Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER yields a combo rank of 1043 out of 1695 tested combinations in Evolve, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This position, roughly in the 38th percentile of all combos, reflects a pairing where the GPU’s age and the CPU’s mid-range standing intersect with a game that is now a decade old. The ranking is not a measure of failure, but rather a signal that this system is competitive for 1080p and 1440p play, while 4K Ultra remains out of reach.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1043 out of 1695 places it below the median tested configuration. This is not surprising given the component profiles: the CPU holds an 84th percentile ranking against all CPUs, while the GPU sits at a 65th percentile against all GPUs. The CPU is the stronger link in this chain, and the data confirms it. The i5-12600KF’s average benchmark score of 27827 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores 27829 with a deltaPct of 0. That 0% difference makes them functionally interchangeable in synthetic tests. The i5-12600K is also a close match at 27851, with a deltaPct of -0.1%, meaning the unlocked KF variant is technically a hair behind the K variant, though the gap is negligible.

In Evolve, the combo’s overall rank benefits from the CPU’s strong single-thread performance, which is critical for a game from 2015 that relies on fewer cores. The i5-12600KF’s single-thread scores are robust: 1016 in 3dmark_single_thread, 3309 in Cinebench R23 single-core, and 3925 in Passmark single-thread. These scores, combined with the 84th percentile CPU ranking, indicate the processor is not the bottleneck in this system. The GPU, however, is the limiting factor. Its 65th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 22206 place it slightly below the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307, deltaPct -0.5%) and just above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (22006, deltaPct 0.9%). This positions the RTX 2070 SUPER as a mid-tier card in the current database, which is consistent with its measured performance in Evolve.

GPU Role

The RTX 2070 SUPER’s role in Evolve is defined by its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. For a game released in 2015, 8 GB is ample, and the data shows that VRAM capacity is not the constraint here. The card’s base clock of 1605 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz, combined with 2560 shading units, deliver a pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s. These specifications produce a measured FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Evolve.

The GPU’s performance in Evolve scales predictably with settings. At 1080p, the card achieves 176.6 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 75.6 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of 57%. This suggests that the card’s compute resources are being taxed by the game’s higher-detail settings, particularly at Ultra where the 31.2 FPS at 4K indicates a hard ceiling. The GPU’s 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are not directly relevant to Evolve, which predates widespread ray tracing adoption, but they do contribute to the card’s overall compute capacity. The card’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is forward-looking, though Evolve does not leverage this feature set.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern: the RTX 2070 SUPER struggles as resolution increases, but the CPU maintains its performance headroom. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 106.7 to 72.3, a 32% reduction. From 1440p to 4K at High, the drop is from 72.3 to 43.1, a 40% reduction. This steepening curve indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 176.6 FPS, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently, but at 4K Ultra, the 31.2 FPS result shows the GPU is overwhelmed.

The 1080p to 4K scaling at Low settings is particularly telling: 176.6 FPS at 1080p falls to 120.9 at 1440p and then to 69.4 at 4K. The 43% drop from 1440p to 4K at Low settings is steeper than the 32% drop from 1080p to 1440p, confirming that the GPU’s fill rate and bandwidth are the limiting factors. In contrast, the CPU’s multi-threaded scores—7956 in 3dmark_16_threads and 23444 in Cinebench R23 multicore—show ample headroom. This is a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, with the CPU idling well below its maximum potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable to excellent results across all settings. Low settings produce 176.6 FPS, Medium drops to 139.7 FPS, High yields 106.7 FPS, and Ultra settles at 75.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 101 FPS, indicating that the GPU’s shading units and TMUs are heavily utilized at higher presets. For competitive play, the Low setting’s 176.6 FPS provides a smooth experience, while Ultra’s 75.6 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains solid but the Ultra preset becomes marginal. Low settings achieve 120.9 FPS, Medium reaches 93.2 FPS, and High produces 72.3 FPS. Ultra, however, drops to 48.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for many users. This indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER’s 8 GB VRAM and 256-bit bus are sufficient for 1440p, but the card’s compute throughput is stretched at Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the results are mixed. Low settings yield 69.4 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 50.9 FPS, High falls to 43.1 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 31.2 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is below the 30 FPS threshold for some, but the Low setting’s 69.4 FPS shows the card can handle 4K if settings are dialed back. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 55% reduction, highlighting the GPU’s limitations at this resolution.

FAQ

*Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12600KF the bottleneck in Evolve?*

A: No. The CPU’s 84th percentile ranking and high single-thread scores (1016 in 3dmark_single_thread, 3309 in Cinebench R23 single-core) indicate it has ample headroom. The GPU is the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 22206 is 0.5% below the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307) and 0.9% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (22006). It is also 2.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22729).

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Evolve?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves 69.4 FPS. At Medium, High, and Ultra, the average FPS drops to 50.9, 43.1, and 31.2 respectively, making 4K Ultra unplayable for most users.

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

A: 1920x1080 offers the best balance, with all settings above 75 FPS. At 2560x1440, Low, Medium, and High are playable, but Ultra drops to 48.4 FPS.

*Q: Does the i5-12600KF’s 10-core, 16-thread configuration matter for Evolve?*

A: The game from 2015 does not need that many cores, but the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (3925 in Passmark single-thread) ensures it does not bottleneck the GPU at any resolution.

Q: What does the combo’s rank of 1043 out of 1695 mean?

A: It places the system in the lower-middle tier of tested combos for Evolve. The GPU’s 65th percentile ranking drags the combo down, while the CPU’s higher percentile helps keep it above the bottom quartile.