Evolve

Evolve, a 2015 FPS title, shows a demanding performance profile on modern hardware. For the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination, benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom to push high frame rates at 1080p. The measured data reveals a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and smoothness, with the system capable of excellent 1080p performance but struggling to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Evolve?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently achieves high frame rates across all settings. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 62 (Ultra) to 147 (Low), whereas at 2560x1440 it drops to a range of 41 to 98, and at 3840x2160 it falls to a range of 24 to 56.

Q: How does the RX 6600's VRAM capacity affect performance in Evolve?

A: The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. While the fact pack does not provide direct VRAM usage metrics, the significant frame rate drops when moving from Medium to High and Ultra settings suggest that the memory subsystem and bandwidth are under heavy load at higher detail levels, particularly at 4K where Ultra averages only 24 FPS.

Q: Is the Core i7-12700KF or the Radeon RX 6600 the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p, the system achieves 147 FPS on Low settings, showing the CPU can feed the GPU well beyond typical 60 FPS targets. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate collapses to 24 FPS, a pattern that points to the graphics card being unable to handle the pixel and shader workload, not the processor.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The measured data shows a substantial 57 FPS gap. Low settings average 98 FPS, while Ultra averages 41 FPS. This represents a 58% reduction in average frame rate when switching to the highest quality preset, making Medium (76 FPS) the most balanced option for this resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 2877 out of 3700 tested combos. This places it in the lower 22% of all tested systems, indicating that while it is not among the top performers, it is also not in the bottom tier, with its mid-range ranking reflecting the GPU's 63rd percentile standing among all GPUs.

Q: Are the frame rate measurements consistent, or is there variability?

A: The fact pack includes minimum and maximum FPS data only for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range is 97 to 131 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 65 to 88 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 37 to 50 FPS. This shows moderate variance, with the range widening at lower resolutions, suggesting less consistent frame pacing when the GPU is under less stress.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 7 nm process, plays the decisive role in Evolve's performance. Its core configuration includes 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2491 MHz and a game clock of 2044 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory operates at 1750 MHz, yielding a 224.0 GB/s bandwidth across a 128-bit bus. These specifications translate to a measured 8.928 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power.

In Evolve, the GPU's workload scales dramatically with resolution and settings. The data shows that at 1080p, the RX 6600 can deliver high refresh rates, peaking at 147 FPS on Low settings. However, the frame rate is highly sensitive to visual complexity. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 85 FPS (147 vs 62), demonstrating that the shading units and ROPs are quickly saturated by the game's effects, shadows, and textures. The 4K results are particularly telling: even on Low settings, the average FPS drops to 56, which is below the 60 FPS target, confirming that the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for ultra-high-definition gaming in this title.

The GPU's 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it is a solid mid-range performer, but its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 and the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile, with delta percentages of 0% and -0.1% respectively. This places the RX 6600 in a performance class that is adequate for 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming, but it lacks the headroom for 4K. The 132 W TDP and dual-slot design make it a manageable card, but the benchmark results clearly show that its architectural strengths are best utilized at resolutions where the 8 GB frame buffer and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are not overwhelmed.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for the best experience in Evolve. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the optimal choice for most users, delivering an average of 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 131. This high frame rate ensures smooth gameplay on standard 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitors, while the visual quality is significantly better than Low, which averages 147 FPS but sacrifices detail. High settings also remain viable at 1080p with 89 FPS average, but the jump to Medium offers a 28% performance increase (from 89 to 114 FPS) for a marginal visual downgrade. Ultra, at 62 FPS, is playable but risks dipping below 60 FPS in intense scenes, making it less ideal.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is again the strongest recommendation. It averages 76 FPS with a range of 65 to 88, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings hover at exactly 60 FPS average, which is acceptable but leaves no headroom for frame drops. Low settings at 98 FPS are the best choice for competitive play or high refresh rate 1440p monitors, but the visual compromise is substantial. Ultra at 1440p, averaging 41 FPS, is not recommended for a smooth experience, as the frame rate falls below the playable threshold for most action games.

