Evolve

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 pairing delivers a broad performance envelope in Evolve, ranging from a highly playable 54 FPS at 4K Ultra to a blistering 335 FPS at 1080p Low. The measured data reveals a system where the GPU’s raw power is the primary driver at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance keeps the frame rate competitive at lower settings. The benchmark rows show a clear, predictable scaling pattern that makes this combo a versatile choice for a variety of display and quality targets.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K shows a classic GPU-bound curve, with the most dramatic drop occurring between 1440p and 4K. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 204 FPS at 1080p to 137 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 67 FPS, and then plummets further to 78 FPS at 4K. This indicates that while the RTX 4080 is powerful, the jump to 3840x2160 nearly halves the performance seen at 1080p, a clear sign that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the limiting factor at this resolution.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all presets. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 335 at 1080p to 225 at 1440p, and finally to 128 at 4K. The 4K figure is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, but the relative drop is significant. At Ultra settings, the trend is even steeper: 141 FPS at 1080p, 95 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. The fact that 4K Ultra dips below 60 FPS suggests that this combination reaches its practical limit at the highest resolution and quality preset, making it a 4K High or Medium setup for a smoother experience.

The data implies that the RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this equation. The CPU’s influence is most visible at 1080p, where the frame rates are exceptionally high, but the scaling from 1440p to 4K is almost entirely dictated by the GPU’s rendering capabilities. The consistent performance deltas between settings at each resolution further support this, as the GPU’s workload scales predictably with pixel count and visual complexity.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 78 FPS. This is a comfortable frame rate for most displays, indicating the combo can handle 4K gaming without requiring the lowest quality presets.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 141 at Ultra to 335 at Low. The extremely high frame rates at this resolution suggest the CPU is more of a factor, but the GPU is still delivering performance far beyond what is needed for a high-refresh-rate monitor.

Q: How does the combo perform at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 174, with a minimum of 148 FPS and a maximum of 200 FPS. This indicates a very smooth experience, with the minimum frame rate remaining well above common refresh rate targets.

Q: What is the worst-case performance scenario in the data?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 54 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS mark, suggesting that 4K Ultra is the most demanding scenario for this hardware.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in this game?

A: The benchmark data for the RTX 4080 shows an average score of 54247, with a delta of 0.1% compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. This indicates the two cards perform nearly identically in synthetic tests, though the measured FPS in Evolve is specific to this combo.

Q: What is the CPU’s benchmark ranking relative to other processors?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has a percentile rank of 85 among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 35365, which is within 0.2% of the Intel Core i7-12700K and the Intel Core i5-13600T, showing it is a top-tier performer.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that the "High" preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, High yields 204 FPS, which is more than enough for any competitive play, while at 1440p it provides 137 FPS, ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 4K, High delivers 78 FPS, which is a solid, smooth experience without the steep performance penalty seen at Ultra.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the "Low" preset is the clear choice, delivering 335 FPS at 1080p and 225 FPS at 1440p. This setting is optimal for esports-style play where every millisecond counts, though it sacrifices visual fidelity. The "Medium" preset is a middle ground, providing 260 FPS at 1080p and 174 FPS at 1440p, with the added benefit of a recorded minimum FPS of 148 at 1440p, indicating good frame time consistency.

The "Ultra" preset is best reserved for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it achieves 141 FPS and 95 FPS respectively. At 4K, Ultra drops to 54 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced games but is not recommended for a consistently smooth experience. The data shows that High is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium with only a moderate FPS cost, while remaining playable at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Evolve, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a rank of 222 out of 3700 combos. This places the setup in the top 6% of all tested configurations, indicating a very high level of performance. The rank reflects the combined capability of the CPU and GPU, with the data showing that the system is well-suited for high-resolution, high-refresh-rate gaming.

The rank of 222 is notable because it is achieved with a CPU that has a percentile rank of 85 and a GPU with a percentile rank of 86. While neither component is the absolute top of its class, their combination works exceptionally well in this game. The high rank suggests that the system’s performance in Evolve is not hindered by a significant bottleneck, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings.

This ranking implies that users with this combo can expect performance that is superior to the vast majority of other systems in the database. The data shows that the gap between this combo and the top-ranked systems is likely small, given the high absolute frame rates measured. For context, the combo sits in the 94th percentile of all tested configurations, confirming its status as a high-end gaming platform.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the primary driver of performance in Evolve, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 256-bit bus width provide a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s, which is sufficient for the game’s textures and assets at 4K. The measured frame rates show that the GPU’s capabilities are fully utilized, as the performance drops significantly from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the rendering pipeline is the limiting factor.

With a boost clock of 2505 MHz and a base clock of 2205 MHz, the RTX 4080 operates at high frequencies, contributing to its strong performance. The GPU’s 9728 shading units and 112 ROPs are well-suited for the game’s graphics workload, allowing for high pixel rates and texture fill rates. The data shows that the GPU’s average benchmark score is 54247, which places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and it is nearly identical in performance to the RTX 4080 SUPER, with a delta of just 0.1%.

The GPU’s role is most evident when comparing the Low and Ultra presets. At 4K, the average FPS drops from 128 at Low to 54 at Ultra, a 74 FPS difference. This substantial gap highlights the GPU’s workload scaling with visual effects, shadows, and geometry. The RTX 4080’s 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is clearly sufficient for high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra scenario pushes the GPU to its limits, resulting in a sub-60 FPS average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 335 FPS, while Medium reduces that to 260 FPS, with a minimum of 221 FPS and a maximum of 299 FPS. High settings produce 204 FPS, and Ultra is still remarkably fast at 141 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is never constrained by the GPU, and the CPU’s strong single-thread performance allows for extremely high frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains excellent. Low settings yield an average of 225 FPS, while Medium provides 174 FPS, with a minimum of 148 FPS and a maximum of 200 FPS. High settings deliver 137 FPS, and Ultra drops to 95 FPS. The 1440p results show a more significant impact from the GPU, but all presets remain well above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring a fluid experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s workload becomes the dominant factor. Low settings average 128 FPS, which is still very fast, but Medium drops to 99 FPS, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. High settings average 78 FPS, providing a playable experience for most users. Ultra is the only preset that falls below 60 FPS, averaging 54 FPS. The 4K data shows a clear progression, with each increase in quality costing roughly 20-30 FPS, ultimately making Ultra the only setting that challenges the hardware.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF plays a supporting role in Evolve, ensuring the GPU is fed with data without becoming a bottleneck. With 12 cores and 20 threads, the CPU has ample processing power for the game’s simulation and physics tasks. Its boost clock of 5.00 GHz and base clock of 3.60 GHz provide strong single-threaded performance, which is crucial for frame rate generation in FPS games.

The CPU’s benchmark results confirm its capability. It scores 1043 in the 3dMark single-thread test and 2255 in Geekbench single-core, indicating excellent per-core performance. In multi-threaded tests, it achieves a score of 9983 in 3dMark max threads and 28838 in Cinebench R23 multicore, showcasing its ability to handle parallel workloads. The CPU’s percentile rank of 85 places it in the top 15% of all processors, and its average benchmark score of 35365 is nearly identical to the Core i7-13700T and Core i5-13600T.

The CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p Low, where the frame rate reaches 335 FPS. At this resolution, the GPU is not fully utilized, and the CPU’s ability to process draw calls and game logic becomes the limiting factor. The data shows that the CPU’s strong single-thread score of 1043 in 3dMark is adequate for these high frame rates, as the system does not show signs of stuttering or frame drops. The L3 cache of 25 MB shared across the cores also helps reduce memory latency, contributing to consistent frame times.