Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS built on the CryEngine, presents an interesting stress test for the combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT. The measured FPS data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by resolution and settings, with the GPU taking on a dominant role as pixel count increases, while the CPU's six performance cores prove more than adequate for the game's logic. The dataset shows a clear hierarchy: at 1080p, the system is capable of very high frame rates, but at 4K with maximum settings, it falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating a shift in bottleneck from the processor to the graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 provides a clear picture of where the performance ceiling lies for this combo in Evolve. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 148 FPS at 1080p to 99 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 33%. Pushing further to 4K, the frame rate falls to 57 FPS, which is a 61% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline as resolution increases is a classic indicator that the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the limiting component in this configuration at higher resolutions. The data suggests that the GPU's rendering throughput is being saturated as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, directly impacting the final output.

The scaling pattern across other settings reinforces this conclusion. At Low settings, the frame rate at 1080p is 244 FPS, which is exceptionally high. This number suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to achieve these extreme frame rates, leaving the GPU as the bottleneck even at 1080p. When the resolution increases to 1440p and 4K at Low settings, the frame rates drop to 163 FPS and 93 FPS, respectively. The fact that even at Low settings the 4K frame rate is still above 60 FPS indicates that the GPU's raw compute power is substantial, but the scaling still shows a 62% performance loss from 1080p to 4K, consistent with the GPU being the primary constraint.

The most demanding scenario, Ultra settings, shows the most pronounced scaling. The system manages 103 FPS at 1080p, but this plummets to 69 FPS at 1440p and finally to 39 FPS at 4K. This 62% drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings is nearly identical to the drop seen at Low settings, which is telling. It implies that the performance loss is primarily due to the increase in pixel count itself, rather than the complexity of the shading. The consistent percentage drop across all quality presets strongly suggests that the RX 6800 XT's fillrate and memory bandwidth are the determining factors, and that the i5-12400 has sufficient headroom to not impede performance even when the GPU is fully loaded.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is ranked 1165 out of 3700 tested combos for Evolve. This places the combo in the top 31.5% of all configurations tested, which is a solid position for a pairing of a mid-range CPU from 2022 and a high-end GPU from 2020. The percentile ranking for the CPU alone is 72, meaning it performs better than 72% of all CPUs in the database, while the GPU's percentile is 85, indicating it is better than 85% of all GPUs. The fact that the combo's rank is lower than the individual component percentiles suggests that the pairing is not perfectly optimized for this specific game, or that other combos with more powerful CPUs can extract more performance from similar GPUs.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the i5-12400 has an average score of 18683, which is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 7643's 18697, a difference of only -0.1%. It also sits just below the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730) and AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811), and slightly above the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519). This tight clustering of scores indicates that the i5-12400's processing power is very much in the mainstream range. For the GPU, the RX 6800 XT's average score of 48477 is 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile, but it is 2.5% lower than the Intel Arc A550M and 3% lower than both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64. This data suggests that while the GPU is powerful, it is not at the very top of the performance hierarchy, and its ranking in Evolve may be affected by the game's specific engine and API usage.

The combo's rank of 1165 out of 3700 implies that while this system is capable of playing Evolve well, it is not the absolute best combination for this title. The data indicates that many other tested combos achieve higher frame rates, likely due to more powerful CPUs that can better keep up with the GPU at lower resolutions. However, the ranking also shows that this is a well-balanced system for 1440p gaming, where the frame rates are high and the GPU is sufficiently utilized.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In Evolve, the game's engine appears to be well-optimized for multi-threading, as evidenced by the CPU's benchmark scores. For example, the Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 15989, while the single-core score is 2257. This shows a scaling factor of roughly 7x from single-core to multi-core performance, meaning the game can effectively utilize the available threads.

The measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this system for most configurations. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 244 FPS. This extremely high frame rate indicates that the CPU can process the game's simulation and draw calls fast enough to feed the GPU a large number of frames. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 and the max-thread score of 5890 are nearly identical, which suggests that the processor is not gaining much additional performance from its 12 threads beyond its 6 physical cores in heavily threaded workloads. This is typical for gaming, where the main thread is often the limiting factor.

