Evolve

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 presents a distinctly lopsided configuration for Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. The data shows a CPU that ranks in the 72nd percentile against all processors, paired with a GPU in the 79th percentile, yet the combination achieves the 558th rank out of 1695 tested combos. This positions the pairing in the upper third of tested systems, though the bottleneck analysis reveals that the processor’s 4-core/8-thread layout constrains the GPU’s substantial 16 GB frame buffer and 644.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth in specific scenarios.

FAQ

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

A: At 1920x1080, the setup delivers consistently high frame rates across all presets, with Low settings reaching 248.4 FPS, Medium at 189.7 FPS, High at 151.5 FPS, and Ultra at 104.3 FPS. This makes 1080p the only resolution where Ultra settings remain comfortably above the 100 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i3-12100F’s average benchmark score of 13516 places it 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U, 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i3-10105, and 1.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700K. The deltaPct values indicate this is a tightly clustered group.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance relative to its closest competitors?

A: The Radeon RX 9070’s average benchmark score of 34780 is 0.2% below the NVIDIA A2, 0.3% above the NVIDIA Quadro GV100, 0.7% above the AMD Radeon HD 7970, and 0.8% above the AMD Radeon PRO W6400. The differences are minimal, suggesting near-parity with these specific cards.

Q: Does the CPU’s single-thread performance matter for this game?

A: The 3dmark_single_thread score of 893 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681 indicate strong per-core capability, which correlates with the high frame rates seen at 1080p. The boost clock of 4.30 GHz helps maintain responsiveness, though the 4-core limit becomes apparent at higher resolutions.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and does it matter here?

A: The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 644.6 GB/s bandwidth. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 41.1 FPS, indicating that memory capacity is not the limiting factor—the GPU’s compute throughput and the CPU’s thread count are more significant constraints.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking among tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 558th out of 1695 total tested combos, placing it in the 67th percentile of all pairings. This reflects a system that handles 1080p and 1440p well but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data reveals a clear progression across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, all four settings deliver playable results: Low hits 248.4 FPS, Medium 189.7 FPS, High 151.5 FPS, and Ultra 104.3 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is 47.2 FPS, which represents a significant visual quality trade-off for a frame rate that remains above 100 FPS. Benchmark results indicate that High at 1080p offers the best balance, providing 151.5 FPS while retaining most visual fidelity over Medium’s 189.7 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but reveal the CPU’s influence. Low produces 165.5 FPS, Medium 126 FPS, High 102.7 FPS, and Ultra 69.1 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 33.6 FPS, which is substantial; High at 1440p maintains a smooth experience above 100 FPS, making it the recommended preset for this resolution. Ultra at 1440p still exceeds 60 FPS, but the diminishing returns justify staying at High.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. Low yields 95.5 FPS, Medium 70.7 FPS, High 58 FPS, and Ultra 41.1 FPS. The 4K Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay. Medium at 4K provides 70.7 FPS, which is the best playable option at this resolution—it avoids the 58 FPS High result while still offering improved visuals over Low. The data suggests that users prioritizing 4K should select Medium, while those at 1080p or 1440p can comfortably use High without sacrificing frame rates.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 9070’s specifications define its behavior in Evolve. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1330 MHz, a game clock of 2070 MHz, and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with memory clocked at 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective). This translates to a pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s, figures that support the high frame rates observed at lower resolutions. The 16 GB GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for a game released in 2015.

