Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 570 combination delivers playable performance only at 1080p with lower settings in Evolve, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. The data shows a clear ceiling: the combo ranks near the bottom of tested configurations, at position 1599 out of 1695, placing it in the 6th percentile of all tested combos. This pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming at Medium settings, where it achieves an average of 59.3 FPS, though users targeting higher fidelity will face significant compromises.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F provides a solid foundation for Evolve, with 6 cores and 12 threads running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This processor belongs to the Core 12th Gen series built on the Alder Lake architecture, and its benchmark results demonstrate strong single-thread and multi-thread capabilities. In the 3DMark suite, it scores 909 in single-thread, 3067 in 4-thread, and 5912 in max-thread tests, while Cinebench R23 yields 2332 single-core and 16518 multi-core scores. These figures place the CPU in the 77th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 19221.

The nearest rivals show how closely matched this CPU is to its competition. The Intel Core i7-8700K scores 19210, which is only 0.1% lower, while the Intel Core i5-1335U trails by 0.3% with a score of 19167. The AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS actually leads slightly with 19364, representing a -0.7% delta, and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979, putting it 1.3% behind. For Evolve, a game released in 2015, the i5-12400F's 6-core, 12-thread configuration is more than adequate to feed the GPU, as modern titles from that era rarely utilized more than four cores effectively.

The CPU's memory support includes both DDR4 and DDR5 across a dual-channel bus, and its 18 MB of shared L3 cache helps maintain consistent frame pacing. The 10 nm process node and 65 W TDP indicate an efficient design that does not throttle under sustained gaming loads. Benchmark results show the CPU excels in integer math with a score of 59995 and floating-point operations at 46759, which are relevant to game physics and AI calculations in Evolve's co-op and competitive modes. However, the data suggests that at higher resolutions, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor, as frame rates drop more sharply with resolution increases than with CPU-intensive settings changes.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is the decisive component in this combo, and its specifications reveal why performance caps out at 1080p. This GPU features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, with a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. The Polaris 20 chip, built on a 14 nm process, contains 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. Its compute capabilities include 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s, which are modest figures by modern standards.

The RX 570's benchmark scores show it ranks in the 74th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 30158. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 at 30109 (0.2% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT at 30097 (0.2% lower), the NVIDIA Tesla M60 at 29969 (0.6% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile at 29928 (0.8% lower). This clustering of scores indicates that the RX 570, despite its age, performs comparably to much newer hardware in synthetic benchmarks, though real-world gaming results tell a different story.

In Evolve, the GPU's 4 GB VRAM capacity becomes a constraint at higher resolutions and settings. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 77 FPS, but this drops to 36.1 FPS at 1080p Ultra. The GPU's DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3 API support are sufficient for Evolve, which was released before the widespread adoption of these APIs, but the hardware's age limits its ability to handle modern rendering techniques. The 150 W TDP and PCIe 3.0 x16 interface are adequate for the card's performance class, though the 4 GB memory buffer is the primary bottleneck when moving beyond 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data clearly demonstrates that the RX 570 is the limiting component as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 47.7 FPS, which drops to 30.8 FPS at 1440p High, a reduction of 35.4%. Moving to 4K High, the frame rate falls to 17.6 FPS, representing a 63.1% drop from 1080p. This pattern holds across all settings, with the scaling becoming more severe at higher quality presets.

At Low settings, the frame rate goes from 77 FPS at 1080p to 52.8 FPS at 1440p (a 31.4% drop) and 30 FPS at 4K (a 61.0% drop). The Medium preset shows 59.3 FPS at 1080p, 39.8 FPS at 1440p, and 22.2 FPS at 4K, with the 4K figure representing a 62.6% reduction. Ultra settings are the most punishing, starting at 36.1 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 25.1 FPS at 1440p, and collapsing to 14.9 FPS at 4K, a 58.7% decline from 1080p.

The consistency of these percentage drops across settings—roughly 60% from 1080p to 4K—indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the bottlenecks, rather than CPU limitations. If the CPU were the constraint, the scaling would be more pronounced at lower resolutions where the CPU has more work per frame. Instead, the data shows that the RX 570's 224.0 GB/s bandwidth and 4 GB VRAM simply cannot sustain playable frame rates at higher pixel counts, making 1080p the only viable resolution for this combo in Evolve.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1599 out of 1695 tested configurations places it in the bottom 5.7% of all combinations. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the GPU, as the CPU alone ranks in the 77th percentile of all processors, while the GPU sits in the 74th percentile. The pairing of a capable mid-range CPU with an entry-level GPU from 2017 creates a significant imbalance, where the CPU is often idle waiting for the GPU to complete frame rendering.

