Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a dominant performance profile in Evolve, consistently producing high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings. The data indicates this combination is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom for extreme frame rates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to explain how the components interact, where the bottlenecks lie, and what settings offer the optimal experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, with the most significant frame rate drop occurring at the highest fidelity settings. At Low settings, the transition from 1920x1080 (292 FPS) to 3840x2160 (112.9 FPS) represents a 61% reduction, indicating that even at low graphical loads, the GPU becomes a limiting factor at 4K. However, the most dramatic scaling is observed at Ultra settings, where the average frame rate falls from 123.4 FPS at 1080p to just 45.1 FPS at 4K, a 63% drop.

This scaling behavior reveals that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary performance limiter at 4K, especially under heavy graphical loads. At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high, with Low settings producing 197.8 FPS and Ultra still achieving a smooth 81.4 FPS. The data suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combination, offering a substantial performance buffer across all settings. The 1080p results, particularly at Low (292 FPS) and Medium (225.7 FPS), indicate that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far beyond typical display refresh rates, making the system's performance at this resolution more dependent on the GPU's raw output than on processor limits.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F provides a robust foundation for Evolve, evidenced by its ability to support very high frame rates at 1080p. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the processor's architecture is well-suited for the game's demands, as indicated by its strong multi-threaded performance in synthetic benchmarks. The CPU's boost clock of 4.40 GHz and a base clock of 2.50 GHz allow it to handle the game's logic and AI without becoming a bottleneck in most scenarios.

Benchmark results for the i5-12400F show a 3DMark max threads score of 5912 and a single-thread score of 909, while Cinebench R23 multicore and singlecore scores are 16518 and 2332, respectively. These figures place the CPU in the 77th percentile compared to all CPUs, with its average benchmark score of 19221 being virtually identical to the Intel Core i7-8700K (deltaPct of 0.1%). This parity suggests that the i5-12400F offers performance comparable to older high-end processors, making it more than sufficient for Evolve. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the GPU is still able to produce 292 FPS at Low settings. The processor's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4/DDR5 memory contribute to its responsiveness, ensuring consistent frame pacing even in intense firefights.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the High settings preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 2560x1440, High settings deliver 121.8 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1920x1080, High settings produce 177.2 FPS, providing a significant margin for competitive play. While Ultra settings offer the highest visual quality, the performance cost is substantial: at 1440p, Ultra drops to 81.4 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 45.1 FPS, which may not be ideal for fast-paced action.

For users prioritizing frame rate over visual detail, Low settings at 1440p (197.8 FPS) or 1080p (292 FPS) are exceptional choices, essentially maximizing the display's refresh rate potential. Medium settings serve as a middle ground, with 151.2 FPS at 1440p and 225.7 FPS at 1080p. The data suggests that High is the recommended preset for most users, as it nearly doubles the frame rate of Ultra at 4K (70.8 FPS vs 45.1 FPS) while still maintaining a visually rich experience. The performance gap between High and Ultra indicates that the latter is a luxury setting for this hardware combination, best used only at 1080p where 123.4 FPS remains playable.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Evolve with this hardware?*

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 provides the best combination of high frame rates and visual clarity. At High settings, the system achieves 121.8 FPS, and even at Ultra, it maintains 81.4 FPS, making it the most versatile resolution for this GPU and CPU pairing.

*Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K smoothly?*

A: At 4K, performance varies significantly by settings. High settings yield an average of 70.8 FPS, which is playable, while Ultra settings drop to 45.1 FPS, which may feel less responsive. Low settings at 4K produce 112.9 FPS, indicating that 4K is viable only with reduced graphical fidelity.

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

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% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS, placing it in a highly competitive performance tier.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling from Low (292 FPS) to Ultra (123.4 FPS). The CPU provides enough headroom to support these high frame rates, with the GPU's rendering capabilities dictating the final output.

Q: What are the GPU's performance characteristics in synthetic tests?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER scores 29995 in Passmark G3D and 17108 in Passmark GPU Compute. It also achieves 192684 in Geekbench OpenCL and 179271 in Geekbench Vulkan, placing it in the 84th percentile versus all GPUs.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing for Evolve, as its performance dictates the achievable frame rates across all settings. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which is sufficient for the game's textures and effects at high resolutions. The core clock boosts up to 2475 MHz, and with 7168 shading units, the GPU is well-equipped to handle the game's rendering demands.

The GPU's benchmark performance is notable, with a Passmark G3D score of 29995 and a DirectX 12 score of 110, placing it in the 84th percentile. Its average benchmark score of 42576 is closely matched by the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (deltaPct of -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (deltaPct of -0.3%). In Evolve, the GPU's role is clearly highlighted by the frame rate differences between settings: at 4K, the Ultra preset (45.1 FPS) is less than half the frame rate of the Low preset (112.9 FPS), demonstrating the heavy load placed on the GPU by high-fidelity rendering. The 35.48 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 554.4 GTexel/s texture rate contribute to the GPU's ability to maintain high frame rates at 1440p, where it delivers 197.8 FPS at Low settings and 121.8 FPS at High settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 292 FPS, Medium produces 225.7 FPS, High produces 177.2 FPS, and Ultra produces 123.4 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high: Low achieves 197.8 FPS, Medium achieves 151.2 FPS, High achieves 121.8 FPS, and Ultra achieves 81.4 FPS. At 3840x2160, the performance drops more significantly: Low yields 112.9 FPS, Medium yields 88 FPS, High yields 70.8 FPS, and Ultra yields 45.1 FPS.

This breakdown shows a consistent pattern where each increase in settings tier results in a roughly 20-30% reduction in frame rate, depending on the resolution. The most efficient scaling is seen at 1440p, where the system maintains over 120 FPS at High settings, making it the ideal resolution for this hardware. At 1080p, the system is capable of exceeding 290 FPS at Low settings, indicating that the CPU and GPU combination has significant performance headroom for competitive play. The 4K data reveals that the GPU is the limiting factor, as even Medium settings (88 FPS) require a compromise on visual quality to achieve a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 286th out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the top 17% of all systems. This ranking reflects the strong performance of both components, with the GPU's high percentile ranking (84th) and the CPU's solid mid-tier performance (77th) contributing to an overall capable gaming system. The combo's rank is particularly impressive given the game's release date in 2015, indicating that modern hardware far exceeds the requirements for this title.

The data shows that this combo outperforms the vast majority of tested systems, with only 285 combinations achieving a higher rank. This places it in a competitive tier where users can expect high frame rates at 1440p and playable performance at 4K with adjusted settings. The combination's performance is well-balanced, as the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions, and the GPU provides sufficient power for demanding settings at higher resolutions. This ranking suggests that users with this hardware can enjoy Evolve with a high degree of confidence in its performance, whether they prioritize frame rate or visual fidelity.