Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination delivers a playable but not exceptional experience in Evolve, landing firmly in the lower-mid tier of tested hardware pairings. The data shows a pairing that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but capable of strong frame rates when settings are tuned appropriately.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings a 6-core, 12-thread configuration to Evolve, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S part, built on Intel's 10 nm process, offers a balanced foundation for a 2015-era FPS title. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and per-core L2 cache of 1.25 MB provide ample data locality for the game’s physics and AI routines. The CPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range standing: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935 and a single-core score of 2249 indicate strong per-thread performance, which is relevant for a game like Evolve that was designed before multi-core scaling became ubiquitous.

In the context of this game's measured results, the CPU’s role becomes clearer when examining frame rates at lower settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 144.8 FPS, and at 1440p Low it reaches 99.7 FPS. These figures suggest the i5-12400 is not the primary constraint at these settings, as the frame rate scales inversely with resolution. The processor’s 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and 2-thread score of 1692 indicate it can feed the GPU adequately in less demanding scenes. Its performance relative to direct rivals is remarkably tight: the i5-12400’s average benchmark score of 19850 is within 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-11600K (19771) and within 0.2% of the Intel Core i7-8700 (19894). This means the CPU's contribution to Evolve's frame rates should be virtually indistinguishable from those near-identical competitors. The 65W TDP and dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support round out a processor that provides consistent, predictable performance without becoming a bottleneck in this title, except perhaps at the very highest frame rates where the 1080p Low result of 144.8 FPS hints at an approaching ceiling.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the dominant component in this pairing, and the benchmark data confirms the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences across settings and resolutions. This RDNA 2.0 part, built on TSMC's 7 nm process, features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2491 MHz and game clock of 2044 MHz are substantial, but the 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a notable factor at higher settings. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 15096 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1492 place it in the 69th percentile of all GPUs, showing it is a competent but not top-tier performer.

The measured data shows the RX 6600’s influence clearly. At 1080p Ultra, the system produces 63.1 FPS, while at 1080p High it rises to 90 FPS. This 30% jump from Ultra to High indicates that the GPU’s shading units (1792) and TMUs (112) are being pushed hard by the Ultra preset’s effects. The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM appears sufficient for 1080p, but the 4K Ultra result of 21.4 FPS suggests memory bandwidth and capacity constraints become severe at that resolution. The RX 6600’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 890M, scores 25246, a negligible 0% delta from the RX 6600’s 25235, meaning performance in Evolve would be nearly identical. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is only 0.5% faster in aggregate benchmarks, so the RX 6600’s behavior in this game should closely mirror that card as well. The GPU’s 14 Gbps effective memory clock and 159.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K data reveals the hardware’s limits.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing ranks 1385 out of 1695 tested combinations in Evolve, placing it in the lower third of all configurations. This rank reflects the mid-range nature of both components, with the GPU’s 69th percentile and CPU’s 77th percentile not translating into a top-tier gaming experience for this title. The combination’s aggregate position suggests that while each component is respectable individually, the pairing does not boost either to a level that competes with higher-end setups.

The ranking is consistent with the measured frame rates. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 144.8 FPS, which is smooth, but the 4K Ultra result of 21.4 FPS is below playable thresholds. The data indicates that this combination is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming with tuned settings, rather than pushing for maximum fidelity at 4K. The rank of 1385 out of 1695 suggests that a significant majority of tested combos outperform this pairing, likely due to either more powerful GPUs or CPUs with higher single-thread performance. However, the tight rival deltas—the CPU is within 0.4% of the i5-11600K and the GPU within 0.5% of the RTX 3060 Ti—mean that this combo’s position is not an outlier; it sits exactly where its component scores predict.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Evolve with this CPU and GPU?

A: The data shows 1080p is the most consistent resolution, with the system delivering 90 FPS at High settings and 144.8 FPS at Low settings. At 1440p, frame rates remain playable, with 57.6 FPS at High, but 4K results drop significantly, making 1080p the recommended choice.

