Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a robust experience in Evolve, with the data showing that the GPU is the primary driver of performance across all tested settings. The measured frames per second indicate that players should prioritize graphical fidelity at 1440p, where the system maintains high refresh rates even on Ultra settings. For those targeting 4K, the High preset offers the best balance, as the step to Ultra incurs a significant performance penalty. This combination ranks in the 508th position out of 1695 tested combos, placing it comfortably in the upper third of all configurations, a solid result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data clearly indicates that the High preset is the optimal choice for this hardware combination, particularly at 1440p and 4K resolutions. At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers an average of 102.2 FPS, which is smooth for competitive play and only 25.6 FPS lower than the Medium preset’s 127.8 FPS. However, the visual improvement from Medium to High is typically substantial in a game like Evolve, justifying the minor frame rate trade-off. At 3840x2160, High produces 57.3 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable, whereas Medium yields 73.7 FPS and Low reaches 98.4 FPS.

The Ultra preset is the least efficient choice. At 1080p, Ultra averages 107.8 FPS, which is 44.9 FPS lower than High’s 152.7 FPS, a massive drop for settings that often provide diminishing returns in visibility. At 1440p, Ultra falls to 74.2 FPS, and at 4K it plummets to 38.8 FPS, which is below the playable threshold for most users. For a game focused on fast-paced FPS action, the data suggests that High is the sweet spot; it provides a stable experience at 1440p and a viable one at 4K, while avoiding the severe frame rate collapse seen with Ultra. Players with 1080p monitors can also use High for a high refresh rate experience, as the 152.7 FPS average exceeds most standard 144Hz displays.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the dominant component in this pairing, as evidenced by the FPS scaling across resolutions. The GPU’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth provide ample headroom for Evolve’s textures and effects, which is reflected in the strong performance at 1440p High. The card’s boost clock of 1710 MHz, based on the Ampere architecture with 8704 shading units, allows it to push high frame rates without bottlenecking the Intel Core i5-12400F. The data shows that at 1080p, the system achieves 248.4 FPS on Low settings, indicating that the CPU is not limiting the GPU in this scenario, as the frame rate scales nearly linearly with resolution changes.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution is primarily driven by the GPU’s ability to handle increased pixel and shading workloads. For instance, at 1440p, the difference between Low (170.2 FPS) and Ultra (74.2 FPS) is 96 FPS, a 56% reduction. This pattern demonstrates that the RTX 3080’s raw compute power, rated at 29.77 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, is fully utilized as settings increase. The GPU’s 96 ROPs and 272 TMUs also contribute to the texture-heavy scenes in Evolve, ensuring that the card remains the primary factor in determining performance, especially at higher resolutions where the 320-bit memory bus is fully engaged.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, highlighting the GPU’s role as the limiting component. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 152.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 102.2 FPS at 2560x1440, a 33% reduction, and then to 57.3 FPS at 3840x2160, a further 44% reduction. This linear scaling is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 3080’s rendering pipeline is taxed by the increasing pixel count. The same trend is visible across all presets: Low settings go from 248.4 to 170.2 to 98.4 FPS, Medium from 196.1 to 127.8 to 73.7 FPS, and Ultra from 107.8 to 74.2 to 38.8 FPS.

The resolution scaling indicates that the Intel Core i5-12400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not a bottleneck at any tested resolution. If the CPU were limiting, the frame rate would plateau or drop more sharply at lower resolutions, but the data shows consistent scaling based on pixel workload. The 4K Ultra result of 38.8 FPS is the only point where the system falls below a playable threshold, suggesting that the GPU’s 10 GB VRAM and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the highest fidelity at that resolution. For 1440p gaming, the system offers excellent headroom, with High settings providing a 102.2 FPS average that is well-suited for high-refresh monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination ranks 508th out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the 70th percentile of all configurations. This is a strong showing, given that the CPU is a mid-range part from 2022 while the GPU is a high-end card from 2020. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 19221 puts it nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-8700K (19210, deltaPct 0.1) and Intel Core i5-1335U (19167, deltaPct 0.3), while being slightly behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS (19364, deltaPct -0.7). This indicates that the 12400F is well-matched with the RTX 3080 in this game, as the CPU’s single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332) is sufficient to feed the GPU.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 35787 ranks it in the 80th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon Pro Duo (35860, deltaPct -0.2). This suggests that the RTX 3080 is performing as expected for its class, and the combo rank reflects a balanced pairing rather than a severe bottleneck. The rank of 508 out of 1695 means that there are 507 combos that perform better, likely featuring newer CPUs or higher-tier GPUs, but this setup still delivers a high-refresh experience at 1440p and a playable one at 4K. For a builder looking at this data, the combo offers a practical balance of CPU and GPU capabilities for Evolve, with no single component dragging down the overall result.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 on High settings provides the best balance, with an average of 102.2 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold and allows for smooth gameplay, while 1080p High offers 152.7 FPS for high-refresh monitors.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using at 1080p?

A: No, the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 107.8 FPS, which is 44.9 FPS lower than High. The visual gains from Ultra are typically marginal compared to the frame rate loss, making High a more efficient choice.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Evolve?

A: Yes, but only on Medium or High settings. At 3840x2160, High averages 57.3 FPS and Medium averages 73.7 FPS, both playable. Ultra at 4K drops to 38.8 FPS, which is below a comfortable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its rivals in this setup?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19221, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-8700K and 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-1335U. It is 0.7% slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS, indicating competitive performance.

Q: What is the GPU’s benchmark percentile?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is in the 80th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35787. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro Duo, which scores 35860, a 0.2% difference.

Q: Does the frame rate scale linearly with resolution?

A: Yes, the data shows consistent scaling. For High settings, FPS drops from 152.7 at 1080p to 102.2 at 1440p (33% drop) and then to 57.3 at 4K (44% drop), indicating the GPU is the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low preset averages 248.4 FPS, Medium averages 196.1 FPS, High averages 152.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 107.8 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the RTX 3080 is not fully stressed, as even Ultra maintains a frame rate above 100 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 140.6 FPS, showing that settings have a significant impact but the hardware has ample headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show a clear step down. Low averages 170.2 FPS, Medium averages 127.8 FPS, High averages 102.2 FPS, and Ultra averages 74.2 FPS. The High preset at 1440p delivers a smooth experience for most users, while Ultra still provides a playable 74.2 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p ranges from 31% (Low) to 31% (Ultra), consistent with the increased pixel workload.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is pushed to its limits. Low averages 98.4 FPS, Medium averages 73.7 FPS, High averages 57.3 FPS, and Ultra averages 38.8 FPS. The High preset at 4K is just below the 60 FPS target, but Medium offers a comfortable margin. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below 40 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay. The data shows that the RTX 3080’s 10 GB VRAM and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 4K on Medium, but the card’s compute power is taxed by Ultra settings at this resolution.