Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers a remarkably scalable performance profile in Evolve, with the GPU acting as the clear limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 291.5 FPS, but this drops to 175.9 FPS at High and 126 FPS at Ultra, indicating that even at 1080p, the graphics load heavily influences frame rates. Moving to 1440p, the frame rate at Ultra falls to 84.2 FPS, while 4K Ultra bottoms out at 48.7 FPS. This scaling pattern—a 68.7% reduction from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra—demonstrates that the RTX 4070 SUPER's rendering throughput, not the CPU, is the primary bottleneck as resolution climbs. The i5-12400, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, provides ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the data shows that frame rates consistently drop by roughly 40-45% when moving from 1440p to 4K at each settings tier, a signature of GPU-bound performance.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable resolution scaling curve for this combo in Evolve. At 1080p, the system is capable of extreme frame rates, with Low settings hitting 291.5 FPS, Medium at 224.1 FPS, High at 175.9 FPS, and Ultra still maintaining a smooth 126 FPS. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the i5-12400's 12 threads are sufficient to keep the RTX 4070 SUPER fed, as the frame rate differences between settings are substantial, indicating the GPU is still processing significant work. However, the gap between 1080p and 1440p is telling: High settings drop from 175.9 to 121.6 FPS, a 30.9% decrease, while Ultra drops from 126 to 84.2 FPS, a 33.2% decrease. This consistent proportional drop across all settings points squarely at the GPU's rendering pipeline as the limiting component, as the CPU's workload does not scale with resolution.

At 4K, the scaling becomes even more pronounced. The 4K High result of 67 FPS is just 38.1% of the 1080p High score, and 4K Ultra at 48.7 FPS is a mere 38.7% of its 1080p counterpart. The 4K Low score of 114 FPS is still playable, but it represents a 60.9% drop from 1080p Low. This nonlinear degradation—where 4K performance is disproportionately lower than the pixel count increase would suggest—indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily at 4K. The data shows that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring significant settings compromises to maintain high frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested hardware combinations, this pairing of the i5-12400 and RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 285th out of 1695 combos in Evolve, placing it in the top 16.8% of all systems tested. This rank reflects the strong synergy between the CPU and GPU, though it is not at the absolute top tier. The i5-12400 itself holds a 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19850, placing it just 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831) and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600K (19771). This CPU performance is competitive, but the GPU's 84th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average score of 42576, is what drives the combo's strong overall position. The RTX 4070 SUPER sits just 0.2% behind the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (42653) and 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42723), indicating it is a high-end performer that can handle demanding titles like Evolve.

The combo rank of 285 out of 1695 suggests that while this is a powerful pairing, there are many systems with more expensive CPUs or newer GPUs that achieve higher frame rates. However, the data shows that for Evolve specifically, this combo delivers exceptional performance at 1080p and 1440p, with only 4K Ultra proving challenging. The rank is a composite measure, and the measured FPS data indicates that this system is far more capable than its percentile rank might suggest in absolute terms, as many higher-ranked combos likely use significantly more expensive components for marginal gains.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this combo for Evolve, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, the GPU delivers a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which is critical for handling the textures and effects in an FPS like Evolve. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz, with a base clock of 1980 MHz, allows it to sustain high frame rates across settings, but the 220 W TDP indicates it draws significant power under load. The 4K performance figures—from 48.7 FPS at Ultra to 114 FPS at Low—show that the GPU's 7168 shading units are fully utilized at high resolutions, but the memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the frame rate drops below 50 FPS.

The GPU's benchmark scores corroborate its strong gaming performance. It scores 29995 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4627 reflects its modern architecture capabilities. The RTX 4070 SUPER's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (42653, 0.2% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42723, 0.3% higher), showing that it is essentially on par with these professional and mid-range workstation cards in raw compute. However, in Evolve, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU's 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p across all settings, but 4K Ultra at 48.7 FPS suggests that the VRAM capacity and bandwidth are being pushed to their limits, as the frame rate drops significantly from 4K High at 67 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target refresh rate and resolution. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 126 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay on a standard 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitor, while High at 175.9 FPS offers even more headroom for high-refresh displays. For competitive play, the Low preset at 291.5 FPS provides the maximum frame rate, but the Medium preset at 224.1 FPS offers a better balance between visual quality and performance. At 1440p, the High preset at 121.6 FPS is the sweet spot, as it provides excellent visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate above 120 FPS; the Ultra preset at 84.2 FPS is still playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced FPS action. At 4K, the data clearly shows that only Low (114 FPS) and Medium (85.2 FPS) are viable for smooth gameplay, while High at 67 FPS is borderline and Ultra at 48.7 FPS is not recommended for competitive play.

