Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a highly capable Evolve experience, with benchmark results showing a strong balance between the 6-core processor and the RDNA 4.0 graphics card. The data reveals that this combination is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gameplay, while 4K Ultra presents a significant challenge, dropping to an average of 28 FPS. The measured frame rates indicate that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU’s 12 threads provide sufficient headroom for the game’s mechanics.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this system in Evolve?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 with Low settings achieves the highest average frame rate at 176 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 2560x1440 with Medium settings is also viable, yielding an average of 92 FPS.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon RX 9060 compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014. This places it 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (score 16129), and 1% ahead of both the AMD Radeon R9 370X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 (scores 15862 and 15852, respectively).

Q: What is the performance difference between the RX 9060 and the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The benchmark data shows the RX 9060 trails the RTX 3060 Ti by a margin of 0.7% in average score. This indicates they are virtually equivalent in overall compute performance, though their specific architectural strengths may vary in different workloads.

Q: How much of a frame rate drop occurs when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 107 FPS at 1920x1080 to 72 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 41 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 61.7% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K.

Q: What is the performance gap between the Core i5-12400 and the Intel Core i3-14100F?

A: The Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683, which is 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i3-14100F's score of 18519. The data indicates the i5-12400 also leads the AMD EPYC 7643 by 0.1%, but trails the Intel Core i7-1355U by 0.3%.

Q: Does the RX 9060 have enough VRAM for Evolve at maximum settings?

A: The RX 9060 is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 28 FPS, suggesting that while 8 GB is sufficient to run the game, the combination of high resolution and Ultra preset is too demanding for playable frame rates.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the central component driving Evolve's visual output, and its specifications directly explain the measured performance. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1700 MHz and a boost clock of 2990 MHz, with a game clock rated at 2400 MHz. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at 2250 MHz, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s across a 128-bit bus. This memory configuration is a key factor, as Evolve's high-resolution textures and effects can place significant pressure on the frame buffer.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, featuring 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. This hardware allows for a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s. The data shows a clear correlation between these specifications and the frame rates. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 176 FPS, indicating the GPU is not the bottleneck. However, as resolution increases to 3840x2160, the average FPS at High settings plummets to 41, demonstrating that the GPU's 8 GB frame buffer and 128-bit memory interface are insufficient to maintain high throughput at 4K resolutions.

The RX 9060's overall standing is reflected in its percentile rank of 59 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014. The data suggests it is a mid-range performer, closely matched with the RTX 3060 Ti. In the context of Evolve, the GPU's performance is adequate for smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, but the Ultra preset at 4K pushes the hardware beyond its limits, resulting in an average of 28 FPS. The measured FPS at Medium settings also shows a minimum of 44 FPS at 4K, highlighting potential frame drops in demanding scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested configurations for Evolve, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 holds a combo rank of 1664 out of 2872 total combos. This places it in the 58th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it performs better than a majority of other configurations but is not at the top tier of performance. The ranking suggests that while this combo is capable of running Evolve smoothly, there are many other combinations of CPU and GPU that can achieve higher frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

The combo's rank is a direct result of the individual components' standings. The GPU's percentile rank of 59 places it in the middle of the pack, while the CPU's percentile rank of 72 is more favorable. The i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 is notably higher than the GPU's 16014, indicating that the CPU has more relative headroom compared to the GPU. This imbalance suggests that in CPU-light scenarios, the GPU will be the limiting factor. The data implies that for Evolve, a user upgrading from a lower-tier GPU would see more significant gains than upgrading the CPU, as the current GPU is the primary constraint in this pairing.

This ranking is particularly informative when compared to the system's measured performance. The combo's ability to deliver 176 FPS at 1080p Low shows it can handle competitive play. However, its rank of 1664 indicates that many other systems can do the same or better. The performance at 4K Ultra, with an average of 28 FPS, is a clear outlier and contributes to the combo's mid-tier ranking, as higher-ranked systems are likely able to maintain playable frame rates at that demanding resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this hardware combination in Evolve. For players prioritizing the highest possible frame rates, the 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings is the definitive choice, achieving an average of 176 FPS. This configuration is ideal for competitive play where response time is critical, and the data shows it provides more than enough performance for a 144Hz or even 165Hz monitor.

