Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a formidable combination for Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. Benchmark data shows this pairing delivers playable frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the most demanding settings proving too heavy only at 4K. The combo ranks 866th out of 3,700 tested configurations, placing it in the top quarter of all systems evaluated.

FAQ

Q: What is the best playable setting at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding setting that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 61.2 FPS. Ultra drops to 44.6 FPS, making it unplayable at this resolution.

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 1440p with maximum settings?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 74 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playability threshold. All four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at this resolution.

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

A: The Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18,683. It sits within 0.9% of the AMD EPYC 7643 (18,697), 0.3% of the Intel Core i7-1355U (18,730), and 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18,811). The closest competitor, the Intel Core i3-14100F, scores 18,519, which is 0.9% lower.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti ranks in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,187. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, scores 40,870, a difference of 0.8%.

Q: What frame rate does the system achieve at 1080p on High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with the High preset, the average frame rate is 157.6 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and more than double the requirement.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 1080p?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 109.5 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available and remains comfortably playable.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear pattern in how the CPU and GPU divide responsibilities across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 264.8 FPS on Low settings, indicating that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with frames at very high rates. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a drop from 264.8 to 109.5 FPS, a reduction of 155.3 FPS, which demonstrates that the GPU becomes more involved as visual complexity rises, but the CPU still holds the system back from reaching even higher frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates compress slightly. The Low preset averages 174.5 FPS, while Ultra averages 74 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 100.5 FPS, narrower than at 1080p. This suggests the GPU is beginning to take on more of the workload, but the CPU remains a significant contributor at lower settings. The transition from 1440p Low to 4K Low shows a drop from 174.5 to 101 FPS, a 73.5 FPS reduction, which is a substantial penalty from doubling the pixel count.

The 3840x2160 results tell a different story. At 4K, the Low preset averages 101 FPS, while Ultra drops to 44.6 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 56.4 FPS difference, indicating that the GPU is now the dominant bottleneck. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases, which is typical for games that scale well with GPU compute. The RTX 3080 Ti's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth are likely the limiting factors at 4K Ultra, where the game demands more memory throughput than the card can provide.

Comparing across resolutions for the same preset clarifies the shift. At High settings, the system delivers 157.6 FPS at 1080p, 106.3 FPS at 1440p, and 61.2 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 51.3 FPS, while the 1440p-to-4K drop is 45.1 FPS. This near-linear scaling suggests that neither component is completely overwhelmed at any single point, but the GPU is clearly the more critical component at higher resolutions. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide enough headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck until the GPU is fully saturated.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the most demanding option that maintains at least 60 FPS, averaging 109.5 FPS. This leaves substantial headroom above the playability threshold, making it the clear choice for players with 1080p displays. The High preset at 157.6 FPS and Medium at 203.7 FPS are also viable, but Ultra offers the best visual quality without compromising smoothness.

For 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again qualifies as the best playable setting, averaging 74 FPS. This is 14 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a comfortable margin for demanding scenes. The High preset at 106.3 FPS and Medium at 134.2 FPS are also above 60 FPS, but Ultra delivers the full visual experience while staying playable.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The Ultra preset averages only 44.6 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset is the most demanding playable option, averaging 61.2 FPS. This is a slim margin of just 1.2 FPS above the threshold, so players may experience occasional dips below 60 FPS in intense moments. The Medium preset at 78.5 FPS and Low at 101 FPS offer more stable performance for 4K users who prioritize frame rate consistency over visual fidelity.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals demonstrate that the Core i5-12400 sits in a tightly packed performance tier. The AMD EPYC 7643, a server-class processor, scores 18,697, just 0.1% higher. The Intel Core i7-1355U, a mobile chip, scores 18,730, which is 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18,811, 0.7% higher, while the Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18,519, 0.9% lower. Any of these processors would deliver nearly identical performance in Evolve, making them suitable substitutes if the i5-12400 is unavailable.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti's nearest rivals are a mix of professional and consumer cards. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40,870, 0.8% lower than the RTX 3080 Ti's 41,187. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB scores 41,707, 1.2% higher, while the standard Tesla M40 scores 41,897, 1.7% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 scores 40,377, which is 2% lower. These cards would behave similarly in terms of raw compute, though the Tesla M40 variants lack the modern feature set of the RTX 3080 Ti, including DirectX 12 Ultimate support and ray tracing cores.

The combination of the i5-12400 with any of these rival GPUs would produce frame rates within a few percentage points of the measured results. The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking and the GPU's 83rd percentile ranking indicate that both components are above average, but neither is so dominant that a close rival would alter the playability verdict at any resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 866th out of 3,700 tested configurations, placing it in the 76.6th percentile of all systems. This is a strong result, though not elite. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU: the i5-12400 is a mid-range processor from 2022, while the RTX 3080 Ti is a high-end GPU from 2021. This pairing delivers excellent performance in Evolve, but it is not among the top-tier combinations in the database.

The rank of 866 suggests that many higher-end configurations, likely featuring newer CPUs or more powerful GPUs, outperform this combo. However, the measured frame rates show that this system is more than adequate for Evolve at all but the most demanding settings. The 4K Ultra result of 44.6 FPS is the only sub-60 FPS outcome, and it is a niche scenario that most players would not encounter with a 4K display.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve with playable performance at every resolution tested, provided the right settings are chosen. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—average above 60 FPS, with Ultra at 109.5 FPS. This makes 1080p gaming a non-issue, with maximum quality available at nearly double the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the system again clears 60 FPS on all presets. The Ultra setting averages 74 FPS, giving players the full visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. This is the sweet spot for this combination, offering a balance of resolution, quality, and frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more nuanced. The High preset averages 61.2 FPS, just barely above the 60 FPS threshold, while Medium and Low are comfortably playable at 78.5 and 101 FPS respectively. The Ultra preset at 44.6 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as it falls short of the playability standard. For 4K users, the High preset is the maximum viable option, and even then, the slim 1.2 FPS margin suggests that players should consider dropping to Medium for more consistent performance. Overall, this system is a capable Evolve machine, with the caveat that 4K Ultra is beyond its reach.