Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 produces a dataset for Evolve that is heavily dictated by the graphics card's raw throughput, yet reveals a clear transition point where the CPU begins to assert its influence. Across the three tested resolutions, the frame rates are consistently high, but the scaling patterns between 1080p and 4K show a classic GPU-bound curve that flattens at lower resolutions. This combination ranks 120th out of 3700 tested combos in this title, placing it in the top percentile of all systems evaluated, with the data indicating that the RTX 4090 is doing the overwhelming majority of the heavy lifting.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second reveal a steep drop as resolution increases, which is the expected signature of a GPU-limited workload. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 225 FPS, which falls to 151 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 86 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 33% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 43% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The total scaling from 1080p to 4K is a 62% loss in frame rate, which is substantial but not unexpected for a game that is clearly rasterization-heavy on a flagship GPU.

The scaling pattern changes when the settings are lowered. At Low settings, the combo achieves 342 FPS at 1080p, 248 FPS at 1440p, and 141 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 27%, and from 1440p to 4K it is 43%. The fact that the 4K-to-1440p ratio remains consistent across settings—around 43%—suggests that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K regardless of quality preset. However, the 1080p-to-1440p gap narrows slightly at Low settings (27% vs 33% at High), hinting that at 1080p Low, the CPU begins to cap performance.

At Medium settings, the data includes min and max FPS values, which provide additional insight into the scaling. At 1080p Medium, the average is 287 FPS with a min of 244 FPS and max of 330 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 193 FPS with min 164 and max 221. At 4K Medium, the average is 110 FPS with min 93 and max 126. The frame time consistency, as indicated by the gap between min and max, worsens with resolution, but the average FPS decline is smooth and predictable.

The Ultra preset tells a similar story, with 156 FPS at 1080p, 105 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 33%, and from 1440p to 4K it is 43%. This consistent 43% reduction at the high end of the resolution spectrum confirms that the RTX 4090's rendering pipeline is the bottleneck at 4K. The data suggests that at 1080p, especially with lower settings, the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads are more likely to become the limiting factor, given that the frame rates exceed 300 FPS, which is an area where even high-end processors can struggle to feed a GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Evolve?

A: The highest average FPS is 342, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the peak measured value across all resolution and settings combinations.

Q: How does the frame rate at 4K Ultra compare to 4K High?

A: At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset produces 60 FPS average, while the High preset produces 86 FPS average. This represents a 30% reduction in performance when moving from High to Ultra at 4K.

Q: Does the RTX 4090 maintain playable frame rates at 4K with this CPU?

A: Yes, the data shows all tested 4K presets produce average frame rates above 60 FPS. The lowest 4K result is 60 FPS at Ultra, while Low, Medium, and High settings yield 141, 110, and 86 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p Low and 1080p Ultra?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 342 FPS, while Ultra achieves 156 FPS. This indicates a 54% reduction in frame rate from Low to Ultra at the same resolution.

Q: Are the min FPS values from Medium settings indicative of any stuttering?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with min FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the min is 244 FPS, at 1440p Medium it is 164 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 93 FPS. These minimums are all well above 60 FPS, suggesting smooth frame delivery.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination is ranked 120th out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the top 3.2% of all systems tested.

CPU Role

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. Its L3 cache is 20 MB shared, and it supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role is to feed the RTX 4090 with enough draw calls and game logic to keep the GPU saturation high. The benchmark data from this combination suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 4K, where the GPU's rendering load dominates. However, at 1080p Low, where the frame rate reaches 342 FPS, the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more relevant.

The 3DMark single-thread score for this CPU is 1016, and the 2-thread score is 1995. These numbers indicate strong per-core performance, which is critical for games that rely on a few heavily loaded threads. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3302 reinforces this, showing that the i5-12600KF has sufficient single-thread performance to handle high-FPS scenarios. The multi-thread scores are also substantial, with Cinebench R23 multi-core at 23391 and Geekbench multi-core at 12137, but in a game like Evolve, the single-thread performance is more likely to dictate the ceiling at lower resolutions.

The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads are more than adequate for a game released in 2015, which predates the widespread use of many-core processors. The data indicates that at 1080p Low, the frame rate of 342 FPS is likely approaching the CPU's practical limit, as the GPU is capable of far higher output in lighter scenes. The boost clock of 4.90 GHz provides the headroom needed for such high frame rates, but the 125W TDP suggests that sustained all-core loads could throttle if not properly cooled. The percentile ranking of 79 for this CPU versus all CPUs indicates it sits in the upper quartile of processors, which is consistent with its ability to support a flagship GPU without major compromise.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined system of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 holds a rank of 120 out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the 96.8th percentile of all combinations evaluated, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of systems. The rank is a composite measure that accounts for the average FPS across all tested settings and resolutions, and the data shows that this combo is firmly in the top tier for this game.

