Control

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers a solid, if not spectacular, showing in Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. Benchmark data indicates this combination lands at rank 1163 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it comfortably in the upper third of all systems. The pairing of a six-core Alder Lake processor with a RDNA 4.0 GPU produces average frame rates that range from 49.2 FPS at 4K Ultra to 181.4 FPS at 1080p Low, with the system clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution tested when using appropriate settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-12400, based on aggregate benchmark scores, are a mixed group spanning server, mobile, and desktop parts. The AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18697, which is 0.1% higher than the i5-12400’s 18683 average, making the two effectively identical in synthetic multi-threaded workloads despite their wildly different market positions. The Intel Core i7-1355U posts 18730, a 0.3% advantage, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 reaches 18811, trailing by 0.7%. On the lower side, the Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519, which is 0.9% below the i5-12400. These deltas are all within a single percentage point, so any of these CPUs would deliver nearly indistinguishable performance in CPU-bound scenarios within Control. The i5-12400’s 6 cores and 12 threads, with a 2.50 GHz base clock and 4.40 GHz boost, place it at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, indicating it is a capable mid-range part that will not bottleneck the GPU in most situations.

For the AMD Radeon RX 9070, the nearest rivals show a similar tight clustering. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z scores 23736, which is 0.6% higher than the RX 9070’s 23736? No, the RX 9070’s average benchmark score is 23877. The GTX TITAN Z is 0.6% ahead at 23736? That would mean 23736 is lower than 23877, so the deltaPct of 0.6 indicates the rival is 0.6% slower? The data lists deltaPct as 0.6 for GTX TITAN Z, -0.8 for RX 6800S, 1.1 for RTX 3080 Mobile, and -1.2 for RTX 2080 SUPER. A positive deltaPct means the rival scores higher than the RX 9070? The RX 9070 scores 23877. The GTX TITAN Z at 23736 is 141 points lower, so the delta should be negative. The RX 6800S at 24063 is 186 points higher, which would be positive. The fact pack provides these deltaPct values as given, so they must be interpreted as reported. The AMD Radeon RX 6800S scores 24063 with a deltaPct of -0.8, meaning it is 0.8% slower? That contradicts the raw numbers. To avoid confusion, the analysis will use the raw avgScore values for comparison, treating deltaPct as a directional indicator provided by the data. The RX 9070’s nearest rivals are the GTX TITAN Z (23736), RX 6800S (24063), RTX 3080 Mobile (23628), and RTX 2080 SUPER (24170). The RX 9070 sits between the RTX 3080 Mobile and the RX 6800S in raw score, meaning those two GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control at the same settings. The RTX 2080 SUPER, with the highest score among rivals at 24170, would be the fastest alternative, while the GTX TITAN Z and RTX 3080 Mobile would be slightly slower. The RX 9070’s 69th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms it is an upper-mid-range card, not a top-tier flagship.

In practical terms for Control, a system with any of these rival GPUs paired with the i5-12400 would deliver frame rates within roughly 1-2% of the RX 9070’s measured results. The differences are small enough that a user would not notice them without a frame counter. The CPU rivals would similarly produce identical results, as Control at 1080p and 1440p is primarily GPU-bound, and even at 4K the i5-12400’s single-thread performance (910 in 3dmark single-thread, 3456 in passmark single-thread) is sufficient to feed the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 achieves rank 1163 out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This places the system in the 68.7th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 31% of tested combos perform better. The rank reflects a balance between the CPU’s 72nd percentile standing and the GPU’s 69th percentile, with the overall combo slightly underperforming what either component’s individual percentile might suggest. This is typical for a mid-range CPU paired with a mid-to-upper GPU; the system is not held back by a severe bottleneck, but it also does not punch above its weight class.

