Evolve

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-12600KF with the AMD Radeon RX 570 in Evolve represents a significant bottleneck scenario where the GPU is the primary constraint. The data shows that the processor, which sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, is capable of far higher throughput than the graphics card can translate into frames. The benchmark results indicate a system where the GPU is the limiting factor, and the CPU's performance headroom is largely untapped.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. It features a 20 MB shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores are robust, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23444 and a single-core score of 3309, alongside a Geekbench multicore score of 12373 and a single-core score of 2529. These numbers place the CPU in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27827.

The data shows that this processor’s performance is closely matched with rivals such as the Intel Core i9-10900K, which has an identical average score of 27829, and the Intel Core i5-12600K, which is only 0.1% behind. This indicates that the 12600KF is a high-end part in terms of compute capability. However, when paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570, the measured frame rates in Evolve are modest. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 74.4, dropping to 49.3 at High and 35.8 at Ultra. This pattern suggests that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is unable to fully utilize the CPU's potential.

The RX 570 is a Polaris 20 chip with 2048 shading units, a base clock of 1168 MHz, and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. It has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The GPU's average benchmark score is 30158, placing it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, is only 0.2% ahead, which seems to indicate the RX 570 is a capable card in synthetic tests. However, the frame rates in Evolve tell a different story, revealing that the GPU is severely limiting the system's output.

In this specific game, the CPU's role is largely to provide a stable platform that never becomes a bottleneck. The high single-thread performance of the 12600KF is more than sufficient for Evolve, a game from 2015 that is not known for being heavily threaded. The core count of 10 and 16 threads are far beyond what this game will require, meaning the CPU's utilization is likely low during gameplay. The result is a system where the CPU is waiting on the GPU to deliver frames, and the measured FPS is directly tied to the RX 570's rendering capabilities.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12600KF compare to its closest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27827, which is identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K's score of 27829, showing a 0% delta. It is also 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i5-12600K (score 27851) and 0.4% behind the Intel Core i7-13700H (score 27716).

*Q: What is the measured average FPS at 1440p with Medium settings in Evolve?*

A: At a resolution of 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system achieves an average FPS of 39.0. This is lower than the 54.1 FPS at Low settings but higher than the 30.8 FPS at High and the 22.6 FPS at Ultra.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking compared to all other GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 is in the 74th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 30158. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, has a score of 30109, which is only 0.2% higher.

Q: How does the FPS scale from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: On High settings, the average FPS drops from 49.3 at 1920x1080 to 30.8 at 2560x1440, and then to 21.2 at 3840x2160. This represents a 57% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 1592 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the bottom 6% of all configurations.

Q: What is the boost clock speed of the Intel Core i5-12600KF?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, which is significantly higher than its base clock of 3.70 GHz, allowing for substantial single-threaded performance when needed.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data reveals a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 74.4 FPS, which is the highest measured for this resolution. Medium drops to 61.1 FPS, High to 49.3 FPS, and Ultra to 35.8 FPS. For a smooth experience, the Low preset is the only option that consistently stays above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for competitive play or when aiming for a high refresh rate.

At 2560x1440, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset delivers 54.1 FPS, which is still playable but below 60. Medium drops to 39.0, High to 30.8, and Ultra to 22.6. For 1440p, the Low preset is the only viable option to get close to a playable frame rate, but it still requires a compromise on smoothness. The Medium preset is not recommended as it falls well below the 60 FPS mark. At 3840x2160, no preset is truly playable, with Low only reaching 32.3 FPS, High at 21.2, Medium at 21.1, and Ultra at a mere 14.6 FPS.

The data indicates that the best experience, defined as the highest frame rate without dropping into unplayable territory, is achieved at 1080p with Low settings. This preset provides a 74.4 FPS average, which is significantly higher than the Medium preset's 61.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 13.3 FPS, which is substantial for a game like Evolve where fast-paced action benefits from a higher frame rate. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as the 35.8 FPS average is below the threshold for a smooth experience. Given the GPU's limitations, the Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration that delivers a consistently fluid experience.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and the AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 1592 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve. This places the system in the bottom 6% of all configurations, which is a poor showing for a CPU that is in the 84th percentile of all processors. The high rank number indicates that the GPU is severely dragging down the overall performance, as the CPU has ample headroom to drive higher frame rates if paired with a more powerful graphics card.

The data shows that this combo is outperformed by the vast majority of other tested pairings. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-10900K and the Intel Core i5-12600K, would likely achieve better results when paired with a more capable GPU. The RX 570's 74th percentile ranking suggests that it is a mid-range GPU, but its performance in Evolve is worse than expected, likely due to the game's specific demands. The rank of 1592 indicates that the system is not well-balanced for this title, with the GPU being the clear weak link.

The low ranking is not a reflection of the CPU's capabilities, but rather a result of the GPU's inability to keep up. The measured frame rates are consistently low across all settings and resolutions, confirming that the RX 570 is the bottleneck. This is a classic case of a modern, powerful CPU being paired with an older, weaker GPU, resulting in a system that underperforms in gaming scenarios. The combo rank of 1592 out of 1695 serves as a warning that this pairing is not optimal for Evolve, and users would need to upgrade the GPU to see meaningful performance gains.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation that is characteristic of a GPU-bound system. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 49.3 at 1920x1080 to 30.8 at 2560x1440, and then to 21.2 at 3840x2160. This represents a 57% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is a significant drop that highlights the GPU's inability to handle higher pixel counts. The scaling is not linear, with the 1440p to 4K transition showing a smaller drop (31%) compared to the 1080p to 1440p transition (37.5%).

At Low settings, the same pattern emerges, with FPS dropping from 74.4 at 1080p to 54.1 at 1440p, and then to 32.3 at 4K. This is a 57% reduction from 1080p to 4K, similar to the High preset. The fact that the percentage drop is consistent across settings suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU's performance is not affected by resolution changes. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers at all resolutions, which is not the case.

The data clearly shows that the GPU is the limiting component in this system. The RX 570's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for higher resolutions, leading to a steep decline in performance as the pixel count increases. The CPU, with its high core count and clock speeds, is not being stressed by Evolve at any resolution. The FPS drops are directly proportional to the increase in resolution, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. This analysis is further supported by the fact that the CPU's benchmark scores are far above what is needed for this game, while the GPU's scores are mid-range, indicating that the GPU is the weak link in the chain.