at 4K dropping below the 60 FPS threshold while lower resolutions offer substantial headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset to use at 1920x1080 to stay above 60 FPS?

A: The data indicates that all four tested presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra) at 1920x1080 remain at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The most demanding preset that still clears this mark is Ultra, which achieves an average of 66.5 FPS.

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K with playable performance?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset achieves an average FPS above the playable threshold of 60, hitting an average of 61.9 FPS. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fall below this threshold, with average scores of 46.5, 40.1, and 25.2 FPS respectively.

Q: How much of a performance jump is there between Medium and High settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 84.6 FPS on Medium to 65.6 FPS on High. This represents a significant 19 FPS difference, indicating that the High preset is noticeably more demanding on the system.

Q: What is the performance difference between the lowest and highest settings at 1920x1080?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces an average of 161.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset produces an average of 66.5 FPS. This shows a performance range of nearly 100 FPS between the most and least demanding graphical settings.

Q: Is the RX 7600's 8 GB of VRAM a limiting factor in Evolve?

A: The data does not directly measure VRAM usage or limitations. The benchmark results show that the system can handle the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, but at 3840x2160, the Ultra preset drops to an average of 25.2 FPS, which could be attributed to various factors including memory bandwidth or GPU compute limits.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683, which places it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. Its performance is very close to its nearest rivals, with the AMD EPYC 7643 scoring 18697 (-0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i7-1355U scoring 18730 (-0.3% delta).

Best Settings per Resolution

The data provides a clear hierarchy of playable settings for each resolution, with the goal of identifying the most demanding preset that still maintains an average of 60 FPS or higher.

At 3840x2160, the only option that clears the playable threshold is the Low preset, which achieves an average of 61.9 FPS. The Medium preset falls short at 46.5 FPS, followed by High at 40.1 FPS and Ultra at 25.2 FPS. This suggests that 4K is a significant challenge for this hardware combination, requiring substantial graphical compromises to maintain smooth gameplay.

The 2560x1440 resolution offers more flexibility, with the High preset being the most demanding option that stays above the 60 FPS target, averaging 65.6 FPS. Below that, Medium achieves 84.6 FPS and Low reaches 110.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 44.8 FPS, making it unplayable according to the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its full capability, with the Ultra preset being the most demanding setting that still achieves playable performance, averaging 66.5 FPS. This is the only resolution where all four presets are viable, with High delivering 96.8 FPS, Medium at 125.5 FPS, and Low soaring to 161.6 FPS. The data suggests that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination, allowing for maximum graphical fidelity while maintaining smooth performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals an interesting dynamic between the CPU and GPU across different resolutions, though the measured FPS values primarily reflect the combined system performance. The scaling between resolutions provides insight into which component is more likely to be the limiting factor.

Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on the High preset, the average FPS drops from 96.8 to 65.6, a decrease of approximately 32%. This substantial drop indicates that the GPU is becoming more stressed as the pixel count increases, suggesting the RX 7600 is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its strong single-thread score of 3456 in Passmark and a single-core Cinebench R23 score of 2257, appears to have ample headroom to feed the GPU at these settings.

The transition from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 further reinforces this trend. On the High preset, the average FPS falls from 65.6 to 40.1, another significant drop of about 39%. This steep decline at 4K resolution strongly indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor, as the rendering load increases exponentially while the CPU's workload remains relatively constant. The RX 7600's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth may also contribute to this bottleneck at higher resolutions.

However, the CPU's role should not be underestimated. The i5-12400's performance in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, with a multi-threaded Passmark score of 18747, ensures it can handle the game's physics and AI calculations without becoming a limiting factor. The data shows that even at the lowest resolution and preset combination, where the GPU load is minimized, the system achieves 161.6 FPS, indicating the CPU can support high frame rates when needed. The balance between the two components appears well-matched for this game, with the GPU becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally shows that this system can run Evolve, but the playable experience depends heavily on the chosen resolution and graphical settings. The verdict by resolution is clear and direct.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers a fully playable experience across all presets. The most demanding option, Ultra, achieves an average of 66.5 FPS, comfortably clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes 1080p the optimal resolution for this combination, allowing users to experience the game with maximum graphical details.

At 2560x1440, the system remains largely playable, with the High preset achieving 65.6 FPS and Medium at 84.6 FPS. However, the Ultra preset falls below the threshold at 44.8 FPS, requiring users to make a choice between higher resolution and maximum settings. The High preset offers a good balance, providing a playable frame rate with elevated visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles significantly. Only the Low preset achieves playable performance, with an average of 61.9 FPS. All other presets fall well below the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra at a lowly 25.2 FPS. While technically playable on Low settings, the 4K experience is heavily compromised and may not be ideal for most users seeking a quality visual experience. The data suggests that for a smooth 4K experience, a more powerful GPU would be necessary.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data provides the exact measured average FPS values for each resolution and preset combination. It is important to note that the data does not include minimum or maximum FPS values for any of the tested configurations.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are as follows: Low at 61.9, Medium at 46.5, High at 40.1, and Ultra at 25.2. The progression shows a steady decline in performance as graphical fidelity increases, with a significant drop from Low to Medium.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are: Low at 110.2, Medium at 84.6, High at 65.6, and Ultra at 44.8. This resolution shows a more gradual decline across settings, with a substantial gap between High and Ultra.

At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are: Low at 161.6, Medium at 125.5, High at 96.8, and Ultra at 66.5. This resolution provides the most consistent performance across all presets, with every setting maintaining an average above 60 FPS. The data shows that the system is capable of high refresh rate gaming at lower settings, with the Low preset nearly reaching 162 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 combination ranks 2516 out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the 32nd percentile of all tested hardware combinations, indicating that there are many more powerful systems that achieve higher performance. However, this ranking must be considered in context with the game's release date of 2015.

The ranking suggests that while this system is not at the top of the performance charts, it is far from the bottom. The measured FPS data shows that the system is capable of delivering playable performance at 1080p and 1440p, which aligns with its mid-range positioning. The i5-12400's CPU percentile of 72 and the RX 7600's GPU percentile of 57 indicate that both components are above average when compared to all other hardware, but the combined system's ranking in the game reflects the demanding nature of Evolve's engine.

The fact that the system can achieve 66.5 FPS on Ultra at 1080p is notable, as it shows the hardware is well-matched for this title. The ranking of 2516 out of 3700 suggests that a significant number of systems can achieve higher frame rates, but the data also shows that this combination provides a solid, playable experience for most users.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for both the CPU and GPU provide interesting context for users considering alternative hardware. The Intel Core i5-12400's closest competitors in terms of average benchmark score are the AMD EPYC 7643 with a score of 18697 (-0.1% delta), the Intel Core i7-1355U with a score of 18730 (-0.3% delta), the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 with a score of 18811 (-0.7% delta), and the Intel Core i3-14100F with a score of 18519 (0.9% delta). These processors would likely deliver very similar performance in Evolve, as their benchmark scores are nearly identical to the i5-12400's 18683.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 7600's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM with an average score of 15199 (-0.2% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro 560X with a score of 15082 (0.6% delta), the AMD Radeon 680M with a score of 15270 (-0.7% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti with a score of 15063 (0.7% delta). These GPUs have benchmark scores that are within 1% of the RX 7600's average of 15171, suggesting they would produce very similar frame rates in Evolve.

The data shows that users with any of these alternative components could expect a comparable gaming experience. The performance deltas are so small that they would likely be imperceptible in real-world gameplay. This provides a useful reference for users who may have one of these alternative components or are considering them as part of a system build.