Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, is tested here with the Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT. The benchmark data provided measures performance across four quality settings and three resolutions, offering a clear picture of how this specific combination handles the game. The Intel Core i7-12700K, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, alongside the Radeon RX 7700 XT with its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, produces a range of results from highly playable to demanding.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination for Evolve?

A: This combo ranks 1393 out of 3700 tested combinations for Evolve, placing it in the upper half of all tested systems.

Q: At which resolution and settings does this combo achieve the highest average frame rate?

A: The highest average frame rate is 221 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 35 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: The RX 7700 XT has a specific amount of VRAM. How does this relate to the game's performance?

A: The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This capacity supports the high-resolution textures and effects demanded by the Ultra preset at 4K, where the average frame rate drops to 35 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-12700K's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU scores 1043 in 3dmark_single_thread and 2308 in Geekbench_singlecore. In contrast, its multi-thread performance is significantly higher, with a 3dmark_max_threads score of 9979 and a Geekbench_multicore score of 15790.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for the CPU and GPU individually?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K is in the 84th percentile among all CPUs, while the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is in the 67th percentile among all GPUs.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT secures the 1393rd position out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve. This rank indicates a strong, upper-tier placement, suggesting the pairing is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions and remains capable at higher resolutions with adjusted settings. The CPU's individual performance is robust, with an average benchmark score of 35287, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-13600T, scores 35305, a negligible delta of -0.1%, meaning the 12700K is effectively tied with that processor in overall synthetic benchmarks.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 22549, placing it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile, which scores 22435, a 0.5% delta. This indicates the RX 7700 XT is competitively positioned within its performance class. In Evolve, the combo's rank relative to its 3700 peers shows that while the individual components are strong, the game's specific demands and the balance between CPU and GPU result in a placement that is good but not at the very top. The data suggests the system is more than capable of delivering smooth gameplay, but it is not the absolute highest-performing combination available for this title.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and features 3456 shading units. Its performance in Evolve is directly tied to its clock speeds and memory subsystem. The GPU has a base clock of 1435 MHz and a boost clock of 2544 MHz, with a game clock of 2171 MHz. These clocks dictate the raw processing throughput, which is reflected in its FP32 performance of 35.17 TFLOPS. The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s, which is a critical factor when rendering at higher resolutions.

In Evolve, the GPU's role becomes more prominent as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p with Low settings, the average frame rate is 221 FPS, indicating the GPU is not the primary bottleneck. However, at 4K with Ultra settings, the average frame rate plummets to 35 FPS. This massive drop is primarily due to the GPU's workload increasing with the number of pixels and the complexity of the graphics effects. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's textures even at 4K Ultra, but the computational demand of the Ultra preset at that resolution overwhelms the GPU's processing power, leading to the low average frame rate. The GPU's performance is the deciding factor between playable and unplayable frame rates at high resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear guide for optimal settings. At 1080p, the Ultra preset yields an average of 93 FPS, which is excellent for most monitors. The High preset at this resolution achieves 134 FPS, and Medium hits 171 FPS, while Low reaches 221 FPS. The sweet spot for 1080p is the High preset, as it offers a substantial visual upgrade over Medium with an average frame rate well above 60 FPS. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Medium preset at 171 FPS is the best choice, sacrificing some visual fidelity for a significantly higher frame rate.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers an average of 90 FPS, which is ideal for smooth gameplay on standard 144Hz monitors. The Ultra preset drops to 62 FPS, which is still playable but may not be optimal for competitive play. The Medium preset at 115 FPS offers a balanced experience for users prioritizing frame rate. For 4K, the High preset is the only playable option, with an average of 51 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as its 35 FPS average is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset at 65 FPS is a viable alternative, providing a more stable frame rate than High but with reduced visual details. The data indicates that for the best overall experience, High settings at 1080p or 1440p provide the most balanced performance, while 4K requires a compromise to the High preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable scaling pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 221 FPS on Low, 171 FPS on Medium, 134 FPS on High, and 93 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum FPS of 145 and a maximum of 197, indicating some variance but overall stable performance. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 148 FPS on Low, 115 FPS on Medium, 90 FPS on High, and 62 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 1440p has a min of 97 FPS and a max of 132 FPS, showing a narrower band of performance than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. The average frame rates are 84 FPS on Low, 65 FPS on Medium, 51 FPS on High, and 35 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K records a min of 55 FPS and a max of 75 FPS. This data shows that the transition from 1440p to 4K causes a substantial reduction in frame rate across all settings, highlighting the increased stress on the GPU. The difference between Low and Ultra settings is consistent at each resolution, with Ultra typically being roughly 40-50% slower than Low. This breakdown confirms that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, while at 1080p, the system has enough headroom to push very high frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K features 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its synthetic benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784 and a single-core score of 1850.5. Its Passmark multithread score is 34404, and its single-thread score is 4013. These results indicate a powerful processor that can handle demanding multi-threaded workloads.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is most critical at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully saturated. At 1080p with Low settings, the average frame rate of 221 FPS is high enough that the CPU's processing power is a significant factor in maintaining that performance. The CPU's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 1043, is essential for handling game logic and physics calculations. However, as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's influence on the frame rate diminishes. The data shows that at 4K, the frame rate is primarily determined by the GPU's rendering capabilities, with the CPU having ample headroom to keep up. The 12700K's performance is more than sufficient for this game, ensuring it does not become a limiting factor even at high frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and illustrates the shifting bottleneck. At High settings, the average frame rate goes from 134 FPS at 1080p to 90 FPS at 1440p, a 33% reduction. From 1440p to 4K, the frame rate drops from 90 FPS to 51 FPS, a 43% reduction. This pattern is consistent across all settings. On Low settings, the frame rate drops from 221 FPS at 1080p to 148 FPS at 1440p, and then to 84 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is larger at lower settings, with Low settings dropping by 62%, while High settings drop by 62% as well. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions, as the CPU's performance is sufficient to handle the game's demands.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe than from 1440p to 4K, which is typical due to the exponential increase in pixel count. The 4K resolution has over four times the pixels of 1080p, and this is reflected in the frame rate reduction. The data shows that the system is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, providing high frame rates, but it is not optimized for 4K gaming, particularly at higher settings. The limiting component at 4K is clearly the GPU, as the CPU's capabilities remain underutilized. For users seeking the highest frame rates, 1080p or 1440p are the recommended resolutions, as the GPU can deliver smooth performance without being overwhelmed.