Evolve

The Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 570 pairing in Evolve delivers a benchmark dataset that is heavily skewed by the GPU, with the CPU’s strong single-threaded foundation showing through only at the lowest settings. The combination ranks 1622nd out of 1695 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 5% of all combos, yet the data reveals a surprisingly playable experience at 1080p when settings are managed correctly. This analysis breaks down the measured results, interprets the scaling behavior, and answers key questions about this dated but still functional setup.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor from Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake family, running at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 position it as a modern entry-level part, and the benchmark scores confirm its capability: in Cinebench R23 it scores 11912 multi-core and 1681 single-core, while Geekbench shows 7413 multi-core and 2224 single-core. The single-thread performance is particularly relevant for Evolve, a 2015 FPS that relies heavily on one or two cores for game logic.

At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 75.5 FPS average, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. This suggests that at the lowest settings, the CPU is not the primary limiter — the GPU can stretch its legs, and the i3-12100F’s strong single-core score (893 in 3DMark single-thread) keeps up. However, at 1080p Ultra the FPS collapses to 32.4, and at 4K Ultra it drops to 11.6. The pattern indicates that as resolution and settings rise, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU’s contribution fades. The processor’s 4 cores are sufficient for Evolve’s older engine, but the data shows that cranking up settings shifts the load entirely to the graphics card.

Interestingly, the i3-12100F’s average benchmark score of 13516 places it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, and it sits within 1.8% of processors like the Intel Core i7-7700K and Core i3-10105. This means the CPU is not a weak link in this combo — it has headroom that the RX 570 simply cannot exploit at higher settings. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 4051 versus the 4-thread score of 2859 shows that the processor scales well with more threads, but Evolve rarely demands that many, so the single-thread performance matters more for frame pacing.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is a GCN 4.0 architecture part built on a 14 nm process, with a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. It packs 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, and its memory runs at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The GPU has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s — all of which are modest by modern standards.

The 4 GB VRAM is a critical constraint in Evolve. At 4K Ultra, the game likely exceeds this capacity, and the average FPS of 11.6 confirms the GPU is completely overwhelmed. Even at 1440p High, the RX 570 only manages 30 FPS, which is borderline playable but far from smooth. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 30158 places it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs, and it is remarkably close to much newer cards like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (deltaPct 0.2) and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (deltaPct 0.2). This suggests the RX 570’s raw compute is not terrible for its age, but its 4 GB frame buffer and older memory technology hold it back in modern titles.

The data shows that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck in this combo. At 1080p Low, the 75.5 FPS result indicates the GPU can keep up with the CPU, but at any higher settings, the frame rate drops disproportionately. For example, moving from 1080p Low to 1080p Medium drops FPS from 75.5 to 61.8, a 18% reduction, while moving from Medium to High drops another 19% to 49.9. This non-linear scaling is typical of a GPU that is running out of shading power and memory bandwidth.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions tells a clear story about which component is the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 75.5 FPS. Dropping to 1440p Low reduces this to 52.8 FPS, a 30% decrease, and at 4K Low it falls to 30.7 FPS, another 42% drop. This scaling is steep, but it is not catastrophic — the GPU is still managing to render the scene, just with fewer frames.

The picture changes dramatically at higher settings. At 1080p Ultra, the FPS is 32.4, which is already low. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 24.0, and at 4K Ultra it crashes to 11.6. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is a 52% reduction, which is significantly worse than the 30% drop seen at Low settings. This indicates that the GPU is not just resolution-bound but also settings-bound — the combination of higher pixel count and more complex shading overwhelms the RX 570’s 32 ROPs and 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The data implies that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution, because the FPS drops are consistent with GPU-bound behavior. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions at the same settings. Instead, the 4K High result of 16.3 FPS versus the 1080p High result of 49.9 FPS shows a 67% reduction, which is far too large to be explained by anything other than the GPU struggling with pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth. The RX 570’s 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is simply insufficient for 4K textures and effects.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The full dataset provides twelve measured points, and each one reveals a different aspect of the combo’s behavior.

At 1920x1080, the results are: Low 75.5 FPS, Medium 61.8 FPS, High 49.9 FPS, Ultra 32.4 FPS. This is the only resolution where the combo approaches playable frame rates across all settings, with Low and Medium both clearing 60 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is notable — a 35% drop from 49.9 to 32.4 — which suggests that Ultra settings enable effects that the RX 570 cannot handle without severe frame loss.

