Evolve

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor built on Intel's Alder Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. This CPU ranks in the 72nd percentile among all processors in the database, with an average benchmark score of 18683. Its nearest rivals in aggregate CPU performance include the AMD EPYC 7643 (deltaPct -0.1%), the Intel Core i7-1355U (deltaPct -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (deltaPct -0.7%), while the Intel Core i3-14100F trails it by 0.9%.

The benchmark data reveals a processor with strong single-threaded capability relative to its multi-threaded output. In synthetic tests, the i5-12400 scores 910 in 3dMark single-thread and 5890 in 3dMark max-threads, a gap that reflects its modest 6-core configuration. Cinebench R23 results show 2257 points in single-core and 15989 points in multi-core, while Geekbench records 1848 single-core and 8564 multi-core. The Passmark suite echoes this pattern, with a single-thread score of 3456 and a multithread score of 18747.

For a game like Evolve, which was released in 2015 and is primarily a first-person shooter, the CPU's 12 threads provide ample headroom for game logic, AI, and physics. The measured FPS data in this combo shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 262 FPS average. This high frame rate at the lowest resolution strongly suggests that the CPU can feed frames well beyond typical display refresh rates, even with the modest 6-core design. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz is particularly relevant for older game engines that rely heavily on single-thread performance, and the 3dMark single-thread score of 910 indicates solid per-core throughput.

The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside 1.25 MB L2 per core and 80 KB L1 per core, provides sufficient data locality for the game's assets. The memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, with a dual-channel bus, offers flexibility, though the measured FPS data does not differentiate between memory types. The absence of an unlocked multiplier means the CPU runs at stock clocks, yet the benchmark results in Evolve show no obvious CPU bottleneck until frame rates approach the 200+ FPS range at 1080p Low.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip, fabricated on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It packs 53,900 million transistors on a 357 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 151.0M per mm². The GPU operates with a base clock of 1660 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2970 MHz, with memory running at 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective). It comes equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth.

This GPU ranks in the 55th percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 13543. Its nearest rivals in aggregate GPU performance are notably older models: the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (deltaPct 0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (deltaPct 0.2%), the NVIDIA P106-090 (deltaPct 0.5%), and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 (deltaPct 1%). This comparison is striking — the RX 9070 XT is a modern card with 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs, yet its average benchmark score places it alongside much older hardware in the database's aggregate metrics.

In Evolve specifically, the GPU's role becomes evident across resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 42 FPS, which suggests the GPU's raw compute is the limiting factor at the highest settings. However, at 1080p Low, the system reaches 262 FPS, indicating that the GPU can handle the game's lighter loads with significant headroom. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for a 2015 title, even with the game's texture requirements, and the 644.6 GB/s bandwidth ensures that memory bandwidth is not a constraint in any measured scenario.

The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is backward compatible with Evolve's requirements, and the 64 RT cores — while not exercised in this non-ray-traced game — contribute to the card's overall architecture. The pixel rate of 380.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 760.3 GTexel/s are ample for the game's visual complexity. The 304 W TDP and suggested 700 W PSU are operational considerations, but the measured FPS data shows the GPU performing consistently across settings without thermal-related frame drops in the recorded metrics.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo scales across resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 159 at 1080p to 107 at 1440p, and further to 61 at 4K. This represents a 33% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 43% reduction from 1440p to 4K, relative to the 1080p baseline. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets.

For Low settings, the system averages 262 FPS at 1080p, 176 FPS at 1440p, and 100 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop of 33% is similar to High settings, but the 1440p-to-4K drop is 43% — identical to High. Medium settings show 203 FPS at 1080p, 136 FPS at 1440p, and 77 FPS at 4K, with drops of 33% and 43% respectively. Ultra settings follow the same pattern: 110 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 42 FPS at 4K, with a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 43% drop from 1440p to 4K.

This consistent scaling pattern — a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 43% drop from 1440p to 4K — indicates a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain more constant across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not scale with pixel count. The fact that FPS drops proportionally with resolution suggests that the RX 9070 XT is fully utilized, while the i5-12400 maintains its output without becoming a bottleneck even at 1080p Low where 262 FPS is achieved.

The min FPS data, available only for Medium settings, further supports this interpretation. At 1080p Medium, the min FPS is 172, which is 85% of the average 203 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the min FPS is 116, also 85% of the 136 average. At 4K Medium, the min FPS is 66, which is 86% of the 77 average. This consistent ratio across resolutions indicates a stable frame pacing that is characteristic of GPU-bound rendering, rather than CPU-induced stutters.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT in Evolve ranks 881 out of 3700 tested combos. This places it in the top 24% of all tested systems for this game. The rank is a holistic measure that incorporates both the CPU and GPU contributions to the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings.