The nearest rival comparisons for both components provide context for this ranking. The CPU's closest competitor, the Intel Core i7-8700K, is a 2017 processor that still matches the i5-12400F's average score within 0.1%, suggesting that the CPU's performance headroom is not the issue. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, scores nearly identically in synthetic benchmarks, yet the RX 570's real-world gaming performance is hampered by its older architecture and smaller memory buffer.

The data indicates that this combo is best suited for esports titles or older games that do not demand high VRAM capacities. For Evolve specifically, the combo can achieve playable frame rates at 1080p Medium, but anything beyond that requires sacrifices that diminish the gaming experience. The 1695 total combos tested suggest a wide range of hardware configurations, and this pairing falls near the bottom, meaning most other combinations will outperform it in Evolve.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across 12 different configurations. At 3840x2160, the combo achieves 17.6 FPS on High, 30 FPS on Low, 22.2 FPS on Medium, and 14.9 FPS on Ultra. None of these are playable for a competitive FPS, and even the Low preset at 30 FPS is marginal for single-player enjoyment.

At 2560x1440, the results improve but remain inconsistent. The High preset delivers 30.8 FPS, Low delivers 52.8 FPS, Medium delivers 39.8 FPS, and Ultra delivers 25.1 FPS. The Low preset at 1440p is the only configuration that approaches a smooth experience, while Medium and High are borderline, and Ultra is unplayable.

The 1920x1080 results are where this combo shows its potential. Low settings produce 77 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium settings yield 59.3 FPS, providing a good balance of visual quality and performance. High settings drop to 47.7 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Ultra settings, at 36.1 FPS, are below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

The data shows a clear trend: the combo performs best at 1080p, with Medium settings offering the best compromise between frame rate and visual fidelity. The difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is 17.7 FPS, while the difference between Medium and High is 11.6 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 11.6 FPS. This suggests that the performance scaling is relatively linear across settings at 1080p, but the absolute performance levels are too low for higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p, all settings except Ultra exceed 47 FPS, while at 1440p only Low exceeds 50 FPS, and at 4K no setting reaches 31 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 4K?

A: The measured FPS data shows 4K performance ranges from 14.9 FPS on Ultra to 30 FPS on Low. The Low preset is technically playable at 30 FPS, but the Medium (22.2 FPS) and High (17.6 FPS) presets are not smooth enough for an FPS game.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F scores 19221 on average, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-8700K (19210), 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-1335U (19167), and 1.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 7773X (18979). The AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS is 0.7% higher at 19364.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 scores 30158 on average, which is 0.2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (30109) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (30097), 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla M60 (29969), and 0.8% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (29928).

Q: What settings should be avoided at 1080p?

A: Ultra settings at 1080p produce an average of 36.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The data suggests avoiding Ultra entirely, as even High settings at 47.7 FPS are preferable to the visual quality gain of Ultra.

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

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. Frame rates drop by approximately 60% when moving from 1080p to 4K across all settings, which is characteristic of GPU limitation, while the CPU's strong benchmark scores suggest it has ample headroom.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the recommended configuration for this combo in Evolve is 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which delivers 59.3 FPS on average. This provides a frame rate close to the 60 FPS target while maintaining reasonable visual fidelity. The Medium preset beats High by 11.6 FPS and Low by 17.7 FPS, making it the best balance of performance and quality.

For players who prioritize competitive performance, 1920x1080 with Low settings achieves 77 FPS, which is ideal for fast-paced multiplayer matches. This setting sacrifices visual detail but ensures smooth, responsive gameplay. The 77 FPS figure is the highest measured across all configurations, and the gap to the next best setting (Medium at 59.3 FPS) is significant.

At 1440p, the data shows that only Low settings (52.8 FPS) provide a playable experience, while Medium (39.8 FPS) and High (30.8 FPS) are marginal, and Ultra (25.1 FPS) is unplayable. The 4K resolution should be avoided entirely, as even Low settings at 30 FPS are below the threshold for enjoyable FPS gameplay. The Ultra preset at any resolution produces frame rates below 37 FPS, making it the least recommended option. The data clearly indicates that this combo is designed for 1080p gaming, and users should not expect to push higher resolutions without significant compromises in frame rate.