Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination delivers a highly capable 1080p and 1440p experience in Evolve, with the data indicating that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. The measured frame rates show a clear pattern: performance scales dramatically from 4K to 1080p, but the relationship between settings and resolution reveals that the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, while the graphics card carries the load at higher ones.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data shows a steep and predictable performance curve, with the most significant jumps occurring when moving from 4K down to 1440p and then to 1080p. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate jumps from 32 FPS at 3840x2160 to 57 FPS at 2560x1440, a 78% increase, and then climbs further to 85 FPS at 1920x1080, which is a 166% improvement over the 4K result. This steep scaling at Ultra settings strongly indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the bottleneck at 4K, as the GPU's rendering workload is simply too heavy for the pixel count.

The pattern is similar at High settings, where the average goes from 47 FPS at 4K to 82 FPS at 1440p (a 74% jump) and then to 122 FPS at 1080p (a 160% increase over 4K). At Medium settings, the progression is 60 FPS at 4K, 105 FPS at 1440p, and 156 FPS at 1080p. The Low settings preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with 77 FPS at 4K, 135 FPS at 1440p (a 75% increase), and 201 FPS at 1080p (a 161% increase over 4K). The consistency of these percentage increases across all settings presets is a strong indicator that the scaling is driven primarily by resolution, not by any particular settings configuration.

The fact that the 1080p Low preset achieves 201 FPS while the 4K Ultra preset only reaches 32 FPS demonstrates a 6.3x performance spread, which is a massive range. This wide gap suggests that the combination is extremely versatile, capable of delivering competitive esports-level frame rates at lower resolutions while still being able to handle 4K at playable (if not ideal) frame rates on lower presets. The 1440p numbers are particularly telling: even at Ultra settings, the combo produces 57 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while the High preset at 1440p achieves a comfortable 82 FPS. The data shows that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p to the GPU at 4K, with the crossover point appearing to be somewhere in the 1440p range where both components are balanced.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks at position 1291 out of 2872 total combinations in Evolve. This places it in the 45th percentile of all tested combos, meaning it outperforms roughly 45% of the other pairings in the database for this specific game. While this is not a top-tier ranking, it is a solid mid-pack result that reflects the balanced nature of the components. The rank of 1291 out of 2872 indicates that there are many combinations that perform better, but also a significant number that perform worse, making this a dependable choice for mainstream gaming.

The ranking should be interpreted with the understanding that Evolve is a 2015 title, and the hardware in this combo is from a much later generation. The Core i5-12400 ranks in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs based on its average benchmark score of 18683, while the Radeon RX 7700 ranks in the 58th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 15852. The gap between the CPU's percentile (72) and the GPU's percentile (58) suggests that the processor is relatively stronger compared to its peers than the graphics card is. This relative strength imbalance could explain why the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios, as it has more headroom relative to its competition than the GPU does.

The combo's rank of 1291 out of 2872 suggests that while the individual components are respectable performers on their own, the pairing does not boost to a top-tier status in this particular game. The data indicates that the GPU is the weaker link in the chain, and any improvement in frame rates would likely come from upgrading the graphics card rather than the processor. However, the mid-pack ranking also means that this combo is far from inadequate, and the measured frame rates show it can handle the game well at most resolutions and settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 32 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This substantial memory capacity is more than sufficient for Evolve, which is a game from 2015 and does not have demanding VRAM requirements. The 16 GB allocation provides significant headroom, ensuring that memory capacity is never a bottleneck even at 4K resolution with high-quality textures.

The clocks on the RX 7700 are listed as a base of 1900 MHz, a game clock of 2041 MHz, and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. The boost clock of 2459 MHz is notably higher than the base clock, indicating that the GPU can dynamically increase its performance when thermal and power conditions allow. The game clock of 2041 MHz represents the typical clock speed during gaming workloads, and the difference between the game and boost clocks shows there is some headroom for the card to push beyond its sustained gaming performance. The memory operates at 2438 MHz, which translates to 19.5 Gbps effective, and this high memory speed is crucial for feeding the GPU's 2560 shading units.

In terms of raw compute, the RX 7700 delivers 25.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is a substantial amount of compute power. The texture rate is 393.4 GTexel/s, and the pixel rate is 236.1 GPixel/s. These specifications indicate that the GPU is well-equipped to handle the rendering demands of Evolve, and the measured frame rates confirm this. At 1440p High settings, the GPU produces 82 FPS, and at 1080p High settings, it reaches 122 FPS. The GPU's performance is consistent with its 58th percentile ranking, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R9 370X with a deltaPct of -0.1%, the AMD Radeon RX 9060 with a deltaPct of -1%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti with a deltaPct of -1.7%.

