Control

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a mixed picture for running Control, with performance heavily dependent on the target resolution and quality preset. At 1080p, this combination delivers a playable experience at High settings, but at higher resolutions, the demands of the game quickly outpace what this hardware can offer at the default 60 FPS threshold. The data indicates a system that is well-suited for 1080p gaming but struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at 1440p and 4K, requiring significant compromises in visual fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the best quality setting this PC can run Control at 1920x1080 while maintaining at least 60 FPS?

A: The best setting is High, which achieves an average of 63 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at this resolution.

Q: Can this PC run Control at 2560x1440 with High settings?

A: No. The benchmark data shows an average of 48 FPS at 1440p High, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The only playable setting at this resolution is Low, which produces an average of 76 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware combination?

A: No. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only achieves an average of 51 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 28 FPS, indicating the GPU is not capable of handling the game's demands at this resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its closest rival, the Intel Arc A750?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, which is nearly identical to the Arc A750's score of 20582. This represents a negligible 0.1% performance difference, suggesting the two GPUs would offer very similar frame rates in Control.

Q: What is the performance gap between the CPU and its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, while the Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13492. The deltaPct is 0%, indicating that the two processors have essentially identical overall benchmark performance.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combination at 1080p Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded is 61, with an average of 71 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS. This indicates that the performance is stable enough to stay above the 60 FPS threshold even in demanding scenes.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that keeps the average frame rate at or above 60 FPS is High, which delivers an average of 63 FPS. This allows for a visually rich experience without sacrificing smooth gameplay. While the Low preset achieves a much higher 101 FPS and Medium reaches 71 FPS, High is the optimal balance for visual quality and performance at this resolution. The Ultra preset, at 55 FPS, falls just short of the target.

At 2560x1440, the situation changes dramatically. The only preset that manages to stay above the 60 FPS line is Low, which produces an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 54 FPS, and High further down to 48 FPS, making them unplayable by the established standard. Therefore, the best setting at this resolution is Low, as it is the only option that provides a smooth experience.

The data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The highest average frame rate recorded is 51 FPS at Low settings, which fails to meet the 60 FPS threshold. The High, Medium, and Ultra presets offer 32, 36, and 28 FPS respectively, all of which are far below the playability target. The system is not capable of delivering a 60 FPS experience at 4K for this game.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets clearly indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck for this game, especially at higher resolutions. When moving from 1080p Low to 4K Low, the average frame rate drops significantly from 101 FPS to 51 FPS, a reduction of roughly 50%. This substantial decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering load increases with pixel count, overwhelming the graphics card.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 101 FPS, which is a high frame rate that requires a capable processor to feed the GPU with enough data. The Intel Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, appears sufficient for this task, as the frame rate is not artificially limited by the CPU. However, the impact of the CPU is less visible at higher resolutions because the GPU's performance ceiling is reached first.

The data suggests that the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting factor for achieving higher settings at 1440p and 4K. For example, at 1440p, the difference between Low and High presets is 28 FPS (from 76 to 48 FPS), which is a direct result of the increased graphical workload. Similarly, at 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra is 23 FPS (from 51 to 28 FPS). This pattern reinforces that the GPU's processing power, rather than the CPU, dictates the playable settings at these resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rival data for the GPU, the Intel Arc B570's performance is closely matched by a few other graphics cards. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 20534, which is a 0.1% difference from the Arc B570's 20556. This indicates that users with the RTX 3070 Mobile would likely experience nearly identical frame rates in Control. Similarly, the Intel Arc A750, with a score of 20582, is also a direct competitor, showing a -0.1% deltaPct, meaning the B570 is slightly ahead. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and AMD Radeon R9 M390X also offer comparable performance, with deltas of 0.4% and -0.5% respectively, though these are less common in gaming systems.

For the CPU, the Intel Core i3-12100F's closest rival is the Intel Core 3 N355, which has an almost identical average benchmark score of 13492 versus 13494. This 0% deltaPct means any difference in gaming performance between the two would be negligible. The Intel Core i5-9500 is also a very close alternative, with a score of 13452 and a deltaPct of 0.3%, indicating the i3-12100F is slightly faster. The Intel Core 5 120UL (-0.7%) and Intel Core i7-1250U (1.1%) are also in the same performance ballpark, though the i7-1250U is a low-power mobile part.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Control, this specific setup of the Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2995 out of 3720 total combos. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, indicating that while it is capable of running the game, it is not a high-performance configuration. The ranking reflects its limitations at higher resolutions, where it cannot maintain 60 FPS at any preset. The performance is sufficient for a smooth 1080p experience, which aligns with its percentile ranking among all CPUs (68th) and GPUs (65th), suggesting it is an entry-level to mid-range combination in the current hardware landscape.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but its capabilities are strictly limited by resolution and settings. The verdict by resolution confirms that it is fully playable at 1920x1080, where it clears the 60 FPS threshold on High, Medium, and Low presets, with High being the best playable option at 63 FPS. At 2560x1440, the system is only playable on the Low preset, achieving an average of 76 FPS, which means users must sacrifice significant visual quality to maintain smooth gameplay. At 3840x2160, the system is not playable at any setting, as even the lowest preset fails to reach 60 FPS. Therefore, this hardware is a viable choice for 1080p gaming, but it is not suitable for higher-resolution displays without considerable graphical compromises.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the benchmark results show a clear progression of performance across presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 101 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 71 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS, indicating stable performance. High settings average 63 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset averages 55 FPS, falling below the playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop across the board. The Low preset achieves an average of 76 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. High settings average 48 FPS, and Ultra settings average 42 FPS, all of which are below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The Low preset averages 51 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 36 FPS, with a minimum of 31 FPS and a maximum of 42 FPS. High settings average 32 FPS, and Ultra settings average 28 FPS. These figures confirm that the hardware is not capable of handling the game at 4K resolution.