Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a formidable combination for Evolve, delivering playable frame rates across nearly every resolution and preset tested. The data shows this combo ranks in the top tier of tested systems, and the performance headroom is substantial enough to handle the game's most demanding visual settings at standard gaming resolutions without compromise.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination reveals a clear and predictable performance curve across the three primary resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance, with average frame rates ranging from 291.5 FPS on Low settings to 126 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset achieves 224.1 FPS, while High settings produce 175.9 FPS. This represents a performance delta of roughly 165 FPS between the lowest and highest presets, indicating that the system has massive headroom even at the highest fidelity options.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains extremely strong. Low settings yield 195.8 FPS, Medium drops to 153.5 FPS, and High settings sustain 121.6 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, still maintains an average of 84.2 FPS. This is a significant finding because it shows the combination can handle the highest preset at 1440p with enough margin to avoid any noticeable dips below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, which is 4K resolution, the performance profile becomes more stratified. Low settings deliver 114 FPS, Medium produces 85.2 FPS, and High manages 67 FPS. However, the Ultra preset at 4K drops to 48.7 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. This is the only setting and resolution combination tested where the system fails to maintain smooth gameplay, indicating that 4K Ultra is beyond this combo's comfortable reach. The data shows a performance drop of roughly 27% between High and Ultra at 4K, while the gap between Low and High is more gradual.

The pattern across all resolutions confirms that the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for this game, and the Core i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads are not a bottleneck even at lower resolutions where CPU demands typically increase.

How This Combo Ranks

This processor and graphics card combination ranks 601st out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve, placing it in the top 16% of all systems tested. This is a strong showing that indicates the hardware is well above the median performer for this specific game. The percentile placement suggests that the majority of builds tested will produce lower frame rates, and only a minority of high-end systems will outperform this configuration.

The rank of 601 out of 3700 is particularly noteworthy given the game's age. Evolve was released in 2015, and the hardware in this combo is much newer, which explains why the system sits so high in the rankings. The data indicates that this configuration is far more powerful than what the game originally targeted, which means the system has substantial headroom even at the highest settings.

The combo's ranking is consistent with the measured FPS results. The system's ability to maintain over 60 FPS at 4K High settings and over 84 FPS at 1440p Ultra shows that it is positioned well above the middle of the pack. The ranking also reflects the efficiency of the Alder Lake architecture in the i5-12400, which provides solid single-thread performance that is beneficial for games like Evolve.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i5-12400 has a set of alternatives that perform within a narrow margin. The AMD EPYC 7643 is the closest match, with an average benchmark score of 18697 compared to the i5-12400's 18683, a delta of -0.1%. The Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18730, which is 0.3% higher, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811, a 0.7% difference. The Intel Core i3-14100F is slightly behind at 18519, a 0.9% delta. These are all within a 1% performance band, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Evolve when paired with the same RTX 4070 SUPER.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are equally close in performance. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB has a score of -0.1% relative to the RTX 4070 SUPER, as does the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 is 0.2% behind, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is 1% behind. In practical terms, any of these graphics cards would produce within a few percent of the same frame rates in Evolve. The RTX 4090 Mobile, despite being a higher-end part, is show to be slightly slower than the desktop RTX 4070 SUPER in this benchmark, which is a relevant point for users considering this upgrade path.

It is important to note that these alternatives are the closest matches in terms of raw benchmark scores, but the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth still make it a more capable option for modern games. The nearest rival GPUs include both desktop and mobile parts, but the measured performance in Evolve would be effectively identical.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Evolve? The data says yes, with caveats at the highest settings and resolution. At 1920x1080, this system runs every preset above 60 FPS, with the Ultra preset achieving 126 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the system also runs every preset above 60 FPS, with Ultra producing 84.2 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system runs Low, Medium, and High settings above 60 FPS, but Ultra drops to 48.7 FPS, which is the only failure to clear the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

The verdict by resolution is clear: this combo is fully playable at 1080p and 1440p across all settings, and at 4K with High settings or lower. The game's competitive nature benefits from high frame rates, and the system's ability to maintain 175.9 FPS at 1080p High or 121.6 FPS at 1440p High means it is well suited for both casual and competitive play. The 4K Ultra is the only setting that fails, and even then, the 48.7 FPS average is still above the 40 FPS threshold that some consider "console playable."

Ultimately that for a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this system has more than enough power, and for a 4K display, it can run the game at High settings with a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component responsibility depending on the resolution. At 1920p, the frame rates are so high that the CPU becomes the limiting factor. The 291.5 FPS at Low settings indicates that the i5-12400 is working hard to feed frames to the GPU, and the GPU is not fully utilized at these frame rates. As the resolution increases to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop across all settings, but the GPU begins to take on more of the load. The 195.8 FPS at Low settings still shows CPU influence, but the scaling from Low to Ultra (195.8 to 84.2) shows the GPU becoming more dominant.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the primary bottleneck. The RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of memory and 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are being pushed hard, and the frame rates drop significantly as settings scale up. The CPU's role diminishes at this resolution, as the frame rates are lower and there is less work for the CPU to feed the GPU. The 6 cores and 12 threads of the i5-12400 are more than enough for this game at any resolution, and the benchmark shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor below 1080p.

The scaling between presets is also informative. At 4K, the frame rate drops from 114 FPS at Low to 48.7 FPS at Ultra, a 57% reduction. At 1440p, the drop is from 195.8 to 84.2, a 57% reduction as well. At 1080p, the drop is from 291.5 to 126, a 57% reduction. This consistent scaling indicates that the GPU is being stressed similarly relative to its resolution, and the CPU does not introduce a variable. The data shows this is a GPU-bound game at all resolutions, with the CPU only limiting at the very highest frame rates (above 200 FPS).

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings per resolution is defined as the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. At 1920p, the system can run Ultra at 126 FPS, which is the highest preset and well above the threshold. This is the recommended setting for most users, as it provides the best visual quality with no performance concerns.

At 2560x1440, the system can also run Ultra at 84.2 FPS. This is the best setting because it is the highest preset and stays well above the 60 FPS threshold. The margin of 24 FPS above the threshold means there is room for the game to have a few dips without falling below playable.

At 3840x2160, the system can run High at 67 FPS, which is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 48.7 FPS fails the threshold, so High is the recommended setting for a 4K display. The 67 FPS average is a comfortable margin, and the difference between High and Ultra is likely minimal in terms of visual quality for the performance cost.

The verdict is that this system is best used at 1440p Ultra for the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, and at 4K High for a smooth experience. The 1080p Ultra setting is also excellent for those who prioritize frame rate over resolution.