Control

Intel Core i5-12400 paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers an exceptional experience in Control, with measured frame rates far exceeding the 60 FPS playable threshold at every resolution and preset combination tested. The benchmark data shows this combination ranks 53rd out of 3,720 tested CPU-GPU pairings for this game, placing it in the top 1.4% of all configurations. The RTX 5090 D alone sits in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, while the Core i5-12400 ranks in the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, indicating a substantial hardware advantage for this title.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearestRivals data for the CPU and GPU provides context for what other hardware would deliver comparable benchmark performance. For the Intel Core i5-12400, the closest match is the AMD EPYC 7643, which scores 18,697 in average benchmarks versus 18,683 for the i5-12400, a negligible 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i7-1355U comes within 0.3% with an average score of 18,730, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 trails by 0.7% at 18,811. The Intel Core i3-14100F is 0.9% behind the i5-12400 with a score of 18,519. These deltas are so small that any of these processors would behave nearly identically in CPU-bound scenarios within Control, though the i5-12400’s 6 cores and 12 threads with a 4.40 GHz boost clock provide the baseline for these comparisons.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D’s average benchmark score of 77,712 places it in a tight cluster with several competitors. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76,904, just 1.1% below the RTX 5090 D, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.6% higher at 78,940. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79,396, a 2.1% advantage, and the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB reaches 79,605, 2.4% ahead. Systems built around these GPUs with a similarly performing CPU would produce frame rates in Control that are essentially indistinguishable from the i5-12400 + RTX 5090 D combination. The RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth gives it a massive memory advantage, but the benchmark scores suggest the practical gaming deltas among these rivals are small.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear GPU-driven performance profile for Control, with the RTX 5090 D shouldering most of the rendering load while the Core i5-12400 provides ample headroom. At 3840x2160, the measured average FPS drops from 152 at Low settings to 83 at Ultra, a 45.4% reduction that directly reflects the GPU’s workload scaling with graphical complexity. The CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions where frame rates climb significantly: at 1920x1080, Low settings produce 231 FPS average versus 163 FPS at Ultra, a 29.4% decrease. This pattern indicates that even at 1080p the RTX 5090 D remains the primary bottleneck, because the frame rate ceiling of 231 FPS is still well below what the i5-12400’s single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 910) would theoretically allow.

Resolution scaling provides further evidence. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Ultra settings reduces average FPS from 163 to 124, a 23.9% drop, while moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at Ultra brings the average down to 83, another 33.1% reduction. These scaling ratios align closely with the pixel count increases, confirming that the GPU’s fill rate and shading capacity dictate performance. The CPU’s contribution is secondary but not negligible; its 6-core, 12-thread design with 18 MB of shared L3 cache handles Control’s physics and logic without introducing frame-time spikes, as evidenced by the minimum FPS values. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum FPS is 92, which is 85.2% of the average 108 FPS, indicating stable frame pacing. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum of 136 FPS is 85% of the 160 average, and at 1920x1080 Medium, 173 FPS minimum versus 204 average shows similar consistency. The i5-12400’s 2,257 single-core Cinebench R23 score and 15,989 multi-core score provide enough computational power to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 5090 D even at 1080p, where CPU overhead typically becomes more prominent.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination spans three resolutions and four settings tiers, with average frame rates that consistently clear the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the Low preset delivers an average of 152 FPS, while Medium drops to 108 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS and maximum of 124 FPS. High settings produce 96 FPS average, and Ultra reduces the average to 83 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 69 FPS, representing a 45.4% performance range. The minimum FPS data, available only for the Medium preset, shows 92 FPS, which is 85.2% of the average and indicates the GPU maintains consistent frame delivery even during demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the performance envelope expands considerably. Low settings achieve 211 FPS average, Medium reaches 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 FPS and maximum of 184 FPS, High delivers 142 FPS, and Ultra still manages 124 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 87 FPS, a 41.2% reduction, slightly smaller than at 4K, which suggests the CPU begins to influence the upper frame rate ceiling at lower resolutions. The 136 FPS minimum at Medium represents 85% of the 160 average, consistent with the stability observed at 4K.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates approach the practical limits of display refresh rates. Low settings produce 231 FPS average, Medium reaches 204 FPS with a minimum of 173 FPS and maximum of 234 FPS, High delivers 188 FPS, and Ultra maintains 163 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra delta is 68 FPS, a 29.4% reduction. The 173 FPS minimum at Medium is 84.8% of the 204 average, and the 234 FPS maximum is 14.7% above the average, showing that the RTX 5090 D can burst to high frame rates during less demanding scenes. Across all resolutions and settings, the minimum FPS values remain above 90 FPS, which is 150% of the playable threshold, meaning the system never approaches the 60 FPS boundary.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Control?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 231, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-12400 bottleneck the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D in this game?

