Control

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a compelling 1440p and 1080p experience in Control, though 4K requires compromises. The measured data reveals a system that excels at high refresh rate gaming at standard resolutions, while its performance at 4K Ultra falls just short of the 60 FPS threshold, necessitating a settings adjustment for a smooth experience.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only settings that maintain an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS are Low and Medium. The data shows that Medium is the most demanding preset that clears the bar, achieving an average of 60.6 FPS. High and Ultra presets drop to 54.1 and 43.3 FPS respectively, making them unsuitable for a consistent 60 FPS experience.

For 2560x1440, the system has significantly more headroom. All four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, still manages an average of 63.6 FPS, making it the optimal choice for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1920x1080, the combination is exceptionally powerful. Every preset, including Ultra, stays well above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset achieves an impressive 90 FPS average, indicating the game is entirely CPU or GPU-bound at this resolution depending on the scene, but never bottlenecked to the point of unplayability. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with its 90 FPS average.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-12400F, based on average benchmark scores, show that its performance is closely matched by several other processors. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 19047, a 0% difference from the i5-12400F's 19039 average. The Intel Core 3 201E is a mere 0.1% behind, and the Intel Core i5-1335U and AMD EPYC 7773X are both 0.3% ahead. For gaming, this means any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Control, assuming the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3070's nearest rivals present a more varied picture. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083, which is 0.7% lower than the RTX 3070's 17208 average. Interestingly, the list includes the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, which scores 17037 (1% lower), and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M, which scores 17019 (1.1% lower). These are older, multi-GPU or mobile solutions, but their synthetic scores suggest they could produce similar frame rates in some scenarios, though likely with different driver-level behavior and feature support. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c, a compute-focused card, is 1.5% higher in score, but is not a gaming product. In practice, the RX 7600 XT would be the most realistic alternative for a gamer, offering nearly identical performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance scaling across resolutions and presets.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 80.2 FPS average
• Medium: 60.6 FPS average
• High: 54.1 FPS average
• Ultra: 43.3 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 118.7 FPS average
• Medium: 87 FPS average
• High: 76.4 FPS average
• Ultra: 63.6 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 161.3 FPS average
• Medium: 111.1 FPS average
• High: 100.5 FPS average
• Ultra: 90 FPS average

The scaling pattern is consistent. Moving from 1080p to 1440p results in a significant performance hit across all presets. For example, at Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 90 FPS to 63.6 FPS, a 29% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K is even more punishing, with Ultra dropping from 63.6 FPS to 43.3 FPS, a 32% reduction. This indicates that Control is highly sensitive to resolution, which is typical for a visually demanding title. The gap between Low and Ultra also widens with resolution, suggesting that the game’s more complex effects at higher presets place a greater load on the GPU as pixel count increases.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 43.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is Medium, which achieves an average of 60.6 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The data shows that Ultra is the best setting at 2560x1440, providing an average of 63.6 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that still maintains a frame rate above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How much faster is the system at 1080p compared to 4K on High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 on High, the average frame rate is 100.5 FPS. At 3840x2160 on High, the average is 54.1 FPS. This represents a performance advantage of 46.4 FPS, or roughly 86% higher frame rate at 1080p.

Q: Which component is more likely to be the bottleneck at 1080p Ultra?

A: At 1920x1080, even the most demanding preset (Ultra) yields 90 FPS, and the Low preset yields 161.3 FPS. This suggests the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates, but the scaling from Low to Ultra (a 44% drop) indicates the GPU is still a significant factor. The data does not isolate a single bottleneck, but the large frame rate range implies a balance between CPU and GPU load.

Q: Is the RTX 3070's performance closer to the RX 7600 XT or the GTX 690?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is its closest rival with a score of 17083, a 0.7% difference. The GTX 690 is further behind at 17037, a 1% difference. Therefore, the RTX 3070 is most similar in performance to the RX 7600 XT.

Q: According to the benchmark data, what is the highest resolution where all presets are playable?

A: Both 2560x1440 and 1920x1080 have all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) marked as playable, with average FPS values above 60. At 4K, only Low and Medium are playable.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data across resolutions helps to clarify the roles of the CPU and GPU in Control. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p, and again from 1440p to 4K, is substantial for all presets. This is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound workload, where increasing the resolution increases the pixel rendering load directly on the graphics card.

For instance, at Low settings, the frame rate drops from 161.3 FPS at 1080p to 118.7 FPS at 1440p, and then to 80.2 FPS at 4K. This scaling is almost perfectly linear with the increase in pixel count, strongly suggesting the RTX 3070 is the limiting factor. The CPU, an Intel Core i5-12400F with a strong single-threaded performance (as indicated by its 3DMark single-thread score of 909), is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions.

However, the picture is more nuanced at higher presets. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 71.3 FPS (161.3 down to 90). At 4K, this gap narrows to 36.9 FPS (80.2 down to 43.3). This indicates that at higher resolutions and presets, the GPU is so heavily saturated that the additional cost of visual effects (like ray tracing or higher-quality textures) has a proportionally smaller impact on the already-low frame rate. The CPU's role is more evident at 1080p, where it must work harder to keep up with the high frame rates the GPU can produce, but even then, the GPU still dictates the overall performance ceiling. The data suggests the i5-12400F is well-matched to the RTX 3070, avoiding a significant CPU bottleneck at any resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Control, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is ranked 1576th out of 3720 total combos. This places it in the 58th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms more than half of all other configurations tested for this game. This is a solid mid-to-high tier ranking, indicating that while it is not a top-tier enthusiast setup, it offers performance that is better than the majority of systems.

Given that the data shows this combo can run Control at Ultra settings with 90 FPS at 1080p and 63.6 FPS at 1440p, the ranking makes sense. It is strong enough to deliver a premium experience at common resolutions, but will not compete with systems using higher-end CPUs and GPUs that can maintain higher frame rates at 4K. The ranking reflects its position as a capable, high-performance mainstream option.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Control? The answer is a definitive yes, for the vast majority of gaming scenarios. The data confirms that the system can handle the game at all tested resolutions, but with specific settings constraints.

At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with the Ultra preset delivering an excellent 90 FPS average. This is the ideal resolution for this system, offering a perfect balance of visual quality and high refresh rate performance.

At 2560x1440, the system also excels. All presets are playable, and the Ultra preset maintains a comfortable 63.6 FPS average. This makes 1440p the best resolution for a high-quality experience without any compromises.

At 3840x2160, the system can run the game, but not at maximum settings. The best playable preset is Medium, which achieves 60.6 FPS. For a stable 60 FPS experience at 4K, users must accept Medium settings. Attempting to play at High or Ultra will result in average frame rates below the playable threshold, which could lead to noticeable stuttering and a less smooth experience.

In summary, this combination is an excellent choice for 1080p and 1440p gaming, providing high frame rates at maximum settings. For 4K, it is capable but requires a reduction in graphical fidelity to achieve a smooth frame rate. The system is not a 4K Ultra powerhouse, but it is a highly versatile and capable gaming PC for the resolutions that matter most to the majority of players.