Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a broadly capable experience in Evolve, with benchmark data showing that the combination’s performance is highly dependent on the chosen resolution and quality preset. Measured results span from a demanding 29.9 FPS at 4K Ultra to a fluid 193.1 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that the system has ample headroom for high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions while struggling to maintain smooth frame rates at the highest 4K settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination produces its strongest results across all presets. The Low preset yields an average of 193.1 FPS, which is more than three times the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium settings deliver 145.3 FPS, and High settings produce 115.7 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 77.4 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS target. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a drop of 115.7 FPS, representing a 60% reduction in average frame rate when moving to maximum quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. Low settings yield 128.5 FPS, while Medium produces 97 FPS. High settings still clear the playability threshold with 79.3 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, falls to 53 FPS, which is 7 FPS below the 60 FPS target. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at High settings reduces the average frame rate by 36.4 FPS, a 31.4% decrease.

At 3840x2160, the system’s limits become apparent. Low settings produce 73.4 FPS, which remains playable, and Medium delivers 58.5 FPS, just under the 60 FPS threshold. High settings drop further to 43.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 29.9 FPS. The jump from 1440p High to 4K High represents a 35.7 FPS loss, or a 45% reduction in performance. Notably, the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 43.5 FPS, meaning the Ultra preset runs at roughly 40% of the Low preset’s frame rate.

Across all resolutions, the lowest recorded average is 29.9 FPS at 4K Ultra, and the highest is 193.1 FPS at 1080p Low. No min or max FPS data is available in the measured results, so the analysis relies entirely on average frame rates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component bottleneck behavior as resolution changes. At 1080p, the system is likely more CPU-bound at lower presets, but the GPU still carries significant load at Ultra. The frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 115.7 FPS, indicating that quality settings have a massive impact on the GPU workload. The Core i5-12400’s 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, provide enough headroom to keep the RTX 4060 fed at these lower resolutions.

At 1440p, the GPU becomes the limiting factor more consistently. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 75.5 FPS, compared to 115.7 FPS at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is working harder and the CPU’s role diminishes. The RTX 4060’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth, begins to show constraints at this resolution, particularly at Ultra where the frame rate drops below the playability threshold.

At 4K, the GPU is almost certainly the dominant bottleneck. The frame rate differences between presets compress further: Low to Ultra spans only 43.5 FPS. This compression indicates that the GPU is saturated at all quality levels, and the CPU’s performance becomes less relevant. The RTX 4060’s 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 236.2 GTexel/s texture rate are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at this resolution, regardless of preset. Interestingly, the CPU’s benchmark percentiles suggest it is not the limiting factor: the Core i5-12400 ranks at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 4060 ranks at the 61st percentile among GPUs, reinforcing that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, achieving an average of 77.4 FPS. This is the clear choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing playability. The system has enough headroom to consider even higher frame rates at lower presets if a high-refresh-rate monitor is used.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, delivering 79.3 FPS. Ultra falls to 53 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold, so High represents the optimal balance of quality and performance. Medium at 97 FPS and Low at 128.5 FPS are also viable options for users prioritizing frame rate over fidelity.

At 3840x2160, only Low maintains a playable average of 73.4 FPS. Medium drops to 58.5 FPS, which is below the threshold, and High and Ultra are far from playable at 43.6 FPS and 29.9 FPS respectively. Users at 4K must accept significantly reduced visual settings to maintain smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 77.4 FPS, which is 17.4 FPS above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best quality preset at 1440p?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 produce 79.3 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS. Ultra falls below the threshold at 53 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable on this hardware?

A: Only with Low settings. At 3840x2160, Low yields 73.4 FPS, while Medium drops to 58.5 FPS, just under the 60 FPS target. High and Ultra are not viable options.

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

A: The average frame rate drops from 115.7 FPS at 1080p High to 43.6 FPS at 4K High, a reduction of 72.1 FPS, or approximately 62% of the original performance.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary constraint, especially at higher resolutions. The RTX 4060 ranks at the 61st percentile among GPUs, while the Core i5-12400 ranks at the 72nd percentile among CPUs. At 4K, the frame rate differences between presets compress, indicating GPU saturation.

Q: What is the highest frame rate achievable with this system?

A: The highest measured average is 193.1 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18697 on average, which is 0.1% lower than the Core i5-12400’s 18683 average benchmark score. The Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18730, 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811, 0.7% higher. The Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519, 0.9% lower. These deltas are negligible for gaming purposes, meaning any of these CPUs would likely produce similar frame rates in Evolve when paired with the RTX 4060, assuming the GPU remains the bottleneck.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666 on average, 0.2% higher than the RTX 4060’s 17639. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588, 0.3% lower, and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17551, 0.5% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro 460 scores 17509, 0.7% lower. These differences are within a single percentage point, suggesting that these GPUs would deliver nearly identical performance in Evolve. However, the RTX 4060’s 8 GB VRAM and Ada Lovelace architecture may provide features that these older rivals lack, though the benchmark data does not capture such differences directly.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve, but the playable resolutions and presets are clearly defined by the measured data. At 1920x1080, the system handles all presets above 60 FPS, with Ultra achieving 77.4 FPS. At 2560x1440, High settings deliver 79.3 FPS, while Ultra falls short at 53 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low settings maintain playability with 73.4 FPS. The verdict data confirms these findings: 1080p has four playable settings, 1440p has three, and 4K has only one. For users seeking the best visual experience, 1080p Ultra or 1440p High are the optimal choices. For 4K users, the system requires a significant compromise on quality to achieve smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 1996th out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the 46th percentile of all tested systems. This mid-pack ranking reflects the balanced but not exceptional performance profile observed in the frame rate data. The system is capable of solid 1080p and 1440p gaming, but its 4K performance is limited. The ranking suggests that many other tested combinations offer higher frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions, but this pairing remains a competent choice for mainstream gaming at 1080p and 1440p. The CPU’s stronger percentile ranking (72nd) compared to the GPU (61st) indicates that future upgrades to the graphics card would likely yield more significant performance gains than a CPU upgrade.