Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a dominant performance profile in Evolve, clearing the 60 FPS threshold at every tested resolution and settings combination except for 4K Ultra. Benchmark data shows this combo ranks in the 856th position out of 3700 tested configurations, placing it comfortably within the top quarter of all systems. The measured FPS results reveal a setup that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the 6-core, 12-thread Alder Lake processor provides ample headroom at 1080p, where frame rates approach the refresh-rate ceiling of most displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4070 demonstrates its limits under maximum load. Ultra settings produce an average of 44.2 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Dropping to High settings yields a playable 61.5 FPS average, while Medium reaches 77.8 FPS and Low achieves 98.1 FPS. The gap between Ultra and High is substantial, representing a 39% performance recovery, indicating that the Ultra preset introduces rendering features that heavily tax the GPU at 4K.

The 2560x1440 results show a much healthier margin. Ultra settings average 71.3 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 19% buffer. High settings reach 108 FPS, Medium hits 138.3 FPS, and Low produces an exceptional 178.3 FPS. The scaling from 4K Ultra to 1440p Ultra is particularly telling: the 61% resolution reduction in pixel count translates to a 61% frame rate increase, confirming that Evolve scales predictably with resolution at this tier.

At 1920x1080, the combination becomes almost overkill. Ultra settings average 109.8 FPS, which is 83% higher than the 4K Ultra result. High settings reach 159.2 FPS, Medium achieves 202.8 FPS, and Low produces 262.5 FPS. The 1080p Low result represents a 6x improvement over the worst-case 4K Ultra scenario, demonstrating the massive headroom available at the lowest resolution. All 1080p settings exceed 100 FPS, making this combo suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors even at maximum quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 856 out of 3700 tested combinations places this system in the 77th percentile of all tested configurations for Evolve. This ranking is consistent with the component-level benchmarks: the RTX 4070 sits in the 81st percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 37648, while the i5-12400F sits in the 73rd percentile among CPUs with an average score of 19039. The GPU is the stronger component in this pairing, and the ranking reflects that the system performs better than most but below the top-tier configurations that pair flagship CPUs with flagship GPUs.

When compared to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 4070's average score of 37648 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA Tesla P4 at 37628 (0.1% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 at 37507 (0.4% delta). It sits within 1.3% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile's 38135 score, which is notable given that the desktop 4070 achieves this with a 200W TDP. The CPU's nearest rivals show similar clustering: the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 19047 (0% delta), the Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056 (-0.1%), and the Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982 (0.3%). This tight clustering indicates that the i5-12400F sits at a performance plateau where small architectural differences between mid-range processors produce negligible gaming deltas.

The 856th rank out of 3700 means that 2844 tested combinations performed worse, while 855 performed better. For a game released in 2015, this modern mid-range pairing ranks highly because Evolve does not feature the demanding ray tracing or path tracing effects found in contemporary titles, allowing the raw rasterization strength of the RTX 4070 to shine.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the i5-12400F and RTX 4070 across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU becomes the limiting factor. The progression from Low (262.5 FPS) to Ultra (109.8 FPS) shows that the GPU can render frames faster than the CPU can feed it at lower settings, but the 6-core processor still manages to sustain over 100 FPS even at Ultra. The fact that 1080p Ultra produces 109.8 FPS while 1440p Ultra produces 71.3 FPS indicates a 35% drop from the resolution increase, which is less than the theoretical 56% pixel count difference, suggesting some CPU limitation at 1080p that becomes less pronounced at higher resolutions.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts toward the GPU. The 1440p Low result of 178.3 FPS is 32% lower than the 1080p Low result of 262.5 FPS, closely matching the 56% pixel increase. This indicates that the GPU is now the primary bottleneck even at Low settings. The 1440p Ultra result of 71.3 FPS versus 1080p Ultra's 109.8 FPS shows a 35% reduction, which aligns with the GPU becoming more dominant.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor. The 4K Ultra result of 44.2 FPS is 60% lower than 1080p Ultra, and the 4K Low result of 98.1 FPS is 63% lower than 1080p Low. These drops closely track the 4x pixel count increase from 1080p to 4K, confirming that the i5-12400F has sufficient headroom to keep the RTX 4070 fully fed at 4K. The CPU's 3dmark single-thread score of 909 and passmark single-thread score of 3481, combined with its 12 threads, ensure that even the most demanding gameplay scenarios at 4K will not create a CPU bottleneck.

The scaling between presets also illustrates this dynamic. At 4K, the jump from Medium (77.8 FPS) to Ultra (44.2 FPS) represents a 43% performance penalty, while at 1080p, the same preset jump costs 46% (202.8 to 109.8 FPS). This consistency across resolutions suggests that the preset levels impose similar relative GPU workloads, with the CPU maintaining a consistent frame delivery rate regardless of resolution.

The Verdict

This system can run Evolve at playable frame rates across nearly all settings. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with the best playable setting being High at an average of 61.5 FPS. Ultra at 4K falls short at 44.2 FPS, so 4K gamers must sacrifice the highest quality preset. At 2560x1440, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable, with Ultra averaging 71.3 FPS. This makes 1440p the sweet spot for this combination, allowing maximum quality without compromise. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable and exceed 100 FPS, with Ultra reaching 109.8 FPS.

The verdict is clear: this PC is more than capable of running Evolve at high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, and it can handle 4K at High settings with a 61.5 FPS average. The only scenario that fails the 60 FPS threshold is 4K Ultra, which requires users to step down one preset level. Given that the game's genre is FPS, the 1440p Ultra result of 71.3 FPS provides a smooth competitive experience, while the 1080p Ultra result of 109.8 FPS offers additional headroom for monitors with higher refresh rates.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 44.2, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable 4K setting is High, which averages 61.5 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for maximum visual quality?

A: 2560x1440 is the optimal resolution. It supports Ultra settings at an average of 71.3 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with a comfortable margin while providing higher visual fidelity than 1080p.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648. It is 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628), 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507), and 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135).

Q: Is the i5-12400F a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests partial CPU limitation at 1080p Low, where the GPU produces 262.5 FPS. However, at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate is 109.8 FPS, indicating the CPU can sustain high frame delivery even at the most demanding preset.

Q: What is the performance difference between 4K Ultra and 1080p Ultra?

A: 4K Ultra averages 44.2 FPS, while 1080p Ultra averages 109.8 FPS. This represents a 148% improvement at the lower resolution, reflecting the 4x pixel count reduction.

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

A: This combination ranks 856th out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the top 23% of all tested configurations for this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, producing an average of 61.5 FPS. Medium (77.8 FPS) and Low (98.1 FPS) also qualify, but High offers the best visual quality while maintaining playability. Ultra fails at 44.2 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Ultra, with an average of 71.3 FPS. This provides the maximum visual fidelity while maintaining a 19% buffer above the 60 FPS threshold. High (108 FPS), Medium (138.3 FPS), and Low (178.3 FPS) are also playable but leave performance on the table.

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Ultra, averaging 109.8 FPS. This nearly doubles the 60 FPS threshold, making it suitable for 120Hz displays. High (159.2 FPS), Medium (202.8 FPS), and Low (262.5 FPS) all exceed 150 FPS, catering to 144Hz and 240Hz monitors respectively.