Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 presents a mixed picture for running Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. The recorded data indicates this combination is highly resolution-dependent, offering smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, but failing to reach playable thresholds at 4K. The CPU is a strong modern part, while the GPU is an older mid-range model, and benchmark results show the GPU as the primary bottleneck in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database contains average FPS measurements for this combo across three resolutions and four quality presets, with no recorded minimum or maximum frame times. At 1920x1080, the results range from a low of 56.1 FPS at Ultra settings to a high of 130.2 FPS at Low settings. The Medium preset delivers 99.3 FPS, while the High preset produces 79.9 FPS. This means that at 1080p, only the Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, and it does so by a margin of 3.9 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop noticeably across all presets. The Low preset still delivers a comfortable 87.4 FPS, and the Medium preset achieves 70.7 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset drops to 52.4 FPS, which is 7.6 FPS below the playable mark. The Ultra preset falls further to 35.4 FPS, a significant reduction from the 56.1 FPS seen at 1080p Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the results are substantially lower. The Low preset yields 49.1 FPS, the Medium preset yields 41.1 FPS, the High preset yields 30.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 23.4 FPS. None of the 4K presets reach the 60 FPS threshold, and even the best case at 4K, the Low preset, is 10.9 FPS short of playable. The scaling between resolutions is steep, with the 4K Ultra result representing only about 41.7% of the 1080p Low performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data shows a clear trend: the GTX 1070 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings, while the i5-12600KF provides ample headroom. This is evident from the frame rate scaling between presets. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 74.1 FPS (130.2 down to 56.1), indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by the Ultra settings. At 1440p, the spread between Low and Ultra is 52.0 FPS, and at 4K it is 25.7 FPS. The shrinking spread at higher resolutions suggests the GPU is increasingly saturated, making the CPU less relevant to the final frame rate.

The CPU's capability is reflected in its synthetic benchmarks. The i5-12600KF scores 23,391 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,302 points in single-core. It also posts 7,956 in 3DMark 16-thread and 1,016 in 3DMark single-thread tests. These scores place it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs tested, indicating strong processing power that is unlikely to bottleneck a GTX 1070 in this game. The GPU, by contrast, sits in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 9,780. Its PassMark G3D score is 13,498, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1,082.

The resolution scaling confirms the GPU-bound nature of this pairing. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 130.2 FPS, but at 1440p Low it drops to 87.4 FPS, a 32.9% reduction. Moving from 1440p Low to 4K Low yields 49.1 FPS, another 43.8% reduction. These large drops with increasing pixel count are classic signs of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads based on Alder Lake architecture, has more than enough compute capacity for a 2015 title like Evolve, so the recorded frame rates are effectively dictated by the GTX 1070's fill rate and memory bandwidth. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results show the hardware is simply outmatched.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are close in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i9-10900K scores 27,872, which is 0.3% lower than the i5-12600KF's average of 27,799. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D scores 27,896, also 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800U scores 27,887, 0.3% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores 27,712, which is 0.3% higher than the i5-12600KF. These four parts would all behave nearly identically to the i5-12600KF in Evolve, meaning any of them paired with a GTX 1070 would produce frame rates within a fraction of the recorded numbers. The choice between these CPUs would have negligible impact on gameplay, given the GPU bottleneck.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are also tightly clustered. The AMD FirePro W5000 has an average score of 9,803, which is 0.2% lower than the GTX 1070's 9,780. The NVIDIA Quadro M2000M scores 9,832, 0.5% lower. The NVIDIA Tesla M10 scores 9,724, 0.6% higher, and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 scores 9,716, 0.7% higher. These are professional or mobile-class cards, but the benchmark data suggests they would produce similar frame rates in Evolve. A user with any of these GPUs and a similar CPU would see virtually the same performance profile: playable at 1080p and 1440p with the right presets, but not at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this specific CPU and GPU combination at 3,086 out of 3,700 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the lower portion of the field, around the 16.6th percentile of all recorded combinations. The rank reflects the age and tier of the GTX 1070, which limits the overall standing despite the modern CPU. Many combinations with newer or higher-tier GPUs will outperform this pairing, but the rank also shows that a substantial number of tested combos are slower. The data indicates this is a mid-to-low tier configuration for this particular game, primarily due to the GPU's 47th percentile standing among all GPUs. The CPU's 79th percentile ranking does not compensate for the GPU's weaker position when the game is GPU-bound at most settings.

The Verdict

This PC can run Evolve, but the playable range is limited to 1080p and 1440p with specific settings. At 1920x1080, the High preset is the most demanding setting that clears 60 FPS, achieving 79.9 FPS. The Medium preset reaches 99.3 FPS, and the Low preset hits 130.2 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short at 56.1 FPS, so it is not recommended for a 60 FPS experience. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the best playable option, delivering 70.7 FPS, while the Low preset reaches 87.4 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are not viable, producing 52.4 and 35.4 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The best 4K result is the Low preset at 49.1 FPS, followed by Medium at 41.1 FPS, High at 30.4 FPS, and Ultra at 23.4 FPS. The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p and 1440p are playable with the right settings, 4K is not.

FAQ

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

A: The recorded average FPS is 79.9, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 4K?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 49.1 on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. All other 4K presets are lower, with Ultra at 23.4 FPS.

Q: What is the best 1440p setting for this PC?

A: The Medium preset is the most demanding playable option at 2560x1440, delivering 70.7 FPS. Low settings reach 87.4 FPS, while High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The GTX 1070 ranks in the 47th percentile of GPUs, while the i5-12600KF ranks in the 79th percentile of CPUs. Frame rates drop sharply with increased resolution, confirming a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: How does the i5-12600KF compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Intel Core i9-10900K, AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, and AMD Ryzen 7 6800U all score within 0.3% of the i5-12600KF's average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores 0.3% higher. All would perform nearly identically in Evolve with this GPU.

Q: What is the Ultra preset average FPS at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 delivers 56.1 FPS, which is 3.9 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold, so it is not considered playable by the database criteria.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best setting that maintains at least 60 FPS is High, with an average of 79.9 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that clears the threshold, and it offers a solid frame rate with room to spare. The Medium preset at 99.3 FPS and Low at 130.2 FPS are also playable, but High provides the highest visual quality while remaining above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Medium, averaging 70.7 FPS. The Low preset reaches 87.4 FPS and is also playable, but Medium is the highest quality option that stays above the 60 FPS line. The High preset at 52.4 FPS and Ultra at 35.4 FPS are below the threshold and should be avoided for a 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable setting, as even the Low preset only reaches 49.1 FPS. The database records no best settings for 4K, indicating that users seeking 60 FPS at this resolution would need to reduce the resolution or upgrade the GPU. The recorded data shows the GTX 1070 cannot deliver a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K in Evolve under any tested preset.