Evolve

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a combination that pits a modern, high-core-count desktop processor against a Pascal-era graphics card originally launched in 2016. In Evolve, a 2015 FPS, this matchup produces a dataset that clearly illustrates where the bottleneck lies: the GPU. Benchmark results across three resolutions and four settings presets show a system that can deliver smooth frame rates at 1080p, becomes increasingly strained at 1440p, and falls below playable thresholds at 4K. The measured FPS data indicates that the GTX 1070, with its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus, is the limiting component in this pairing, while the i7-12700KF’s 20 threads and high boost clock remain largely underutilized. This analysis breaks down the resolution scaling, ranking, settings recommendations, and component roles based solely on the provided measurements.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is severe across all settings presets, confirming that Evolve’s rendering load scales heavily with pixel count. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 80 at 1080p to 54 at 2560x1440, then plummets to 31 at 4K. That represents a 32.5% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 42.6% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The cumulative drop from 1080p to 4K is 61.3%, which is a steep decline that points directly at the GPU as the performance ceiling.

Low settings show a similar pattern but with higher absolute numbers. The average FPS at 1080p Low is 132, dropping to 88 at 1440p (a 33.3% decrease) and then to 50 at 4K (a 43.2% decrease from 1440p). Even at the lowest graphical preset, the GTX 1070 cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K, averaging only 50. This indicates that the pixel throughput required at 3840x2160 exceeds what the Pascal architecture can deliver, regardless of the reduced shading work.

Medium settings provide the most complete dataset, with min and max FPS values recorded. At 1080p Medium, the average is 102 FPS, with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 117. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 68 FPS (a 33.3% reduction), with min/max at 58 and 79. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 39 FPS, with a min of 33 and max of 45. The consistency of the percentage drop between resolutions (approximately one-third from 1080p to 1440p, and roughly another one-third from 1440p to 4K) suggests that the scaling is driven by the number of pixels rendered, not by CPU-side processing.

Ultra settings are the most demanding, and the results are telling. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 55 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 37 FPS (a 32.7% decrease). At 4K Ultra, the average is just 21 FPS (a 43.2% decrease from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result of 21 FPS is the lowest measurement in the entire dataset, and it falls well below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The resolution scaling here shows that the GTX 1070’s compute resources, including its 1920 shading units and 64 ROPs, are simply overwhelmed when asked to process Ultra-quality effects at 4K.

The data indicates that the i7-12700KF is not the limiting factor in any of these scenarios. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a single-core score of 4071, suggest it has ample headroom for a game like Evolve. The FPS drops are nearly uniform across resolutions for each settings preset, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound workload. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between 1080p and 1440p, as the processor would struggle to feed frames at lower resolutions. Instead, the consistent percentage declines across all four presets point entirely to the graphics card.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 3053 out of 3700 tested combos in Evolve, placing it in the bottom percentile of systems measured. This ranking reflects the GPU’s age and performance class rather than the CPU’s capabilities. The GTX 1070 sits at the 47th percentile among all GPUs in the benchmark database, with an average benchmark score of 9780. Its nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro W5000 (average score 9803, deltaPct -0.2), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9832, -0.5), and the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9724, 0.6). These are all professional or older workstation-class parts, which underscores that the GTX 1070 is not a high-end gaming GPU by modern standards.

In contrast, the i7-12700KF is a much stronger component. It ranks at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-13700T (average score 35403, deltaPct -0.1), the Intel Core i5-13600T (35305, 0.2), the Intel Core 5 213PE (35428, -0.2), and the Intel Core i7-12700K (35287, 0.2). The delta percentages between the 12700KF and these rivals are all within 0.2%, indicating that the CPU’s performance is essentially on par with other 12th and 13th generation Intel parts. The mismatch between the CPU’s high percentile ranking and the GPU’s middling 47th percentile explains why the combo ranks so low overall: the graphics card holds the system back.

In the context of Evolve specifically, the 3053rd rank out of 3700 means that 82.5% of tested combos perform better. This is a direct consequence of the GTX 1070’s inability to sustain high frame rates at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that even at 1080p Low, the combo can hit 132 FPS, which is respectable, but many other GPUs would far exceed that. The rank is a holistic measure across all settings and resolutions, and the 4K Ultra result of 21 FPS drags the overall standing down. The processor’s strong benchmark results do not translate into a high game ranking because Evolve’s performance in this dataset is clearly dictated by the graphics card.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience for this combo depends on the target resolution and the user’s tolerance for frame rate fluctuations. At 1920x1080, the data shows that High settings yield an average of 80 FPS, which is smooth for most players. Medium settings push that to 102 FPS, with a minimum of 87, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Low settings reach 132 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off is significant. Ultra settings at 1080p average 55 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced FPS where consistent frame times matter. The recommended preset at 1080p would be High, as it balances visual fidelity with a solid 80 FPS average, avoiding the potential for dips below 60 that could occur with Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the options narrow. High settings average 54 FPS, which is on the edge of playability, while Medium settings average 68 FPS with a minimum of 58. The Medium preset at 1440p offers the best combination of smoothness and quality, as the 68 FPS average is above the 60 FPS threshold, and the minimum of 58 is close. Low settings at 1440p average 88 FPS, but the reduction in graphical detail may be too severe for some users. Ultra settings at 1440p drop to 37 FPS, which is not recommended for competitive play. For 1440p, Medium is the highest preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, making it the sensible choice.

