Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB delivers a playable experience in Evolve, but the data reveals a system that is clearly bound by different components depending on resolution and settings. At 1080p, this combo is capable of generating very high frame rates, but as resolution climbs to 4K, performance falls off sharply, indicating a shift in bottleneck from the CPU to the GPU. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, contextualizes the component roles, and shows where this pairing stands among the 1,695 tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Evolve shows a predictable but steep decline as resolution increases, with the magnitude of the drop heavily influenced by the graphics settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 224.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that figure to 145.5 FPS, a 35% reduction, and then to 86.9 FPS at 4K Low, which is a further 40% drop from the 1440p result. This scaling pattern at Low settings indicates that even at 1440p, the system is still somewhat CPU-limited, as the frame rate is not halving despite the 2.25x increase in pixel count from 1080p to 1440p.

The story changes significantly when Ultra settings are enabled. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 93.1. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 61 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 33.4 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p Ultra results in a 34.5% performance loss, which is slightly less than the pixel count increase would suggest, but the jump from 1440p to 4K Ultra is a 45% reduction, closely tracking the 2.25x pixel increase. This suggests that at Ultra settings, the system is much more GPU-bound, particularly at 4K where the RTX 4060 Ti's 8 GB frame buffer and 288.0 GB/s memory bandwidth become limiting factors.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings also widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (224.1 FPS) and Ultra (93.1 FPS) is 131 FPS. At 4K, that difference narrows to 53.5 FPS (86.9 vs 33.4). This compression of the settings gap at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K, as turning down settings cannot fully compensate for the raw pixel throughput demands. The data indicates that for high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, this combo is overqualified for Evolve, but for 4K gaming, users will need to compromise heavily on settings to maintain smooth frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 90 FPS. This is a solid result for a 1440p monitor with a 60-75 Hz refresh rate, as it provides headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: Yes, but with significant caveats. The average FPS at 4K with High settings is 54.1 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 33.4 FPS, which may feel stuttery in fast-paced gameplay. Users targeting 4K will need to use Medium (66 FPS) or Low (86.9 FPS) settings.

Q: How does the CPU's thread count affect performance in this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has 6 cores and 12 threads. Its benchmark results show a 3dmark_16_threads score of 5873 and a 3dmark_max_threads score of 5890, indicating that the processor's performance scales well with additional threads. In Evolve, this is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 224.1 FPS result at 1080p Low.

Q: What is the GPU's VRAM capacity and how does it impact 4K performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. At 4K Ultra, the game likely exceeds this VRAM capacity, contributing to the 33.4 FPS average. The 4K Low result of 86.9 FPS suggests that reducing texture and shadow quality alleviates VRAM pressure.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 721 out of 1,695 tested combinations, placing it in the 42nd percentile of all tested combos. This means it outperforms roughly 58% of the tested systems but is outclassed by a significant number of higher-end pairings.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and High settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium settings produce an average of 170.6 FPS, while High settings produce 134.3 FPS. The 36.3 FPS difference indicates that High settings impose a noticeable load on the GPU, but the system remains well above 100 FPS, making either setting viable for competitive play.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and it carries 18 MB of shared L3 cache. In Evolve, a game released in 2015, the CPU's single-thread performance is particularly relevant. The 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2249 indicate strong per-core performance, which is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in FPS titles that often rely on a primary game thread.

The benchmark data shows that the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are also robust. The PassMark multithread score of 18747 and the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15935 suggest that the i5-12400 can handle background tasks and game logic without issue. In the context of Evolve, the 1080p Low result of 224.1 FPS demonstrates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower graphical loads. Even at 1080p Ultra (93.1 FPS), the CPU has ample headroom, as the frame rate is more likely constrained by the GPU's pixel and texture processing.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-9700, which has a nearly identical average benchmark score (19831 vs 19850), and the Intel Core i7-8700, which is only 0.2% slower. This places the i5-12400 in a competitive position against older i7 parts, confirming that its 6-core/12-thread configuration is more than adequate for a game like Evolve. The processor's 65 W TDP also indicates efficient power draw, leaving thermal headroom for the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB achieves a rank of 721 out of 1,695 tested combinations in Evolve. This places it in the 42nd percentile of all tested systems, meaning it is outperformed by a substantial majority of the more powerful pairings in the database. However, this rank is not necessarily a reflection of poor performance; rather, it highlights that the database contains many combos with higher-end CPUs and GPUs that are better suited for 4K or ultra-high-refresh-rate gaming.

In context, the rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance ceiling. The RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB sits at the 17th percentile among all GPUs in the database, which drags down the combo's overall standing. The CPU, in contrast, is at the 77th percentile among all CPUs, indicating that the processor is a relative strength of this pairing. The rank of 721 suggests that for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combo is above average, but it will struggle to compete with combos featuring higher-tier GPUs at 4K.

The deltaPct values from the GPU's nearest rivals show that it performs almost identically to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (0% difference) and is within 0.7% of the GT 650M. This is surprising given the generational gap, but it underscores that the RTX 4060 Ti's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus limit its performance in memory-intensive scenarios like Evolve at high resolutions. The combo rank of 721 should be interpreted as a mid-pack result, with the system excelling at 1080p but falling behind at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with 22,900 million transistors on a 188 mm² die. It features 4352 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2535 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory operates at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) across a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Evolve, the GPU's role is decisively the bottleneck at 4K resolution. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (33.4) is less than half of the 1080p Ultra result (93.1), indicating that the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are overwhelmed. The 48 ROPs and 121.7 GPixel/s pixel rate are insufficient for 4K Ultra settings in this title. At 4K Low, the frame rate improves to 86.9 FPS, showing that reducing the load on the GPU allows it to keep up with the CPU's output.

The GPU's benchmark score of 2913 in 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 places it at the 17th percentile among all GPUs, which is low but reflects the fact that this is an entry-level 40-series card. Its nearest rivals include the GT 555M and GT 650M, which are older mobile parts, highlighting that the RTX 4060 Ti's performance is not exceptional in absolute terms. The 22.06 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 344.8 GTexel/s texture rate are decent for 1080p and 1440p, but the 128-bit memory bus is a clear limitation for 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Evolve provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings average 224.1 FPS, Medium settings average 170.6 FPS, High settings average 134.3 FPS, and Ultra settings average 93.1 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decline, with Ultra being 58.5% slower than Low. This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor even at 1080p when settings are maxed out, although the CPU is strong enough to push very high frame rates at lower settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 145.5 FPS, Medium at 112.7 FPS, High at 90 FPS, and Ultra at 61 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but manageable, with the High setting still clearing the 90 FPS threshold. The Ultra setting at 61 FPS is right at the edge of what most gamers would consider smooth for a 60 Hz monitor, making Medium or High the recommended settings for 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low at 86.9 FPS, Medium at 66 FPS, High at 54.1 FPS, and Ultra at 33.4 FPS. The Ultra setting is below the 30 FPS minimum for playability, while High is borderline. The Medium setting provides a playable 66 FPS, but the Low setting at 86.9 FPS is the only option that offers a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant settings compromises, and even then, the experience is not as smooth as at lower resolutions.