However, the CPU's role becomes more apparent when comparing the 1080p Low and Ultra settings. The frame rate drops from 244 FPS to 103 FPS, a 58% decrease. This drop is more about the GPU's workload, but the CPU must also handle more draw calls and physics calculations at higher settings. The fact that the 1080p High setting yields 148 FPS shows that the CPU is capable of sustaining high frame rates even with increased graphical complexity. The data indicates that the i5-12400's six cores are sufficient for Evolve, and its boost clock of 4.40 GHz provides the necessary single-thread performance to avoid limiting the GPU, particularly at resolutions below 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system shows remarkable headroom. Low settings produce an average of 244 FPS, Medium settings produce 189 FPS (with a minimum of 161 FPS and a maximum of 217 FPS), High settings produce 148 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 103 FPS. These numbers indicate that for 1080p gaming, this combination is exceptionally powerful, capable of delivering well over 100 FPS at the highest settings, and over 240 FPS at the lowest settings, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very playable. Low settings average 163 FPS, Medium settings average 127 FPS (with a minimum of 108 FPS), High settings average 99 FPS, and Ultra settings average 69 FPS. The data shows that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, as it can maintain high frame rates even at High settings, and only dips below 70 FPS when pushing to Ultra. The minimum FPS at Medium settings (108 FPS) is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting a smooth experience with no significant frame drops.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings average 93 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium settings drop to 72 FPS (with a minimum of 61 FPS), High settings drop to 57 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 39 FPS. The data shows that 4K gaming is only viable at Low or Medium settings for a consistently smooth experience, as High settings fall below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra settings are not playable. The minimum FPS at Medium settings (61 FPS) indicates that even at this resolution, the system can maintain a playable frame rate, but there is little headroom.

FAQ

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

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 is the optimal resolution. At High settings, the combo achieves 99 FPS, and at Ultra settings it achieves 69 FPS. This provides a good balance between visual fidelity and smooth gameplay, as both settings are above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K Low settings, the average frame rate is 93 FPS, which is playable. At Medium settings, it averages 72 FPS, but at High settings it drops to 57 FPS, and at Ultra it is only 39 FPS. Therefore, 4K is only recommended for Low or Medium settings.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RX 6800 XT in this game?

A: The data indicates that the CPU is not a significant bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 244 FPS, which shows the CPU can feed the GPU with a high number of frames. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent across settings, pointing to the GPU as the primary limiting factor.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to others for Evolve?

A: This combo ranks 1165 out of 3700 tested combinations. This places it in the top 31.5% of all tested systems, indicating it is a solid performer, but not the absolute best for this specific title.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured data shows an average frame rate of 103 FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings. This is a very high frame rate that provides a smooth experience on most monitors.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for performance in Evolve?

A: Based on the resolution scaling, the GPU is the more critical component. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases, while the CPU's performance is sufficient to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth help at higher resolutions, but its raw compute power is what determines the final FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 103 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the highest visual quality. The High preset at 1080p is also excellent, with 148 FPS, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often significant enough to warrant the slight performance hit.

For 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended choice, delivering 99 FPS. This provides a smooth and visually appealing experience. While Ultra settings at 1440p are playable at 69 FPS, the drop from 99 FPS to 69 FPS is substantial, and the visual gains may not justify the 30% performance loss. The Medium preset is also viable at 1440p, with 127 FPS, but High offers a better balance of quality and performance.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the only recommended choice for a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 72 FPS and a minimum of 61 FPS. The High preset at 4K drops to 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering. Low settings at 4K are also playable at 93 FPS, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. Therefore, for 4K, Medium settings are the best compromise between performance and visual fidelity. The data shows that the Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution above 1080p if a 60 FPS minimum is desired.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is a high-end graphics card based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, with a boost clock of 2250 MHz and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In Evolve, the GPU's role is paramount, as the game's visual effects and lighting are demanding. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at resolutions above 1080p. For instance, the frame rate at 1440p High (99 FPS) is 33% lower than at 1080p High (148 FPS), directly correlating with the increase in pixel count.

The GPU's 4608 shading units and 128 ROPs are responsible for the pixel processing, and the data suggests they are fully utilized at 4K. The card's FP32 performance of 20.74 TFLOPS is a key indicator of its compute capability, which is necessary for the complex shaders in Evolve. The 16 GB VRAM is also sufficient for this game, even at 4K Ultra settings, as the game's release date (2015) means it does not require more than that amount of memory. The card's memory bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s is crucial for high-resolution textures and helps maintain the frame rate at 1440p High settings.

Comparing the GPU to its nearest rivals, the RX 6800 XT's average benchmark score of 48477 is only 1.5% higher than the RTX A1000 Mobile, but 3% lower than the RX Vega 64. This indicates that while the card is powerful, it is not at the very top of the performance spectrum. The data from Evolve shows that the GPU's performance is what dictates the frame rate at 4K, as the CPU has enough headroom to keep up. The card's 85th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms that it is a high-performing part, but the combo's rank in Evolve (1165 out of 3700) suggests that the game may be more sensitive to CPU performance than other titles, or that other GPUs offer better performance per frame. The GPU's TDP of 300 W and suggested PSU of 700 W are also relevant for system builders, but the measured FPS data is the primary evidence of its gaming capability in Evolve.