To contextualize this rank, consider the CPU's nearest rivals in general benchmarks. The Intel Core i9-10900K has an average benchmark score of 27872, which is 0.3% lower than the i5-12600KF's average of 27799. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D scores 27896, also 0.3% lower. These rivals are all within a 0.3% margin of the i5-12600KF's average score, indicating that the CPU selection is not the deciding factor in the combo's rank. The GPU, on the other hand, has an average benchmark score of 60347, and its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, scores 60326, a 0% delta. This suggests that the RTX 4090 is a class-leading GPU, and its performance is what drives this combo to the 120th position.

The rank of 120 out of 3700 means there are 119 combos that produce higher average frame rates in Evolve. Given that the RTX 4090 is one of the most powerful GPUs available, these higher-ranked combos likely include CPUs with even higher single-thread performance, such as newer Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 parts. The 0.3% delta between the i5-12600KF and its rivals is negligible in real-world terms, but in a game where 342 FPS is the peak, the CPU's ability to maintain that peak without bottlenecking is crucial. The data shows that this combo is at the high end of performance, but there is still headroom for improvement with a more powerful CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low produces 342 FPS average, Medium produces 287 FPS with a min of 244 and max of 330, High produces 225 FPS, and Ultra produces 156 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 55 FPS, between Medium and High is 62 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 69 FPS. This shows a consistent decline in performance as settings increase, with each step costing roughly 50-70 FPS at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly but remain very high. Low produces 248 FPS, Medium produces 193 FPS with a min of 164 and max of 221, High produces 151 FPS, and Ultra produces 105 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 55 FPS, between Medium and High is 42 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 46 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is a 58% reduction, which is similar to the 54% reduction seen at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are lower but still playable. Low produces 141 FPS, Medium produces 110 FPS with a min of 93 and max of 126, High produces 86 FPS, and Ultra produces 60 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 31 FPS, between Medium and High is 24 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 26 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 57% reduction, which is consistent with the other resolutions.

The Medium settings are the only ones with min and max FPS data, which provides insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the min is 244 FPS, which is 85% of the average. At 1440p Medium, the min is 164 FPS, which is 85% of the average. At 4K Medium, the min is 93 FPS, which is 85% of the average. This consistency suggests that the frame delivery is stable across resolutions, with no sudden drops or hitches.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 4K, Medium produces 110 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS floor for smooth gameplay. The min FPS of 93 at 4K Medium indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate does not drop below 93 FPS, providing a consistent experience. In comparison, High at 4K produces 86 FPS, which is still playable but offers only a marginal visual improvement over Medium for a 22% performance penalty.

At 1440p, Medium produces 193 FPS average with a min of 164 FPS. This is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate displays, and the min FPS ensures that there are no noticeable stutters. High at 1440p produces 151 FPS, which is also excellent, but the 42 FPS difference between Medium and High may not justify the additional visual fidelity for competitive play. At 1080p, Medium produces 287 FPS average with a min of 244 FPS, which is ideal for esports-level responsiveness.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, and at 4K it produces exactly 60 FPS average. This is the minimum threshold for playable frame rates, but it leaves no headroom for drops. At 1440p Ultra, the 105 FPS average is acceptable, but the 60 FPS at 4K Ultra is a risk. The Low preset produces the highest frame rates but sacrifices visual quality significantly. For most users, Medium is the recommended preset, as it offers a 110 FPS average at 4K, 193 FPS at 1440p, and 287 FPS at 1080p, all with consistent min FPS values.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this combo, with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 2235 MHz with a boost clock of 2520 MHz, and it features 16384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. The GPU's FP32 performance is 82.58 TFLOPS, which is more than enough to handle Evolve's rendering demands at any resolution. The 24 GB VRAM is far more than the game requires, meaning there is no risk of memory capacity limiting performance.

The GPU's benchmark scores show its capabilities. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 9223, and the Passmark G3D score is 38194. These numbers place the RTX 4090 at the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60347. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, has a 0% delta in average score, indicating that the RTX 4090 is at the top of the performance hierarchy.

In Evolve, the GPU's role is to render the game's environments and effects. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the GPU is fully utilized, as the frame rate drops to 60 FPS. At 4K Low, the GPU produces 141 FPS, which shows that it has significant headroom when the visual load is reduced. The 24 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor, as Evolve is a game from 2015 and would not require more than a few GB. The GPU's 450W TDP indicates it draws significant power, but the performance it delivers justifies this in the context of this benchmark.

The GPU's memory clock of 1313 MHz with 21 Gbps effective speed provides the bandwidth needed for 4K textures and high-resolution rendering. The 384-bit bus width ensures that data can be transferred quickly between the GPU and VRAM, which is critical for maintaining high frame rates at 4K. The RTX 4090's raw compute power, as indicated by its 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is the primary driver of the high frame rates observed in this dataset. The GPU is clearly the bottleneck at 4K, and its performance dictates the overall results for this combo.