Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination delivers playable performance in Evolve across most settings, but the data reveals a clear bottleneck shift as resolution increases. At 1080p, the combo is firmly CPU-bound at lower settings, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the definitive limiting factor. The measured results show a dramatic scaling curve: from 177 FPS at 1080p Low to just 28 FPS at 4K Ultra, indicating that this pairing is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p or smooth 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for reduced presets.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings presets, confirming that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 177 FPS at 1920x1080 to 118 FPS at 2560x1440, then down to 67 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 33% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 43% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is heavily involved in pushing frames, as the 67% increase in pixel count from 1080p to 1440p only costs 59 FPS, whereas the same percentage increase from 1440p to 4K costs 51 FPS — a relatively smaller absolute drop but a larger proportional one.

At Medium settings, the trend continues with 137 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The 1440p Medium result with a 78 FPS minimum and 106 FPS maximum shows a tight frame-time distribution, suggesting consistent performance without major stutters. The 4K Medium figure of 52 FPS, with a 44 FPS minimum and 60 FPS maximum, indicates that even the minimum remains above the 30 FPS playability threshold, though it sits at the edge of smoothness for fast-paced FPS action.

High settings show a similar pattern: 107 FPS at 1080p, 72 FPS at 1440p, and 41 FPS at 4K. The 1440p High result is particularly notable because it maintains a 72 FPS average, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. The 4K High figure of 41 FPS is playable but noticeably below the 60 FPS target, meaning users would need to drop to Medium or Low for a smoother experience at that resolution.

Ultra settings produce the most demanding scenario, with 74 FPS at 1080p, 50 FPS at 1440p, and just 28 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that falls below 30 FPS, rendering it effectively unplayable for competitive play. The scaling from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra (a 24 FPS drop) is proportionally similar to the drop from 1440p to 4K (a 22 FPS drop), indicating that the GPU is consistently saturated across all resolutions when the preset is maxed out.

The data points to a clear conclusion: this combo delivers the best experience at 1440p, where even High settings maintain a 72 FPS average. At 1080p, the CPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 177 FPS Low result — a figure that likely exceeds the monitor's refresh rate for most users. At 4K, the GPU is the bottleneck, and users must accept reduced settings to maintain playable frame rates.

GPU Role

The RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth plays a critical role in Evolve's performance, particularly at higher resolutions. The memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at all settings, as evidenced by the measured results where even Ultra at 1440p maintains a 50 FPS average. However, the 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS suggests that the GPU's raw compute power, rather than memory capacity, is the limiting factor at that extreme.

The GPU's clock speeds — 1605 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost — are modest by modern standards, but they provide adequate performance for this 2015 title. The 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs deliver a 113.3 GPixel/s pixel rate and 283.2 GTexel/s texture rate, which explains why the card handles 1440p High at 72 FPS without difficulty. The FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS is the key metric for Evolve's DirectX 11 rendering path, and the data shows it is sufficient for smooth 1440p gaming.

The GPU's 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20282, places it in the mid-to-upper tier. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480, 1% higher) and Intel Arc B570 (20556, 1.3% higher), indicating that the RTX 2070 SUPER is competitive with newer mid-range offerings despite being from the Turing generation. The 12 nm process node and 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die contribute to its 215 W TDP, which requires a 550 W suggested PSU.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU's performance scales predictably with settings. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 40 FPS (from 177 to 137), while the jump from Medium to High costs 30 FPS (from 137 to 107). This suggests that each settings tier adds roughly 20-25% more GPU load, which is consistent with the GPU's compute capabilities. The VRAM usage remains within the 8 GB capacity across all tested configurations, as no texture-related stuttering is indicated in the minimum FPS figures.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-12400 and RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2151 out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the 42nd percentile of all tested systems. This mid-pack ranking reflects the GPU's age rather than the CPU's capability — the i5-12400 ranks in the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 2070 SUPER sits in the 65th percentile among GPUs. The combo's overall position suggests that while the CPU is more than capable, the GPU holds back the system from reaching higher tiers.

