Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS built on the CryEngine, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT. The benchmark data reveals a combination that is heavily reliant on the GPU at higher resolutions but shows signs of CPU limitation at 1080p. The overall combo ranks 1084 out of 1695 tested configurations, placing it in the lower-mid tier of the database, which suggests that while it can deliver playable framerates, it is not a top-tier pairing for this specific title.

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

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory position it as a modern entry-level desktop part. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11912 and a single-core score of 1681, with a Geekbench single-core result of 2224. These numbers place the chip at the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, indicating solid mainstream performance.

Looking at the nearest rivals, the i3-12100F’s average benchmark score of 13516 is statistically indistinguishable from the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (13534, a -0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i7-1250U (13462, a 0.4% delta). It sits just 0.6% above the Intel Core i3-10105 and 1.8% above the Intel Core i7-7700K. This suggests that in Evolve, the CPU’s four physical cores and eight threads are likely sufficient for the game’s logic and physics, but the data implies that the processor is not the primary bottleneck at higher graphical settings.

The relationship between CPU and game performance is most apparent at 1080p with Low settings, where the average FPS reaches 169.5. This high framerate suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions. However, the fact that the FPS drops significantly when moving to higher settings at the same resolution — down to 72.5 FPS at Ultra — indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as graphical load increases. The CPU’s 3DMark scores, particularly the 4-thread result of 2859 and the 8-thread result of 4026, show that it can handle multithreaded workloads, but Evolve’s engine, released in 2015, may not fully utilize all eight threads, leaving the GPU waiting on single-thread performance in certain scenes.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a Navi 23 chip, manufactured on a 7 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 2055 MHz, with a boost clock of 2635 MHz and a game clock of 2410 MHz. With 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, the card is capable of a theoretical FP32 performance of 10.79 TFLOPS. Its PassMark G3D score of 17166 places it at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, mirroring the CPU’s relative standing.

In terms of rival GPUs, the RX 6650 XT’s average benchmark score of 29024 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (29011, a 0.0% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 470 (28996, a 0.1% delta). It is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A370M and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH. This clustering indicates that the RX 6650 XT is a mid-range performer, and the benchmark results in Evolve reflect this. The GPU’s 8 GB of VRAM is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 28.4, suggesting that both the memory bandwidth and the GPU’s compute power are stretched thin.

The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution and settings increase, the GPU’s role becomes more dominant. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 169.5 FPS, but this falls to 103.2 FPS at High and 72.5 FPS at Ultra. This drop of 57% from Low to Ultra is a strong indicator that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher settings. The RX 6650 XT’s 32 RT cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate do not appear to provide any specific advantage in Evolve, which was released before ray tracing became a standard feature, so the raw rasterization performance is what matters most here.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo scales across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system averages 169.5 FPS, which drops to 111.4 FPS at 1440p Low (a 34% reduction) and further to 62.4 FPS at 4K Low (a 63% reduction from 1080p). This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario: as pixel count increases, the GPU’s workload grows proportionally, and the FPS drops accordingly.

At High settings, the pattern continues but with lower absolute numbers. The 1080p High average of 103.2 FPS falls to 68.7 FPS at 1440p (a 33% drop) and 41.3 FPS at 4K (a 60% drop from 1080p). The relative consistency of these percentage drops — around 33-34% from 1080p to 1440p and 60-63% from 1080p to 4K — strongly suggests that the GPU is the limiting component across all settings. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would not scale so predictably with resolution changes.

The Ultra settings tell a similar story, with 72.5 FPS at 1080p, 48.2 FPS at 1440p, and 28.4 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is 61%, which aligns with the other settings. This uniform scaling indicates that the i3-12100F is not holding back the RX 6650 XT at higher resolutions; instead, the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. The fact that the 4K Ultra result falls below 30 FPS suggests that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming in Evolve, and even 1440p Ultra, at 48.2 FPS, is borderline playable.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Evolve?

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p is the only resolution where all settings remain above 60 FPS, with Low at 169.5 FPS and Ultra at 72.5 FPS. 1440p is playable at Low (111.4 FPS) and Medium (84.7 FPS), but drops below 50 FPS at Ultra (48.2 FPS). 4K is only playable at Low settings (62.4 FPS), with Medium (47.7 FPS) and High (41.3 FPS) falling below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the i3-12100F compare to its nearest CPU rivals in terms of average score?

