Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a severely GPU-limited experience in Evolve, with the combo ranking in the bottom 12% of all tested configurations. Across every resolution and settings preset, the measured frame rates indicate that the Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck, while the 6-core/12-thread i5-12400 provides more than enough processing headroom for this 2015 title. The data shows a configuration that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, but which can achieve a smooth 60 FPS at 1440p with the right settings.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings a substantial amount of processing capability to this pairing. With 6 cores and 12 threads, a base clock of 2.50 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, this Alder Lake desktop chip is built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance, scoring 5,890 in 3dmark_max_threads, 6,715 in Cinebench R20 multicore, and 15,989 in Cinebench R23 multicore. Single-thread performance is also respectable, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,257.

However, for Evolve, the CPU's role is almost entirely secondary to the GPU. The game is an FPS from 2015, and its rendering demands scale primarily with resolution and graphical settings. Looking at the measured FPS data, the pattern is unmistakable: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 89 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 14 FPS. This dramatic drop is not a symptom of CPU limitations; rather, it indicates that the Arc B390's fill rate and shading capacity are being overwhelmed at higher resolutions. The i5-12400's 3dmark_16_threads score of 5,873 and passmark_multithread score of 18,747 suggest it can feed frames far faster than the GPU can render them in this title.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 72 versus all CPUs confirms it is a mid-to-upper-tier processor. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD EPYC 7643 (deltaPct -0.1), Intel Core i7-1355U (deltaPct -0.3), and AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (deltaPct -0.7), all of which are within 1% of the i5-12400's performance. This places the i5-12400 in a performance band where it is more than adequate for a game like Evolve, which was designed for the hardware of its era. The CPU's integrated UHD Graphics 730 is irrelevant here since the Arc B390 is the active rendering device. In this specific game, the data strongly suggests that the CPU is never the constraining factor; it is the GPU that dictates the frame rate ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The overall ranking for this CPU-GPU combination in Evolve is 2,530 out of 2,872 tested combos. This places the configuration in the 12th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 88% of other combinations deliver better performance in this game. The ranking is poor, but it must be interpreted with the understanding that the Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution with a 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 1,482, which places it in the 9th percentile versus all GPUs.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark score are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (deltaPct 1.3), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (deltaPct 1.5), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (deltaPct 2.5), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (deltaPct 2.7). These are all entry-level or legacy parts, confirming that the Arc B390 is positioned at the very bottom of the graphics performance spectrum. The combo rank of 2,530/2,872 is therefore a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations rather than any CPU deficiency.

To contextualize the rank, consider that the i5-12400 alone scores in the 72nd percentile among CPUs, yet the combined system ranks in the 12th percentile among game combos. This disparity illustrates a massive imbalance: a capable CPU paired with a very weak GPU. In Evolve, the benchmark results show that the system's rank is dragged down almost entirely by the GPU. The data indicates that upgrading the GPU would yield a dramatic improvement in the combo rank, while upgrading the CPU would provide negligible gains. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (89 FPS) versus 1080p Ultra (37 FPS) further underscores that the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU would have no trouble maintaining high frame rates even at the lowest settings.

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

The resolution scaling pattern in the measured data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 89 at 1080p to 60 at 1440p (a 32.6% decrease) and then to 34 at 4K (a 43.3% decrease from 1440p). At High settings, the progression is from 54 FPS at 1080p to 36 FPS at 1440p (a 33.3% drop) and then to 21 FPS at 4K (a 41.7% drop). This consistent ~33% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, followed by another ~42% reduction from 1440p to 4K, is characteristic of a GPU that is hitting its pixel throughput limits.

The pixel rate of the Arc B390 is 60.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. At 4K (3840x2160), there are roughly 8.3 million pixels per frame, and at 1440p (2560x1440), there are about 3.7 million. The scaling of FPS aligns with the increasing pixel count: as resolution increases, the GPU must process more pixels, and the measured frame rates drop accordingly. This is definitive evidence that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less dramatic FPS drops across resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain fairly constant regardless of pixel count.

The fact that even at 1080p Low, the system only achieves 89 FPS (not 144+ FPS) further confirms the GPU limitation. A CPU-bound scenario would show frame rates that are more consistent across resolutions, with the FPS ceiling set by the CPU's processing speed. Here, the FPS scales almost perfectly with pixel count, which is the signature of a GPU-bound workload. The i5-12400's single-thread performance, evidenced by its passmark_single_thread score of 3,456, is more than sufficient for Evolve's engine, which relies on a few main threads for game logic and draw call submission. The data indicates that players should expect frame rates to roughly halve when moving from 1080p to 4K, regardless of settings, because the GPU's rendering capacity is the dominant variable.

