Control

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 presents a stark contrast in component tiers: a 4-core, 8-thread Alder Lake processor launching at $97 sits alongside an Ada Lovelace GPU with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 504.2 GB/s bandwidth. Benchmark data for Control reveals that this combination produces playable frame rates across all tested settings, yet the performance scaling pattern raises pointed questions about which part truly governs the experience. At 4K, the Ultra preset drops to 54 FPS, while 1080p Low reaches 192.7 FPS, indicating that the RTX 4070’s raw compute (29.15 TFLOPS FP32) is the dominant factor, with the i3-12100F’s single-thread strength (3dmark_single_thread score of 893) proving sufficient to avoid bottlenecking at lower resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data demonstrates that the RTX 4070 is the primary performance driver in Control, with the CPU’s influence diminishing as resolution increases. Moving from 1080p Low (192.7 FPS) to 1440p Low (144.8 FPS) results in a 24.9% drop, while the transition from 1440p Low to 4K Low (99.5 FPS) yields a 31.3% decline. This scaling pattern aligns with GPU-bound rendering, where pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor. The CPU’s contribution is most visible at 1080p Ultra (104.2 FPS) versus 1440p Ultra (80.7 FPS), a 22.5% reduction, which is less severe than the Low preset scaling, suggesting that higher graphical settings increase GPU workload faster than they expose CPU limitations.

Preset selection amplifies the GPU’s dominance. At 4K, the delta between Low (99.5 FPS) and Ultra (54 FPS) is 84.3%, whereas at 1080p the same preset gap is 84.9% (192.7 FPS vs 104.2 FPS). This consistency across resolutions indicates that the RTX 4070’s shading units (5888), texture units (184), and raster output pipelines (64) scale predictably with workload. The i3-12100F’s 4 cores and 8 threads, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860, provide adequate feeding for the GPU at 1080p, but the data cannot isolate CPU bottlenecking because even 1080p Ultra maintains 104.2 FPS, well above the 60 FPS threshold. A more telling signal is the 1440p Ultra score of 80.7 FPS, which is 77.4% of the 1080p Ultra score, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth (504.2 GB/s) and pixel rate (158.4 GPixel/s) are the binding constraints rather than the CPU’s 12 MB L3 cache.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU’s nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core 3 N355 (deltaPct 0), Intel Core i5-9500 (deltaPct 0.3), Intel Core 5 120UL (deltaPct -0.7), and Intel Core i7-1250U (deltaPct 1.1). These alternatives would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Control, meaning that swapping the i3-12100F for any of these would produce negligible FPS changes at 1080p, where the CPU’s single-thread score (PassMark single thread 3444) is the relevant metric. The i5-9500, despite being a 9th-generation part, scores within 0.3% of the i3-12100F, suggesting that Control’s engine does not heavily utilize the i3’s newer architecture advantages (10 nm process, DDR4/DDR5 support) beyond what older chips offer.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (deltaPct 0.1), AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (deltaPct 0.4), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (deltaPct -1.3), and AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (deltaPct 1.3). For gaming, the RX Vega 56 is the most relevant comparison, as it would produce nearly identical FPS in Control at all resolutions and settings, despite having a different architecture (GCN vs Ada Lovelace) and no dedicated RT cores. The RTX 4080 Mobile’s 1.3% higher score suggests that laptop variants of higher-tier GPUs are roughly equivalent to the desktop RTX 4070 in this title, which is notable given the RTX 4080 Mobile’s lower power envelope. Users considering an upgrade path should recognize that these rivals bracket the RTX 4070’s performance, meaning that any of these GPUs would yield similar measured FPS values for Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the benchmark results show a wide performance envelope: Low settings produce 192.7 FPS average, Medium drops to 134.9 FPS, High reaches 121.3 FPS, and Ultra settles at 104.2 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 30.0% reduction, while the Medium-to-High step is 10.1% and High-to-Ultra is 14.1%. This nonlinear scaling suggests that Medium preset introduces significant GPU workload increases, likely from shadow quality and reflection effects, while High and Ultra add progressively smaller increments. The 1080p Ultra score of 104.2 FPS is 54.0% higher than the 4K Ultra score of 54 FPS, demonstrating that 1080p leaves substantial GPU headroom unused.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern shifts: Low averages 144.8 FPS, Medium 106.5 FPS, High 89.4 FPS, and Ultra 80.7 FPS. The Low-to-Medium drop is 26.5%, Medium-to-High is 16.1%, and High-to-Ultra is 9.7%. Compared to 1080p, the relative penalty for each preset level is smaller at 1440p, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth becomes less of a limiting factor as resolution increases—the RTX 4070’s 192-bit bus and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are more fully utilized at 1440p, where the raw pixel count (3,686,400 pixels) is 77.8% higher than 1080p (2,073,600 pixels). The 1440p Ultra score of 80.7 FPS is 33.3% above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a comfortable margin for demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the data reveals the GPU’s limits: Low averages 99.5 FPS, Medium 71.6 FPS, High 63.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 54 FPS. The Low-to-Medium drop is 28.0%, Medium-to-High is 11.3%, and High-to-Ultra is 15.0%. The 4K Ultra score of 54 FPS is the only metric below the 60 FPS playable threshold, sitting 10.0% lower. The 4K High score of 63.5 FPS is just 5.8% above the threshold, suggesting that visual fidelity at 4K requires careful preset tuning. Notably, the 4K Low score of 99.5 FPS is higher than the 1440p Ultra score of 80.7 FPS, which implies that resolution scaling is less punishing than preset scaling for this GPU—a user prioritizing smoothness over detail might prefer 4K Low over 1440p Ultra.

