Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a classic high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p experience in Evolve, with 4K remaining viable only at reduced settings. This combination lands at rank 436 out of 1695 tested combos, placing it comfortably in the top quarter of all configurations. The data shows a system where the GPU is the dominant force at higher resolutions, but the CPU's six performance cores prove sufficient to keep frame rates high even at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable yet steep curve as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 157.6 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 106.3 FPS, a 32.5% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 61.2 FPS, which is 61.2% lower than the 1080p result. This pattern clearly indicates that the RTX 3080 Ti becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises, with the i5-12400 providing ample headroom at the lower resolutions.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling. At High settings, the 1440p score of 106.3 FPS drops to 61.2 FPS at 4K, showing that the GPU's rasterization throughput is being saturated by the 4K pixel workload. The gap narrows when settings are lowered. At Low settings, 1440p produces 174.5 FPS while 4K manages 101 FPS, a 42.1% drop. This suggests that even at Low settings, the 4K resolution still demands significant GPU resources, though the frame rate remains playable.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic resolution sensitivity. At 1080p Ultra, the combo hits 109.5 FPS, but 1440p Ultra falls to 74 FPS and 4K Ultra drops to 44.6 FPS. The data suggests that Ultra settings at 4K push the RTX 3080 Ti beyond its comfortable range, producing frame rates that would be marginal for competitive play. The scaling between 1080p and 1440p Ultra (109.5 to 74 FPS, a 32.4% drop) mirrors the High preset's scaling, confirming that resolution, not settings, drives the performance curve.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings 6 cores and 12 threads to the pairing, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark data shows strong single-thread performance, scoring 910 in 3dmark_single_thread and 3456 in passmark_singlethread. This matters for Evolve, a FPS title that typically relies on a few heavily threaded tasks for game logic and physics. The CPU's 3dmark_16_threads score of 5873 and cinebench_r23_multicore score of 15935 indicate it can handle background tasks without starving the game's primary threads.

The CPU's relative performance against its nearest rivals is tight. It scores within 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-11600K (19771 vs 19850 average) and 0.1% above the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831). This places it in a performance band where generation-over-generation gains are modest, but the 12th-gen architecture's efficiency and boost behavior contribute to its 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The passmark_multithread score of 18747 and passmark_physics score of 1105 suggest the CPU can sustain high frame rates without bottlenecking the RTX 3080 Ti, particularly at 1080p where the measured 264.8 FPS at Low settings demonstrates the GPU is not being held back.

The L3 cache of 18 MB shared across the 6 cores provides adequate data locality for game assets, and the dual-channel memory support (DDR4 or DDR5) offers flexibility, though the fact pack does not specify which was used in testing. The CPU's 65W TDP and 10nm process node indicate efficient power delivery, which helps maintain boost clocks during extended gaming sessions. For Evolve specifically, the 12 threads ensure that any background processes or streaming operations do not interfere with frame pacing, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates across settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 436 out of 1695 tested combinations puts it in the 74th percentile of all systems tested for this game. This is a respectable position, though not elite. The RTX 3080 Ti's own percentile of 83 among all GPUs is higher than the combo's rank, suggesting that the i5-12400 is slightly holding back the GPU's full potential in some scenarios, or that other systems with more powerful CPUs achieve higher scores.

The GPU's nearest rivals show how close the 3080 Ti is to the top tier. It scores 0.5% below the RTX 3090 (41441 vs 41224) and 1.1% below the RTX 5070 (41687). The delta to the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 is 0.9%, though that card's 41610 score is an outlier in this group. The fact that the 3080 Ti sits within 1.6% of the Tesla M40 (41897) and within 0.5% of the 3090 indicates that this GPU is performing at the upper edge of its class, and the combo's rank reflects the CPU's contribution rather than a GPU deficiency.

