Evolve

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER presents a compelling combination for playing Evolve, a 2015 FPS title. The benchmark data shows a configuration that is clearly capable at 1080p, becomes demanding at 1440p, and struggles to maintain playable framerates at 4K with high visual fidelity. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to determine where this system excels and where its limitations lie.

Resolution Scaling

The most dramatic performance shifts occur when moving between 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces 95.6 FPS, which is a very smooth experience. Stepping up to 1440p at the same High preset sees the average framerate drop to 63.7 FPS, a reduction of roughly 33%. Moving further to 4K on High settings, the average plummets to 35.6 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p performance and begins to feel noticeably less fluid for a fast-paced FPS.

This scaling pattern reveals that the GPU becomes the dominant limiting factor as resolution increases. The framerate drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is even steeper, indicating that the RTX 2060 SUPER is running out of pixel-pushing capacity. The data shows that at 4K, even the Medium preset only yields 48.8 FPS, while the Low preset jumps to a more playable 64 FPS. This suggests that to achieve a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 4K, a user would have to make substantial compromises in visual quality, which may not be worth it on a monitor of that resolution.

The pattern is consistent across all settings; the gap between 1080p and 4K widens as visual quality increases. For instance, on Low settings, the difference is 94.7 FPS (from 158.7 to 64), while on Ultra, the difference is 39 FPS (from 67.9 to 28.9). This indicates that the GPU's workload scales heavily with both resolution and settings, making the 4K Ultra combination an unrealistic target for this hardware.

CPU Role

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 performance in synthetic benchmarks is respectable, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. The benchmark results show a strong single-thread capability, with a Passmark single-thread score of 3444 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2224, which is crucial for older game engines that often rely heavily on one or two threads.

For a game like Evolve, which launched in 2015, the CPU's role is typically to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The data suggests that this i3-12100F is more than capable of this task at 1080p, as evidenced by the very high framerates at Low settings (158.7 FPS). Even at 1440p Low, the system achieves 109.7 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not the bottleneck in these scenarios. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and the high boost clock likely contribute to this strong performance.

However, the CPU's potential limitation is its core count. While 8 threads are sufficient for many titles, the data shows that its multi-threaded performance, while solid (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11912), is not its defining trait. The nearest rivals in the benchmark database, such as the Intel Core i7-7700K, are only 1.8% ahead in average score, showing that this i3 is competitive with older higher-end parts. The data implies that for Evolve, the CPU is a stable foundation, and the GPU is the component that will determine the final framerate, especially as resolution increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the clear workhorse in this pairing, and its characteristics directly explain the measured FPS. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 1650 MHz, and it has a TDP of 175 W. In the benchmark database, it sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, with its average score being nearly identical to the RTX 2070, which is only 0.5% faster.

The GPU's performance in Evolve is heavily influenced by the resolution. At 1080p, the 8 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for all settings, allowing the GPU to focus on rendering. The jump from High (95.6 FPS) to Ultra (67.9 FPS) at 1080p shows a significant cost for the extra visual effects, but both are playable. At 4K, the GPU's limitations become stark. The 35.6 FPS at High and 28.9 FPS at Ultra indicate that the GPU is struggling to fill the massive number of pixels. The 448.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth is likely a constraining factor at this resolution, as the texture data required for 4K can exceed the memory's ability to feed the processing cores efficiently.

The data clearly shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is a 1080p and 1440p card for this game. It provides excellent performance at 1080p with headroom for high refresh rates on Low to High settings. At 1440p, it can still deliver a smooth 60+ FPS experience on Medium and High settings, but Ultra settings drop it to 47.2 FPS. The GPU's compute capabilities, such as its 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 performance, are sufficient for this title, but the pixel throughput required for 4K is simply beyond its design limits.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K with playable framerates?*

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. The data shows 64 FPS on Low settings at 3840x2160, which is playable. However, to achieve this, visual quality must be reduced. On High settings, the framerate drops to 35.6 FPS, which is generally not considered smooth for an FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for a high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: The data indicates 1080p is the target for high refresh rates. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 158.7 FPS on Low, 124.5 FPS on Medium, and 95.6 FPS on High, all of which are suitable for a 144Hz display. Even Ultra settings hit 67.9 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in the database?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13516. This 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.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER significantly slower than the RTX 2070?

A: No, the benchmark data shows they are very close. The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average score of 19774, while the RTX 2070 has an average score of 19680. The deltaPct is 0.5%, meaning the RTX 2070 is only 0.5% faster on average.

Q: Should I use the Low preset at 1440p to get the highest framerate?

A: Yes, if framerate is your priority. The measured data shows 109.7 FPS on Low at 2560x1440, which is significantly higher than the 82 FPS on Medium and 63.7 FPS on High. This comes at the cost of visual fidelity.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The difference is noticeable. The system averages 95.6 FPS on High and 67.9 FPS on Ultra at 1920x1080. This is a 27.7 FPS drop for the increased visual quality. You must decide if the visual upgrade is worth the performance cost.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend entirely on the target resolution and desired framerate. For a 1080p display, the High preset offers an excellent balance, delivering 95.6 FPS, which is smooth and visually rich. If you have a high refresh rate monitor, the Medium preset at 124.5 FPS or Low preset at 158.7 FPS are more suitable for pushing framerates above 120 FPS. The Ultra preset, while achieving 67.9 FPS, is still playable but offers diminishing returns for the performance hit it takes.

For 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot for a standard 60Hz monitor, providing 63.7 FPS. The Medium preset is also a strong choice, offering 82 FPS and a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 47.2 FPS is not recommended for a competitive FPS, as the lower framerate could hinder performance. For 4K, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only viable option for a playable experience, yielding 64 FPS. The Medium preset at 48.8 FPS is borderline, but the High and Ultra presets are not recommended due to their sub-40 FPS averages.

The overall recommendation is to prioritize the High preset for most users at 1080p and 1440p. This provides a good mix of visual quality and performance. Only consider Medium or Low if you are chasing very high refresh rates, and only use Low at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | :---------- |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 64.0 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 48.8 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 35.6 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 28.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 109.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 82.0 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 63.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 47.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 158.7 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 124.5 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 95.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 67.9 |

This data shows a clear performance hierarchy. The system is at its best at 1080p Low, delivering nearly 160 FPS. From there, performance degrades predictably as resolution and settings increase. The most demanding combination, 4K Ultra, yields only 28.9 FPS, confirming that this configuration is not suited for maxed-out 4K gaming in Evolve. The data reinforces the analysis that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the i3-12100F provides sufficient headroom to keep framerates high at lower resolutions. This combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver a consistently smooth experience.