Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, presents an interesting benchmark scenario for the Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The data indicates this combination delivers a wide range of frame rates depending on resolution and quality settings, with performance scaling predictably from 1080p to 4K. The measured results show the RTX 3080 Ti as the dominant factor, while the i3-12100F demonstrates sufficient capability to keep up without becoming a significant bottleneck at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K Ultra settings for this combo?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 44.8 FPS. This is the most demanding configuration tested and sits below the 60 FPS threshold commonly targeted for smooth gameplay.

Q: How much faster is this system at 1080p High compared to 4K High?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the average frame rate is 160.1 FPS, which is 2.66 times higher than the 60.2 FPS recorded at 3840x2160 High. This illustrates the significant performance headroom available at lower resolutions.

Q: Does lowering settings from High to Low provide a substantial performance boost at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, switching from High (109.9 FPS) to Low (172.5 FPS) results in a 57% increase in average frame rate. This demonstrates that graphical settings have a major impact on performance at this resolution.

Q: What is the best measured performance for this hardware combination?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 262.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates the system is capable of very high refresh-rate gaming at 1080p when visual fidelity is reduced.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for Evolve?

A: The combo holds a rank of 419 out of 1695 tested combos, placing it in the top 25% of all systems evaluated for this game.

Q: Is the frame rate at 4K High playable?

A: At 3840x2160 High, the average frame rate is 60.2 FPS, which is right at the standard for a playable experience. It is the only 4K preset that reaches this threshold, as Medium (76.9 FPS) does exceed it, but Ultra (44.8 FPS) falls below.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the primary driver of performance in Evolve, as indicated by the measured frame rates. This GPU, built on the Ampere architecture, features 10240 shading units and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. These specifications are instrumental in handling the game's rendering workload, especially at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth and fill rate become critical. The GPU's high pixel rate of 186.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 532.8 GTexel/s ensure that the game's visual effects and textures are processed efficiently.

The influence of the RTX 3080 Ti is clear when observing the performance scaling across settings. At 4K, the frame rate drops from 98.1 FPS on Low to 44.8 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of over 50%. This steep decline highlights the GPU's workload at the highest fidelity settings. Interestingly, the GPU's percentile ranking of 83 indicates it outperforms most other graphics cards in the database, and its average benchmark score of 41224 places it in a competitive tier. Specifically, it is only 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 and 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 in aggregate performance, showing that it remains a powerful contender for this game.

The GPU's memory subsystem also plays a role in Evolve's performance. The 12 GB frame buffer is sufficient to handle the game's assets without excessive swapping, and the 912.4 GB/s bandwidth ensures data can be fed to the processing cores quickly. This is particularly relevant at 3840x2160, where the demand on memory bandwidth is highest. The data suggests that the RTX 3080 Ti is the limiting factor at Ultra settings, as the CPU is likely not the bottleneck given the low frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience in Evolve depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For users with 4K displays, the High preset provides the best balance, delivering an average of 60.2 FPS. This is the only 4K setting that achieves a standard playable frame rate, as the Ultra preset drops to 44.8 FPS, which may feel less fluid. While the Medium preset at 4K offers a higher average of 76.9 FPS, the visual trade-off from High is generally more acceptable than the performance drop to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended choice for a smooth and visually rich experience, yielding an average of 109.9 FPS. This provides ample headroom above 60 FPS and should be fluid on most displays. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 73.6 FPS, which is still playable but may not be worth the performance cost if the user prioritizes higher refresh rates. For gamers seeking maximum performance at this resolution, the Medium preset at 136.9 FPS or even Low at 172.5 FPS are viable options, though they sacrifice visual detail.

For 1080p displays, the data shows the system is capable of exceptionally high frame rates. The High preset averages 160.1 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset increases this to 205.7 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 262.9 FPS. The Ultra preset, while averaging 111.1 FPS, is still well above the 60 FPS threshold but represents a significant drop from the other presets. The best experience at 1080p is the High preset, as it provides a strong balance of visual quality and performance, leaving enough headroom to ensure consistent frame times.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti achieves a rank of 419 out of 1695 tested combos for Evolve. This places the system in the top 24.7% of all configurations tested, indicating that it is a high-performing setup for this game. The rank reflects the overall capability of the pair to deliver high frame rates across various settings, with the GPU being the primary driver of the score.

The ranking is influenced by the GPU's strong showing in the database, where it holds an 83rd percentile position among all GPUs. The RTX 3080 Ti's performance is competitive with the RTX 3090, being only 0.5% slower in aggregate benchmarks. This means that in Evolve, the combo performs nearly as well as systems featuring the higher-tier RTX 3090. Even though the CPU is a budget-oriented quad-core part, its performance is sufficient to not drag the combo's ranking down significantly, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU is the bottleneck.

The CPU's own standing also contributes to the combo's rank. The i3-12100F has a percentile rank of 72 among all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 13516 is nearly identical to that of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which is only 0.1% faster. This indicates that the CPU is not a weak link in the system for this particular game, as its single-thread and multi-thread performance are adequate to feed the RTX 3080 Ti.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F plays a supporting role in this configuration, and its impact on Evolve's performance is most apparent at lower resolutions. As a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, it operates at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. These clock speeds provide solid single-threaded performance, which is often critical for older game engines like the one used in Evolve. The CPU's single-thread benchmark scores, such as 1681 in Cinebench R23, indicate it can handle the game's primary game logic and rendering thread without significant delays.

The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache is adequate for the game's data requirements, helping to reduce memory latency. At 1080p, the CPU's role becomes more significant. The measured frame rates, such as 262.9 FPS on Low, show the CPU is capable of driving the GPU to high output levels. However, the data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck even at 1080p, as the frame rates scale consistently with GPU load. The multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11912, ensures that background tasks and the game's secondary threads are handled efficiently.

While the i3-12100F has a modest TDP of 58 W and is not unlocked for overclocking, its benchmark results show it performs on par with much more expensive parts. Its average benchmark score of 13516 places it just 1.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700K, a former flagship. In Evolve, this means the CPU provides enough processing power to avoid limiting the RTX 3080 Ti, particularly at 1440p and 4K where the GPU is clearly the constraining factor. The evidence from the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is a capable partner for the high-end GPU in this specific title.