Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT delivers a playable experience in Evolve at 1080p and 1440p, but falls short of the 60 FPS threshold at 4K Ultra. The data shows this combo ranks 2342nd out of 3700 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier for this title. The strongest result is at 1920x1080 Ultra, where the system averages 71 FPS, while the weakest is at 3840x2160 Ultra with just 27 FPS. This is not a high-end pairing for Evolve, but it offers a clear upgrade path for users targeting 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance across all settings. The Low preset produces an average of 168 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium settings drop the average to 130 FPS, with a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 150 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings average 102 FPS, still well above the target. The most demanding preset, Ultra, yields an average of 71 FPS, which clears the threshold by 11 FPS. No min or max values are recorded for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution, so the Medium preset provides the only frame time variance data: a 39 FPS spread between min and max.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 113 FPS, which remains highly fluid. Medium averages 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS, showing a 27 FPS range. High settings average 69 FPS, just 9 FPS above the playability threshold. Ultra falls to 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS mark and not recommended for smooth gameplay. The 1440p results show a steep drop from Low to Ultra: 113 FPS down to 48 FPS, a 65 FPS difference that highlights the GPU's limitations at higher presets.

At 3840x2160, the picture becomes more challenging. Low settings average 64 FPS, barely clearing the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 50 FPS, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS. The min value of 42 FPS indicates noticeable frame drops during intense scenes. High settings average 39 FPS, and Ultra drops to 27 FPS. The 4K data shows that only the Low preset is viable, and even then, the margin is slim at just 4 FPS above the threshold. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is 37 FPS, which underscores the GPU's inability to handle high-end settings at this resolution.

Comparing resolution scaling, the 1080p to 1440p transition reduces average FPS by roughly 35-40% across presets. For example, High goes from 102 FPS at 1080p to 69 FPS at 1440p, a 33 FPS drop. The 1440p to 4K transition is even steeper: High drops from 69 FPS to 39 FPS, a 30 FPS reduction. The data indicates that 4K is only playable at Low settings, with Medium, High, and Ultra all falling below the 60 FPS target. The 1080p Ultra result of 71 FPS is the best high-fidelity outcome, while 1440p High at 69 FPS is the best balance of resolution and quality.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results reveal that the GPU is the primary bottleneck for Evolve at all resolutions, but the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080 Low, the 168 FPS average suggests the GPU is not heavily taxed, allowing the CPU to push frame rates higher. The Intel Core i5-12400F, with 6 cores and 12 threads, provides adequate processing power for this scenario. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12380 and single-core score of 1680 indicate strong per-thread performance, which is relevant for a game like Evolve that relies on consistent frame generation.

At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average drops to 71 FPS, signaling that the GPU is now the limiting factor. The RX 7600 XT's 22.57 TFLOPS FP32 performance is insufficient to maintain higher frame rates at this preset. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are not the issue; rather, the 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs cap the pixel throughput. The pixel rate of 176.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 352.6 GTexel/s translate into a ceiling that the CPU can exceed but the GPU cannot match.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's dominance grows. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent 30-35% FPS reduction across all presets, which aligns with the increased pixel count. The CPU's 3DMark max threads score of 5912 and 16-thread score of 5895 suggest it can handle the load, but the GPU's rendering capacity is the binding constraint. At 1440p Ultra, the 48 FPS average is a clear GPU limitation, as the CPU would likely produce higher frame rates if paired with a stronger graphics card.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the bottleneck. The 4K pixel count is four times that of 1080p, and the RX 7600 XT cannot compensate. The Low preset average of 64 FPS is only achieved because the GPU's pixel rate is sufficient for minimal shading work. The Ultra preset at 27 FPS demonstrates that the GPU's raw compute is insufficient, regardless of CPU capability. The CPU's PassMark multi-thread score of 19433 and single-thread score of 3481 indicate it is not the limiting factor; the GPU's 60th percentile ranking among all GPUs is the practical ceiling.

