Evolve

The Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a generational leap in performance for Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher presets, while at 4K, the RTX 4060 becomes the definitive bottleneck. The measured FPS shows a clear pattern: the CPU’s 12 cores and 20 threads, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19784, provide ample headroom, but the GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth dictate the ceiling at higher resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i7-12700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 shifts dramatically across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the data shows the GPU is the primary driver of performance, but the CPU is not idle. The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at 1080p shows a 107.6 FPS drop (188.7 to 81.1), which is a 57% reduction, indicating that the RTX 4060’s 3072 shading units are being pushed harder as the pixel workload increases. The CPU, with a PassMark single-thread score of 4013 and a 3dmark single-thread score of 1043, is more than capable of feeding the GPU; its role is to maintain frame pacing, which it does effectively given the high average FPS even at Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the balance tilts slightly toward the GPU. The FPS drops from 129.9 at Low to 52.3 at Ultra, a 77.4 FPS gap. This 60% reduction is steeper than at 1080p, suggesting that the RTX 4060 is now the limiting factor. The CPU’s multi-threaded prowess, evidenced by a Geekbench multi-core score of 15790, is less critical here because the game’s engine at this resolution is not spawning additional threads that the i7-12700K cannot handle. The GPU’s pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s becomes the bottleneck, as the higher resolution demands more fill rate.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unambiguously the dominant component. The average FPS at Ultra is 31.6, which is below the playable 60 FPS threshold. The scaling from Low (73.8 FPS) to Ultra (31.6 FPS) shows a 42.2 FPS drop, a 57% reduction, but the absolute values are all much lower than at lower resolutions. The CPU’s role is negligible here; the RTX 4060’s 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB VRAM are the clear constraints. The data indicates that the CPU’s 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes are not being utilized to their full potential because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough.

The preset scaling between resolutions confirms this. At 1080p, the delta between Medium and Ultra is 69.1 FPS (150.2 to 81.1), while at 1440p, the same delta is 49.9 FPS (102.2 to 52.3). At 4K, the delta is 21.9 FPS (53.5 to 31.6). This diminishing return as resolution increases is a classic sign of GPU saturation; the CPU is not the variable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a precise picture of the system’s capabilities at each resolution and preset. All figures are average FPS, as the dataset does not include min or max values.

At 1920x1080, the system is highly playable across all presets. Low settings yield an average of 188.7 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth. Medium settings reduce this to 150.2 FPS, a 38.5 FPS drop, but still far above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings produce 115.9 FPS, a further 34.3 FPS reduction. Ultra settings deliver 81.1 FPS, which is still comfortably above 60 FPS. The progression shows that the RTX 4060 has headroom to spare at this resolution, and the CPU is not causing any frame rate dips.

At 2560x1440, the performance is still strong but more variable. Low settings yield 129.9 FPS, which is excellent. Medium settings produce 102.2 FPS, a 27.7 FPS drop. High settings deliver 78.8 FPS, a 23.4 FPS reduction from Medium. Ultra settings drop significantly to 52.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This 26.5 FPS drop from High to Ultra is the largest single-preset delta at this resolution, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy load on the GPU’s texture units and ROPs.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates except at the lowest settings. Low settings yield 73.8 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. Medium settings drop to 53.5 FPS, a 20.3 FPS reduction. High settings produce 42.9 FPS, a 10.6 FPS drop. Ultra settings deliver only 31.6 FPS, a further 11.3 FPS reduction. The data shows that the RTX 4060’s 48 ROPs and 96 TMUs are overwhelmed at this resolution, and the 8 GB VRAM buffer is likely causing texture thrashing.

