Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, presents a distinct scaling pattern for the Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination. The measured data shows a clear transition from a CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound one at 4K, with the Ultra preset acting as a significant bottleneck at all tested resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep but not uniform across settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 282 FPS at 1920x1080 to 109.6 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 172.4 FPS. This 61% decrease strongly indicates that at 1080p Low, the system is heavily limited by the CPU, as the RX 7900 XT has ample headroom to render frames far faster than the i5-12400F can issue draw calls. At 1440p Low, the average is 186.8 FPS, still a very high number, but the gap to 1080p shows the GPU is beginning to take on more load.

The scaling is more moderate at Medium settings. From 221.8 FPS at 1080p, the average drops to 150 FPS at 1440p and then to 80.7 FPS at 4K. The step from 1440p to 4K is a 46% reduction, which is a typical sign of a GPU that is now the primary limiting factor. The CPU still has some influence at 1080p and 1440p, but the GPU is clearly the dominant constraint at 4K.

At High settings, the trend continues. The average FPS at 1080p is 172.5, dropping to 114.2 at 1440p and 67.4 at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 1440p is 33.8%, and from 1440p to 4K is 41%. This shows a consistent shift toward GPU limitation as resolution increases. The Ultra preset is the outlier; it produces a massive performance penalty at every resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 122.1 FPS, which is lower than the High preset at 1440p. At 4K Ultra, the average plummets to 44.6 FPS, a figure that suggests the Ultra preset's demands on the GPU are so high that it becomes the sole bottleneck, regardless of the CPU's capabilities. The data shows that the i5-12400F is sufficient to feed the RX 7900 XT at 1080p and 1440p for all but the most extreme settings, but at 4K, the GPU's raw compute and memory bandwidth are the deciding factors.

FAQ

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

A: The measured average frame rate for this combination at 2560x1440 with High settings is 114.2 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset yields an average of 122.1 FPS, which is 50.4 FPS lower than the High preset's 172.5 FPS. This indicates a significant performance cost for the Ultra settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary limiter. The average frame rate at 4K Medium is 80.7 FPS, compared to 150 FPS at 1440p Medium. This 46% drop in performance as resolution increases is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded in the data?

A: The highest average frame rate is 282 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Does the system achieve a playable frame rate at 4K with the Ultra preset?

A: The data shows an average of 44.6 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold typically considered smooth for this type of game.

Q: How many total system combinations are ranked for this game?

A: This specific configuration is ranked 340 out of 1695 total combinations in the benchmark database for Evolve.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT plays the central role in determining frame rates at higher resolutions and settings. Its specifications, including 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, provide a substantial memory bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is critical for handling the high-resolution textures and geometry that Evolve's environments demand, especially at 4K. The GPU's boost clock of 2394 MHz and game clock of 2025 MHz are high figures that contribute to its raw compute throughput.

The GPU's performance percentile of 82 places it in the upper echelon of all GPUs, and its benchmark scores reflect its strength. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5623 and a Passmark G3D score of 29009 are indicators of its overall capability. However, the measured FPS data in Evolve shows that even this powerful GPU struggles with the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the average of 122.1 FPS is well below the 172.5 FPS seen at High, showing that the Ultra preset's specific effects and post-processing are extremely demanding. This is not a case of the GPU being weak, but rather the game's Ultra settings imposing an exceptionally heavy load.

The GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck at 4K. The move from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings results in a 69.3 FPS drop, and at High settings, a 46.8 FPS drop. This behavior is consistent with a GPU that is fully saturated, with the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads providing enough processing power to keep up. The GPU's 84 ray accelerators and 5376 shading units are powerful, but the sheer pixel count of 3840x2160 overwhelms them when combined with the demanding High and Ultra presets. The memory subsystem, while fast, is also a factor; 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth is a lot, but it is still finite and is a likely contributor to the performance ceiling at 4K. The data suggests that the RX 7900 XT is best utilized at 1440p for high refresh rate gaming, or at 4K with Medium settings to maintain a high frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K displays, the Medium preset is the clear choice. It delivers an average of 80.7 FPS, which is a smooth and playable experience, and it is 44.6% faster than the High preset's 67.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as its 44.6 FPS average is below the standard for fluid gameplay. The Low preset at 4K, with an average of 109.6 FPS, is also a viable option if visual fidelity is less important than achieving a very high frame rate.

At 1440p, the High preset offers an excellent balance, achieving an average of 114.2 FPS. This is a significant jump from the Medium preset's 150 FPS, but the visual upgrade is substantial for a 24% performance cost. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with an average of 80.2 FPS, is also playable and may be preferred for users who prioritize image quality over a high refresh rate. For 1080p users, the High preset is again a strong recommendation, delivering 172.5 FPS. This allows for use of high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset at 221.8 FPS is available for those who want to push refresh rates to the absolute maximum, while the Low preset at 282 FPS is the ultimate choice for competitive play.

The Ultra preset is the least efficient option at all resolutions. At 1080p, it provides only a marginal visual improvement over High but costs 50.4 FPS. The performance data indicates that the High preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance across all three resolutions. It is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS at 4K, and it provides high frame rates at 1440p and 1080p. The data suggests that users should avoid the Ultra preset unless they have a specific reason to prioritize maximum graphical fidelity over frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average frame rates measured for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | ----------: |

| 3840x2160 | High | 67.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 109.6 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 80.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 44.6 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 114.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 186.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 150.0 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 80.2 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 172.5 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 282.0 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 221.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 122.1 |

At 1920x1080, the spread between the Low and Ultra presets is 159.9 FPS, showing the wide range of performance available. The Low preset's 282 FPS average is the highest in the dataset, while the Ultra preset's 122.1 FPS is still a very playable frame rate. At 2560x1440, the spread narrows to 106.6 FPS, with the Low preset hitting 186.8 FPS and the Ultra preset at 80.2 FPS. This shows that the CPU's performance headroom is being reduced as the GPU's workload increases. At 3840x2160, the spread is 65 FPS, with the Low preset at 109.6 FPS and the Ultra preset at 44.6 FPS. This narrowing spread is a clear indication that the GPU is becoming the sole performance limiter. The data also shows that the jump from Medium to High at 4K is a 13.3 FPS drop, which is a smaller difference than the 25.1 FPS drop from Low to Medium. This suggests that the High preset's additional effects have a more limited impact on the GPU at 4K than the initial step up from Low settings.