Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 53rd out of 1,695 tested combos in Evolve. That places it in the top 3.1% of all configurations evaluated for this title, a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a flagship GPU. The combo clearly has the hardware muscle to push very high frame rates, though the data shows that the RTX 4090 dominates the performance curve at lower resolutions while the i5-12400F becomes a more significant factor at 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

The 53rd position out of 1,695 combos indicates that this pairing is well above average for Evolve, but it is not at the absolute top. The ranking reflects a balance where the RTX 4090 provides enormous graphics throughput, but the i5-12400F’s six-core, 12-thread configuration can become a limiting factor in certain scenarios. The CPU’s benchmark scores support this: it achieves a multi-thread score of 16,518 in Cinebench R23 and a single-thread score of 2,332, placing it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-8700K (0.1% ahead) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS (0.7% behind), showing that the i5-12400F is competitive with older high-end parts but not a top-tier performer.

For a 2015 FPS like Evolve, this combo’s rank is impressive. The GPU alone sits in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66,473. The data indicates that the RTX 4090 is the primary driver of this combo’s high placement, as its nearest GPU rivals (Tesla T4, Tesla P40, Radeon Pro Vega 56) are all within a 1.3% delta in average score, yet none of those are paired with a modern six-core CPU in this benchmark suite. The combo rank suggests that while the CPU is not a bottleneck at most settings, it does cap performance at the highest presets, preventing the system from reaching the very top of the leaderboard.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed star of this pairing. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivers 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Evolve’s textures and geometry at any resolution. The GPU’s clock speeds are equally formidable: a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with memory running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The AD102 chip, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, contains 76,300 million transistors and offers 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In practice, the GPU’s role changes dramatically with settings. At 1080p Low, the RTX 4090 is severely underutilized, producing 308.1 FPS average, but the CPU is likely the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is fully stressed, dropping to 61.3 FPS average. The data shows a clear pattern: the RTX 4090 can handle Evolve at high frame rates up to 1440p High, but at 4K Ultra, it is pushed to its limits. The GPU’s 176 ROPs and 512 TMUs handle pixel and texture work efficiently, but the 450 W TDP and triple-slot cooler are necessary to sustain these clocks under load. The card’s 1x 16-pin power connector and 850 W suggested PSU are worth noting for anyone building this combo.

FAQ

*Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in Evolve?*

A: At 1080p Low, the combo hits 308.1 FPS, which suggests CPU limitation. However, at 4K High, the average is 89 FPS, indicating the GPU takes over as the primary constraint. The CPU’s 77th percentile ranking and 16,518 Cinebench R23 multi-core score show it is capable, but it does cap frame rates at low settings.

*Q: How does the RTX 4090’s 24 GB VRAM affect Evolve performance?*

A: The 24 GB GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth is far more than Evolve requires. Even at 4K Ultra, the game does not come close to exhausting this capacity, so VRAM is never a limiting factor in any measured scenario.

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

A: At 2560x1440 High, the combo delivers 151.4 FPS, which is smooth and visually solid. At 1920x1080 High, it reaches 225.2 FPS, but the GPU is underutilized. The 1440p High setting offers the best balance of visual quality and frame rate headroom.

Q: How does the i5-12400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-12400F scores an average benchmark of 19,221, placing it 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-8700K and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-1335U. It trails the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS by 0.7%, showing it is competitive with older and newer mid-range parts.

Q: Does the RTX 4090’s end-of-life status affect its performance?

A: No. The production status is end-of-life, but benchmark results show it remains in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 38,194. Its performance in Evolve is still exceptional, with no degradation in measured FPS.

Q: What is the combo’s rank relative to all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 53rd out of 1,695 tested combos. This places it in the top 3.1% of all pairings evaluated for Evolve, a strong showing for a mid-range CPU and flagship GPU combination.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings, providing a complete picture of performance scaling.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 308.1 FPS, Medium hits 277.9 FPS, High reaches 225.2 FPS, and Ultra drops to 157.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 150.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the main scaling factor, but the CPU prevents the Low setting from exceeding 308 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high. Low averages 246.3 FPS, Medium hits 195.8 FPS, High delivers 151.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 108.1 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 138.2 FPS drop, slightly less than at 1080p, suggesting the GPU is becoming more of a bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4090 is fully engaged. Low averages 142.7 FPS, Medium hits 108.8 FPS, High delivers 89 FPS, and Ultra drops to 61.3 FPS. The 81.4 FPS difference between Low and Ultra is the smallest across all resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the dominant constraint at 4K, while the CPU’s role diminishes.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and reveals the limiting component at each step. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 308.1 at 1080p to 246.3 at 1440p (a 20% drop) and then to 142.7 at 4K (a 42% drop from 1440p). This steep decline at 4K Low indicates that the RTX 4090 is finally becoming the bottleneck, as the CPU can no longer feed frames fast enough.

At High settings, the scaling is more linear: 225.2 FPS at 1080p, 151.4 FPS at 1440p (a 33% drop), and 89 FPS at 4K (a 41% drop from 1440p). This pattern suggests that at High settings, both the CPU and GPU contribute to the frame rate, with the GPU taking over as resolution increases. At Ultra settings, the drop is 157.3 FPS at 1080p, 108.1 FPS at 1440p (a 31% drop), and 61.3 FPS at 4K (a 43% drop from 1440p). The consistent 30-40% drops per resolution step indicate that the RTX 4090 is the primary limiter at Ultra, while the i5-12400F’s single-thread performance (2,332 in Cinebench R23) becomes less relevant as pixel count rises.

The data shows that at 1080p Low and Medium, the combo is CPU-bound, as the RTX 4090 could theoretically push higher FPS than 308.1 and 277.9. At 4K Ultra, the combo is GPU-bound, with the CPU having ample headroom. The sweet spot for avoiding CPU limitation is 1440p High, where the frame rate is still high but the GPU is doing meaningful work.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience per the measured rows, the 2560x1440 High setting is the clear recommendation. It delivers 151.4 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay in Evolve, while maintaining high visual fidelity. The 108.1 FPS at 1440p Ultra is also playable, but the 43.3 FPS drop from High to Ultra is not worth the marginal visual improvement in a fast-paced FPS.

At 4K, the choice depends on preference. High settings average 89 FPS, which is smooth, while Ultra drops to 61.3 FPS, still playable but closer to the minimum. For competitive play, 1080p High at 225.2 FPS is ideal, but the GPU is largely wasted at that resolution. The 1080p Low setting at 308.1 FPS is only useful for extreme frame rate priorities, as the visual quality is significantly reduced.

The data suggests that the combo’s optimal configuration is 1440p High, balancing the RTX 4090’s power with the i5-12400F’s capabilities. For 4K users, High settings offer the best trade-off, as Ultra’s 61.3 FPS average is close to the edge of what is comfortable for an FPS. The Medium settings at 1080p (277.9 FPS) and 1440p (195.8 FPS) provide alternative options, but they do not offer a meaningful advantage over High in terms of frame rate, given the GPU’s headroom. Ultimately, the measured data points to High as the most efficient preset across all resolutions.