Control

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B580 is a mid-range combination that lands in the 75th percentile of all tested hardware combos for Control, ranking 2809 out of 3720. This places it firmly in the capable tier for this title, but with clear performance ceilings at higher resolutions. The benchmark data shows a system that can deliver smooth frame rates at 1080p with high settings, yet struggles to maintain playable performance at 4K with anything beyond the lowest preset. The i3-12100F holds its own with an average benchmark score of 13494, sitting at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, while the Arc B580 posts a similar 68th percentile standing among GPUs with an average score of 23021. Together, they form a balanced pairing where neither component dramatically bottlenecks the other, though the GPU's performance curve dictates the overall experience in this GPU-intensive title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2809 out of 3720 tested configurations places it in the upper quarter of all possible pairings for Control. This is a respectable position, indicating that the i3-12100F and Arc B580 together deliver performance that surpasses roughly 75% of the tested combinations. The data reveals a system that is well-suited for 1080p gaming, with the measured FPS showing a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS playability threshold at high settings. However, the ranking also reflects the inherent limitations of this hardware tier. The Arc B580, while competitive, is not a high-end GPU, and the i3-12100F, despite being a capable quad-core with 8 threads, does not provide the multi-core headroom that some of the more expensive rivals might offer)Skip. The 3DMark scores for the CPU show a notable scaling pattern: the 4-thread score of 2859 jumps to 4026 at 8 threads, but the max-thread score of 4023 is nearly identical, indicating that the processor's 4 cores are fully utilized and additional threads provide no benefit. This is expected for a quad-core design, but it means the CPU's performance is capped by its core count. For Control, this is generally sufficient, as the game's demands are more GPU-heavy, but it does mean that the system's overall ranking is more dependent on the Arc B580's output than on the CPU's raw compute.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i3-12100F, based on average benchmark scores, offer a clear picture of what other CPUs would behave similarly. The Intel Core 3 N355 is essentially a statistical tie, with an average score of 13492 versus the i3-12100F's 13494, a delta of 0%. The Intel Core i5-9500 and Intel Core 5 120UL are also extremely close, with scores of 13452 and 13594 respectively, representing deltas of 0.3% and -0.7%. The Intel Core i7-1250U trails slightly at 13351, a 1.1% difference. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Control when paired with the same GPU. For the Arc B580, the rival landscape is more varied. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP posts an average score of 23061, just 0.2% higher than the B580's 23021. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is 0.6% slower with a score of 22895, while the RTX 3080 is 0.7% faster at 23172. The NVIDIA P106-100 is 1% faster at 23249. This means that swapping the Arc B580 for any of these GPUs would result in a change of less than 1% in overall GPU benchmark performance, leading to nearly indistinguishable frame rates in Control. Users with any of these alternative components in their system can expect the same general performance profile: smooth 1080p gameplay, playable 1440p only at low settings, and 4K gaming only at the lowest preset.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 1080p with high settings?

A: Yes, the measured FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 70.8 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold. This is the best playable setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, only the Low preset achieves playable frame rates, with an average of 83.6 FPS. The Medium preset falls just short at 59.1 FPS, and High is not playable at 56.1 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 60.2 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 41.5 FPS, and High is 36.2 FPS, making them unplayable.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Core 3 N355 have nearly identical average benchmark scores of 13494 and 13492 respectively, a delta of 0%. In gaming, the performance difference would be negligible.

Q: What is the GPU's relative performance compared to the RTX 2080?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, which is 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080's score of 22895. This indicates the B580 is slightly faster on average.

Q: Will lowering settings from High to Medium at 1080p improve frame rates significantly?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 1920x1080, Medium settings yield an average of 83.1 FPS, which is 12.3 FPS higher than the High preset's 70.8 FPS. The Low preset is even faster at 115 FPS average.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but the playable resolutions and settings are strictly limited by the Arc B580's performance. The benchmark data provides a clear verdict: at 1920x1080, the system delivers playable frame rates on High, Medium, and Low presets, with High being the best playable setting at 70.8 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the situation tightens considerably, with only the Low preset clearing the 60 FPS bar at 83.6 FPS. The 3840x2160 resolution is only playable at Low settings, where the average FPS is 60.2, just barely above the threshold. The verdict by resolution confirms this: 1080p offers the most flexibility with three playable presets, while 1440p and 4K each only allow the Low preset. For a smooth experience without compromises, 1080p is the target resolution. The i3-12100F is not the limiting factor here; its benchmark scores and the lack of scaling beyond 4 threads indicate it has enough headroom for this game. The Arc B580's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's demands, but the GPU's raw compute power, measured at 13.67 TFLOPS FP32, is what caps the performance ceiling at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how the system performs across all tested settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 115 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. The Medium preset drops to 83.1 FPS, and High sits at 70.8 FPS, both comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset is the only one at this resolution that fails to hit 60 FPS, with an average of 59.4 FPS, a marginal miss of 0.6 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset again leads with an average of 83.6 FPS, but the Medium preset falls to 59.1 FPS, just below the playable threshold. High at 56.1 FPS and Ultra at 49.3 FPS are both unplayable. At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only option that clears 60 FPS, with an average of 60.2 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 41.5 FPS, High to 36.2 FPS, and Ultra to 33.9 FPS, all well below playable. The data shows a consistent pattern: the Arc B580's performance scales predictably with resolution and settings, with the largest frame rate drops occurring when moving from Low to Medium at higher resolutions. Notably, there are no min or max FPS values recorded in the data, so the averages provide the only basis for assessment. The gap between Low and Medium at 1440p is particularly significant, at 24.5 FPS, indicating that the Medium preset's additional graphical effects place a heavy load on the GPU.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings per resolution are determined by the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 1920x1080, the High preset is the best playable option, achieving an average of 70.8 FPS. This leaves a 10.8 FPS margin above the threshold, providing some headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset is not playable at this resolution, with an average of 59.4 FPS, so High is the recommended setting for the best visual quality without sacrificing performance. At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only playable option, with an average of 83.6 FPS. This is a significant margin above the threshold, but the Medium preset's 59.1 FPS average means that users must accept the lower visual fidelity of the Low preset. The 24.5 FPS difference between Low and Medium at this resolution suggests that the Medium preset's added effects are very demanding on the Arc B580. At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the sole playable setting, with an average of 60.2 FPS. This is a razor-thin margin of just 0.2 FPS above the threshold, indicating that the system is operating at its absolute limit at this resolution. Any increase in graphical load could push the average below 60 FPS. For users prioritizing smooth gameplay over visual quality, 4K Low is technically viable, but the tight margin makes it a risky choice. The data strongly suggests that 1080p High is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a balanced mix of visual fidelity and performance headroom.