Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a mid-range desktop combination from the early 2020s, with the CPU released on January 3, 2022, and the GPU on January 6, 2019. For a game like Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, this hardware sits well above the minimum requirements of that era, but the measured data shows that performance is highly dependent on the chosen resolution and quality preset. The database records 12 distinct FPS measurements across three resolutions and four settings levels, all with an average frame rate but no minimum or maximum values. The verdict system uses a 60 FPS threshold as the playable standard, and the data indicates that this combo can comfortably exceed that at 1920x1080 across all presets, including Ultra at 60.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, the playable settings narrow to Low and Medium, with Medium delivering 76.4 FPS as the best option. At 3840x2160, no settings reach the 60 FPS mark, with the highest average being 56.6 FPS on Low. The combination ranks 2860th out of 3700 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The CPU holds a 72nd percentile ranking among all tested CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 58th percentile, suggesting the graphics card is the more limiting factor in this pairing. This analysis walks through the FAQ, best settings per resolution, the division of labor between CPU and GPU, similar performance alternatives, the full FPS breakdown, the final verdict, and how this combo stacks against others.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest quality setting that maintains at least 60 FPS at 1920x1080 with this hardware?

A: The Ultra preset delivers 60.2 FPS on average, making it the most demanding setting that stays at or above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset runs at 91.9 FPS, Medium at 113.5 FPS, and Low at 148.3 FPS, so all four settings are playable at this resolution.

Q: Can this combination handle 2560x1440 with high quality settings?

A: No, the High preset at 2560x1440 produces an average of 57.7 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The playable settings in the database for this resolution are Low at 96.9 FPS and Medium at 76.4 FPS, but High and Ultra are not listed as playable.

Q: What are the measured frame rates at 3840x2160 for this CPU and GPU?

A: The database records four measurements at 4K: Low averages 56.6 FPS, Medium averages 45.2 FPS, High averages 34.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 24.6 FPS. None of these reach the 60 FPS threshold, and the verdict lists no playable settings for this resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Evolve?

A: The combination ranks 2860th out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the 77th percentile from the bottom, or roughly the lower 23% of all combinations. This positioning reflects its mid-range hardware status relative to the full database.

Q: Which component has a higher percentile ranking among all tested parts?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 ranks in the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks in the 58th percentile among all GPUs. The CPU is therefore stronger relative to its peers than the GPU is relative to its own peers.

Q: What is the best settings choice for 2560x1440 in terms of quality while staying playable?

A: The best settings per the verdict are Medium, which produces an average of 76.4 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold while offering higher visual quality than the Low preset, which runs at 96.9 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database categorizes playability based on a 60 FPS average threshold. For each resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is identified as the best settings, though only where such a setting exists.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the most demanding option that remains playable, with an average of 60.2 FPS. This is a narrow margin above the threshold, but it is sufficient. The High preset runs at 91.9 FPS, Medium at 113.5 FPS, and Low at 148.3 FPS, so all four settings clear the 60 FPS bar. The Ultra preset represents the full visual experience available with this hardware at 1080p, and the fact that it barely clears the threshold suggests that minor scene variations could occasionally dip below 60 FPS, but the average is recorded as playable.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are Medium, which delivers an average of 76.4 FPS. The Low preset is also playable at 96.9 FPS, but Medium offers higher quality with a still substantial frame rate margin. The High preset falls short at 57.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 41.2 FPS, so neither is listed as playable. This resolution represents a step up from 1080p where the GPU begins to become the limiting factor, as the higher pixel count reduces frame rates across the board.

