Control

Intel Core i3-12100F paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a well-balanced experience for Control, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions. The CPU sits at the 68th percentile among all tested processors, while the GPU holds the 65th percentile among all tested graphics cards, indicating a mid-to-upper tier pairing. This combination handles the game’s demanding physics and rendering workloads without a single component becoming an obvious bottleneck at most settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i3-12100F posts an average benchmark score of 13,494, placing it directly alongside several comparable processors. The nearest rival is the Intel Core 3 N355 with a score of 13,492, a negligible 0% difference. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13,452, which is 0.3% lower, while the Intel Core 5 120UL achieves 13,594, a 0.7% advantage. The Intel Core i7-1250U trails slightly at 13,351, a 1.1% deficit. These deltas are all within a narrow band, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver near-identical frame pacing in CPU-bound scenarios.

For the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER averages 20,282 in the database’s benchmark suite. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, scores 20,480, which is 1% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile reaches 20,534 (1.2% higher), the Intel Arc B570 hits 20,556 (1.3% higher), and the Intel Arc A750 records 20,582 (1.5% higher). The performance gap among these four cards is under 2%, so in real gameplay the frame rate differences would be minor, often within measurement noise. Gamers with any of these alternatives would see very similar results in Control, especially at higher resolutions where GPU load dominates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the i3-12100F and RTX 2070 SUPER depending on resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, but the CPU still has headroom. The jump from Low to Ultra settings at this resolution shows a drop from 127.6 FPS to 74.3 FPS, a 41.8% reduction, which is almost entirely attributable to increased GPU workload from higher quality shadows, reflections, and post-processing effects.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU becomes more stressed. The Low preset yields 95.8 FPS, while Ultra drops to 55.7 FPS, a 41.9% reduction. The CPU’s 4 cores and 8 threads at 3.30 GHz base and 4.30 GHz boost are sufficient to feed the GPU at this resolution, as evidenced by the fact that even the most demanding Ultra preset only falls below 60 FPS, not due to CPU limitations but due to raw pixel throughput.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are stretched thin. Low settings produce 64.5 FPS, but Medium drops to 47.2 FPS, High to 39.5 FPS, and Ultra to 37.3 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 42.2% performance loss, nearly identical to the other resolutions, indicating that the GPU’s compute units, 2560 shading units and 160 TMUs, are the limiting factor rather than the CPU. The i3-12100F’s single-thread score of 893 in 3DMark and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,674 are more than adequate for Control’s engine at all tested resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data provides average frame rates for each resolution and preset combination, with no minimum or maximum values captured.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 127.6 FPS average, making it exceptionally smooth for fast-paced action. Medium reduces the average to 93 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings yield 79.6 FPS, and Ultra maintains 74.3 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 53.3 FPS, showing that even the highest quality settings remain playable.

At 2560x1440, Low produces 95.8 FPS, Medium drops to 72.2 FPS, High falls to 59.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 55.7 FPS. The difference between Medium and High is 12.5 FPS, while High to Ultra is only 4 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns from the High to Ultra transition at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. Low settings average 64.5 FPS, just above the playable threshold. Medium averages 47.2 FPS, High drops to 39.5 FPS, and Ultra is 37.3 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 7.7 FPS, while High to Ultra is only 2.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU is heavily saturated and additional quality settings have minimal impact on the already low frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 2,265 out of 3,720 tested configurations in the database for Control. That places it in the upper 39.1% of all combos, meaning it outperforms the majority of systems tested for this game. Given that the CPU and GPU both sit near the 65th percentile individually, the combined rank is consistent with expectations: it is not a top-tier setup, but it is far from the lower end.

The ranking reflects that Control is a moderately demanding title, and this pairing provides a playable experience at most settings, except for 4K Ultra. The 3,720 total combos include a wide range of hardware, from entry-level integrated graphics to flagship multi-GPU configurations, so the 2,265 position suggests this system would handle the game comfortably for most users.

The Verdict

Based on the verdict by resolution, this PC can run Control, but the playable settings vary significantly by resolution.

At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset averages 74.3 FPS, providing the best visual quality while maintaining smooth gameplay. This is the optimal resolution for this combo, as it allows full access to all graphical features without compromise.

At 2560x1440, the playable settings are Low and Medium. Low averages 95.8 FPS, and Medium averages 72.2 FPS, both above 60 FPS. High falls to 59.7 FPS, just under the threshold, and Ultra is 55.7 FPS. Users with 1440p monitors should stick to Medium for a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, averaging 64.5 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 47.2, 39.5, and 37.3 respectively. 4K gaming is possible only with significant visual compromises, making it a less attractive option for this hardware.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 74.3 FPS. This provides the full visual experience, including ray-traced reflections and high-resolution textures, without dropping below the playable threshold.

For 2560x1440, the best settings are Medium, averaging 72.2 FPS. This balances visual fidelity with performance, offering improved textures and effects over Low while maintaining a 12.2 FPS cushion above 60 FPS.

For 3840x2160, Low is the only viable option, averaging 64.5 FPS. This setting reduces the graphical load substantially, but it still delivers a playable experience at 4K resolution, with the 8 GB VRAM and 256-bit memory bus handling the pixel count.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 74.3 FPS, well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 72.2 FPS. High settings drop to 59.7 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: At 3840x2160, only Low settings are playable, averaging 64.5 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER averages 20,282 in benchmark scores. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 1% faster, the RTX 3070 Mobile is 1.2% faster, and the Intel Arc B570 and A750 are 1.3% and 1.5% faster respectively. These differences are minimal in practice.

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for this GPU?

A: The data suggests no. The CPU’s benchmark scores, including a 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and Cinebench R23 single-core of 1,674, are sufficient to keep up with the GPU across all tested resolutions and presets.

Q: What happens when switching from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings?

A: At High settings, frame rate drops from 79.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 59.7 FPS at 2560x1440, a 25% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 127.6 FPS to 95.8 FPS, a 24.9% reduction, showing consistent scaling with pixel count.