Q: How does the frame rate change from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 90 at 1080p to 57.6 at 1440p, and then to 33.5 at 4K. This represents a 62.8% reduction from 1080p to 4K, highlighting the GPU's struggle with higher pixel counts.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system hits 144.8 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra it drops to 63.1 FPS, showing that the GPU’s load increases with settings. The CPU’s consistent 3DMark scores and the frame rate scaling across resolutions confirm the GPU is the primary constraint.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of CPU performance?

A: The i5-12400’s average benchmark score of 19850 is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831) and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-8700 (19894). This means the CPU’s performance in Evolve would be virtually identical to these alternatives.

Q: What is the impact of the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM on 4K performance?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 21.4, and at 4K High it is 33.5. The 8 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain smooth frame rates at this resolution, as evidenced by the steep drop from 1440p to 4K.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where the system reaches 99.7 FPS. At Medium settings, it drops to 75.8 FPS, and at High it falls to 57.6 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, confirming the GPU as the bottleneck. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 90 to 57.6, a 36% reduction. This is a substantial decline, but the frame rate remains playable. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings produces a further drop to 33.5 FPS, a 41.8% reduction from the 1440p figure. The cumulative effect from 1080p to 4K is a 62.8% loss in average FPS.

The scaling pattern across all settings reinforces this. At Low settings, the system goes from 144.8 FPS at 1080p to 99.7 FPS at 1440p and then to 57.6 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is nearly identical to the 1440p High result, showing that the GPU’s raw throughput is the limiting factor, not the settings complexity. At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 63.1 FPS at 1080p, 42.8 FPS at 1440p, and 21.4 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half the 1080p Ultra result, demonstrating that the combination of high resolution and high settings overwhelms the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, users must accept Low settings to approach 60 FPS, but even then, the 57.6 FPS result is marginal. The limiting component is clearly the GPU, as the CPU’s performance remains consistent across resolutions, with no evidence of CPU-bound frame rates at any tested configuration.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 90 FPS, which is a smooth and responsive experience for an FPS title. The Ultra preset drops to 63.1 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 30% performance penalty for likely marginal visual gains. The Medium preset at 115.7 FPS offers a good middle ground, but High provides the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate headroom, leaving room for dips without falling below 60 FPS.

At 1440p, the High preset produces 57.6 FPS, which is just below the ideal 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 75.8 FPS is a better choice for maintaining smooth gameplay, as it provides a 31.6% improvement over High while still offering acceptable visual quality. The Low preset at 99.7 FPS is the only way to achieve a consistently high frame rate at this resolution, but it sacrifices visual detail. For 4K, the data shows that no preset achieves a desirable frame rate: High is 33.5 FPS, Medium is 42.1 FPS, and Low is 57.6 FPS. The Low preset is the only option that approaches playability, but it is still below the 60 FPS target. The recommendation is to prioritize 1080p High for the best experience, or 1440p Medium if higher resolution is preferred, as these configurations offer the most balanced performance per the measured results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured frame rate data for the Intel Core i5-12400 with AMD Radeon RX 6600 is as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 144.8 FPS
• Medium: 115.7 FPS
• High: 90 FPS
• Ultra: 63.1 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 99.7 FPS
• Medium: 75.8 FPS
• High: 57.6 FPS
• Ultra: 42.8 FPS

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 57.6 FPS
• Medium: 42.1 FPS
• High: 33.5 FPS
• Ultra: 21.4 FPS

The data shows a consistent hierarchy across all resolutions, with Low settings always yielding the highest frame rates and Ultra the lowest. At 1080p, the range from Low to Ultra spans 81.7 FPS, indicating significant headroom for visual tuning. At 1440p, the range narrows to 56.9 FPS, and at 4K it narrows further to 36.2 FPS. This compression at higher resolutions is a clear sign of GPU saturation, where the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become the limiting factors regardless of settings. The 1080p Low result of 144.8 FPS is the only measurement that approaches the CPU’s potential limit, suggesting that the i5-12400 can support high frame rates when the GPU is not overloaded. All other measurements are constrained by the RX 6600’s capabilities, with the 4K Ultra result of 21.4 FPS representing the worst-case scenario for this pairing.