Evolve

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this configuration, pairing an Intel Core i7-12700K with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, shows a clear performance curve across three resolutions and four quality presets. All measurements are average frame rates; minimum and maximum frame data was not captured in this dataset.

At 3840x2160, the system delivers 58.4 FPS on Low settings. Stepping up to Medium drops the average to 41.3 FPS, while High settings yield 33.2 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset produces an average of 21 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 37.4 FPS, which indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed as image quality increases. The jump from Low to Medium costs 17.1 FPS, and the Medium to High transition costs another 8.1 FPS. High to Ultra costs 12.2 FPS, the largest single-step loss in this resolution group.

At 2560x1440, the same settings ladder shows a much healthier range. Low settings reach 99.9 FPS, Medium produces 77.9 FPS, and High stays above the playability threshold at 60.7 FPS. Ultra falls to 43.9 FPS. The delta from Low to Ultra here is 56 FPS, and the drop from High to Ultra is 16.8 FPS, which is the steepest decline between adjacent presets. Interestingly, the step from Low to Medium (22 FPS lost) is more severe than the Medium to High step (17.2 FPS lost), suggesting diminishing returns in the mid-range preset tiers.

At 1920x1080, the configuration is clearly at its most comfortable. Low settings average 145.1 FPS, Medium drops to 114 FPS, and High sits at 87.5 FPS. The Ultra preset still manages 61 FPS, which is just 1 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. The total spread from Low to Ultra is 84.1 FPS. The largest single-step loss occurs between Medium and High at 26.5 FPS, while the High to Ultra step costs 26.5 FPS as well, showing a consistent pattern of degradation as settings climb.

The data reveals that the RTX 2060's 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus, combined with the CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads, scale predictably with resolution. The 4K results are consistently below the playable threshold except for the Low preset, which is still shy of 60 FPS. The 1440p results show a usable middle ground, and 1080p is the only resolution where the full settings range remains viable.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The best recorded average is 58.4 FPS on Low settings, but this falls short of the playable threshold. The database's verdict lists no playable settings at this resolution, and the best settings field is null. Users targeting 4K would need to accept frame rates in the 20 to 58 FPS range depending on quality.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 60.7 FPS. This result is just 0.7 FPS above the threshold, so it is technically playable but leaves minimal headroom for scene complexity spikes. Medium settings at 77.9 FPS and Low at 99.9 FPS are also viable, but High represents the maximum visual quality that maintains the playability target.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS, making it the best settings choice. This is only 1 FPS above the playable threshold. High settings at 87.5 FPS offer substantially more margin, and Medium at 114 FPS provides even greater comfort, but Ultra is the answer for users who prioritize image quality. The database confirms that all four presets at 1080p are playable.

The pattern across resolutions shows that the playable settings list shrinks as resolution increases. At 1080p, all four presets qualify. At 1440p, three presets qualify (High, Medium, Low), and Ultra is excluded. At 4K, none qualify. The average FPS at the best playable settings drops from 61 at 1080p to 60.7 at 1440p, a negligible difference, but the 4K ceiling of 58.4 FPS on Low is a hard stop below the target.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for both components, this combo sits close to several other configurations in aggregate benchmark scores. The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287. Its closest rival is the Intel Core i5-13600T with an average score of 35305, a delta of -0.1%. The Intel Core i7-12700KF scores 35365, also -0.2% relative to the 12700K. The Intel Core i7-13700T reaches 35403 (-0.3%), and the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428 (-0.4%). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame pacing in Evolve if paired with the same GPU.

On the graphics side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 at 15283, a delta of 0%. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270 (0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199 (0.6%), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171 (0.8%). These deltas are similarly tight, so swapping in any of these GPUs would yield comparable performance in Evolve, all else equal.

For a system using the i7-12700K and RTX 2060, the practical alternatives are combinations where one component swaps to a near-identical rival. For example, replacing the CPU with the i7-12700KF (delta -0.2%) or the i5-13600T (delta -0.1%) would produce essentially unchanged frame rates. On the GPU side, the GTX 580 (delta 0%) is a direct match, while the RTX 3050 OEM (0.6%) and RX 7600 (0.8%) would shift results by less than 1%. The AMD Radeon 680M integrated solution is also within 0.1%, though its system-level behavior may differ due to memory sharing.

The benchmark data suggests that users seeking the same experience as this combo should look at any of these four CPU or four GPU alternatives. The percent deltas are all below 1%, so no significant frame rate differences would appear in Evolve. The ranking position of this combo in the full database, 2903 out of 3700 tested combinations, places it in the lower third of tested systems, but the rival data indicates the neighborhood is densely populated with similar-performing hardware.

The Verdict

The database verdict by resolution is unambiguous. At 3840x2160, no settings preset achieves 60 FPS, and the best settings field is null. The highest recorded average is 58.4 FPS on Low, which is 1.6 FPS short of the playable threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra produce 41.3, 33.2, and 21 FPS respectively. This resolution is not playable under the 60 FPS standard.