The GPU’s FP32 performance of 36.13 TFLOPS and 3584 shading units drive the rasterization workload. At 1080p, the GPU is clearly underutilized—the CPU’s 4 cores become the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 248.4 FPS Low result. At 4K, however, the GPU’s workload increases proportionally, and the frame rates drop to 95.5 FPS on Low and 41.1 FPS on Ultra. The 128 ROPs and 224 TMUs handle pixel and texture throughput effectively, but the 4K Ultra result indicates that the GPU cannot fully compensate for the CPU’s limited thread count when draw calls become more demanding.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its position: PassMark G3D scores 25381, Geekbench Vulkan scores 165532, and OpenCL scores 133741. These place the GPU in the 79th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34780. The nearest rivals—NVIDIA A2, Quadro GV100, HD 7970, and PRO W6400—all sit within 0.8% of this score, confirming that the RX 9070’s raw compute is competitive. In Evolve, the GPU’s role is to provide headroom that the CPU cannot always exploit, particularly at 1080p where frame rates exceed 200 FPS on lower presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo holds the 558th rank out of 1695 tested combinations, which places it in the 67th percentile overall. This ranking reflects a system that performs well in absolute terms but is not exceptional relative to other pairings. The CPU’s 72nd percentile ranking and GPU’s 79th percentile ranking suggest that the combination should theoretically perform higher; however, the specific demands of Evolve—a game from 2015 that may not scale well beyond 8 threads—limit the CPU’s contribution.

The measured FPS data shows that the combo excels at 1080p and 1440p, where it delivers frame rates that would satisfy most users. At 4K, the ranking is dragged down by the Ultra preset’s 41.1 FPS result. The gap between the combo’s theoretical capability and its actual rank indicates that the CPU’s 4-core/8-thread configuration is the primary constraint. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 4051 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11912 demonstrate solid multi-threaded performance for a quad-core, but Evolve’s engine appears to benefit from higher thread counts, which this CPU cannot provide.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing sits in the upper third, meaning it outperforms 67% of tested systems. The 4K results, particularly the 41.1 FPS Ultra figure, are the main reason it does not rank higher. Users targeting 1080p or 1440p will find the combo places significantly better in practice, as the 1080p High result of 151.5 FPS and 1440p High result of 102.7 FPS are strong showings. The ranking is therefore heavily influenced by the 4K Ultra scenario, which this CPU-GPU pairing cannot handle smoothly.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 10 nm process with a die size of 163 mm². It operates at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a TDP of 58 W. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications define its performance in Evolve, which appears to be sensitive to both single-thread speed and core count.

The CPU’s benchmark scores show a strong single-thread capability: 3dmark_single_thread scores 893, Cinebench R23 single-core scores 1681, and Geekbench single-core scores 2224. These figures support the high frame rates seen at 1080p, where the CPU’s per-core performance drives the 248.4 FPS Low result. The PassMark single-thread score of 3444 reinforces this strength. However, the multi-threaded scores reveal the limitation: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 11912, and PassMark multithread scores 14015, which are respectable for a quad-core but fall short of higher-core-count processors.

In Evolve, the CPU’s role becomes more critical at higher resolutions. At 4K, the frame rates drop significantly—from 95.5 FPS on Low to 41.1 FPS on Ultra—indicating that the GPU is waiting for the CPU to process draw calls. The 4-core/8-thread layout means the CPU can handle 8 threads simultaneously, but the game may require more, as suggested by the 3dmark_8_threads score of 4026 versus the 3dmark_16_threads score of 4051—the minimal difference implies that the CPU cannot effectively utilize more than 8 threads. The CPU’s 72nd percentile ranking and its proximity to the Threadripper PRO 3975WX (0.1% behind) in average score demonstrate that it competes with much more expensive processors in synthetic tests, yet in Evolve, the thread count limits real-world performance at 4K Ultra.

The CPU’s memory support for DDR4 and DDR5, along with dual-channel memory bus, provides adequate bandwidth for the GPU. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 16 lanes ensures data transfer is not a bottleneck. However, the fundamental issue remains the core count: while the boost clock of 4.30 GHz delivers excellent single-thread performance, the 4-core limit prevents the CPU from feeding the GPU enough data at 4K Ultra, resulting in the 41.1 FPS result. For users prioritizing 1080p or 1440p, the CPU is sufficient, but for 4K gaming, a higher-core-count processor would better complement the RX 9070’s capabilities.