At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings. The highest average is 56.6 FPS on Low, which is 3.4 FPS below the threshold. Medium averages 45.2 FPS, High averages 34.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 24.6 FPS. The verdict by resolution lists an empty array for playable settings and a null best settings, confirming that this hardware cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K for this game. Users targeting 4K would need to accept significant compromises or consider different hardware.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-12400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 becomes clearer when examining the scaling of frame rates across resolutions and presets. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and a 72nd percentile ranking, is generally sufficient for this 2015 title. The GPU, with 1920 shading units, a 192-bit memory bus, and a 58th percentile ranking, is more likely to be the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Looking at the 1920x1080 data, the frame rates are high across all presets, ranging from 60.2 FPS on Ultra to 148.3 FPS on Low. The large spread between Low and Ultra, a difference of 88.1 FPS, indicates that the graphics workload has a significant impact. However, even at Ultra, the frame rate stays above 60 FPS, suggesting that neither component is fully stressed at this resolution. The CPU can feed the GPU with enough data, and the GPU can render the frames within the threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop noticeably. Low runs at 96.9 FPS, Medium at 76.4 FPS, High at 57.7 FPS, and Ultra at 41.2 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 20.5 FPS, from Medium to High is 18.7 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 16.5 FPS. This consistent decline with each preset step suggests the GPU is handling the increased rendering load. The CPU is likely still capable, as the single-thread performance of the i5-12400, which scores 910 in the 3dmark single-thread test and 2257 in Cinebench R23 single-core, is strong enough for a game from 2015.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall further. Low averages 56.6 FPS, Medium 45.2 FPS, High 34.6 FPS, and Ultra 24.6 FPS. The GPU is clearly the primary constraint here, as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, requiring the RTX 2060 to process far more fragments. The CPU's role diminishes at this resolution because the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the data shows that even the Low preset cannot reach 60 FPS.

The comparison between resolutions reveals the scaling pattern. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the pixel count increases by 1.78 times, and the frame rates at the same preset drop by roughly 30-40%. From 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the pixel count increases by 2.25 times, and frame rates drop by another 40-50%. This consistent degradation points to the GPU as the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking versus the GPU's 58th percentile ranking supports this interpretation, as the GPU is further from the top of its respective distribution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals in the database provide context for how this specific CPU and GPU compare to other hardware that would behave similarly. For the Intel Core i5-12400, the closest alternatives by average benchmark score are the AMD EPYC 7643 with a score of 18697 and a delta of -0.1%, the Intel Core i7-1355U with a score of 18730 and a delta of -0.3%, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 with a score of 18811 and a delta of -0.7%, and the Intel Core i3-14100F with a score of 18519 and a delta of 0.9%. These deltas are all within 1% of the i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683, meaning that a system using any of these CPUs would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in Evolve, assuming the same GPU and settings.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 with an average score of 15283 and a delta of 0%, the AMD Radeon 680M with a score of 15270 and a delta of 0.1%, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM with a score of 15199 and a delta of 0.6%, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 with a score of 15171 and a delta of 0.8%. The RTX 2060's average benchmark score is 15290, so these alternatives are within 0.8% of its performance. In practical terms, swapping the RTX 2060 for any of these GPUs would yield frame rates within a few percent of the measured values, meaning the playability verdict at each resolution would remain the same.

The combination of these nearest rivals suggests that users with a comparable CPU and GPU pairing would see similar results. For example, an Intel Core i3-14100F paired with an RTX 2060 would perform nearly identically, as the CPU delta is just 0.9% and the GPU remains unchanged. Similarly, an i5-12400 with an RX 7600 would see a minor shift, but the RX 7600's 0.8% lower score would not change the 60 FPS threshold outcomes. The database does not provide specific game benchmarks for these alternative pairings, but the aggregate scores indicate that they fall within the same performance envelope.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database provides 12 measured average frame rates for this combination, covering three resolutions and four settings each. No minimum or maximum values are recorded, so the analysis relies solely on averages.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 148.3 FPS. The Medium preset runs at 113.5 FPS, a drop of 34.8 FPS from Low. The High preset averages 91.9 FPS, down 21.6 FPS from Medium. The Ultra preset averages 60.2 FPS, down 31.7 FPS from High. The full range from Low to Ultra is 88.1 FPS, indicating a substantial scaling with quality settings. All four averages exceed the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra barely clearing it by 0.2 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 96.9 FPS. Medium drops to 76.4 FPS, a decrease of 20.5 FPS. High averages 57.7 FPS, down 18.7 FPS from Medium, which places it below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra averages 41.2 FPS, down 16.5 FPS from High. The range from Low to Ultra is 55.7 FPS. Only Low and Medium are playable, with Medium providing a 16.4 FPS margin above the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 56.6 FPS. Medium averages 45.2 FPS, down 11.4 FPS. High averages 34.6 FPS, down 10.6 FPS. Ultra averages 24.6 FPS, down 10.0 FPS. The range from Low to Ultra is 32.0 FPS. None of these averages reach 60 FPS, with Low being the closest at 3.4 FPS below the threshold.