At 2560x1440, the verdict lists High, Low, and Medium as playable settings. The best settings option is High at 60.7 FPS. This clears the threshold by a slim margin. Ultra at 43.9 FPS is not playable. Users at this resolution have three viable presets, with High being the maximum quality that maintains 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable. The best settings option is Ultra at 61 FPS. Low at 145.1 FPS, Medium at 114 FPS, and High at 87.5 FPS all provide substantial margins above the threshold. This is the only resolution where the full settings range is usable.

The configuration can run Evolve, but the experience depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1080p, the system handles every preset including Ultra. At 1440p, it manages High and below. At 4K, it cannot maintain 60 FPS on any preset. The practical recommendation from the data is to use 1080p for maximum visual fidelity or 1440p with High settings for a balance of quality and performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i7-12700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 becomes visible when examining the scaling of frame rates across resolutions and presets. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a 3DMark max threads score of 9979 and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784. The GPU's PassMark G3D score is 14111, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1242. These figures indicate that the CPU has ample headroom for game logic and draw call submission, while the GPU is the primary bottleneck in most scenarios.

The resolution scaling data supports this interpretation. At 1080p, dropping from Low to Ultra costs 84.1 FPS, which suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them at lower settings. The 145.1 FPS Low result at 1080p is likely near the CPU's frame delivery ceiling for this game, while the Ultra result of 61 FPS reflects GPU saturation. At 1440p, the Low to Ultra spread narrows to 56 FPS, and at 4K it narrows further to 37.4 FPS. This progressive narrowing indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises.

The preset scaling tells a similar story. At 4K, the step from Low to Medium is 17.1 FPS, Medium to High is 8.1 FPS, and High to Ultra is 12.2 FPS. The GPU is clearly the bottleneck at this resolution, as each settings increase demands more shading units, texture mapping units, and memory bandwidth. The RTX 2060's 1920 shading units and 120 TMUs are fully engaged. At 1080p, the Medium to High step costs 26.5 FPS, and High to Ultra also costs 26.5 FPS, showing that the GPU still governs the frame rate at the highest presets.

The CPU's role is more visible in the lower resolution results. At 1080p Low, the 145.1 FPS average implies that the CPU can sustain high frame delivery, but the GPU cannot push beyond that. At 4K Low, the 58.4 FPS result is a GPU limitation, not a CPU one. The i7-12700K's 20 threads and 25 MB of shared L3 cache are sufficient for Evolve's demands, as evidenced by the consistent performance at low settings across all resolutions.

For practical purposes, the data indicates that the GPU matters more at every resolution in this game. The CPU is not the constraint in any measured scenario. Users upgrading this system should focus on the graphics card first. At 4K, even a modest GPU improvement would yield larger gains than any CPU change, since the nearest CPU rivals are all within 0.4% in aggregate score.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: No. The best recorded average at 3840x2160 is 58.4 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra produce 41.3, 33.2, and 21 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the highest quality preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 average 60.7 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that stays above the playable threshold. Medium at 77.9 FPS and Low at 99.9 FPS are also playable.

Q: Is the Ultra preset usable at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 61 FPS, which is 1 FPS above the playable threshold. Low, Medium, and High also qualify with 145.1, 114, and 87.5 FPS respectively.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, is the limiting factor at all resolutions. The CPU, Intel Core i7-12700K, shows no signs of constraint, as frame rates scale consistently with GPU load across presets and resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 2903 out of 3700 tested combos in the database, placing it in the lower third of tested systems for Evolve.

Q: What GPUs perform similarly to the RTX 2060 in this context?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (delta 0%), AMD Radeon 680M (0.1%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (0.6%), and AMD Radeon RX 7600 (0.8%) are all within 1% of the RTX 2060's average benchmark score.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination sits at rank 2903 out of 3700 tested combinations in the database for Evolve. This places the system in the 78th percentile from the top, meaning roughly 22% of tested combos perform worse. The rank reflects the GPU's age (end-of-life production status) and the game's release date of 2015, which predates the RTX 2060's 2019 launch and the CPU's 2021 release.

The CPU component alone ranks in the 84th percentile against all CPUs, indicating that the processor is a strong performer. The GPU ranks in the 58th percentile against all GPUs, which is below average. The discrepancy between these two percentiles confirms that the GPU drags the overall combo ranking down. The CPU's nearest rivals all score within 0.4% of its average, and the GPU's rivals are within 0.8%, so the ranking is stable relative to similar hardware.

The in-game performance data aligns with this ranking. The system achieves playable frame rates at 1080p across all presets and at 1440p up to High, but fails at 4K entirely. The 2903rd position out of 3700 combos suggests that there are many systems that handle Evolve better, particularly configurations with newer GPUs. However, the data also shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor, so users with this motherboard platform could improve the ranking substantially by upgrading only the graphics card. The recorded frame rates at 1080p Ultra (61 FPS) and 1440p High (60.7 FPS) are the best this combo can offer, and both sit just barely above the playability threshold.