A: The i3-12100F’s average benchmark score of 13516 is 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (13534), 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i7-1250U (13462), 0.6% higher than the Intel Core i3-10105 (13430), and 1.8% higher than the Intel Core i7-7700K (13280). These deltas are all within 2%, indicating near-identical synthetic performance.

Q: Is the RX 6650 XT a bottleneck at 1080p in Evolve?

A: Yes, the data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 1080p. The FPS drops from 169.5 at Low to 72.5 at Ultra, a 57% reduction, which is a clear sign of GPU saturation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across settings at a given resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1084 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the lower 36% of all configurations. This suggests that while it can run the game, many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher average FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 1440p gaming in Evolve?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 1440p, the system achieves 111.4 FPS on Low, 84.7 FPS on Medium, and 68.7 FPS on High. Only Ultra settings drop below 60 FPS, at 48.2 FPS. For a smooth experience, Medium or High settings are recommended.

Q: Does the CPU’s performance vary significantly from its rivals in synthetic tests?

A: No, the deltas are minimal. The i3-12100F is within 1.8% of all its listed nearest rivals, with the largest difference being 1.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700K. This suggests that for Evolve, any of these CPUs would provide similar CPU-bound performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination ranks 1084 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, which places it in the bottom third of all configurations tested. This ranking reflects the system’s mid-range GPU and entry-level CPU, which together are not optimized for high-end performance in this title. The rank suggests that a majority of tested combos (611 of them) perform better, likely due to more powerful GPUs or CPUs with higher core counts.

Given that the CPU sits at the 72nd percentile of all CPUs and the GPU also sits at the 72nd percentile, one might expect a higher combo rank. However, the data indicates that the pairing is not synergistic for Evolve’s engine. The rank of 1084 out of 1695 implies that the system is better suited for 1080p gaming than for higher resolutions, and it is not a top-tier choice for competitive play where high framerates are critical. The near-identical synthetic scores of the GPU’s rivals (all within 0.6% delta) suggest that swapping the RX 6650 XT for an RX 6800M or RX 470 would yield similar in-game results, further confirming that the GPU is the dominant factor in this combo’s performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system’s capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 169.5 FPS on Low, 130.7 FPS on Medium, 103.2 FPS on High, and 72.5 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a clear progression, with each step up in settings costing roughly 20-30 FPS. At 2560x1440, the averages drop to 111.4 FPS on Low, 84.7 FPS on Medium, 68.7 FPS on High, and 48.2 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 56.8%, which is nearly identical to the 57.2% drop at 1080p, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of the system.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable framerates. The Low preset averages 62.4 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold, but Medium drops to 47.7 FPS, High to 41.3 FPS, and Ultra to 28.4 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is particularly telling, as it is less than half the 1080p Low result. Across all resolutions, the scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent: 57% at 1080p, 57% at 1440p, and 54% at 4K. This consistency strongly indicates that the GPU is the sole bottleneck, with the CPU providing enough headroom to avoid limiting performance at any resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired framerate. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset is viable, with an average of 72.5 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. However, if a higher refresh rate monitor is in use, the High preset at 103.2 FPS is a better choice, offering a 42% improvement over Ultra with only a modest visual penalty.

At 1440p, the Medium preset (84.7 FPS) is the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it maintains a framerate well above 60 FPS. The High preset (68.7 FPS) is also acceptable, but it may dip below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 48.2 FPS is not recommended for 1440p, as it falls below the playable threshold. For 4K, the Low preset (62.4 FPS) is the only setting that achieves a playable framerate, but it sacrifices significant visual quality. The Medium preset (47.7 FPS) is borderline, and the High (41.3 FPS) and Ultra (28.4 FPS) presets are not recommended for anything other than screenshots.

In summary, the best experience for this combo is at 1080p with High or Ultra settings, or at 1440p with Medium settings. The data shows that pushing to 4K requires dropping to Low settings, which undermines the visual experience that higher resolutions are meant to provide. For a balanced experience, the 1440p Medium preset offers the best combination of visual fidelity and smooth gameplay, with an average FPS of 84.7.