Control

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a playable experience in Control, but the margin of safety depends heavily on the resolution and quality preset chosen. The recorded data shows a clear performance hierarchy: at 1080p, the combo is fully capable at the highest settings, while at 1440p, it requires a slight reduction from Ultra to maintain a smooth frame rate. At 4K, the system falls below the 60 FPS threshold at all settings except Low, making it a less suitable option for high-fidelity 4K gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this configuration covers three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a complete picture of performance scaling.

1920x1080 (1080p): At the lowest preset, the average frame rate is 131.5 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the entire dataset. Switching to Medium reduces the average to 92.3 FPS. The High preset yields 80.4 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset still maintains an average of 74.9 FPS. This resolution shows a smooth, predictable degradation as settings increase, with a total drop of 56.6 FPS from Low to Ultra.

2560x1440 (1440p): The performance at this resolution shows a similar pattern but with lower absolute numbers. The Low preset averages 97.1 FPS. Medium drops to 71.4 FPS. High is recorded at 60.9 FPS, which is just above the playable threshold of 60 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 54.4 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS playability line. The data indicates a 42.7 FPS difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p.

3840x2160 (4K): This resolution is the most demanding, and the results reflect that. The Low preset averages 65.1 FPS, which is the only setting at 4K that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 47.5 FPS, High averages 42.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 37.2 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a reduction of 27.9 FPS, and the gap between 1440p and 4K at the same settings is significant, indicating a strong reliance on GPU throughput.

The data shows that the system is most comfortable at 1080p, where even the Ultra preset provides a 14.9 FPS headroom above the playable threshold. At 1440p, the High preset is the optimal choice for a stable experience, while 4K gaming is only viable on the Low preset.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database’s nearest rival analysis places both the CPU and GPU in specific performance brackets. For the Intel Core i5-12600KF, the closest comparable processors are the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores 0.3% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which also scores 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800U scores 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores 0.3% higher. These deltas are minimal, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Control, all within a 0.6% performance band.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is bracketed by the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, which scores 1% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 1.2% higher. The Intel Arc B570 scores 1.3% higher, and the Intel Arc A750 scores 1.5% higher. These are all close matches, with a total spread of only 2.5% across the four rivals. In practice, a system using any of these GPUs would produce frame rates within a few FPS of the RTX 2070 SUPER at every resolution and preset combination.

This data suggests that if the i5-12600KF or RTX 2070 SUPER were unavailable, swapping to any of these listed alternatives would result in a nearly imperceptible change in gameplay smoothness. The performance differences are well within the margin of error for real-world testing, making all of these components viable substitutes for this specific game.

Best Settings per Resolution

The optimal settings for maintaining an average of at least 60 FPS are determined by the most demanding preset that still meets the playable threshold.

3840x2160: The only playable setting is Low, which averages 65.1 FPS. The next step up, Medium, averages 47.5 FPS, which is clearly below the threshold. Therefore, the best settings for 4K are Low, providing a 5.1 FPS margin above the 60 FPS line.

2560x1440: The High preset averages 60.9 FPS, which is the most demanding setting that remains playable. The Ultra preset falls short at 54.4 FPS. The best settings for 1440p are High, offering a slim 0.9 FPS headroom above the threshold.

1920x1080: The Ultra preset averages 74.9 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS line. This is the most demanding preset available, and it is fully playable. The best settings for 1080p are Ultra, providing a 14.9 FPS margin.

These results indicate that the system can run Control at maximum quality at 1080p, at a high but not maximum quality at 1440p, and only at minimal quality at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The recorded data shows an average frame rate of 74.9 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest quality preset that maintains 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: The High preset is the most demanding playable option at 1440p, with an average of 60.9 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below the threshold at 54.4 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: Only at the Low preset, which averages 65.1 FPS. All other presets at 3840x2160, including Medium at 47.5 FPS, High at 42.8 FPS, and Ultra at 37.2 FPS, are below the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when increasing the resolution from 1440p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 97.1 FPS at 2560x1440 to 65.1 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 32 FPS. At the High preset, it drops from 60.9 FPS to 42.8 FPS, a reduction of 18.1 FPS.

Q: Which is the stronger component in this combo for Control?

A: The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. While the CPU has a high benchmark percentile of 79, the GPU is at percentile 65. The significant frame rate drops from 1440p to 4K, such as the 32 FPS reduction at Low settings, indicate that the graphics card is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank among other tested systems?

A: This combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2142 out of 3720 tested combos for this game, placing it in the upper half of all tested configurations.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Control. The GPU’s role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and quality settings rise. This is evident from the frame rate scaling across resolutions. For example, at the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 131.5 FPS at 1080p to 97.1 FPS at 1440p, a 26.2% reduction, and then to 65.1 FPS at 4K, a 33% reduction from 1440p. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution directly impacts the workload on the graphics card.

The CPU’s influence is more noticeable at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 131.5 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that requires the CPU to feed the GPU with enough draw calls. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23391 and a single-core score of 3302, indicate it has ample headroom for this task. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU’s performance has less impact on the final frame rate.

The pattern in the preset scaling also points to GPU dominance. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 56.6 FPS. At 1440p, the same comparison shows a 42.7 FPS difference. At 4K, the difference narrows to 27.9 FPS. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is saturating, and the additional workload from higher presets has a smaller relative impact when the GPU is already near its limit. The CPU is capable of maintaining high frame rates at 1080p, but the RTX 2070 SUPER is the component that determines the playability ceiling at 1440p and 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database’s ranking of tested hardware combinations for Control, the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER configuration holds position 2142 out of 3720 total combos. This places the system in the 58th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms a majority of the tested systems. This rank reflects a balanced mid-range to upper-mid-range setup that can handle the game at 1080p with ease and at 1440p with some settings compromises.

The rank is consistent with the measured FPS data. The system’s ability to hit 74.9 FPS at 1080p Ultra and 60.9 FPS at 1440p High shows it is well above the minimum playability standard. However, its failure to maintain 60 FPS at 4K except on Low settings prevents it from ranking higher, as many more powerful combos would achieve higher frame rates at 4K. The combo sits in a tier where it is not a top-tier performer but is significantly better than the bottom half of the field, making it a solid choice for mainstream gaming at standard resolutions.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Control? The answer is yes, but the experience varies by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold at every preset, including Ultra with an average of 74.9 FPS. This makes 1080p the ideal resolution for this hardware, allowing for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable at the High, Medium, and Low presets. The best playable setting is High, with an average of 60.9 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it drops to 54.4 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. This means users with 1440p monitors should stick to High settings for a consistent experience.

At 3840x2160, the system is only playable at the Low preset, which averages 65.1 FPS. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 47.5, 42.8, and 37.2 FPS respectively. Therefore, 4K is only viable with significant graphical compromises. Overall, this combo is a capable performer for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it is not suited for high-fidelity 4K play in Control.