The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU can keep pace with the GPU, but at 4K, the GPU's architecture — RDNA 3.0 with 32 RT cores and 128 TMUs — becomes the decisive factor. Users seeking higher frame rates at 4K would need a more powerful GPU, as the CPU has headroom. The Core i5-12400F's 65W TDP and 10nm process do not impede performance; the GPU's 190W TDP and 6nm process are the relevant specs for this game's heavy rendering load.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for its performance tier. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS has an average benchmark score of 19047, nearly identical to the Core i5-12400F's 19039, with a deltaPct of 0. This means the two processors are statistically equivalent in synthetic tests, though the Ryzen 5 7535HS is a mobile chip while the Core i5-12400F is desktop. The Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056, a 0.1% difference, indicating similar performance. The Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982, 0.3% lower, while the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979, also 0.3% lower. These rivals suggest that the Core i5-12400F is a mid-range desktop CPU, and users upgrading from any of these would see negligible changes in Evolve's CPU-bound scenarios.

The GPU's nearest rivals are more varied. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 scores 17208, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 7600 XT's 17083. This places the RX 7600 XT slightly below the RTX 3070 in average benchmark performance, though the deltaPct of -0.7 indicates a marginal difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037, 0.3% lower, while the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, 0.4% lower. The NVIDIA Tesla M4 scores 16932, 0.9% lower. These rivals indicate that the RX 7600 XT performs in a narrow band around the RTX 3070, meaning users with an RTX 3070 would see similar FPS in Evolve. The GTX 690 and HD 7970M are older architectures, so their similar scores reflect synthetic benchmarks rather than real-world gaming performance, but the data shows they are close in aggregate.

For this combo, the CPU's 73rd percentile among all CPUs and the GPU's 60th percentile among all GPUs mean that the pairing is balanced, but neither component is exceptional. The nearest CPU rival, the Ryzen 5 7535HS, would not change Evolve's performance meaningfully, as the deltaPct is 0. The nearest GPU rival, the RTX 3070, would offer a slight improvement, but the 0.7% delta is unlikely to push 4K Ultra above the 60 FPS threshold. Users considering alternatives should focus on the GPU, as the CPU has ample headroom for this game.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve, but only at specific resolutions and presets. According to the verdictByResolution data, at 3840x2160, the only playable setting is Low, which averages 64 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold by a narrow 4 FPS margin, so users should expect occasional dips below 60 FPS during intense combat. Medium is not playable at 4K, averaging 50 FPS, and High and Ultra are unplayable at 39 FPS and 27 FPS, respectively.

At 2560x1440, the system offers more flexibility. Playable settings include High, Low, and Medium. The best setting is High, which averages 69 FPS. Medium averages 87 FPS, and Low averages 113 FPS, all comfortably above the threshold. Ultra is not playable at 48 FPS, so users must avoid this preset for smooth gameplay.

At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, including Ultra, which averages 71 FPS. High averages 102 FPS, Medium averages 130 FPS, and Low averages 168 FPS. This is the only resolution where the system can run the game at maximum settings while maintaining 60 FPS. The verdict is clear: this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p as a viable secondary option at High or lower settings, and 4K limited to Low settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

The optimal settings for each resolution, based on the data, are as follows. At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 64 FPS. This is the only choice, as Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the threshold. The 64 FPS average is the minimum acceptable performance, so users should accept the visual trade-offs of Low settings to maintain playability.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is High, which averages 69 FPS. This is the highest preset that clears the 60 FPS mark, and it provides a good balance of visual quality and performance. Medium averages 87 FPS and Low averages 113 FPS, but High is the recommended choice for its superior graphics while still exceeding the threshold. Ultra is not viable at 48 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the best setting is Ultra, which averages 71 FPS. This is the most demanding preset and just clears the 60 FPS threshold, making it the ideal choice for users who prioritize visual fidelity. The 71 FPS average provides a smooth experience, though it is not as high as the 102 FPS at High or the 130 FPS at Medium. Users who prefer higher frame rates can drop to High or Medium, but Ultra is the maximum playable preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in Evolve is 2342 out of 3700 tested combinations, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all tested systems. This means the system outperforms roughly 63% of other combos but is outclassed by the top 37%. The rank reflects the GPU's 60th percentile and the CPU's 73rd percentile, with the GPU being the weaker component. For a game released in 2015, this combo is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but it struggles at 4K, which is consistent with the GPU's mid-range positioning.

The rank of 2342 suggests that users with this combo will have a playable experience at most settings below 4K, but they should not expect high-end performance. The 1080p Ultra result of 71 FPS is a strong outcome, placing the system ahead of many older or lower-end configurations. However, the 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS is a clear weakness, and the system's overall rank reflects this inconsistency. The data indicates that this combo is a capable 1080p gaming machine with 1440p potential, but it is not suitable for 4K enthusiasts without reducing settings to Low.