Control

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers exceptional performance in Control, with measured frame rates far exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold across every tested resolution and preset combination. Benchmark data shows the combo achieving an average of 91.8 FPS at 4K High settings, scaling up to 230.1 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that this system is not merely playable but provides substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate displays or demanding visual overhauls. The dataset covers 12 distinct configurations, spanning three resolutions and four quality presets, with all results confirming a smooth and responsive experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the RTX 5090 demonstrates its raw compute capability, though the CPU begins to exert a measurable influence on the upper bounds of performance. The Ultra preset yields an average of 81.3 FPS, while High settings improve this to 91.8 FPS, a 12.9% uplift from reducing graphical load. Dropping to Medium produces 103.2 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 144.4 FPS, showing that even at 4K, the scaling between presets remains significant. The absence of min and max FPS data means the analysis relies on averages, but the progression suggests the GPU is the primary limiter at this resolution, with each reduction in settings delivering a consistent frame rate gain.

Moving to 2560x1440, the system enters territory where the i5-12400's six-core, 12-thread configuration starts to keep pace more readily with the GPU. Ultra settings average 119.6 FPS, which jumps to 137.2 FPS on High, a 14.7% improvement. Medium reaches 155 FPS, and Low pushes to 208.6 FPS, representing a 74.4% increase over Ultra. The gap between Medium and Low is particularly pronounced, indicating that certain post-processing effects or shadow quality settings at this resolution have an outsized impact on frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the combination becomes overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower presets, but the CPU's limitations surface at the highest settings. Ultra averages 155.4 FPS, High delivers 178.6 FPS, and Medium reaches 202.9 FPS. The Low preset is the standout, hitting 230.1 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure in the entire dataset. The scaling from Ultra to Low at 1080p is 48.1%, less dramatic than at 1440p, suggesting that the CPU is beginning to cap performance at the very high frame rates achievable with this GPU.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-12400, based on aggregate benchmark scores, offer a reference point for understanding its CPU-level performance. The AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18,697, a mere 0.1% difference from the i5-12400's average of 18,683, indicating that despite being a server-class part, its gaming-relevant performance aligns closely. The Intel Core i7-1355U trails by 0.3% with a score of 18,730, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 is 0.7% behind at 18,811. Interestingly, the Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18,519, which is 0.9% lower, showing that the i5-12400 holds a slight edge over a newer but lower-tier desktop part. These deltas are all within 1%, meaning that for Control, the CPU performance envelope is virtually identical across these alternatives, and the GPU will dominate the frame rate outcomes.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090's nearest rivals are older or specialized compute parts, which highlights its unique positioning. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79,605, just 0.3% below the RTX 5090's 79,842 average, while the 12 GB variant is 0.6% behind. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, a mobile GPU, scores 78,940, a 1.1% deficit, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% ahead at 80,959. These comparisons are based on aggregate benchmarks rather than Control-specific results, so actual in-game behavior may differ, but they suggest that the RTX 5090's closest performance peers are not typical gaming GPUs, reinforcing its position at the top of the consumer stack.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the i5-12400 and RTX 5090 across resolutions. At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the bottleneck, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra. The jump from 144.4 FPS at Low to 81.3 FPS at Ultra represents a 43.7% reduction, which is almost entirely attributable to the increased pixel and shading workload on the GPU. The CPU's role at 4K is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations, but the i5-12400's 12 threads are sufficient to avoid becoming the primary limiter, as even the most demanding preset stays well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly, with the CPU beginning to matter more at higher presets. The scaling from 208.6 FPS at Low to 119.6 FPS at Ultra is a 42.7% drop, similar to 4K, but the absolute frame rates are higher, suggesting that the GPU still has headroom that the CPU cannot fully exploit at the Low preset. The i5-12400's single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 910, becomes more relevant here, as Control relies on a few heavily loaded threads for game logic.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's influence becomes most apparent at the Ultra preset. The RTX 5090 is capable of far higher frame rates, as shown by the 230.1 FPS at Low, but the Ultra setting drops to 155.4 FPS, a 32.4% reduction. This suggests that at 1080p Ultra, the combination of high draw distances and physics interactions places a heavier load on the CPU, and the i5-12400's performance, while strong, is not unlimited. The difference between Medium and Low at 1080p is only 13.4%, indicating that the GPU is still the main driver at these lower settings, but the Ultra preset begins to expose CPU limitations.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control with absolute authority at every resolution and preset tested. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: at 3840x2160, all four settings — Ultra, High, Medium, and Low — are playable, with the best achievable average being 81.3 FPS at Ultra. At 2560x1440, the same holds true, with Ultra delivering 119.6 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra reaches 155.4 FPS. In all cases, the minimum average frame rate across any configuration is 81.3 FPS, which is 35.5% above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data indicates that even the most demanding setting at the highest resolution clears the bar by a substantial margin, making this system suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors at lower resolutions or for enabling all visual features at 4K without compromise.

