Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER pairing represents a specific intersection of mid-range CPU capability and older-generation GPU performance. For a 2015 title like Evolve, the benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card, particularly as resolution increases. The measured frames per second across the three tested resolutions and four quality presets provide a clear picture of where this combination excels and where it falls short of smooth gameplay.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz, with a boost clock reaching 4.40 GHz, and it carries 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor's average benchmark score of 18683 places it in the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, indicating solid mainstream performance. In synthetic tests, its 3DMark multi-threaded scores scale from 1692 with 2 threads to 5890 with max threads, showing strong scaling across its 12 threads. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 reinforces its capability in threaded workloads.

For a game like Evolve, which is a first-person shooter from 2015, the CPU's role is typically to handle game logic, physics, and AI for the monster and hunters. The i5-12400's six performance cores are more than sufficient for this era of game, and its boost clock of 4.40 GHz provides strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 910. The nearest rival data shows the i5-12400 is essentially tied with the AMD EPYC 7643 (deltaPct of -0.1%) and Intel Core i7-1355U (deltaPct of -0.3%), while being slightly ahead of the Intel Core i3-14100F (deltaPct of 0.9%).

What is most telling is the relationship between CPU performance and the measured FPS. At 1080p, the i5-12400 is likely never the bottleneck, as the system achieves 123 FPS on Low settings. The CPU's ample thread count and high boost clock mean that even at lower resolutions where frame rates are high, the processor can keep up with the GTX 1660 SUPER. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU's advantage becomes less relevant. The data suggests that the i5-12400 is a capable partner for this GPU, providing enough headroom that the graphics card is always the primary constraint on performance in Evolve.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU built on TSMC's 12 nm process, featuring 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1530 MHz with a boost clock of 1785 MHz, and it has 1408 shading units. The GPU's average benchmark score of 12986 places it in the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, which is squarely in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (deltaPct of 0.4%) and the AMD Radeon RX 580 (deltaPct of 0.4%), showing it is competitive with other mid-range options.

In Evolve, the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB of VRAM is a significant factor. At 4K resolution with Ultra settings, the GPU delivers only 20 FPS, likely due to both the memory capacity and the sheer compute load. The GPU's passmark G3D score of 12699 and its DirectX 11 score of 104 suggest it was designed for 1080p gaming, which is where the measured FPS are most favorable. At 1080p, the GPU delivers 75 FPS on High settings and 123 FPS on Low, indicating that the VRAM and compute resources are sufficient for this resolution.

The data implies a clear performance ceiling. The GPU's 5.027 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is the hard limit for Evolve's rendering workload. As resolution increases from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, the average FPS drops proportionally, confirming that the GPU is the sole bottleneck in this system. The 6 GB VRAM is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but becomes strained at 4K, particularly on Ultra presets, where the 20 FPS result suggests the card is overwhelmed by both memory traffic and shading work.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the most playable experience across all settings, with average FPS ranging from 52 on Ultra to 123 on Low. At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to between 35 and 83, while 3840x2160 is only playable on Low settings with an average of 47 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals in average benchmark scores?

A: The i5-12400's average score of 18683 is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 7643's 18697 (-0.1% delta), and slightly below the Intel Core i7-1355U's 18730 (-0.3% delta). It is 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i3-14100F's 18519, showing it is competitive with these other options.

Q: Is the GTX 1660 SUPER better or worse than the AMD Radeon RX 580?

A: The two GPUs are virtually tied in average benchmark scores. The GTX 1660 SUPER scores 12986, while the RX 580 scores 12928, representing a deltaPct of 0.4% in favor of the NVIDIA card. This indicates they offer nearly identical raw performance.

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K on Medium settings?

A: On Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 96 at 1920x1080 to 64 at 2560x1440, and finally to 37 at 3840x2160. This represents a 61% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, highlighting the GPU's resolution scaling limitations.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 1440p in Evolve?

A: At 2560x1440, the system achieves 83 FPS on Low settings and 64 FPS on Medium settings, both above 60 FPS. However, on High settings, the average drops to 50 FPS, and on Ultra it falls to 35 FPS, so maintaining 60 FPS requires lowering the preset to Medium or below.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: This specific combo ranks 3151 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve, placing it in the lower 15% of all systems that have been benchmarked for this game.