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

The complete measured FPS dataset provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings yield an average of 89 FPS, Medium averages 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 and maximum of 79, High averages 54 FPS, and Ultra averages 37 FPS. This shows a clear linear progression where each settings tier costs roughly 15-20 FPS. At 1080p, the system is capable of hitting the 60 FPS target on Low and Medium settings, but High and Ultra fall short.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly. Low settings average 60 FPS, which is exactly at the playable threshold. Medium averages 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 and maximum of 53, High averages 36 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, averaging around a 33% reduction. At 1440p, only the Low preset achieves 60 FPS; the Medium preset's average of 46 FPS is playable but not smooth, and High and Ultra fall below acceptable levels for a fast-paced FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance collapses. Low settings average 34 FPS, Medium averages 26 FPS with a minimum of 22 and maximum of 30, High averages 21 FPS, and Ultra averages 14 FPS. These frame rates are all below the 30 FPS threshold that is generally considered the bare minimum for playability, and the Ultra setting at 14 FPS is essentially a slideshow. The data shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in Evolve, regardless of settings. The measured values clearly indicate that the Arc B390's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 24 ROPs are insufficient for 4K rendering in this title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Evolve with this combo?*

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system can consistently achieve playable frame rates across multiple settings presets. At 1080p, Low (89 FPS) and Medium (69 FPS) both exceed the 60 FPS threshold, while at 1440p only the Low preset (60 FPS) is right at that mark.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-12400's average benchmark score is 18,683, which is within 1% of its nearest rivals: the AMD EPYC 7643 (18,697, deltaPct -0.1), Intel Core i7-1355U (18,730, deltaPct -0.3), and AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18,811, deltaPct -0.7). The Intel Core i3-14100F is 0.9% slower with a score of 18,519.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, while the i5-12400 ranks in the 72nd percentile among CPUs. The FPS drops dramatically with resolution increases (from 89 FPS at 1080p Low to 34 FPS at 4K Low), which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance.

*Q: What is the combo's overall rank in Evolve?*

A: The combo ranks 2,530 out of 2,872 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 12% of all systems tested for this game, a position that is primarily due to the weak integrated GPU.

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

A: Yes, but only on the Low settings preset, which averages exactly 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 46 FPS, which falls short of the 60 FPS target. At 1080p, both Low and Medium presets exceed 60 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390's 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score is 1,482. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1,463, deltaPct 1.3), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1,460, deltaPct 1.5), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1,446, deltaPct 2.5), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1,443, deltaPct 2.7). The Arc B390 is slightly faster than all of these, but they are all entry-level or legacy parts.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for achieving the best experience with this combo in Evolve. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the optimal choice, delivering an average of 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS. This provides a smooth, responsive experience that is well-suited for an FPS, while still offering better visual quality than the Low preset. The High preset at 54 FPS is playable but not ideal, and the Ultra preset at 37 FPS sacrifices too much smoothness for marginal visual gains. For players prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 89 FPS offers headroom for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the situation changes. The Low preset is the only configuration that hits the 60 FPS mark, averaging exactly 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 46 FPS is borderline playable, but for a competitive FPS, the lower input latency of 60 FPS makes Low the recommended choice. High (36 FPS) and Ultra (25 FPS) are not recommended at 1440p due to their sub-60 FPS averages. At 3840x2160, no settings preset delivers acceptable performance. The best result is Low at 34 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS minimum for playability in most cases, and the Ultra preset at 14 FPS is unplayable. Therefore, 4K should be avoided entirely with this hardware.

The overall recommendation is to run Evolve at 1080p with the Medium preset for the best balance of visual fidelity and smoothness, or at 1440p with the Low preset if higher resolution is preferred. The data shows that the Medium preset at 1080p offers a 15 FPS advantage over High (69 vs 54) while the visual difference between these tiers is often less impactful than the frame rate difference in a fast-paced game. Given that the combo ranks in the bottom 12% of all tested systems, players should set expectations accordingly and prioritize frame rate over graphical settings to achieve a playable experience.