At 3840x2160, the situation is dire. Even Low settings only average 50 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 31, and Ultra averages 21. None of these presets deliver a consistently smooth experience at 4K. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo is not viable for Evolve, as even the lowest settings fail to reach 60 FPS. Users with a 4K display would need to either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept frame rates in the 21-50 range, which are likely to feel choppy. The recommendation would be to avoid 4K entirely and stick to 1080p or 1440p with Medium or High settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full dataset provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance. At 3840x2160, the measurements are as follows: High settings average 31 FPS with no recorded min or max; Low settings average 50 FPS; Medium settings average 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 and maximum of 45; Ultra settings average 21 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one at 4K with min/max data, showing a tight range that indicates the GPU is consistently saturated. The 31 FPS at High and 21 FPS at Ultra confirm that 4K is not a usable resolution for this game with this hardware.

At 2560x1440, High settings average 54 FPS, Low settings average 88 FPS, Medium settings average 68 FPS (min 58, max 79), and Ultra settings average 37 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a min of 58 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS line, but the average of 68 suggests that most of the time the experience is smooth. The 88 FPS at Low demonstrates that the GPU can handle 1440p when the shading load is reduced, but the visual quality drops accordingly. The 37 FPS at Ultra is a substantial step down, indicating that the GTX 1070’s 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is insufficient for maxed-out settings at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the numbers are more encouraging. High settings average 80 FPS, Low settings average 132 FPS, Medium settings average 102 FPS (min 87, max 117), and Ultra settings average 55 FPS. The 132 FPS at Low shows that the combo can push high refresh rates when needed, though the CPU’s 20 threads are likely not fully utilized even here. The Medium preset’s min of 87 FPS is well above 60, making it a strong choice for consistent performance. Ultra at 55 FPS is the only preset at 1080p that dips below 60 FPS, and the lack of min/max data for that row suggests it was measured with a different methodology.

The progression across resolutions is linear and predictable. For each settings preset, the FPS drops by roughly one-third when going from 1080p to 1440p, and another one-third when going from 1440p to 4K. This pattern holds for High (80 to 54 to 31), Low (132 to 88 to 50), Medium (102 to 68 to 39), and Ultra (55 to 37 to 21). The consistency of these ratios reinforces that the bottleneck is purely the GPU’s pixel and texture processing capabilities, not any CPU-related limitation.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is built on the Pascal architecture, using the GP104 chip fabricated on a 16 nm process at TSMC. It contains 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die, with a transistor density of 22.9 million per mm². The GPU’s base clock is 1506 MHz, with a boost clock of 1683 MHz. Memory runs at 2002 MHz, which translates to 8 Gbps effective for the 8 GB of GDDR5 VRAM. The memory bus is 256 bits wide, providing a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. These specifications place the GTX 1070 as a mid-range card from 2016, and its benchmark scores reflect that positioning.

In terms of rendering resources, the GPU has 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The pixel rate is 107.7 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 202.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.463 TFLOPS, which is the raw compute throughput available for shading. The FP16 performance is only 101.0 GFLOPS, with a 1:64 ratio, indicating that the card is not optimized for half-precision workloads. These numbers explain the measured FPS in Evolve: at 4K Ultra, the 21 FPS average is a direct result of the GPU’s limited pixel fill rate and shader throughput when handling the highest quality effects.

The GTX 1070’s 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Evolve’s demands, as the game’s textures are from 2015 and unlikely to exceed 8 GB even at 4K. The memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s is adequate, but the card’s overall compute capacity is the limiting factor. The boost clock of 1683 MHz is modest by modern standards, and the 16 nm process node means the chip runs at higher voltages and temperatures compared to newer GPUs. The GPU’s TDP is 150 W, with a suggested PSU of 450 W, but these details are not directly relevant to the FPS measurements; what matters is the raw performance ceiling.

The benchmarks for the GTX 1070 show a Passmark G3D score of 13498 and a Passmark DirectX 12 score of 48. The Geekbench compute scores include 44700 for OpenCL, 22121 for Vulkan, and 18801 for Metal. These scores, combined with the 47th percentile ranking, confirm that the GPU is a mid-pack performer. In Evolve, the data shows that it can handle 1080p High at 80 FPS, which is a reasonable result for a card from 2016, but it struggles at higher resolutions. The CPU’s role in this combo is to feed the GPU, and with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a Passmark multithread score of 34092, it does so without bottlenecking.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Evolve?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 132, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo run Evolve at 4K resolution?

A: No preset at 3840x2160 achieves 60 FPS. The best 4K result is 50 FPS at Low settings, while Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 21 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 9780. Its nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro W5000 (9803, deltaPct -0.2), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9832, -0.5), and the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9724, 0.6). The differences are all within 0.7%.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems in Evolve?

A: The combo ranks 3053 out of 3700 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 17.5% of systems.

Q: At 1440p, which settings preset provides the highest average FPS above 60?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 average 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58. High settings average 54 FPS, which falls below 60, so Medium is the highest preset that exceeds the 60 FPS average.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance percentile compare to the GPU’s?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF ranks at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, while the GTX 1070 ranks at the 47th percentile among all GPUs. This mismatch explains why the combo’s overall rank in Evolve is low despite the CPU’s strength.