A: Benchmark data indicates no significant bottleneck. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average FPS is 163, and at 3840x2160 Ultra it is 83, with the scaling pattern following GPU workload rather than CPU limits. The i5-12400’s 3dmark max_threads score of 5,890 and single-thread score of 910 provide sufficient headroom.

Q: What is the lowest measured frame rate across all tested configurations?

A: The minimum FPS value recorded is 92 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings. This is still 53.3% above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest GPU rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76,904 (1.1% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940 (1.6% higher), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79,605 (2.4% higher).

Q: Can this system run Control at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 4K?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 83, which is 38.3% above the 60 FPS threshold. The minimum FPS for Ultra is not listed, but the Medium preset’s minimum of 92 FPS suggests Ultra remains comfortably playable.

Q: Which resolution offers the best ratio of visual quality to performance for this setup?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 Ultra delivers 124 FPS average, which is 106.7% higher than the 60 FPS threshold, while 3840x2160 Ultra delivers 83 FPS. The 1440p Ultra setting provides a 49.4% performance advantage over 4K Ultra while retaining the highest visual preset.

The Verdict

The verdictByResolution data confirms that this PC can run Control at playable frame rates across every resolution and preset combination tested. At 3840x2160, the playable settings include High, Low, Medium, and Ultra, with the best settings being Ultra at an average of 83 FPS. This means the system clears the 60 FPS threshold by 38.3% at the most demanding configuration. At 2560x1440, all four settings tiers are playable, and Ultra delivers 124 FPS, which is 106.7% above the threshold. At 1920x1080, Ultra reaches 163 FPS, exceeding 60 FPS by 171.7%. The minimum FPS values, where available, reinforce this verdict: the lowest recorded minimum is 92 FPS at 4K Medium, still 53.3% above the playable threshold. For 4K Ultra, the average of 83 FPS with no reported minimum dipping below 60 FPS indicates the system maintains playable performance even during intense combat sequences with particle effects and debris physics. The combination’s rank of 53rd out of 3,720 tested configurations further substantiates its capability, placing it ahead of 98.6% of all CPU-GPU pairings tested for Control.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average FPS of 83. This is the highest visual quality setting available in the test suite, and it delivers 38.3% more frame rate than the playable threshold. The High preset at this resolution produces 96 FPS, but Ultra offers the maximum visual fidelity while still maintaining comfortable performance.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, achieving 124 FPS average. This is 106.7% above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a substantial margin for demanding scenes. The jump from 4K Ultra’s 83 FPS to 1440p Ultra’s 124 FPS represents a 49.4% performance increase, making this resolution the sweet spot for high refresh rate displays.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver 163 FPS average, which is 171.7% above the playable threshold. This configuration is ideal for 144Hz or 165Hz monitors, as the average frame rate exceeds 160 FPS. The Low preset at 1080p reaches 231 FPS, but Ultra provides the full visual experience without compromising the 60 FPS requirement. Across all three resolutions, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, with the RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB GDDR7 memory and 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 compute ensuring that even the heaviest settings in Control remain playable.