Control

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a decisive performance result in Control: this combination is capable of running the game at maximum settings with playable frame rates at every tested resolution. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound, where the RTX 4080’s raw power overwhelms any potential bottleneck from the entry-level quad-core processor. The verdict is clear: at 1080p, 1440p, and even 4K, the Ultra preset clears the 60 FPS threshold with substantial headroom.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 69 FPS. This is a significant finding, as it means the system does not require any compromise in visual fidelity for 4K gaming. The data indicates that even the highest settings remain playable, though the margin above the 60 FPS threshold is slimmer than at lower resolutions. The High preset at this resolution delivers 79 FPS, and Medium hits 89 FPS, but Ultra is the recommended choice because it offers the best visual quality while still averaging 69 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is again the best choice, delivering an average of 102 FPS. This represents a 47.8% performance increase over the 4K Ultra result, showing that the resolution scaling is substantial. The High preset at 1440p produces 118 FPS, while Medium reaches 132 FPS, but for users with 1440p displays, Ultra is the clear winner, providing a frame rate that is comfortably above 60 FPS and approaching high-refresh-rate territory.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 135 FPS, making it the definitive best setting. This is the most favorable scenario for the hardware, with the CPU and GPU combination producing frame rates that are more than double the playable threshold. The Low preset reaches 230 FPS, and Medium hits 175 FPS, but these are unnecessary compromises since Ultra is already so fast. The data strongly suggests that users should always select Ultra at 1080p, as the performance headroom is immense.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited. The RTX 4080 is the dominant component, with the Core i3-12100F providing sufficient support to avoid becoming a major constraint. The benchmark results indicate that as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, the average frame rates at Ultra settings drop from 135 FPS to 69 FPS, a 48.9% decrease. This is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, where the graphics card's workload scales directly with pixel count.

At the CPU level, the Core i3-12100F shows strong single-thread performance in synthetic benchmarks, with a passmark_single_thread score of 3444 and a 3dmark_single_thread score of 893. The processor's 4 cores and 8 threads are adequate for this game, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p where the CPU is relatively more utilized. However, the data shows that even at 1080p, the system produces 230 FPS on Low settings, which suggests the CPU is not holding back the GPU in a significant way.

The difference between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution provides further insight. At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 230 on Low to 135 on Ultra, a 41.3% reduction. This large gap indicates that the GPU is doing most of the heavy lifting when visual effects are increased. At 3840x2160, the same comparison shows a drop from 126 to 69 FPS, a 45.2% reduction, which reinforces the GPU-bound nature of the system. The Core i3-12100F, with its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 3.30 GHz base clock, appears to be sufficient for this game's engine requirements.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K)

At 4K resolution, the benchmark results show a clear progression across settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 126 FPS, which is surprisingly high for a 4K resolution and indicates the RTX 4080’s exceptional rasterization power. The Medium preset achieves an average of 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS, providing the only full min/max data at this resolution. The High preset produces 79 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers 69 FPS. The frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra is a 45.2% reduction, which is a significant cost for the increased visual fidelity, but all settings remain above the 60 FPS threshold.

2560x1440 (1440p)

At 1440p, the performance is markedly higher. The Low preset reaches an average of 186 FPS, which is exceptionally fast and suggests the game is well-optimized for this hardware. The Medium preset averages 132 FPS, with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 152 FPS. The High preset produces 118 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers 102 FPS. The transition from Low to Ultra reduces the average FPS by 45.2%, which is a similar percentage to the 4K results, further confirming the GPU-bound nature of the workload.

1920x1080 (1080p)

The 1080p results are the strongest for this combination. The Low preset achieves an average of 230 FPS, which confirms the RTX 4080’s ability to push extremely high frame rates even with the Core i3-12100F as the CPU. The Medium preset averages 175 FPS, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS, representing the highest min/max values in the entire dataset. The High preset delivers 156 FPS, and the Ultra preset reaches 135 FPS. Even at the most demanding settings, the system maintains a frame rate that is more than double the playable threshold, ensuring a smooth experience on any 1080p display.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals to the Intel Core i3-12100F are all within a narrow performance band. The Intel Core 3 N355 has an average benchmark score of 13492, which is essentially identical to the Core i3-12100F’s 13494, a deltaPct of 0%. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, a 0.3% difference, while the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, which is 0.7% higher. The Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, a 1.1% difference. In practical gaming terms, all four alternatives would perform nearly identically to the Core i3-12100F in Control, as the game is not heavily CPU-dependent.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the closest rival, with an average score of 54209 versus the RTX 4080’s 54247, a deltaPct of 0.1%. This means the RTX 4080 SUPER would deliver virtually the same frame rates in Control. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, a 2.6% higher score. The AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, which is 2.7% higher. These results indicate that while some alternatives have slightly higher average benchmark scores, the differences are small enough that in-game performance would be nearly indistinguishable from the RTX 4080.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination ranks at position 316 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 8.5% of all systems evaluated. This is a strong result that reflects the GPU’s dominance in the pairing. The RTX 4080 itself has a percentile rank of 86 among all GPUs, meaning it outperforms 86% of graphics cards in the database. The Core i3-12100F has a percentile rank of 68 among all CPUs, which is respectable but not exceptional.

The high combo rank is primarily driven by the GPU’s performance, as the CPU’s percentile is lower. However, the data shows that the Core i3-12100F does not meaningfully hinder the RTX 4080 in this specific game, as evidenced by the high frame rates at all resolutions and settings. The rank of 316 out of 3720 suggests that this combination outperforms the vast majority of systems, making it a very capable setup for Control.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Control, and it does so with exceptional performance. The verdict by resolution is unanimous: all four settings — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at every resolution tested, with average frame rates that clear the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Ultra, with an average of 69 FPS. This is a comfortable margin above the playable threshold, ensuring a smooth 4K experience with maximum visual quality. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers 102 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves 135 FPS, providing an exceptionally smooth experience that is suitable for fast-paced gameplay.

The data indicates that the RTX 4080 is the star of this pairing, providing massive performance headroom even when paired with the modest Core i3-12100F. The combination ranks in the top 8.5% of all tested combos, and the measured frame rates demonstrate that users can confidently select the highest settings without worrying about performance drops. For any gamer with this hardware, the recommended approach is to enable Ultra settings at any resolution, as the system will consistently deliver frame rates well above the 60 FPS target.