Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a performance profile in Evolve that is heavily dictated by resolution and settings. The measured data shows a clear pattern: the combo scales from exceptional 1080p performance to merely playable 4K at the highest settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the role of each component, and the practical implications for gamers.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a dramatic shift in the bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 262.5 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is the primary limiting factor, as the GPU has ample headroom. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 178.3 FPS, a 32% reduction, indicating the GPU is starting to take on more load. At 4K Low, the average falls to 98.1 FPS, a further 45% drop, confirming the GPU is now the dominant constraint.

The scaling becomes more severe at higher settings. At High settings, the FPS drops from 159.2 at 1080p to 108 at 1440p (a 32% decrease) and then to 61.5 at 4K (a 43% decrease from 1440p). This pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario at 4K, where the pixel throughput demand overwhelms the RTX 4070's capabilities. The data indicates that for smooth 4K gameplay, users must be willing to compromise on settings, as the Ultra preset at 4K yields only 44.2 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra shows a 38% performance loss, underscoring the heavy cost of 4K resolution on this title.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070's specifications directly explain its performance envelope in Evolve. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, the card provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the game's assets at 1440p but becomes strained at 4K. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz and 5888 shading units allow it to excel at lower resolutions, as seen in the 1080p results. However, the 4K Ultra result of 44.2 FPS indicates that the card's raw compute power, while substantial, is not enough to maintain high frame rates at the highest pixel counts.

The GPU's 64 ROPs and 184 TMUs are key to its texturing and pixel-fill capabilities. The data shows that at 4K, the transition from Medium (77.8 FPS) to High (61.5 FPS) to Ultra (44.2 FPS) represents a linear degradation, suggesting that each settings tier adds a significant load on the GPU's processing units. The RTX 4070's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is a strong figure, but Evolve's demands at 4K Ultra clearly push beyond what this card can deliver at playable rates. This is a case where the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at 4K, while at 1080p, its power is somewhat underutilized.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination holds a rank of 426 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the top 25% of all systems tested, a solid position for a mainstream pairing. The rank reflects a balance between the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance and the GPU's high-end capabilities. The combo's performance is not top-tier, but it is well above average, indicating it is a capable setup for this game. Given the measured FPS data, this rank is consistent: the combo delivers excellent 1080p and good 1440p performance, but falls short of the elite tier at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a detailed look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 262.5 FPS
• Medium: 202.8 FPS
• High: 159.2 FPS
• Ultra: 109.8 FPS

This resolution is clearly where the combo shines. Even at Ultra, the system maintains over 100 FPS, and the Low preset results are exceptionally high. The data indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor at Low, as the FPS is high enough to suggest the GPU is not fully saturated.

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 178.3 FPS
• Medium: 138.3 FPS
• High: 108 FPS
• Ultra: 71.3 FPS

1440p offers a balanced experience. The High preset is perfectly playable at 108 FPS, and even Ultra remains above 60 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 60% performance drop, which is a typical curve for a GPU-bound scenario at this resolution.

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 98.1 FPS
• Medium: 77.8 FPS
• High: 61.5 FPS
• Ultra: 44.2 FPS

4K is where the combo struggles. Only the Low preset provides a frame rate above 100 FPS. The High preset is right at the edge of playability at 61.5 FPS, while Ultra falls below the 60 FPS target. The data suggests that 4K gamers will need to use Medium settings or lower to ensure a consistently smooth experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide solid single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332. The CPU's maximum thread benchmark score of 5912 in 3DMark indicates strong multi-threading capability for a mid-range chip.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p with lower settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 262.5 FPS, which is a high enough rate that the GPU is likely not the bottleneck. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache helps with game logic and physics, but the data suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU's workload takes precedence. The CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4070 at 1440p and 4K, as the FPS drops are consistent with GPU limitations. The 12 threads are more than adequate for Evolve, which is not a heavily multi-threaded title. The CPU's boost clock of 4.40 GHz is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios, and the measured 1080p results confirm it is up to the task.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests a clear hierarchy of settings for different priorities.

For maximum frame rates at 1080p, the Low preset's 262.5 FPS is the obvious choice, but this sacrifices visual fidelity. A better balance is the Medium preset at 202.8 FPS, which offers a significant visual upgrade with only a 23% performance penalty compared to Low. For 1080p users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the High preset at 159.2 FPS is a strong recommendation, as it provides a good balance of visuals and performance, well above the 144Hz threshold.

At 1440p, the High preset at 108 FPS is the sweet spot. It provides a smooth experience on standard 60Hz monitors and is close to the 120Hz mark for those with faster displays. The Ultra preset at 71.3 FPS is acceptable for gamers who prioritize visual quality over a high refresh rate, but the Medium preset at 138.3 FPS is better for competitive play, offering a 30% performance increase over High with a minor visual trade-off.

For 4K, the data is clear: the Ultra preset is not viable at 44.2 FPS. The High preset at 61.5 FPS is marginal, but the Medium preset at 77.8 FPS provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Given the significant performance drop from High to Ultra, the recommended setting for 4K is Medium, which delivers a playable experience without the frame rate instability of High. The Low preset at 98.1 FPS is an option for those who prioritize smoothness above all else, but the visual downgrade is substantial. The data indicates that the RTX 4070 is best utilized at 1440p High or 4K Medium for a balanced experience in Evolve.