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

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of performance across the four settings presets at each resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 123 FPS, Medium provides 96 FPS, High gives 75 FPS, and Ultra drops to 52 FPS. For a first-person shooter, frame rate is paramount for smooth aiming and responsiveness. The jump from High to Ultra costs 23 FPS (from 75 to 52), which is a substantial 31% reduction for likely marginal visual gains in a 2015 title.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more constrained. Low still provides a very playable 83 FPS, and Medium maintains 64 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. High falls to 50 FPS, and Ultra is at 35 FPS. For those with a 1440p monitor, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, offering a playable frame rate while retaining some visual fidelity over Low. The High preset is borderline, and Ultra is not recommended for competitive play.

At 4K, only Low is remotely playable, with an average of 47 FPS. Medium drops to 37 FPS, High to 29 FPS, and Ultra to 20 FPS. Given these numbers, the best experience at 4K is on Low settings, but even then, the frame rate is below the 60 FPS ideal. For the best overall experience, the data suggests prioritizing 1080p with High settings, which gives 75 FPS, a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. The Medium preset at 1080p is also a strong choice, offering 96 FPS with only a modest visual step down from High.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This system's rank of 3151 out of 3700 tested combinations positions it in the lower 15th percentile of all configurations benchmarked for Evolve. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GTX 1660 SUPER's mid-range performance, which holds back the otherwise capable i5-12400. The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is a strong processor, but the GPU's 53rd percentile ranking drags the overall combo down relative to other pairings that feature higher-end graphics cards.

The data implies that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this ranking. The i5-12400 is comparable to the AMD EPYC 7643 and Intel Core i7-1355U in average CPU scores, yet those processors would likely be paired with more powerful GPUs in other tested combos. The GTX 1660 SUPER, while competitive with the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and RX 580, simply does not have the compute throughput to push Evolve into higher frame rate territory at higher resolutions. This combo ranks so low because it represents a balanced but budget-oriented pairing that is adequate for 1080p gaming but struggles beyond that.

The ranking also suggests that a substantial portion of the 3,700 tested combos include more modern or higher-end GPUs capable of delivering higher frame rates. In a game from 2015, the i5-12400 provides more than enough CPU power, but the GTX 1660 SUPER's age and mid-range specifications cap the system's potential. Users considering this combo should view it as a 1080p gaming solution, as its performance at higher resolutions is where it loses ground to better-ranked systems.

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

The measured FPS data is comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low yields an average of 123 FPS, Medium yields 96 FPS with a minimum of 81 and maximum of 110, High yields 75 FPS, and Ultra yields 52 FPS. This is the only resolution where all presets exceed 50 FPS, and it is the clear target for this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 83 FPS, Medium at 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 and maximum of 74, High at 50 FPS, and Ultra at 35 FPS. This shows a consistent drop of about 33% from 1080p across all settings. The Medium preset's minimum of 55 FPS indicates occasional dips below 60, but the average remains playable.

At 3840x2160, the averages fall sharply: Low at 47 FPS, Medium at 37 FPS with a minimum of 31 and maximum of 42, High at 29 FPS, and Ultra at 20 FPS. None of these are ideal for a fast-paced FPS, and the Ultra preset's 20 FPS is essentially unplayable. The minimum FPS at Medium (31) suggests significant frame time spikes that would be noticeable during gameplay.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings costs roughly 20-25% of the frame rate, and each step up in resolution costs roughly 30-40% of the frame rate. For example, at 1080p, moving from Low to Medium drops from 123 to 96 FPS, and from High to Ultra drops from 75 to 52 FPS. This scaling is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, confirming the GTX 1660 SUPER is the performance bottleneck.

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

The resolution scaling analysis reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as pixel count increases. Starting from 1080p, the average FPS across all settings at 2560x1440 is approximately 70% of the 1080p value. From 1440p to 4K, the average FPS drops to approximately 55% of the 1440p value. This compounding effect means that 4K performance is roughly 35-40% of 1080p performance, depending on the settings preset.

For example, on Medium settings, the FPS drops from 96 at 1080p to 64 at 1440p, a 33% reduction. From 1440p to 4K, it drops from 64 to 37, a 42% reduction. On Low settings, the drop is from 123 to 83 (33%) and then to 47 (43%). This non-linear scaling is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting component. The GTX 1660 SUPER's memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s and its FP32 compute of 5.027 TFLOPS are simply insufficient to handle the increased pixel throughput at higher resolutions.

If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see the FPS drop more steeply at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed, and then flatten out at higher resolutions. The data shows the opposite: the FPS drops consistently across all resolutions, with no sign of the CPU becoming a limiting factor. The 6 GB VRAM also plays a role at 4K, particularly on Ultra settings where the 20 FPS result suggests the card is struggling with both memory capacity and compute load. This scaling behavior confirms that users should stay at 1080p for the best experience, as the GTX 1660 SUPER's architecture is fundamentally optimized for that resolution in Evolve.