At 3840x2160, no preset provides a fully satisfactory experience. Medium is the only option that approaches playability, with an average of 43 FPS and a minimum of 37, but this is below the 60 FPS standard. Low settings at 56 FPS average are smoother but still miss the target and require significant visual sacrifices. High (34 FPS) and Ultra (24 FPS) are not viable for gameplay. Therefore, the data suggests that 4K should be avoided with this combo, or users should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for the best balance of quality and performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 achieves a combo rank of 2877 out of 3700 tested combinations in Evolve. This places the system in the 22nd percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly one in five tested systems but is outperformed by the majority. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance class, as the CPU is a high-end part.

The Core i7-12700KF itself is a strong performer, sitting in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2255, demonstrate its capability. Its nearest CPU rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T (deltaPct -0.1%) and the Intel Core i5-13600T (deltaPct 0.2%), showing the 12700KF is essentially on par with these newer, lower-power parts in synthetic tests. However, the GPU's 63rd percentile ranking, with an average benchmark score of 19036, drags the overall combo ranking down.

The delta between the CPU and GPU performance classes is stark. The processor is capable of feeding the graphics card far more data than it can process, as evidenced by the 147 FPS result at 1080p Low. In a game like Evolve, which is not particularly CPU-intensive by modern standards, the combo's rank is determined almost entirely by the RX 6600's ability to render frames. The 2877 rank suggests that for users with high refresh rate 1080p monitors, this is a sufficient combo, but for those seeking 1440p or 4K performance, it falls behind a significant number of other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p High, the system averages 89 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 60 FPS, a 33% reduction. At 4K High, the average plummets to 34 FPS, a further 43% reduction from 1440p. This pattern is consistent across all settings, with the scaling factor becoming more pronounced at higher quality presets.

For the Low preset, the FPS drops from 147 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p (a 33% decrease) and then to 56 at 4K (a 43% decrease from 1440p). The Medium preset shows a similar trend: 114 FPS at 1080p, 76 at 1440p, and 43 at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most affected, with 62 FPS at 1080p, 41 at 1440p, and just 24 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 62% for Low, 62% for Medium, 62% for High, and 61% for Ultra.

This scaling behavior indicates that the limiting component is the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with pixel count. Instead, the severe drops at 4K show that the RX 6600's rendering throughput and memory bandwidth are being overwhelmed by the increased pixel workload. The 4K results, where even Low settings fail to hit 60 FPS, confirm that the GPU is the definitive constraint in this system for Evolve.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across all tested configurations.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 147 FPS. This is the highest frame rate achieved, indicating minimal GPU bottleneck and excellent CPU responsiveness.
• Medium: Average 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 131 FPS. This shows a stable range, ideal for high refresh rate gaming.
• High: Average 89 FPS. This is a playable frame rate but with less headroom for demanding scenes.
• Ultra: Average 62 FPS. This is near the 60 FPS threshold, but the lack of minimum FPS data suggests potential for dips.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 98 FPS. This remains smooth and is suitable for high refresh rate 1440p monitors.
• Medium: Average 76 FPS, with a range of 65 to 88 FPS. This is the sweet spot for 1440p, offering a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.
• High: Average 60 FPS. This is exactly at the target, but leaves no room for error.
• Ultra: Average 41 FPS. This is not recommended for consistent gameplay, as it falls below the playable threshold.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 56 FPS. This is below 60 FPS, showing the GPU cannot handle 4K even at the lowest settings.
• Medium: Average 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 and maximum of 50 FPS. This is the best 4K result but still stutters in the lower range.
• High: Average 34 FPS. This is not playable for a fast-paced FPS.
• Ultra: Average 24 FPS. This is a slideshow and confirms that 4K Ultra is out of reach for this hardware.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the combo excels at 1080p, is adequate for 1440p, and fails to provide a smooth 4K experience. The Medium preset at 1080p and 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and frame rate stability.