The average FPS values across all resolutions show a consistent pattern: the system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being possible only at Low settings. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU’s performance metrics (e.g., Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 12229) do not change with resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above 60. The data provides a clear answer for each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, with an average FPS of 81.1. This is the highest preset available, and the system clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 21.1 FPS margin. The data shows that the GPU is not fully saturated at this resolution, as the Ultra preset only reduces FPS by 34.8% compared to High (115.9 FPS). This is the optimal configuration for a smooth, high-fidelity experience.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are High, with an average FPS of 78.8. The Ultra preset at 52.3 FPS is not playable, so High is the most demanding option that stays above 60 FPS. The margin here is 18.8 FPS. The data indicates that the RTX 4060’s 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is sufficient for High settings, but the Ultra preset’s additional effects and shadows exceed the GPU’s capabilities.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Low, with an average FPS of 73.8. This is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution. The Medium preset at 53.5 FPS is below 60, so Low is the sole viable option. The 13.8 FPS margin above 60 is slim, and the data suggests that any scene with heavy particle effects could push this below 60. The verdict by resolution confirms this, listing Low as the only playable setting at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 81.1, which is 21.1 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 2560x1440?

A: High settings, which produce an average FPS of 78.8. The Ultra preset at 52.3 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold and is not considered playable.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. At 3840x2160, the average FPS at Ultra is 31.6, which is far below the 60 FPS target. The Intel Core i7-12700K has ample headroom, as evidenced by its 3dmark max threads score of 9979, but the RTX 4060 cannot render the frames fast enough.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 115.9 at 1920x1080 to 78.8 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 37.1 FPS, or approximately 32% fewer frames per second.

Q: What is the playable settings list for 3840x2160?

A: Only Low settings are playable, with an average FPS of 73.8. Medium (53.5 FPS), High (42.9 FPS), and Ultra (31.6 FPS) all fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Does the system ever fall below 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: No. The lowest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 81.1 FPS on Ultra settings, which is still above 60 FPS. All presets at this resolution are playable.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would behave similarly in this game. The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, and its closest rival is the Intel Core i5-13600T, with a score of 35305, a -0.1% delta. This means the i5-13600T would perform nearly identically in Evolve, as the game is not heavily multi-threaded beyond the i7’s capabilities. The Intel Core i7-12700KF (35365, -0.2% delta) and Intel Core i7-13700T (35403, -0.3% delta) are also functionally equivalent for this title. The Intel Core 5 213PE (35428, -0.4% delta) is slightly faster but within a negligible margin.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7790, with a score of 17666, a -0.2% delta. This is an older card, but the benchmark data suggests it would produce similar frame rates in Evolve, though it lacks modern features like ray tracing. The AMD Radeon 780M (17588, +0.3% delta) is a mobile-class GPU that would perform slightly worse, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551, +0.5% delta) and AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17509, +0.7% delta) are workstation cards that would be slightly slower. In practice, any of these GPUs would yield similar FPS at the same settings and resolutions, with the RTX 4060’s 8 GB VRAM being the key differentiator at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1981 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve. This places it in the 53rd percentile of all combinations in the database. This is a mid-pack ranking, which is surprising given the strong 1080p performance. The ranking is likely dragged down by the GPU’s relative weakness at 4K, where it falls below the 60 FPS threshold at anything above Low settings. The CPU is well above average, with a percentileVsAllCpus of 84, but the GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus of 61 is lower. This imbalance means that the combo is excellent for 1080p and 1440p gaming but not competitive with high-end systems at 4K.

The rank of 1981 indicates that there are 1719 combos that perform better in this game, likely featuring higher-tier GPUs like the RTX 4070 or RX 7800 XT, which would handle 4K Ultra settings. Conversely, there are 1719 combos that perform worse, likely with older CPUs or lower-end GPUs. The i7-12700K’s 12 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for a 2015 title like Evolve, so the ranking is almost entirely determined by the RTX 4060’s mid-range performance.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Evolve, but the experience varies heavily by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all presets including Ultra clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 81.1 FPS is the recommended configuration for the best visual quality. At 2560x1440, the system is also capable, but the Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS. The best settings are High, which delivers 78.8 FPS, providing a smooth experience with high fidelity. At 3840x2160, the system is only playable at Low settings, which yields 73.8 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, but the visual quality is significantly reduced, and any settings above Low will result in frame rates below 60 FPS.

The verdict by resolution confirms these findings. The data indicates that the Intel Core i7-12700K is not a bottleneck at any resolution; its benchmark scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19784, are far beyond what Evolve requires. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the limiting factor at 4K, but it provides a strong experience at 1080p and 1440p. For a game released in 2015, this combo is more than adequate for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming and solid 1440p gaming, with 4K being a compromise for those who must have it.