Evolve

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti sits at rank 678 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve. That places this configuration in the 60th percentile of all tested combinations, a solidly upper-midrange position. The ranking reflects a pairing where neither component is the absolute fastest in its class, but together they deliver consistent frame rates across the board.

Benchmark results indicate this combo outperforms roughly 60% of all tested systems in Evolve, while the remaining 40% of configurations deliver higher average FPS. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's position relative to other graphics cards. The RTX 3070 Ti's average benchmark score of 30849 places it at the 74th percentile among all GPUs, while the i5-12400's average score of 19850 puts it at the 77th percentile among all CPUs. Both components are above average individually, and the combined result reflects that balance.

The nearest rival GPUs show how tightly clustered this performance tier is. The AMD Radeon RX 590 GME scores 30755, a mere 0.3% behind the RTX 3070 Ti. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 31112, which is 0.8% ahead. These tiny deltas mean the RTX 3070 Ti is essentially interchangeable with several other cards at this performance level in synthetic benchmarks, though in-game results may vary more substantially depending on the title's engine and optimization.

For the CPU, the i5-12400's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-9700 at 19831 (0.1% behind), the Intel Core i7-8700 at 19894 (0.2% ahead), and the Intel Core i5-11600K at 19771 (0.4% behind). The i5-12400 sits almost exactly at the mean of its immediate competitors, confirming that this processor delivers thoroughly mainstream performance without any notable outlier characteristics.

GPU Role

The RTX 3070 Ti brings 8 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 256-bit bus, yielding 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is the primary constraint at higher resolutions and settings in Evolve, as the game's texture and geometry demands scale with both resolution and quality preset.

The GPU's clock behavior shows a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with memory running at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). These clocks are moderate for the Ampere generation, and the measured FPS data suggests they are sufficient to drive Evolve well at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra results reveal where the card's limits lie.

The RTX 3070 Ti's compute resources include 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, with 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores. The FP32 throughput of 21.75 TFLOPS indicates strong raw compute capability, yet Evolve's performance at 4K Ultra drops to 33.4 FPS average, suggesting that memory bandwidth and capacity become the limiting factors rather than raw shading power.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark scores reinforce this interpretation. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3478 and the Passmark G3D score of 23356 both place the card in a competitive tier, but the Passmark DirectX 11 score of 192 and DirectX 12 score of 91 show that API-specific performance can vary. Evolve, being a 2015 title, likely relies on older DirectX paths, which may not fully utilize the Ampere architecture's newer features.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 136.3 FPS average. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 92.1 FPS, a reduction of 44.2 FPS or roughly 32%. At 4K High, the average falls to 55.4 FPS, another 36.7 FPS drop from 1440p.

This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti is the primary limiting component across all tested resolutions. The CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by the 1080p Low result of 229.4 FPS, which shows the processor can feed the GPU far more frames than the graphics card can render at higher settings.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at each resolution. At 1080p, Low produces 229.4 FPS while Ultra produces 92.9 FPS, a 136.5 FPS difference. At 1440p, Low gives 151.7 FPS versus Ultra's 66.8 FPS, a 84.9 FPS gap. At 4K, Low delivers 84.9 FPS while Ultra falls to 33.4 FPS, a 51.5 FPS difference. The absolute gap narrows at higher resolutions because the GPU becomes increasingly saturated, but the percentage drop from Low to Ultra remains substantial at every resolution.

The 4K Ultra result of 33.4 FPS is the only measured configuration that falls below playable thresholds, indicating that this combo cannot handle Evolve's maximum settings at 4K. The 4K High result of 55.4 FPS is borderline playable, while 4K Medium at 69.5 FPS provides a more comfortable margin.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High at 92.1 FPS average provides a strong balance between visual quality and frame rate. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 136.3 FPS, while 4K High drops to 55.4 FPS, making 1440p the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti's average benchmark score of 30849 is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME (30755) and 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6700 (31112). The NVIDIA Quadro M5000 scores 31142, putting it 0.9% ahead of the RTX 3070 Ti.

Q: Is the i5-12400 a bottleneck at 1080p in Evolve?

A: Benchmark results indicate no significant CPU bottleneck. The 1080p Low setting produces 229.4 FPS average, which is far above what the GPU can sustain at higher settings. The CPU's 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs supports this conclusion.

Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 4K?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K High, the combo achieves 55.4 FPS average, and at 4K Medium it reaches 69.5 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting drops to 33.4 FPS, which is below smooth playability. Users should stick to Medium or High settings at 4K.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to the i7-9700?

A: The i5-12400's average benchmark score of 19850 is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-9700's 19831. This effectively places the two processors at identical performance levels, despite the i7-9700 being an older architecture.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and why does it matter?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus with 608.3 GB/s bandwidth. This configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p in Evolve, but the 4K Ultra result of 33.4 FPS suggests the 8 GB capacity may be insufficient for maximum settings at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 provides 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture processor uses a 10 nm process and supports dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The 18 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core provide ample data locality for game workloads.

The CPU's synthetic benchmark scores demonstrate strong multi-threaded performance for a mainstream desktop part. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15935 and single-core score of 2249 show balanced capabilities. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 and max-thread score of 5890 indicate that the processor scales well with thread count, which is relevant for Evolve's physics and AI workloads.

The Passmark multithread score of 18747 and single-thread score of 3456 further confirm the processor's capabilities. The data compression score of 226908 and floating-point math score of 45494 show strong general-purpose performance. The CPU's 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs places it above the majority of processors, and its nearest rivals show it performs within 0.4% of several older i7 parts.

In Evolve specifically, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics calculations, and AI decision-making. The measured FPS at 1080p Low of 229.4 FPS indicates the CPU can process frames far faster than the GPU can render them, meaning the processor is not a limiting factor in this title. Even at 1080p Ultra, the GPU-bound result of 92.9 FPS leaves significant CPU headroom.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1080p, all settings are playable, with High at 136.3 FPS and Ultra at 92.9 FPS both providing smooth experiences. Users with 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors should consider High settings for the highest frame rates, while those with 60 Hz displays can comfortably use Ultra.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 92.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 66.8 FPS remains playable but offers diminishing returns over High. The Medium preset at 120.9 FPS is the best choice for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, as it provides a 28.8 FPS advantage over High while maintaining acceptable visual quality.

At 4K, users must make compromises. The Medium preset at 69.5 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a smooth experience while maintaining reasonable visual fidelity. The High preset at 55.4 FPS is playable but may show occasional stutter on 60 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 33.4 FPS is not recommended for regular play, as it falls below the 40 FPS minimum for acceptable frame pacing.

The data shows that the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB memory capacity is the limiting factor at higher settings. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is 22.0 FPS, while the difference between Medium and High is 14.1 FPS. This suggests the Ultra preset imposes disproportionately heavy memory and shading demands that the card cannot sustain at 4K. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, Medium at 4K or High at 1440p are the optimal configurations for this combo in Evolve.