Evolve

Evolve, the 2015 asymmetrical FPS, presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the Intel Arc B370. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics processor, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The combination ranks at 2639 out of 2872 tested combos, placing it in the 8th percentile of all tested systems for this title, indicating that this pairing will struggle to provide a fluid experience at standard settings.

Settings Recommendations

The data indicates that the Low preset is the only viable option for achieving a playable framerate across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 80 FPS, which is the only setting that breaks the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 62 FPS, which is acceptable, but the Low preset provides a significant 29% performance headroom over Medium, making it the safest choice for maintaining a consistent experience.

For users willing to accept lower visual fidelity, the Low preset at 2560x1440 produces an average of 54 FPS. This is a playable framerate, though it may not be ideal for fast-paced competitive play. The data shows that the High preset at 1440p drops to 33 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 23 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for a smooth gaming experience. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only manages 31 FPS, which is not recommended for a game requiring quick reactions.

The Medium preset can be considered at 1920x1080, where it achieves 62 FPS. This setting provides a balance between visual quality and performance, with a minimum recorded framerate of 53 FPS, suggesting it can hold a relatively stable experience. However, the 80 FPS average of the Low preset offers a more substantial buffer against framerate dips. For the best overall experience, the data strongly suggests using the Low preset at 1080p, as it is the only configuration that consistently provides a framerate high enough to fully utilize a high-refresh-rate monitor. The performance penalty for moving from Low to Medium is an 18 FPS drop at 1080p, while the jump from Medium to High costs another 13 FPS, showing that the GPU's limitations become more pronounced as graphical fidelity increases.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. Its benchmark data shows a percentile ranking of 5 among all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. This places it in the same performance tier as legacy GPUs like the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190, and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M, which scores 1192. The Arc B370 is 0.5% slower than the HD 5770 and 0.7% slower than the HD 7650M, highlighting its limited graphical processing power.

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This architecture, combined with a 25 W TDP and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, suggests a design focused on power efficiency rather than raw performance. The shared memory and low power envelope directly explain the low frame rates observed in Evolve. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are insufficient for handling the complex scenes and effects of a modern FPS at high resolutions. The data shows that even the Low preset at 4K only achieves 31 FPS, a clear indicator that the GPU cannot keep up with the pixel throughput required at that resolution. The performance degradation from 1080p Low (80 FPS) to 4K Low (31 FPS) represents a 61% reduction in framerate, underscoring the GPU's inability to handle higher pixel counts.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2639 out of 2872 tested combinations in Evolve. This places it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested, confirming that this is a low-performance configuration for this game. The CPU itself is powerful, ranking in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, but it is severely hampered by the GPU. The system's overall ranking is almost entirely dictated by the Arc B370's performance.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K, which has an average benchmark score 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which is also 0.3% higher. The i5-12600KF performs on par with these, showing that its processing power is not the limiting factor. However, the GPU's nearest rivals are all legacy components from over a decade ago, such as the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770. This stark contrast in the competitive positioning of the CPU and GPU components illustrates that the graphics card is the sole reason for the low overall rank. The data shows a clear mismatch: a high-end CPU paired with a low-end GPU. In Evolve, this results in a system that is fundamentally incapable of delivering a satisfactory experience at most settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 80 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. The High preset averages 49 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 34 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. The Low preset averages 54 FPS. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. The High preset drops to 33 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 23 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable framerates. The Low preset averages 31 FPS. The Medium preset averages 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. The High preset averages 19 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 13 FPS.

These numbers show a consistent pattern. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets at each resolution is significant, with the Ultra preset being roughly 57-58% slower than Low. For example, at 1080p, the drop from 80 FPS (Low) to 34 FPS (Ultra) is a 58% reduction. At 4K, the drop from 31 FPS (Low) to 13 FPS (Ultra) is a 58% reduction as well. This indicates that the GPU's processing power is the limiting factor across all settings, as the relative performance penalty for increasing quality is similar regardless of resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows that resolution scaling has a significant impact on performance. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at the Low preset reduces the average framerate from 80 FPS to 54 FPS, a drop of 33%. Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at the Low preset further reduces it from 54 FPS to 31 FPS, a drop of 43%. From 1080p to 4K, the total reduction is from 80 FPS to 31 FPS, a 61% decrease.

This scaling pattern indicates that the system is heavily pixel-bound. The framerate drops are roughly proportional to the increase in pixel count. For example, 1440p has 1.78 times the pixels of 1080p, and the framerate drops to 68% of the 1080p value. 4K has 4 times the pixels of 1080p, and the framerate drops to 39% of the 1080p value. This near-linear scaling is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario, as the CPU is not able to compensate for the increased workload on the graphics processor. The i5-12600KF, with its high single-thread performance, is not the bottleneck here; the Arc B370's limited shading units, TMUs, and ROPs are overwhelmed by the sheer number of pixels that need to be processed at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system in Evolve?

A: The best experience is at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which achieves an average of 80 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p is also viable at 62 FPS, but the Low preset offers a more significant performance buffer.

Q: Can this system run Evolve at 4K?

A: No, not at a playable framerate. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only achieves 31 FPS, and the Medium preset drops to 24 FPS. These framerates are too low for a smooth experience in a fast-paced FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to other GPUs?

A: The Arc B370 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. It performs on par with legacy cards like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190) and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192), being 0.5% and 0.7% slower, respectively.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12600KF the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU is powerful, ranking in the 79th percentile overall. Its performance is comparable to the Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D. The GPU is the definitive bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets?

A: The Ultra preset is consistently about 58% slower than the Low preset at all tested resolutions. For example, at 1080p, the average framerate drops from 80 FPS (Low) to 34 FPS (Ultra).

Q: How much of a performance hit does moving from 1080p to 4K cause?

A: At the Low preset, moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 results in a 61% reduction in average framerate, dropping from 80 FPS to 31 FPS. This indicates the system is heavily limited by its graphics processor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a high-performance processor that is not the limiting factor in this configuration. It features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This processing power is reflected in its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23391 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2157. Its average benchmark score of 27799 places it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage game logic. The data shows that the CPU is more than capable of this task, as the framerate scales almost entirely with resolution and settings, which are GPU-bound workloads. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, has an average score only 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is also only 0.3% higher, indicating that the i5-12600KF is operating at a competitive level. The system's low overall ranking is not due to the CPU but due to the GPU's inability to process frames fast enough. The CPU's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1016, ensures that it does not create a bottleneck even at lower resolutions where the CPU's workload is relatively higher compared to the GPU's. The pairing of a top-tier CPU with a low-tier GPU creates an unbalanced system where the full potential of the processor is never realized in this game.