The GPU's role as the primary limiting factor at 4K is evident from the frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the combo only manages 32 FPS, and at 4K High, it reaches 47 FPS. These are below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that the GPU is saturated at this resolution. The 4K Medium preset hits exactly 60 FPS, which is borderline playable, but the 4K Low preset at 77 FPS provides a more comfortable experience. The data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at 4K, and users would need to lower settings to achieve playable frame rates at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination performs admirably across all settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 201 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the game is not heavily taxing the hardware at this resolution. The Medium preset produces 156 FPS on average, with minimum and maximum values of 133 and 179 FPS respectively, showing good frame time consistency. The High preset achieves 122 FPS, and even the Ultra preset manages 85 FPS. All of these results are well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the 1080p Ultra setting at 85 FPS is particularly impressive for a demanding preset. The spread from 201 FPS at Low to 85 FPS at Ultra represents a 2.4x performance difference, which gives users a wide range of options depending on their preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's workload increasing. The Low preset achieves 135 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. The Medium preset produces 105 FPS on average, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS. The High preset delivers 82 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 57 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS mark. This is the first instance where the combo falls short of ideal smoothness, and it suggests that users targeting 1440p should stick with High settings or below for the best experience. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 2.4x difference, from 135 FPS down to 57 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Low preset manages 77 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a high-refresh-rate display. The Medium preset achieves 60 FPS on average, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, indicating some frame time variability. The High preset drops to 47 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 32 FPS. None of the 4K results except Low are above the 60 FPS threshold, and even the Low preset is barely above it. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 2.4x difference, from 77 FPS down to 32 FPS, which is consistent with the scaling at other resolutions. The 4K results clearly indicate that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for users who are willing to compromise on settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on a 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This cache configuration provides ample fast memory for the processor to access frequently used data, which is beneficial for gaming workloads. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, though the memory bandwidth is not listed in the data.

The processor's benchmark scores show strong single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 15989 in multicore and 2257 in single-core, while in Geekbench it scores 8564 in multicore and 1848 in single-core. The PassMark multithread score is 18747, and the single-thread score is 3456. The CPU's average benchmark score is 18683, which places it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7643 with a deltaPct of -0.1%, the Intel Core i7-1355U with a deltaPct of -0.3%, and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 with a deltaPct of -0.7%.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured frame rates at 1080p Low, where the GPU is less stressed, show 201 FPS, which indicates that the CPU is capable of driving very high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck. The fact that the 1080p Low preset reaches 201 FPS while the 4K Ultra preset only reaches 32 FPS shows that the CPU has significant headroom, and the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient for a 2015 game like Evolve, which is unlikely to utilize more than a few threads effectively. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz provides strong single-threaded performance, which is crucial for gaming, and the 3DMark single-thread score of 910 confirms this capability.

The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking relative to all CPUs indicates that it is a solid performer, and its performance in Evolve is consistent with this. The data shows that the CPU does not hold back the GPU at 1080p or 1440p, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings. Even at 1080p Ultra, where the GPU is more heavily loaded, the combo achieves 85 FPS, which is a good result. The CPU's performance is not the limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios, as the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates across all resolutions and settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset at 122 FPS offers an excellent balance between visual quality and performance, providing a smooth experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Medium preset at 156 FPS is even better, and the Low preset at 201 FPS is ideal for competitive play where maximum frame rates are prioritized. The Ultra preset at 85 FPS is also viable for users who want the best visual fidelity, as it remains above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 82 FPS is the recommended choice, as it delivers a smooth experience with good visual quality. The Medium preset at 105 FPS is also a strong option for users who prefer higher frame rates, and the Low preset at 135 FPS is suitable for competitive play. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 57 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold, and the data suggests that users should avoid this setting unless they are willing to tolerate slightly less smooth frame rates. The Medium preset at 1440p, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS, provides a stable experience that is well-suited for most users.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset at 77 FPS is the only setting that provides a consistently smooth experience, though the Medium preset at 60 FPS is borderline playable. The High preset at 47 FPS and the Ultra preset at 32 FPS are not recommended for a good experience. For 4K gaming, users should stick with the Low preset, or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better balance of visual quality and performance. The data shows that the best overall experience for this combo is at 1440p with Medium or High settings, which provides a good balance of frame rate and visual fidelity, or at 1080p with Ultra settings for those who prioritize image quality over raw frame rates.