The data shows that the RX 9070’s raw compute capabilities, including 3584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 128 ROPs, are well-utilized by the i5-12400. The CPU’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 or DDR5) provide adequate bandwidth for the GPU’s 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, which delivers 644.6 GB/s. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 49.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold, but this is a demanding setting for any system in this class. The rank of 1163 suggests that many combos with higher-end CPUs or GPUs (or both) will exceed this performance, but the i5-12400 + RX 9070 is far from the bottom of the pack.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this system handles Control across three resolutions and four settings presets. All figures are average FPS; no minimum or maximum values were recorded in the data.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent performance across all settings. Low settings produce 181.4 FPS, Medium reaches 128.6 FPS, High hits 116.6 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a very smooth 97.5 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent, with Ultra being 46.3% slower than Low, but the absolute numbers are so high that any setting is playable on a 60 Hz or even 144 Hz display. The gap between Medium and High is only 12 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra costs 19.1 FPS, indicating that Ultra’s additional effects (likely ray tracing or enhanced particle systems) are the most demanding.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected drop. Low settings yield 139 FPS, Medium produces 98.2 FPS, High delivers 88.8 FPS, and Ultra still clears 60 FPS at 76 FPS. The scaling is slightly steeper than at 1080p; Ultra is 45.3% slower than Low. The step from Medium to High costs 9.4 FPS, while High to Ultra costs 12.8 FPS. All four presets remain above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1440p a fully playable resolution for this combo.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to struggle at the highest settings. Low settings produce a playable 94.8 FPS, Medium drops to 64 FPS (just above the threshold), High falls to 57 FPS (below 60), and Ultra bottoms out at 49.2 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium is a 30.8 FPS drop, Medium to High costs 7 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 7.8 FPS. The 4K results show that the RX 9070’s 16 GB of VRAM and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game, but the GPU’s compute throughput (36.13 TFLOPS FP32) is not enough to maintain 60 FPS at High or Ultra with this CPU.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Control? Yes, decisively, at most resolutions and settings. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best playable option at 64 FPS average. At 2560x1440, all four settings are playable, with Ultra being the best at 76 FPS. At 1920x1080, all four settings are playable, with Ultra at 97.5 FPS. The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS, and the data shows that this combo exceeds that at 1080p and 1440p regardless of preset, while at 4K it requires dropping to Medium or Low.

For a 60 Hz display, the system is fully capable at 1080p and 1440p with any settings. At 4K, users must accept Medium settings to stay above 60 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High in Control is typically modest, involving shadow quality and reflection detail. For a 144 Hz display at 1080p, the system can push past 144 FPS only on Low (181.4 FPS), while Medium (128.6 FPS) and High (116.6 FPS) will still provide a high-refresh experience, just not maxed out. At 1440p with a 144 Hz monitor, even Low settings (139 FPS) fall slightly short of 144, so users would need a 120 Hz display for a fully matching experience.

The verdict is that this is a capable gaming system for Control, but not an overpowered one. It sits in the upper third of all tested combos, and the 49.2 FPS at 4K Ultra is the only sub-60 result in the entire dataset. Users targeting 4K should stick to Medium or Low, while those at 1080p or 1440p can enjoy Ultra with headroom to spare.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: Medium is the best playable setting at 3840x2160, delivering 64 FPS average. Low runs at 94.8 FPS, but High (57 FPS) and Ultra (49.2 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Can this system handle 1440p at maximum quality?

A: Yes, Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce 76 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. All lower presets (High 88.8 FPS, Medium 98.2 FPS, Low 139 FPS) also exceed 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 9070 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of raw score?

A: The RX 9070 scores 23877, which is higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile (23628) and GTX TITAN Z (23736), but lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (24063) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (24170). The differences are all within 1.2%.

Q: What is the CPU’s percentile ranking, and what does it mean?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 is at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 72% of tested processors. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7643, scores 18697 compared to the i5-12400’s 18683, a difference of 0.1%.

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

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 116.6 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh monitors up to 144 Hz.

Q: Is the system held back by the CPU in any scenario?

A: The data does not show a CPU bottleneck. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as the frame rate drops to 49.2 FPS. The CPU’s single-thread score (910 in 3dmark single-thread, 3456 in passmark single-thread) is sufficient for Control’s demands.

Best Settings per Resolution

At each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is as follows:

• 3840x2160: Medium settings, which deliver 64 FPS average. Low settings run faster at 94.8 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual balance while staying above the threshold. High (57 FPS) and Ultra (49.2 FPS) are not playable.

• 2560x1440: Ultra settings, which produce 76 FPS average. This is the highest quality preset available, and it clears the 60 FPS mark with 16 FPS of headroom. Lower presets (High 88.8 FPS, Medium 98.2 FPS, Low 139 FPS) are also playable, but Ultra provides the best visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

• 1920x1080: Ultra settings, which hit 97.5 FPS average. This is the maximum quality preset, and it runs comfortably above 60 FPS. The system has enough headroom for a 144 Hz display, although only Low (181.4 FPS) can fully saturate a 144 Hz panel. Medium (128.6 FPS) and High (116.6 FPS) are also excellent choices for high-refresh gaming.

For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, dropping to Low at any resolution yields the highest FPS (181.4 at 1080p, 139 at 1440p, 94.8 at 4K), but the recommended settings above provide the best balance of image quality and performance based on the measured data. The RX 9070’s 16 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor at any resolution, as even 4K Ultra stays within memory capacity, but the GPU’s raw compute power caps 4K performance at Medium for 60 FPS. This system is a strong choice for 1080p and 1440p gaming, and a capable 4K machine when settings are adjusted accordingly.