The data indicates that the High preset is the best overall choice for this combo, as it delivers 175.9 FPS at 1080p, 121.6 FPS at 1440p, and 67 FPS at 4K, all of which are playable. For users with 144 Hz monitors at 1440p, the Medium preset at 153.5 FPS is the recommended choice to ensure frame rates stay above the refresh rate. The Ultra preset, while visually impressive, requires too much of a performance sacrifice at higher resolutions, with the 4K result falling below 50 FPS. The measured data suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER is best utilized with High settings at 1080p and 1440p, and with Medium or Low settings at 4K.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this combo in Evolve?*

A: The highest measured frame rate is 291.5 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. At 4K, the maximum is 114 FPS with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 48.7, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This is the only measured configuration that falls below 60 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data shows the GPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates drop proportionally with resolution increases. At 1080p, the i5-12400's 12 threads are sufficient to maintain high FPS, but at 4K, the RTX 4070 SUPER's rendering capacity is the bottleneck.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers 121.6 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh monitors. The Ultra preset at 84.2 FPS is still playable but offers less headroom.

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

A: This combo ranks 285th out of 1695 tested combinations in Evolve, placing it in the top 16.8% of all systems. The CPU ranks in the 77th percentile and the GPU in the 84th percentile.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings achieve 291.5 FPS, while Ultra settings achieve 126 FPS. This represents a 56.8% reduction in frame rate when moving to the highest quality preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 plays a supporting role in this combo, providing sufficient processing power to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4070 SUPER in Evolve. With 6 cores and 12 threads, running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, the CPU delivers strong single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. Its Cinebench R23 scores of 15935 multicore and 2249 singlecore indicate that it can handle the game's physics and AI calculations without becoming a limiting factor, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully saturated. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core provide the low-latency data access needed for smooth frame pacing in an FPS.

The CPU's benchmark results place it at the 77th percentile among all CPUs, with an average score of 19850, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals: the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831, 0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i7-8700 (19894, 0.2% faster). This indicates that the i5-12400 is a modern mid-range processor that offers performance comparable to older high-end parts. In Evolve, the data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 291.5 FPS, which is far beyond what the CPU alone could deliver, confirming that the GPU is the primary driver of performance. However, the CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 and Passmark multithread score of 18747 suggest that it has ample headroom for the game's CPU-intensive moments, such as large-scale monster fights or complex environments. The CPU's 65 W TDP also indicates efficient operation, allowing the GPU to draw the necessary 220 W without power delivery issues, as the suggested PSU is 550 W.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves 291.5 FPS, Medium reaches 224.1 FPS, High hits 175.9 FPS, and Ultra maintains 126 FPS. These figures demonstrate that at 1080p, the system is overwhelmingly GPU-bound, as even the most demanding Ultra preset stays well above the 120 FPS threshold for high-refresh gaming. The spread from Low to Ultra is 165.5 FPS, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings produce 195.8 FPS, Medium delivers 153.5 FPS, High achieves 121.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 84.2 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, averaging around 33%, which is expected due to the increased pixel count. The High preset at 121.6 FPS remains an excellent choice for 144 Hz monitors, while Ultra at 84.2 FPS is still smooth for most players.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. Low settings yield 114 FPS, Medium produces 85.2 FPS, High falls to 67 FPS, and Ultra drops to 48.7 FPS. The 4K results show a dramatic decline from 1440p, with the High preset losing 44.9% of its performance and Ultra losing 42.2%. The 4K Low score of 114 FPS is the only configuration that remains above 100 FPS, while Ultra at 48.7 FPS is the only measured result below 60 FPS. This breakdown confirms that the RTX 4070 SUPER, while powerful, is best paired with this CPU for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring settings compromises.