Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a robust performance profile in Evolve, with measured frame rates indicating that this combination is capable of high-refresh-rate gameplay across all standard resolutions. Benchmark data shows the system comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold at 1080p and 1440p even under maximum settings, while 4K requires a slight reduction to High settings for a smooth experience. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, component roles, and comparative positioning within the broader hardware landscape.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in Evolve reveals a clear scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance, with the Low preset producing an average of 303 FPS, Medium averaging 260 FPS (with a minimum of 221 and maximum of 299), High averaging 204 FPS, and Ultra still maintaining a very high 141 FPS average. This resolution shows the GPU rarely being the limiting factor, as even the most demanding preset keeps the frame rate well above 120 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains extremely strong but shows expected scaling from the higher pixel count. The Low preset averages 225 FPS, Medium averages 174 FPS (148 minimum, 200 maximum), High averages 137 FPS, and Ultra drops to an average of 95 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 130 FPS, indicating that the settings menu has a substantial impact on frame pacing but that even the heaviest configuration remains comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K rendering begin to show. The Low preset averages 128 FPS, Medium averages 99 FPS (84 minimum, 114 maximum), High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra falls to an average of 54 FPS, which is the only measured preset across all resolutions that dips below the 60 FPS threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 74 FPS, a smaller absolute difference than at lower resolutions, but the percentage drop is more pronounced due to the higher baseline pixel workload.

The measured data also shows that Medium presets at each resolution include minimum and maximum FPS values, with the 1080p Medium range (221-299) being the tightest spread, while the 1440p Medium spread (148-200) and 4K Medium spread (84-114) widen proportionally with resolution. This suggests frame pacing consistency degrades as resolution increases, though the absolute frame rates remain playable at all Medium settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 141 FPS. This is not merely above the threshold but provides a substantial margin, making it the clear choice for maximum visual fidelity without compromising smoothness. The data shows that even at Ultra, the frame rate is more than double the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best settings also resolve to Ultra, with an average of 95 FPS. This is again well above the 60 FPS threshold, offering headroom for demanding scenes or future patches. The 95 FPS average indicates that the system can handle high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors while maintaining full graphical settings.

For 3840x2160, the best settings that stay at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 78 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution falls short at 54 FPS, so High represents the optimal balance. The 78 FPS figure provides a 30% margin above the playable threshold, which is sufficient for most 4K displays running at 60 Hz, though users with 120 Hz 4K panels would need to consider the Medium preset at 99 FPS for higher refresh rates.

The verdict data confirms these findings, listing High, Low, and Medium as playable at 4K, with High as the best setting at 78 FPS. For both 1440p and 1080p, all four presets are playable, with Ultra being the recommended best setting at 95 FPS and 141 FPS respectively.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS scaling across resolutions reveals how the CPU and GPU divide responsibilities in Evolve with this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, the substantial frame rates across all presets—from 303 FPS on Low to 141 FPS on Ultra—indicate that the Intel Core i5-12400 provides sufficient processing headroom to feed the RTX 4080 effectively at lower pixel counts. The 6-core, 12-thread processor with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz is likely handling game logic and draw calls without becoming a bottleneck at these frame rates.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the frame rate drops at every preset, with the gap between Low and Ultra narrowing from 162 FPS at 1080p to 130 FPS at 1440p. This scaling suggests the GPU begins to take on more of the workload, as the increased pixel count demands more from the RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth. However, the CPU still demonstrates its capability by maintaining frame rates above 137 FPS even on High settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The frame rate drops more dramatically relative to resolution scaling, with Ultra falling to 54 FPS and High to 78 FPS. This pattern points to the RTX 4080 being the primary constraint at 4K, as the GPU's 9728 shading units and 112 ROPs are tasked with rendering four times the pixels of 1080p. The CPU's role diminishes at this resolution, as the frame rates are low enough that the i5-12400's single-thread and multi-thread performance (as indicated by its Cinebench R23 scores of 2257 single-core and 15989 multi-core) is unlikely to be the limiting factor.

The preset scaling within each resolution further illustrates this division. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 162 FPS, which is primarily a GPU workload change as settings increase. At 4K, the same preset swing produces only a 74 FPS difference, showing that the GPU is already saturated at Low settings and has less headroom to absorb additional graphical demands.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-12400 CPU, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD EPYC 7643 with a delta of -0.1%, the Intel Core i7-1355U at -0.3%, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 at -0.7%, and the Intel Core i3-14100F at +0.9%. These processors all fall within a narrow performance band around the i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683, meaning users upgrading from or considering these alternatives would experience very similar CPU-driven performance in Evolve. The Core i3-14100F is the closest rival on the positive side, offering slightly higher average scores, while the EPYC 7643 is essentially identical in aggregate performance.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER with a delta of 0.1%, the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X at -1.1%, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB at -2.6%, and the AMD Radeon 8060S at -2.7%. The RTX 4080 SUPER is nearly identical in performance, with a negligible 0.1% advantage, making it a direct substitute in this system. The AMD options trail by 1-3%, which would translate to a few frames per second difference in Evolve at the tested resolutions, unlikely to push any preset below the 60 FPS threshold given the headroom observed.

The combination of the i5-12400 with any of these rival GPUs would produce similar FPS results, particularly at 1440p and 1080p where the CPU has ample headroom. At 4K, the GPU choice becomes more critical, and the RTX 4080 SUPER would essentially match the measured performance, while the AMD alternatives would show slight but not drastic reductions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database for Evolve, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks at position 301 out of 3700 tested combos. This places the system in the top 8% of all tested configurations, indicating that it outperforms the vast majority of hardware pairings for this game. The high ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows the combo clearing 60 FPS at all presets except 4K Ultra.

The rank of 301 suggests that while this is a strong configuration, there are 300 other combos that achieve higher aggregate performance in Evolve. These would likely include systems with more powerful CPUs such as higher-tier Intel Core i7 or i9 processors paired with the RTX 4080, or configurations using the RTX 4080 SUPER. The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicate that neither component is top-tier, but their combination still lands in the upper echelon for this specific game.

The gap between this combo and the top-ranked systems is likely driven by CPU performance at lower resolutions, where the i5-12400's 6-core architecture may limit frame rates compared to higher-core-count processors. However, at 4K the GPU becomes the bottleneck, so the ranking would shift closer to the GPU's percentile in that resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Evolve?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 303, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The Medium preset at this resolution averages 260 FPS.

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: No, the 3840x2160 Ultra preset averages 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset at 4K averages 78 FPS and is the recommended best settings for that resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score that is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080, making the two GPUs effectively identical in performance for Evolve.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gameplay?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 95 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the best settings option for that resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the high frame rates across all presets indicate the CPU provides sufficient headroom, but the GPU workload still scales with settings, showing both components contribute to performance.

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested systems for Evolve?

A: This combination ranks 301 out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the top 8% of all configurations tested for this game.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-12400 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 can definitively run Evolve, with the verdict data showing playable settings at all three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear 60 FPS, with Ultra average at 141 FPS providing an excellent experience for high-refresh-rate monitors. The 2560x1440 resolution shows similar capability, with Ultra averaging 95 FPS and all presets remaining above the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system remains playable on High, Low, and Medium presets, with High being the best settings at 78 FPS average. The Ultra preset falls short at 54 FPS, so users targeting 4K should select High for a smooth experience. Overall, this combination delivers a strong performance profile for Evolve, with the only compromise being 4K Ultra settings. The measured data confirms that this is a capable gaming system for this title at all standard resolutions, with the GPU becoming the primary factor at 4K and the CPU providing sufficient support at lower resolutions.