Control

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a remarkably consistent and capable experience in Control, with every tested resolution and preset combination clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data shows a system that scales predictably: at 1080p, the combo produces triple-digit frame rates even at the most demanding settings, while 4K Ultra still manages to hit exactly 60 FPS on average. This is a pairing where the GPU’s raw horsepower dominates the 4-core CPU’s limitations, resulting in a smooth experience across the board.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data for this combo covers four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160), with average FPS values provided for each configuration. Minimum and maximum frame rates are not listed in the data, so the analysis relies solely on average performance.

At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally fast. Low settings produce 208.3 FPS average, which is the highest figure recorded for any resolution or preset in this dataset. Medium settings drop to 152 FPS, while High settings deliver 131.4 FPS. Ultra settings still maintain a robust 114.9 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra is roughly 45%, indicating that the RTX 5070 has substantial headroom even when the CPU is likely the limiting factor at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clearer GPU-bound trend. Low settings yield 158.7 FPS average, Medium produces 109.5 FPS, High hits 99.7 FPS, and Ultra settles at 85.7 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is more pronounced here, with Ultra representing a 46% reduction from Low. Notably, the drop from 1080p to 1440p at each preset is significant: High falls from 131.4 to 99.7 FPS, a 24% reduction, while Ultra falls from 114.9 to 85.7 FPS, a 25% reduction. This suggests the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, performance is still playable but the GPU is clearly working hard. Low settings deliver 108.6 FPS average, Medium drops to 77.1 FPS, High falls to 67.2 FPS, and Ultra lands at exactly 60 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 45% performance penalty, similar to the other resolutions. The delta between 1440p and 4K is substantial: High drops from 99.7 to 67.2 FPS (a 33% reduction), and Ultra drops from 85.7 to 60 FPS (a 30% reduction). This indicates that 4K resolution doubles down on GPU load, and the RTX 5070 is barely keeping up at the highest quality preset.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: Low settings always provide a massive frame rate cushion (over 100 FPS even at 4K), while Ultra settings remain playable but with diminishing headroom as resolution climbs. The data does not include minimum or maximum FPS values, so stutter and frame-time consistency cannot be assessed from this dataset.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested hardware combinations for Control, this particular pairing ranks 695th out of 3720 combos. That places it in the top 19% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing given the modest CPU paired with the high-end GPU. The comboRankInGame field confirms this is a measured result, not an estimate.

The percentile data for the individual components provides additional context. The Core i3-12100F sits at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of processors in the benchmark database. The RTX 5070, meanwhile, sits at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, outperforming over four-fifths of graphics cards. The GPU’s higher relative standing compared to the CPU explains why the combo’s overall rank is driven primarily by graphics performance rather than processor throughput.

Interpreting the rank directly: a 695th position out of 3720 means the combo outperforms about 3,025 other configurations in this game. This is a very competent result for a quad-core CPU, and it demonstrates that Control does not heavily penalize lower core counts when paired with a powerful GPU. The data suggests that this combo would be positioned well above mid-range systems and only behind top-tier CPU+GPU pairings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a clear division of labor between the i3-12100F and the RTX 5070 across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a more significant role, as evidenced by the relatively smaller performance drop from Low to Ultra (208.3 to 114.9 FPS, a 45% reduction) compared to what a purely GPU-bound scenario would show. The 4-core, 8-thread processor is likely reaching its limits at this resolution, particularly at lower presets where frame rates exceed 150 FPS and CPU overhead becomes more noticeable.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU’s role grows. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a similar percentage reduction (158.7 to 85.7 FPS, a 46% drop), but the absolute frame rates are lower, indicating that the RTX 5070 is now the primary constraint. The fact that High and Ultra settings both exceed 85 FPS at 1440p suggests the CPU still has enough headroom to feed the GPU adequately, but the GPU is doing the heavy lifting.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unambiguously the dominant factor. The frame rates at Low (108.6 FPS) versus Ultra (60 FPS) show a 45% penalty, but the absolute numbers are much lower than at 1440p. This is typical of a GPU-bound workload where pixel fill rate and shading complexity dictate performance. The i3-12100F’s single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 893) is sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5070 at 4K, as evidenced by the fact that even Ultra settings remain playable.

