Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 presents an interesting study in component balancing for the 2015 FPS title Evolve. The data shows a combination where the GPU is overwhelmingly dominant, pushing frame rates that far exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold at every tested resolution and preset. The benchmark results indicate that this is a system capable of running the game at its absolute maximum settings with substantial headroom, even at 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for both components reveals what hardware would behave similarly in this configuration. For the Intel Core i5-12400F, the closest performance match is the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, with an average score of 19047 compared to the i5-12400F's 19039, representing a negligible 0% delta. The Intel Core 3 201E is nearly identical at 19056, albeit with a -0.1% delta, indicating slightly lower performance. The Intel Core i5-1335U posts an average score of 18982, a 0.3% delta, placing it in the same performance envelope. The AMD EPYC 7773X, despite being a server-class processor, also lands here with a score of 18979 and a 0.3% delta, showing that for this game, the i5-12400F's processing power is equivalent to these diverse alternatives.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090's nearest rivals are surprisingly not other consumer gaming cards but rather professional and mobile solutions. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB is the closest, with an average score of 79605 against the RTX 5090's 79842, a 0.3% delta. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB follows closely at 79396 with a 0.6% delta. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, a high-end laptop GPU, scores 78940, which is 1.1% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is the only rival that scores higher, at 80959, representing a -1.4% delta from the RTX 5090's perspective. This suggests that in terms of raw benchmark scores, a user would see similar performance from these professional-grade or mobile alternatives, though their feature sets and drivers differ significantly.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data for Evolve clearly illustrates a GPU-bound scenario across all resolutions and presets. The most telling evidence is the scaling between presets at a fixed resolution. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 145 at Low settings to 61 at Ultra, a reduction of 84 FPS. This dramatic shift is a classic indicator that the graphics card's workload is the primary limiter. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively static regardless of the graphics preset, which is not the case here.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining performance scaling across resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 305 at 1920x1080 to 254 at 2560x1440 and finally to 145 at 3840x2160. While the GPU is still the main driver, the i5-12400F's ability to feed the RTX 5090 is tested at 1080p. The fact that the frame rate is not perfectly linear with the pixel count suggests that the CPU is providing a solid foundation, but even at 1080p Low, the system is heavily GPU-limited. The data indicates that the i5-12400F is more than sufficient for this game, as it never appears to hold the RTX 5090 back, even at lower resolutions where CPU overhead is typically more critical.

Best Settings per Resolution

According to the verdict data, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at each resolution is always Ultra. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 61 FPS, just one frame above the playable threshold. This is the critical configuration for 4K, as it barely clears the 60 FPS target. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves a much more comfortable 107 FPS average, providing ample headroom. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings yield an average of 160 FPS, which is exceptionally high and shows that the system is barely challenged at this resolution. For all three resolutions, the recommendation is the same: Ultra settings, with the caveat that 4K performance is right on the edge of the playable threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can unequivocally run Evolve, and it can do so at the highest visual fidelity. The verdict data confirms that all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra) are playable at all three tested resolutions. The system clears the 60 FPS threshold with ease at 2560x1440 and 1920x1080, where the Ultra preset delivers 107 and 160 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset is still playable, but the 61 FPS average is a close call. This means that a user can experience the game at its maximum settings at 4K, but there is no margin for error; any demanding scene could potentially drop the frame rate below the 60 FPS mark. The data suggests that for a perfectly stable 4K experience, dropping to High settings, which averages 88 FPS, would provide a more consistent frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across all nine tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset leads with an average of 305 FPS. The Medium preset averages 278 FPS, with a minimum of 236 and a maximum of 320 FPS. High settings average 231 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 160 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 254 FPS. The Medium preset averages 197 FPS, with a minimum of 168 and a maximum of 227 FPS. High settings average 155 FPS, and Ultra averages 107 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 145 FPS. The Medium preset averages 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 129 FPS. High settings average 88 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS. The data shows a consistent and predictable scaling pattern, with frame rates decreasing as resolution and preset quality increase.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i5-12400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 run Evolve at 4K?

A: Yes, the system can run the game at 3840x2160. The data shows that all presets, including Ultra, are playable, with the Ultra preset achieving an average of 61 FPS.

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

A: The Ultra preset is the best settings choice at 2560x1440, as it delivers a high average of 107 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU benchmark compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039, which is essentially identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS's score of 19047, showing a 0% delta.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with the High preset, the system achieves an average of 231 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 5090's performance closest to any specific rival in benchmarks?

A: The nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which has an average score of 79605, a 0.3% delta from the RTX 5090's 79842.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes, but it is marginal. The average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 61, which is only one frame above the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Evolve, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 130th out of 3700 total combos. This places the system in the top 3.5% of all tested configurations, which is a very strong showing. Given that the RTX 5090 is one of the most powerful consumer GPUs available, this high rank is expected. The ranking suggests that while there are 129 other combinations that achieve a higher average frame rate, this system is positioned among the elite for performance in this game, likely due to the sheer power of the graphics card. The data confirms that this is a top-tier setup for playing Evolve, capable of delivering an exceptional experience at any resolution.