Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a broad range of performance in Evolve, scaling from a comfortable 4K experience at High settings to a very high refresh rate 1080p machine at Ultra. The data shows this combination is exceptionally well-suited for the game, with the primary caveat being that 4K Ultra settings will demand a reduction in quality to maintain fluid gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the RTX 4070 handles the game with surprising ease. The measured average frame rate at High settings is 61 FPS, which lands exactly on the playability threshold. Dropping to Medium settings improves the average to 77 FPS, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 89 FPS, providing a smoother and more consistent experience. For those seeking maximum performance, the Low preset yields an average of 100 FPS. However, the Ultra preset is the outlier, with an average of only 42 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold and not recommended for this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p) reveals a significant performance uplift. The measured average at High settings jumps to 107 FPS, making it a superb resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset averages 136 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. The Low preset reaches an average of 176 FPS. Notably, the Ultra preset becomes entirely playable at this resolution, achieving an average of 74 FPS, which is a substantial improvement over its 4K performance.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combination is overwhelmingly powerful. The Ultra preset averages 110 FPS, which is more than enough for a smooth experience. The High preset achieves 159 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 203 FPS with a minimum of 173 FPS and a maximum of 234 FPS. The Low preset produces an average of 262 FPS, effectively removing any potential CPU or GPU bottleneck for competitive play.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Evolve at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the measured average FPS is 42, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable settings at 4K are High, which achieves an average of 61 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset to use at 1440p?

A: The data indicates that all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at 2560x1440. The best settings are Ultra, as it provides an average of 74 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold while delivering the highest visual quality.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 159. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS drops to 61. This represents a substantial decrease of approximately 62% in average frame rate.

Q: Is the Ultra preset at 4K simply unplayable?

A: While it is below the 60 FPS threshold, the 42 FPS average is not necessarily a slideshow. However, based on the data's playableThresholdFps of 60, it is not classified as a playable setting. Users would need to select High or lower to achieve a playable experience.

Q: Will the performance be consistent, or are there major frame drops?

A: For the Medium preset, where min/max data is available, the frame times are stable. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 66 FPS and the maximum is 89 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 116 FPS and the maximum is 157 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 173 FPS and the maximum is 234 FPS. This suggests consistent performance without severe stuttering.

Q: Does this combo have enough headroom for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 107 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 136 FPS. While these are close to 144 FPS, they do not consistently reach it. The Low preset, with an average of 176 FPS, would be the only setting that comfortably exceeds a 144Hz refresh rate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets in Evolve indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the dominant factor in determining frame rates. This is evident when observing the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 159 at 1920x1080 to 107 at 2560x1440 and finally to 61 at 3840x2160. This steep decline with increasing pixel count is the classic signature of a GPU-bound workload.

The role of the Intel Core i5-12400 becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU has less work to do. At 1920x1080 with the Low preset, the average FPS reaches 262. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to maintain very high performance, but it also indicates that the CPU is likely the limiting factor at this point, as the GPU could potentially render even more frames if the CPU were faster.

The data shows that the CPU's influence on overall performance is minimal at higher resolutions. For instance, at 4K, the difference between Low and High settings is a 39 FPS gap (100 FPS vs 61 FPS), which is entirely attributable to the GPU's workload. The combination is well-balanced; the CPU provides enough throughput to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in most scenarios, while the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution and preset changes, confirming that the RTX 4070 is the primary driver of the gaming experience.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Evolve exceptionally well. According to the verdictByResolution data, the system clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at nearly every configuration. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best setting at an average of 61 FPS. At 2560x1440, all settings are playable, with Ultra being the best at an average of 74 FPS. At 1920x1080, all settings are also playable, with Ultra achieving an impressive average of 110 FPS. The only configuration that fails to meet the 60 FPS standard is 4K Ultra, which averages 42 FPS. For a 4K experience, users should stick to High settings to maintain a smooth frame rate. For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, 1440p Ultra is the recommended configuration.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The hardware landscape offers several alternatives that would perform similarly to this combination. The Intel Core i5-12400 has a percentile rank of 72 against all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 18683. Its closest rivals in terms of average score are the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, -0.1% delta), the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, -0.3% delta), the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811, -0.7% delta), and the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519, 0.9% delta). A system with the i3-14100F would likely deliver nearly identical performance in Evolve, given its score is only 0.9% higher than the i5-12400.

On the graphics side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 holds a percentile rank of 81 against all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 37648. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628, 0.1% delta), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507, 0.4% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135, -1.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37157, 1.3% delta). The RTX 4080 Mobile, despite being a mobile part, shows a score that is 1.3% higher than the 4070, suggesting it could offer slightly better performance. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, with a delta of 0.4%, would be a close desktop equivalent in terms of raw compute benchmarks.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested hardware combinations for Evolve, the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 881st out of 3700 combos. This places it in the top 24% of all tested systems. This rank reflects a very strong pairing that can handle the game at high resolutions and settings, as evidenced by the measured FPS data. While it is not the absolute top-tier configuration, its performance is more than sufficient for a demanding title like Evolve, and its ranking confirms it is a capable and well-matched duo for this specific game.