Given the CPU's 72nd percentile ranking and the GPU's 55th percentile ranking among their respective hardware categories, the combo rank of 881/3700 (76th percentile) suggests that Evolve's performance leans more heavily on the CPU than the GPU. The game, being a 2015 title, likely has CPU-bound sections that benefit from the i5-12400's strong single-thread performance. The GPU, while powerful in absolute terms, is overkill for this game's graphics demands, which explains why the combo performs better than the GPU's percentile might suggest.

The nearest rivals for the CPU — the AMD EPYC 7643, Intel Core i7-1355U, AMD Ryzen AI 5 330, and Intel Core i3-14100F — all have similar average benchmark scores (within 1% of the i5-12400). However, the combo rank in Evolve likely differentiates based on how each CPU interacts with the specific game engine. The i3-14100F, with a 0.9% higher average score, might rank differently in Evolve due to its 4-core configuration, but the factor pack does not provide combo-specific rival data.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Evolve at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 262 FPS average, which is the highest measured value across all resolutions and settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS drops to 42, which is the lowest measured value in the dataset. This indicates the GPU is heavily taxed at this resolution and preset.

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

A: The resolution scaling data — showing a consistent 33% FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 43% drop from 1440p to 4K across all settings — indicates a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU maintains sufficient frame output even at 1080p Low where 262 FPS is achieved.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 881 out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the top 24% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: Does the GPU's average benchmark score reflect its performance in Evolve?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 13543 places it in the 55th percentile, with nearest rivals being much older models like the GTX 570. However, in Evolve, the combo rank of 881/3700 suggests the game benefits more from the CPU's strong single-thread performance, making the GPU's aggregate score less indicative of its in-game performance.

Q: What is the only setting preset with min FPS data, and what does it show?

A: Medium settings have min FPS data at all three resolutions: 172 at 1080p, 116 at 1440p, and 66 at 4K. These min values are consistently 85-86% of the average FPS, indicating stable frame pacing.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the following average FPS across settings: Low 262, Medium 203, High 159, Ultra 110. The Medium preset also records a minimum FPS of 172 and a maximum of 233, providing a range of 61 FPS between min and max.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops as follows: Low 176, Medium 136, High 107, Ultra 74. At Medium settings, the min FPS is 116 and the max is 156, showing a 40 FPS range. The frame rate reduction from 1080p at each settings tier is consistent, with Low dropping by 86 FPS, Medium by 67 FPS, High by 52 FPS, and Ultra by 36 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are: Low 100, Medium 77, High 61, Ultra 42. Medium settings show a min of 66 and a max of 89, a 23 FPS range. The drop from 1440p is: Low by 76 FPS, Medium by 59 FPS, High by 46 FPS, and Ultra by 32 FPS. Notably, the absolute FPS drop between settings tiers shrinks as resolution increases — from a 152 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p, to 58 FPS difference at 4K — indicating that GPU limitations compress the performance envelope at higher resolutions.

The 4K Ultra result of 42 FPS is the only measured value below 60 FPS, while all other resolution/settings combinations exceed 60 FPS. This suggests that the combo is generally capable of smooth gameplay across most configurations, with 4K Ultra being the only exception.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p users, all presets exceed 100 FPS, with Low at 262 FPS, Medium at 203 FPS, High at 159 FPS, and Ultra at 110 FPS. The High preset offers a strong balance — 159 FPS is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on modern monitors, and it likely provides substantially better visual quality than Low or Medium. Ultra at 110 FPS is also viable for 120 Hz displays, but the 49 FPS gap between High and Ultra may not justify the visual improvement for a 2015 game.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 107 FPS, which is adequate for 100 Hz displays, while Medium at 136 FPS suits 120-144 Hz monitors. Ultra at 74 FPS is playable on 60-75 Hz displays but drops below the 100 FPS threshold that many competitive FPS players prefer. Low at 176 FPS is excessive for most displays, making it a less practical choice unless maximum frame rates are the sole priority.

For 4K, only Low (100 FPS) and Medium (77 FPS) provide consistently smooth experiences. High at 61 FPS is borderline for 60 Hz displays, while Ultra at 42 FPS is below the playable threshold for most users. The Medium preset at 4K, with a min FPS of 66 and max of 89, offers the best combination of visual fidelity and frame stability — the 77 FPS average sits comfortably above 60 FPS, and the 66 FPS minimum indicates no major drops.

Considering the data holistically, the High preset at 1440p (107 FPS) or Medium at 4K (77 FPS) represent the sweet spots for this combo. The 1440p High configuration delivers a 107 FPS average with strong visuals, while 4K Medium offers a 77 FPS average that maintains smooth gameplay on 60 Hz displays. For competitive play at 1080p, the High preset at 159 FPS is recommended over Ultra (110 FPS) due to the substantial frame rate headroom for 144 Hz monitors. The Ultra preset is only advisable at 1080p (110 FPS) for users prioritizing maximum visual quality over frame rate, and should be avoided at 1440p and 4K where it dips to 74 FPS and 42 FPS respectively.