The CPU's nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores include the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, 0.1% lower) and Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, 0.3% lower), showing that the i5-12400's 18683 average score is competitive with a server-class EPYC and a mobile chip. This is noteworthy because it demonstrates that the desktop i5-12400 punches well above its weight class in synthetic benchmarks, though these scores do not directly translate to Evolve's gaming performance.

The GPU's ranking against its nearest rivals is more telling. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 20282 average score is 1% lower than the Quadro M4000M, 1.2% lower than the RTX 3070 Mobile, and 1.5% lower than the Intel Arc B570. These small deltas indicate that the 2070 SUPER is closely matched with modern mid-range options, but the measured FPS data shows that Evolve's performance is still acceptable for 1440p gaming. The 3700-combo pool includes many modern systems, so ranking 2151 means this older pairing still outperforms roughly 1550 other configurations.

The rank suggests that for Evolve specifically, the combination of a 6-core/12-thread CPU with a 2019 GPU is adequate but not exceptional. The 42nd percentile ranking means that users with this combo will have a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, but they will not achieve top-tier frame rates at 4K Ultra. The ranking also implies that upgrading either component would yield meaningful improvements, though the data shows the GPU is the more significant bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality, delivering 137 FPS average with a 116 FPS minimum and 157 FPS maximum. While Low achieves 177 FPS and High reaches 107 FPS, the Medium preset provides a 30 FPS headroom over High while maintaining smooth minimums, making it the sweet spot for competitive play. Ultra at 74 FPS is playable but sacrifices 63 FPS compared to Medium, which is a significant trade-off for marginal visual gains.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended choice, with a 72 FPS average that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium achieves 92 FPS with a 78 FPS minimum, offering even more headroom, but the visual fidelity improvement at High is worth the 20 FPS cost for most users. Low at 118 FPS is excessive for 1440p, and Ultra at 50 FPS dips below the ideal threshold, making High the clear winner for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the only viable option for maintaining playable performance, with a 52 FPS average and 44 FPS minimum. Low at 67 FPS is smoother but requires significant visual concessions, while High at 41 FPS and Ultra at 28 FPS are both below the 60 FPS target. The 44 FPS minimum at Medium suggests that even this preset may experience occasional dips during intense action, but it remains the best balance of quality and performance at 4K.

For users prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1440p (118 FPS) or 1080p (177 FPS) provides maximum responsiveness. However, the data indicates that this combo's ideal usage scenario is 1440p High, where the 72 FPS average represents a strong balance between the CPU's capability and the GPU's limitations. At 1080p, the Medium preset's 137 FPS average is the best choice for high-refresh-rate monitors, as the CPU is capable of pushing well beyond 100 FPS at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 1440p in Evolve?

A: Yes, the measured results show 72 FPS at High settings and 92 FPS at Medium settings for 2560x1440. Even the Ultra preset achieves 50 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming with this hardware?

A: Medium is the recommended preset at 3840x2160, delivering a 52 FPS average with a 44 FPS minimum. Low achieves 67 FPS but sacrifices visual quality, while High (41 FPS) and Ultra (28 FPS) fall below comfortable playability thresholds.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems in Evolve?

A: The combination ranks 2151 out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the 42nd percentile. This means it outperforms roughly 1550 other configurations but trails the majority of modern systems.

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

A: At 1080p, the CPU becomes the limiting factor, as shown by the 177 FPS Low result. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, with Ultra settings dropping to 28 FPS. The 1440p results represent the balance point where both components are utilized effectively.

Q: What are the key specifications of this GPU for Evolve?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, running at 1605 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost clocks. It has 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs, with a 113.3 GPixel/s pixel rate.

Q: Does this system achieve consistent frame times at 1440p Medium?

A: Yes, the 2560x1440 Medium preset shows a 78 FPS minimum and 106 FPS maximum, indicating a tight frame-time distribution without major stutters. This suggests smooth gameplay even during demanding scenes.