At 2560x1440, the results drop to: Low 52.8 FPS, Medium 38.7 FPS, High 30.0 FPS, Ultra 24.0 FPS. Only Low remains above 50 FPS, and Medium is borderline playable at 38.7, but High and Ultra fall well below the 60 FPS target. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at each setting is roughly 30% to 35%, which is consistent with the increase in pixel count (2.25x) but mitigated by the GPU’s memory bandwidth.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low 30.7 FPS, Medium 22.9 FPS, High 16.3 FPS, Ultra 11.6 FPS. None of these are playable for a competitive FPS, and even Low struggles to maintain 30 FPS. The 4K results confirm that this combo is not designed for high-resolution gaming, and the data shows a near-linear degradation as settings increase.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranks 1622nd out of 1695 tested configurations in Evolve, placing it in the bottom 4.3% of all combos. This is a poor ranking, but it is important to contextualize it. The rank reflects the absolute performance level, and given that the RX 570 is an end-of-life product from 2017 with 4 GB VRAM, the low position is expected. The CPU’s percentile ranking (72nd) is far better than the GPU’s (74th), which suggests that the GPU is dragging the combo down.

To put the rank in perspective, the RX 570’s average benchmark score of 30158 is within 0.8% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, which is a much newer and more capable card. This means the RX 570’s raw compute is not embarrassingly bad, but in Evolve, the combination of 4 GB VRAM and older memory architecture severely limits performance. The i3-12100F, by contrast, is within 1.8% of the Intel Core i7-7700K in average score, which was a high-end desktop CPU just a few years ago. The data implies that if the GPU were replaced with something stronger, the CPU could likely handle it without becoming a bottleneck.

The rank of 1622 out of 1695 is a stark warning for anyone considering this combo for modern gaming. However, the measured FPS at 1080p Low (75.5) shows that the combo is viable for esports-style play or older titles, even if it cannot compete with modern hardware.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 1080p with playable frame rates?*

A: Yes, at Low settings the average FPS is 75.5, and at Medium it is 61.8. Both are above 60 FPS, making them playable. High settings drop to 49.9 FPS, which is acceptable for a slow-paced FPS, but Ultra falls to 32.4 FPS, which is not ideal.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where any settings achieve 60 FPS or more. At 1440p, only Low (52.8 FPS) approaches playability, while 4K is not viable at any setting, with the best result being 30.7 FPS at Low.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this combo?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The FPS drops consistently as resolution and settings increase, which is classic GPU-bound behavior. The CPU’s strong single-thread scores (893 in 3DMark single-thread) suggest it is not holding back the GPU at higher settings.

Q: How does the RX 570 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RX 570’s average benchmark score of 30158 is within 0.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, and within 0.8% of the RTX 5070 Mobile. This shows its raw compute is competitive, but its 4 GB VRAM limits real-world gaming performance.

Q: Why does the FPS drop so much from High to Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, High runs at 49.9 FPS, but Ultra drops to 32.4 FPS, a 35% reduction. This is likely due to Ultra enabling memory-intensive effects that exceed the 4 GB VRAM capacity, causing the GPU to swap data and tank performance.

*Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking in Evolve?*

A: The combo ranks 1622nd out of 1695 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 4.3% of all combos. This reflects the GPU’s age and limited VRAM, despite the CPU being a capable modern part.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which delivers 61.8 FPS average. This provides a solid balance between visual quality and smoothness, staying above the 60 FPS threshold. Low settings at 1080p give the highest frame rate (75.5 FPS), which is preferable for competitive play, but Medium offers a noticeable visual upgrade without sacrificing playability.

At 1440p, Low settings are the only viable option, at 52.8 FPS, but this is below 60 FPS and may feel slightly less smooth. For users who prioritize resolution over frame rate, 1440p Low is acceptable, but 1080p Medium is the recommended sweet spot. High settings at 1080p (49.9 FPS) are borderline, and Ultra settings should be avoided entirely, as the 32.4 FPS result at 1080p Ultra and 11.6 FPS at 4K Ultra indicate the GPU cannot handle the load.

For a stable experience, the data suggests sticking to 1080p and not exceeding Medium settings. The 4K results are uniformly poor, and the 1440p results are only marginally better. This combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with modest settings, where it can still deliver a smooth experience for a game like Evolve.