Control

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a commanding performance profile in Control, decisively clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold at 1080p and 1440p across all tested presets, while 4K requires a modest settings adjustment to maintain smooth gameplay. Benchmark results indicate this combination ranks in the 1051st position out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the upper third of all systems evaluated for this title. The measured FPS data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings, with the RTX 3080's substantial compute resources providing the dominant performance headroom at lower resolutions, while the i5-12400F's six-core, twelve-thread architecture proves sufficient to feed the GPU without creating a meaningful bottleneck at any tested configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system exhibits exceptional performance that far exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold at every quality setting. The Low preset produces an average of 183.2 FPS, while Medium delivers 133.1 FPS and High achieves 119 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset still maintains a robust 105.1 FPS average, demonstrating that this resolution is effectively effortless for the combination. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 42.6% performance reduction, yet even the worst-case scenario leaves substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains consistently above the playability threshold across all four presets. The Low setting yields an average of 140.9 FPS, Medium drops to 98.6 FPS, and High maintains 86.4 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers 79.3 FPS, which still comfortably exceeds 60 FPS by a 32.2% margin. The resolution increase from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 23-25% of the average frame rate depending on the preset, with the Ultra setting showing the smallest relative drop of 24.5% from 105.1 to 79.3 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to encounter meaningful limitations at the highest settings. The Low preset produces a healthy 95 FPS average, Medium delivers 69.5 FPS, and High maintains exactly 63 FPS. However, the Ultra preset falls to 49.9 FPS, dipping below the 60 FPS playability threshold by 16.8%. The transition from 1440p to 4K imposes a significant penalty, with the Ultra preset losing 37.1% of its average performance and the High preset dropping by 27.1%. Notably, the Low preset at 4K remains highly playable, suggesting that the GPU's raw rasterization power is sufficient for this title even at 4K when settings are moderated.

All measured FPS values represent average frame rates, as the data does not include minimum or maximum frame time information. The absence of these metrics means the analysis relies solely on average throughput, which typically masks frame pacing issues or occasional stutters. However, the substantial margins above the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p and 1440p suggest that even significant frame time variance would rarely result in perceptible drops below playable levels.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the GPU is the primary performance determinant at every resolution tested, with the CPU providing adequate support throughout. This conclusion is supported by the scaling patterns between resolutions and presets, which show the expected behavior of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra presets is 78.1 FPS (from 183.2 to 105.1), while the same preset range at 1440p shows a 61.6 FPS difference and at 4K a 45.1 FPS difference. This progressive narrowing of the performance gap as resolution increases is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, where higher resolutions place proportionally more load on the graphics processor relative to the CPU.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings, where the frame rates reach levels that could potentially expose processor limitations. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 183.2 FPS, a figure that approaches the practical limits of many CPUs in this class. However, the i5-12400F's single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 909 and Geekbench single-core score of 1964, appears sufficient to sustain these rates without introducing a bottleneck. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all processors further supports its capability in this pairing.

At 4K, the GPU's role becomes dominant, with the Ultra preset dropping to 49.9 FPS while the Low preset maintains 95 FPS. This 90.4% performance difference between presets at 4K, compared to a 74.3% difference at 1080p, confirms that the RTX 3080's workload scaling with settings is the primary factor. The CPU's contribution remains consistent across resolutions, as evidenced by the fact that the system's rank of 1051 out of 3720 combos does not change based on resolution—proof of the balanced nature of this pairing for this specific game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1051st out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the 71.7th percentile of all systems evaluated. This ranking reflects the strong overall capability of this pairing, though it does not place it among the elite configurations. The CPU's individual benchmark performance, with an average score of 19039 and a percentile of 73 against all CPUs, aligns closely with the combo's overall ranking, suggesting that the processor is a well-matched component for this game.

The GPU's individual standing shows a slightly lower percentile of 68 against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23172. Interestingly, the combo's in-game rank of 1051 out of 3720 (71.7th percentile) is marginally higher than either component's individual percentile, indicating that this specific pairing extracts slightly better-than-expected performance in Control than the component averages would suggest. The nearest rival CPUs in terms of benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047 score, 0% delta), Intel Core 3 201E (19056, -0.1% delta), and Intel Core i5-1335U (18982, 0.3% delta), all of which are within a fraction of a percent of the i5-12400F's performance.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals in benchmark scores present an interesting comparison. The NVIDIA P106-100 (23249 score, -0.3% delta), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (23250, -0.3% delta), and AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23273, -0.4% delta) all cluster within 0.4% of the RTX 3080's average score. This tight grouping suggests that the RTX 3080's benchmark performance is well-established, and the combo's ranking benefits primarily from the CPU's slightly above-average positioning relative to its peers.

The Verdict

This system can run Control with playable performance at all three tested resolutions, provided appropriate settings are selected. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS threshold, with the Ultra preset achieving 105.1 FPS. This makes 1080p universally playable with no compromises required. At 2560x1440, the same holds true: every preset including Ultra maintains at least 79.3 FPS, offering full flexibility for visual quality prioritization.

At 3840x2160, the verdict becomes conditional. The Low, Medium, and High presets all remain playable, with High achieving 63 FPS—just 5% above the threshold. The Ultra preset, however, falls to 49.9 FPS, which is 16.8% below the 60 FPS playability threshold. This means 4K gaming is viable only when staying at High settings or below. The data indicates that the best playable setting at 4K is High, which delivers an average of 63 FPS, providing a slim but functional margin over the playability threshold.

The overall assessment is that this combination offers substantial performance headroom for Control at mainstream resolutions, with 1440p Ultra representing the sweet spot for high-quality gameplay without any frame rate concerns. For 4K enthusiasts, the system requires a modest reduction from Ultra to High settings, but remains fully capable of delivering smooth, playable frame rates at that resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K with max settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the system achieves an average of 49.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset at 4K delivers 63 FPS, making it the best playable setting at that resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game at with this hardware?

A: The 2560x1440 resolution with the Ultra preset delivers 79.3 FPS, offering the best combination of visual quality and performance. All presets at 1440p remain above 60 FPS, with the Low setting reaching 140.9 FPS for high-refresh-rate displays.

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

A: This combination ranks 1051st out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the upper third of all systems evaluated. The CPU and GPU individually rank at the 73rd and 68th percentiles respectively.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: The GPU is the primary performance determinant, as evidenced by the 74.3% performance difference between Low and Ultra presets at 1080p. The CPU's role is supportive, though its single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 909) is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking even at 183.2 FPS on the Low preset.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 86.4 FPS at 2560x1440 with the High preset. This provides a 44% margin above the 60 FPS playability threshold, indicating consistent smooth performance.

Q: Does the Ultra preset at 1080p maintain a high frame rate?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 delivers an average of 105.1 FPS, which is 75.2% above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes 1080p Ultra suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors up to 100 Hz.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS, delivering an average of 105.1 FPS. This provides maximum visual quality with substantial performance headroom, making it the recommended configuration for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again offers the best visual quality while maintaining an average of 79.3 FPS. This is 32.2% above the playability threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay even during demanding scenes with particle effects and physics interactions common in Control.

At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding option that remains playable, achieving an average of 63 FPS. This represents a 5% margin above the 60 FPS threshold, which is adequate but offers limited buffer for frame time spikes. Players seeking more consistent performance at 4K should consider the Medium preset, which delivers 69.5 FPS for a more comfortable margin.