The presets also reveal the CPU’s influence. At 1080p Low, the 208.3 FPS average is likely close to the CPU’s maximum frame-rate ceiling, as the GPU is not being fully utilized at such high frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the 60 FPS average is a GPU limitation, not a CPU one. The data indicates that the i3-12100F is never the bottleneck at 1440p or 4K, and only becomes a marginal factor at 1080p with lower presets.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provides a picture of what other hardware would behave similarly in this game. For the Intel Core i3-12100F, the closest alternatives by average benchmark score are the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492 vs 13494, 0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, 0.3% slower), the Intel Core 5 120UL (13594, 0.7% faster), and the Intel Core i7-1250U (13351, 1.1% slower). These CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Control, meaning a system with any of these processors paired with the RTX 5070 would produce results within roughly 1% of the measured data. The i5-9500 is a particularly interesting comparison, as it offers more cores (6) but older architecture, yet its average benchmark score is nearly identical.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, the nearest rivals by average benchmark score are the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40318 vs 40377, 0.1% slower), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40063, 0.8% slower), the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40870, 1.2% faster), and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (39568, 2% slower). These GPUs would produce frame rates within 2% of the RTX 5070 in Control, so a system using any of these cards with the i3-12100F would see nearly identical performance. The Radeon Pro 580 and WX 7100 are workstation-class cards, but their gaming performance in this title would be very close to the RTX 5070 based on the benchmark scores.

If a user were to swap the RTX 5070 for the RTX A500 Mobile, the 2% slower performance would translate to roughly 2 FPS lower at 4K Ultra (from 60 to about 58.8 FPS), potentially dropping below the 60 FPS threshold. Conversely, the Radeon Pro 5300’s 1.2% faster score would push 4K Ultra to about 60.7 FPS, providing a slight cushion.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, the measured data shows an average of 60 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which exactly meets the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system?

A: The verdict data lists all tested settings at all three resolutions as playable. At 2560x1440 Ultra, the average is 85.7 FPS, which offers a strong balance of visual quality and performance. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average rises to 114.9 FPS.

Q: How much performance does the system lose when going from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 131.4 at 1920x1080 to 67.2 at 3840x2160, a 49% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 114.9 to 60 FPS, a 48% reduction.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the GPU is the primary constraint. The i3-12100F’s single-thread score of 893 in 3DMark is sufficient, as evidenced by the high frame rates (85.7 FPS at Ultra), which are typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested systems?

A: It ranks 695th out of 3720 combos, placing it in the top 19% of all tested configurations for this game.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The measured average is 208.3 FPS, which is the highest recorded value in this dataset across all resolutions and presets.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: this PC can run Control at 60 FPS or higher on every tested resolution and preset combination. The verdict by resolution confirms that all four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers outstanding performance, with Ultra settings averaging 114.9 FPS and Low settings reaching 208.3 FPS. This resolution provides a massive frame rate cushion, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 2560x1440, Ultra settings still clear 85.7 FPS, offering a smooth experience with room to spare. At 3840x2160, Ultra settings hit exactly 60 FPS on average, meeting the playability threshold but without headroom for frame rate drops. High settings at 4K provide a more comfortable 67.2 FPS average.

The best settings for the highest fidelity are Ultra at 2560x1440, where the average of 85.7 FPS balances visual quality with a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. For 4K users, High settings are recommended over Ultra, as the 67.2 FPS average provides better protection against dips below 60 FPS compared to the exact 60 FPS at Ultra. This combo is fully capable of running Control at high quality across all mainstream resolutions.