Best Settings per Resolution

For users seeking the highest visual fidelity that still maintains 60 FPS or above, the Ultra preset is the optimal choice at all three resolutions. At 3840x2160, Ultra produces an average of 81.3 FPS, which is the most demanding configuration tested and still leaves a 21.3 FPS buffer over the playability threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 119.6 FPS, nearly double the threshold, making it an excellent choice for 144Hz displays. At 1920x1080, Ultra reaches 155.4 FPS, which is sufficient for 165Hz or even 240Hz monitors, though users with very high refresh rates might prefer the Low preset at 230.1 FPS for maximum frame rates. The recommendation is straightforward: enable Ultra at every resolution, as the i5-12400 and RTX 5090 combination provides more than enough performance to handle the full graphical feature set.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with ray tracing enabled?*

A: The measured data does not include ray tracing-specific results. The highest tested 4K configuration is Ultra, which averages 81.3 FPS. Ray tracing would likely reduce performance, but the 21.3 FPS headroom over the 60 FPS threshold suggests some margin for additional graphical features.

Q: What is the best preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 119.6 FPS, which is below 144 FPS. The Medium preset at 155 FPS or the Low preset at 208.6 FPS would better match a 144Hz display's refresh rate, though High at 137.2 FPS is close.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to the i3-14100F for this game?

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18,683, which is 0.9% higher than the i3-14100F's 18,519. This marginal difference is unlikely to cause a noticeable frame rate variance in Control, where the GPU is the dominant factor at most settings.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 overkill for 1080p gaming in this title?

A: At 1920x1080, the lowest average FPS is 155.4 at Ultra, and the highest is 230.1 at Low. This far exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom, but the CPU may limit maximum frame rates at Ultra settings.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 4K Ultra and 1080p Ultra?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 81.3, while at 1920x1080 Ultra it is 155.4. This represents a 91.1% increase in frame rate when reducing resolution from 4K to 1080p at the same preset.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at all times based on the data?

A: The dataset only provides average FPS values, with no min or max figures. All recorded averages exceed 60 FPS, with the lowest being 81.3 FPS at 4K Ultra, so the data suggests consistent playability, but transient drops cannot be ruled out from this information.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination ranks 94th out of 3,720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 2.5% of all configurations. This high percentile, combined with the GPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs and the CPU's 72nd percentile among all CPUs, indicates that the pairing is well-balanced for this title, despite the CPU being a mid-range part relative to the flagship GPU. The rank of 94 suggests that there are 93 other combinations that achieve higher average FPS, likely involving faster CPUs such as the Core i9 or Ryzen 9 series, but the practical difference is minimal given that this system already exceeds 60 FPS at every measured setting. The data confirms that the i5-12400 does not meaningfully bottleneck the RTX 5090 in Control, as the frame rates are consistently high across all resolutions, and the system is more than capable of delivering a premium gaming experience.