The CPU's nearest rivals further contextualize the ranking. The i5-12400's 19850 average benchmark score is 0.4% above the i5-11600K (19771) and 0.1% above the i7-9700 (19831). It sits 0.2% below the i7-8700 (19894) and 0.4% below the Threadripper PRO 5995WX (19928). These tiny deltas mean the CPU choice between these models would not meaningfully change the combo's ranking. The data indicates that the 436th rank is driven more by the GPU's position relative to newer or more expensive cards than by any CPU deficiency.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 264.8 FPS, Medium reaches 203.7 FPS, High hits 157.6 FPS, and Ultra manages 109.5 FPS. The gap from Low to Ultra is 155.3 FPS, or 58.6%, showing that Evolve's Ultra preset imposes a heavy load even at 1080p. The jump from Low to Medium (264.8 to 203.7 FPS, a 23.1% drop) is larger than from Medium to High (203.7 to 157.6 FPS, a 22.6% drop), suggesting diminishing returns on visual quality for the frame rate cost.

At 2560x1440, the scores scale down proportionally. Low produces 174.5 FPS, Medium 134.2 FPS, High 106.3 FPS, and Ultra 74 FPS. The 1080p to 1440p drop is consistent across settings: Low drops 34.1%, Medium 34.1%, High 32.5%, and Ultra 32.4%. This uniformity confirms that the GPU is scaling linearly with pixel count, and the CPU is not introducing bottlenecks at 1440p. The 1440p Ultra score of 74 FPS remains playable for most users, though competitive players would likely prefer lower settings for higher refresh rates.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more variable. Low yields 101 FPS, Medium 78.5 FPS, High 61.2 FPS, and Ultra 44.6 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is steeper for Low (42.1%) than for High (42.4%) or Ultra (39.7%), indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth (912.4 GB/s) and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory are sufficient for 4K textures but the raw compute power (34.10 TFLOPS) is strained. The 4K Ultra score of 44.6 FPS would be borderline for smooth gameplay, suggesting users should avoid Ultra at this resolution unless they can tolerate sub-50 FPS.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p as the sweet spot. At High settings, it produces 106.3 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, while 1080p High reaches 157.6 FPS for higher refresh rate displays. 4K is playable at Medium (78.5 FPS) or Low (101 FPS) but drops to 44.6 FPS at Ultra.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 3090?

A: The 3080 Ti scores 41224 in average benchmark, which is 0.5% below the RTX 3090's 41441. This negligible difference means the two cards perform nearly identically in Evolve, making the 3080 Ti a strong choice for this game.

Q: Is the i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RTX 3080 Ti?

A: The CPU's 77th percentile ranking and 6-core/12-thread configuration appear sufficient. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 264.8 FPS, indicating the GPU is not being held back. The CPU's nearest rival deltas (within 0.4% of several models) suggest that upgrading would yield minimal gains.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with High settings?

A: The measured average is 61.2 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. If you have a 60Hz 4K monitor, this is usable, but for 144Hz displays, you would need to drop to Medium (78.5 FPS) or Low (101 FPS).

Q: How much performance is lost going from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At High settings, the drop is from 157.6 FPS to 106.3 FPS, a 32.5% reduction. At Ultra, it falls from 109.5 FPS to 74 FPS, a 32.4% reduction. The consistency across settings suggests the loss is purely resolution-driven.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, yes, with 109.5 FPS. At 1440p, it drops to 74 FPS, which is still playable. At 4K, Ultra produces 44.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and not recommended for competitive play.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p users with high refresh rate monitors (144Hz or higher), the Ultra preset at 109.5 FPS provides the best visual experience while staying above the 100 FPS mark. If you prioritize maximum smoothness, Medium at 203.7 FPS or Low at 264.8 FPS are viable, but the visual quality trade-off is significant. The data suggests High at 157.6 FPS offers the best balance, keeping frame rates well above 144Hz while retaining most visual fidelity.

For 1440p, the High preset at 106.3 FPS is the recommended starting point. It delivers smooth gameplay for 100Hz monitors and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. Medium at 134.2 FPS is better for 144Hz displays, though the visual difference between Medium and High may be noticeable. Ultra at 74 FPS is acceptable for 60Hz panels but will not fully utilize higher refresh rates. Low at 174.5 FPS is excessive unless you have a 165Hz+ monitor and prioritize competitive advantage over visuals.

For 4K, the data strongly recommends avoiding Ultra (44.6 FPS). High at 61.2 FPS is just playable, but Medium at 78.5 FPS provides a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Low at 101 FPS is the best option for 4K if you want to approach 100 FPS, though it sacrifices most graphical effects. Given the 12 GB of VRAM and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth, texture quality can remain high even at lower presets, so the Medium preset at 4K is the most practical choice for consistent 60+ FPS gameplay.