Comparing the same preset across resolutions reveals additional patterns. The Low preset goes from 148.3 FPS at 1080p to 96.9 FPS at 1440p, a 34.6% drop, and then to 56.6 FPS at 4K, a 41.6% drop from 1440p. The Medium preset goes from 113.5 to 76.4, a 32.7% drop, then to 45.2, a 40.8% drop. The High preset goes from 91.9 to 57.7, a 37.2% drop, then to 34.6, a 40.0% drop. The Ultra preset goes from 60.2 to 41.2, a 31.6% drop, then to 24.6, a 40.3% drop. The consistent 30-40% reductions at each resolution step point to the GPU's rendering capabilities as the dominant factor.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Evolve depends entirely on the target resolution and quality settings. The database verdict by resolution provides a clear answer for each tier.

At 1920x1080, the answer is a definitive yes. All four presets, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, are listed as playable. The best settings are Ultra with an average of 60.2 FPS. This means a user can run the game at maximum visual quality and still maintain an average frame rate above the 60 FPS threshold. The margin is thin, just 0.2 FPS, so there is a risk of occasional dips below 60 in demanding scenes, but the recorded average supports playability.

At 2560x1440, the answer is a qualified yes. The playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best at 76.4 FPS. High and Ultra are not playable, falling at 57.7 and 41.2 FPS respectively. A user seeking higher quality at 1440p would need to accept frame rates below 60, which may cause noticeable stutter or reduced responsiveness. The Medium preset offers a reasonable balance, with a 76.4 FPS average providing a comfortable margin.

At 3840x2160, the answer is no. The verdict lists no playable settings, and the best average is 56.6 FPS on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. All other presets run at 45.2 FPS or lower. This hardware is not suitable for 4K gaming in Evolve, at least not with the goal of maintaining 60 FPS. Users with a 4K display would need to lower the resolution or consider a more powerful GPU.

Overall, the combination of an Intel Core i5-12400 and a GeForce RTX 2060 is a solid 1080p performer for this game, capable of running at Ultra settings. It can also handle 1440p at Medium settings, but it does not have enough headroom for 4K. The CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution, as evidenced by its high single-thread and multi-thread benchmark scores, while the GPU's performance ceiling becomes apparent at higher pixel counts.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in game places this hardware at 2860 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve. This puts it in the lower 22.7% of all tested combos, meaning that most other hardware configurations in the database achieve higher frame rates or better quality settings for this title. The rank is a combination of the CPU and GPU performance, but given that the CPU ranks in the 72nd percentile and the GPU in the 58th percentile, the overall rank is dragged down by the GPU's more modest standing.

Relative to the full database, this combo is not a top performer, but it is also not at the very bottom. The 2860th rank out of 3700 suggests that there are 840 combos that score lower, which would include older or weaker hardware. For a game from 2015, this combo is sufficient for 1080p gaming at high settings, but it lacks the headroom for 4K or high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming.

The rank also reflects the game's age and optimization. Evolve was released on February 9, 2015, and its requirements are modest by modern standards. The i5-12400, released in 2022, has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a single-core score of 2257, which are far beyond what this game needs. The RTX 2060, released in 2019, has a Passmark G3D score of 14111 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1242, which places it in the mid-range of GPUs. The combination is overqualified for the game's basic requirements, but the rank indicates that many other tested combos, likely with faster GPUs, achieve better results.

In summary, this hardware ranks below average for Evolve among all tested combos, but it still meets the playable threshold at 1080p and 1440p Medium. The database's measured FPS data is the definitive source for understanding its capabilities, and the rank provides context for how it compares to the broader field.