For a more balanced experience that maintains high visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness, 2560x1440 with Medium settings is the recommended choice. This setting yields an average of 92 FPS, with a minimum of 78 FPS and a maximum of 105 FPS. The 78 FPS minimum indicates that the system can handle most scenes without significant stuttering, making it suitable for immersive single-player gameplay. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average increases to 137 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS, offering an even smoother experience for those who prefer 1080p.

The High preset presents a trade-off, where visual quality is improved but performance drops are noticeable. At 2560x1440, the average FPS is 72, which is still playable but less fluid than Medium. However, at 3840x2160, the High preset drops to 41 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution, as it yields an average of 74 FPS at 1080p and a mere 28 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best compromise, providing a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a frame rate that is consistently above 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a comprehensive look at how this system performs across different resolutions and quality presets in Evolve. At 1920x1080, the system performs exceptionally well, with average frame rates ranging from 176 FPS at Low settings to 74 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset achieves 137 FPS (min 116, max 157), and the High preset achieves 107 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the system is primarily CPU-bound, as even the most demanding Ultra settings still produce a playable frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain solid but show a more pronounced impact from the GPU. The Low preset delivers 118 FPS, which is still excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset averages 92 FPS (min 78, max 105), and the High preset averages 72 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 50 FPS, which is a significant decrease from the 74 FPS at 1080p, highlighting the GPU's struggle with the higher pixel count and more demanding settings.

At 3840x2160, the system's performance is heavily constrained by the GPU. The Low preset averages 67 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. The Medium preset averages 52 FPS (min 44, max 60), which is borderline playable but may experience noticeable dips during intense action. The High preset drops to 41 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 28 FPS, both of which are too low for a smooth experience. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable at the lowest settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 plays a crucial role in ensuring the system does not bottleneck the GPU, particularly at lower resolutions. The CPU features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache, along with the 1.25 MB L2 cache per core, provides the data throughput needed to feed the GPU's render pipeline. The processor's performance is evident in its benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a single-core score of 2257.

The data suggests that the i5-12400 is more than adequate for Evolve, even at high frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 176 FPS, which is a frame rate that typically demands strong single-thread performance. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 3456 and Geekbench single-core score of 1848 indicate it has the capability to handle the game's logic and physics calculations without becoming a limiting factor. The 12 threads also provide sufficient multi-threading headroom, as evidenced by the PassMark multi-thread score of 18747.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 is 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i3-14100F, but 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i7-1355U. This positions it as a solid mid-range performer. In the context of this GPU pairing, the CPU's performance is more than sufficient, as the main bottleneck shifts to the GPU at higher resolutions. The data indicates that at 4K, the frame rates are determined by GPU limits, not CPU capabilities, as the GPU is unable to keep up with the render demands.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which provides insight into the system's primary bottleneck. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 107 FPS to 72 FPS, a reduction of 32.7%. This is a significant drop, but the system remains playable. However, when moving from 1440p to 4K at the same settings, the frame rate falls from 72 FPS to 41 FPS, a 43.1% reduction. This steeper decline indicates that the GPU is becoming increasingly saturated.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The average frame rate drops from 74 FPS at 1080p to 50 FPS at 1440p (a 32.4% drop), and then to 28 FPS at 4K (a 44% drop from 1440p). This consistent pattern of roughly a 32% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 43-44% drop from 1440p to 4K strongly suggests that the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the limiting component. A system that is CPU-bound would not show such a dramatic decrease in frame rates when the resolution is increased, as the CPU workload would remain relatively constant.

The data implies that the GPU's 8 GB memory capacity and 128-bit memory bus are the primary constraints at 4K. The high texture and shading demands of Evolve at that resolution overwhelm the GPU's memory bandwidth, leading to the low average frame rates of 41 FPS at High and 28 FPS at Ultra. The fact that Low settings at 4K still achieve a respectable 67 FPS further confirms this, as reducing the texture and effect quality relieves the pressure on the memory subsystem. The scaling behavior indicates that for this combo, 1080p and 1440p are the sweet spots, while 4K requires significant compromises in visual quality to remain playable.