The Verdict

The verdictByResolution data confirms that this combination is fully playable at 1080p and 1440p across all four preset levels, with 4K playable at High, Low, and Medium settings. At 1920x1080, every preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra achieving 104.2 FPS—a 73.7% margin. The 1440p results are similarly robust: Ultra runs at 80.7 FPS, which is 34.5% above the threshold, and even the most demanding settings maintain fluid motion. At 4K, the playable settings are High (63.5 FPS), Low (99.5 FPS), and Medium (71.6 FPS), while Ultra falls short at 54 FPS, missing the 60 FPS target by 10.0%. The data indicates that users with 4K displays should avoid Ultra presets but can enjoy High settings with a 3.5 FPS margin, which may dip below 60 FPS during intense combat sequences, given that the measured values are averages without min/max data.

The rank of 935 out of 3720 tested combos places this pairing in the 74.9th percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of all tested configurations. This is a strong result for a CPU that ranks in the 68th percentile among all CPUs and a GPU in the 81st percentile among all GPUs. The i3-12100F’s modest 4-core design does not appear to hinder the RTX 4070 in Control, as evidenced by the 1080p Ultra score exceeding 100 FPS. However, the lack of min/max FPS data means stutter or frame-time spikes cannot be assessed; the average scores suggest smooth operation, but users with high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors (144 Hz or higher) will not fully saturate their displays at Ultra, as the 104.2 FPS average is below 144.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 63.5 FPS. This leaves a slim 5.8% margin, so users with variable-refresh-rate displays will have some headroom, but those on fixed-60 Hz monitors may occasionally drop below the threshold during heavy particle effects. Medium is a safer alternative at 71.6 FPS, offering 19.3% more performance than High, while Low provides 99.5 FPS for maximum fluidity but sacrifices visual quality.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is the best playable setting, achieving 80.7 FPS. This provides a 34.5% margin over the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for users with 144 Hz panels—the 80.7 FPS average will not hit 144 but will remain well above 60. High (89.4 FPS) and Medium (106.5 FPS) are viable alternatives if GPU thermals or power draw (200 W TDP) are concerns, but Ultra’s margin suggests it is the optimal balance of quality and performance.

For 1920x1080, Ultra is the clear recommendation, with 104.2 FPS average. This is 73.7% above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience on 100 Hz panels. Users with 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors will need to drop to Low (192.7 FPS) to fully utilize their refresh rates, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it. Medium (134.9 FPS) and High (121.3 FPS) are intermediate options, with High offering 16.4% more performance than Ultra while maintaining near-maximum detail.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 54 FPS, which is 10.0% below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable 4K preset is High, at 63.5 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination?

A: 2560x1440 Ultra is the best balance, achieving 80.7 FPS, which is 34.5% above the 60 FPS threshold. This resolution provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a comfortable performance margin.

Q: How does the i3-12100F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i3-12100F’s average benchmark score is 13494, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492, deltaPct 0) and Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, deltaPct 0.3). The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594 (deltaPct -0.7), and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351 (deltaPct 1.1), all within 1.1% of the i3.

Q: Is the RTX 4070’s performance similar to any AMD GPU?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 has an average benchmark score of 37507, which is 0.4% different from the RTX 4070’s 37648. In Control, these two GPUs would produce nearly identical FPS at all resolutions and settings.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 104.2, while at 1440p Ultra it is 80.7. This represents a 22.5% decrease when moving from 1080p to 1440p, which is less than the 24.9% drop seen at Low settings (192.7 to 144.8 FPS).

Q: Does this combination rank high among all tested combos?

A: The combo ranks 935 out of 3720 tested configurations, placing it in the 74.9th percentile. This means it outperforms about 74.9% of all tested CPU-GPU pairs in Control.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 935 out of 3720 places this pairing in the upper quartile of all tested configurations, specifically the 74.9th percentile. This is notable given the CPU’s relatively low tier—the i3-12100F has a 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs—and reinforces that Control is heavily GPU-bound. The RTX 4070’s 81st percentile ranking among GPUs carries the combination, and the data suggests that pairing this GPU with a higher-end CPU would yield minimal gains in this title. The 4K Ultra shortfall (54 FPS) is the only blemish, but the 4K High score of 63.5 FPS demonstrates that the RTX 4070 has sufficient headroom for near-4K gaming. For users targeting 1080p or 1440p, this combination ranks exceptionally well, with 1440p Ultra delivering 80.7 FPS—a score that puts it ahead of the vast majority of tested systems. The i3-12100F’s 4-core design, while limiting in heavily threaded titles (Cinebench R23 multicore 11860), proves more than adequate for Control’s engine, which appears to favor single-thread performance (PassMark single thread 3444). Overall, the data positions this combo as a strong mid-range to upper-mid-range solution, with the caveat that 4K enthusiasts must compromise on Ultra presets.