Control

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D produces a combination that ranks 33rd out of 3,720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the top 1% of systems. This is a configuration where the GPU’s raw power dominates the pairing, as the RTX 5090 D sits in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU holds an 79th percentile ranking. The benchmark data shows that this system clears the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution and preset combination tested, making it a high-end option for this 2019 action-adventure title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 33 out of 3,720 tested combinations places this pairing in the upper echelon of systems evaluated for Control. This position reflects the oversized contribution of the RTX 5090 D, whose average benchmark score of 77,712 places it far above the median GPU. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 27,799 is respectable but not exceptional, meaning the overall ranking is driven primarily by graphics horsepower rather than processor throughput.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each component helps contextualize this rank. The CPU’s closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which scores 27,896, a mere 0.3% higher than the i5-12600KF’s 27,799. Similarly, the Intel Core i9-10900K scores 27,872, just 0.3% above this chip. On the GPU side, the nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT with an average score of 76,904, which is 1.1% lower than the RTX 5090 D’s 77,712. These tight margins indicate that component selection in this performance tier yields diminishing returns—the i5-12600KF is effectively interchangeable with several other CPUs in terms of overall benchmark averages.

The 33rd rank out of 3,720 combos translates to being ahead of roughly 99% of all tested configurations. In practical terms for Control, this means the system never approaches the 60 FPS playability threshold; even at 4K Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 83 FPS, which is 38% above the minimum target. The gap between this combo and the bottom of the tested field is substantial, but the data does not show any scenario where the CPU becomes a limiting factor, as frame rates scale consistently with GPU load across resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K resolution?

A: The verdict data lists Ultra as the best settings at 3840x2160, with an average frame rate of 83 FPS. All four tested presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at this resolution since each clears the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much performance drops when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls from 163 FPS at 1920x1080 to 83 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 49% reduction. The drop from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at Ultra is from 124 FPS to 83 FPS, a 33% decrease.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor. Evidence comes from the scaling pattern: at 1080p Low, the system produces 262 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 83 FPS—a 68% reduction driven almost entirely by increased GPU load. The CPU’s benchmark scores (e.g., 23,391 in Cinebench R23 multicore) are sufficient to avoid bottlenecking even at high frame rates.

Q: Are there any settings where the frame rate drops below 60 FPS?

A: No. The lowest recorded average frame rate across all resolutions and presets is 83 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra. The minimum frame rate data available, from Medium settings, shows 92 FPS at 4K, 136 FPS at 1440p, and 180 FPS at 1080p—all well above 60.

Q: How does this combo compare to its nearest GPU rival in real gaming?

A: The RTX 5090 D’s closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, has an average benchmark score 1.1% lower. In Control, this would translate to a negligible frame rate difference—less than one frame per second at most settings, given that the measured averages are 83, 124, and 163 FPS at the highest preset across resolutions.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 225 FPS average, while Ultra produces 124 FPS. The difference of 101 FPS represents a 45% reduction in performance from Low to Ultra, with Medium (160 FPS) and High (142 FPS) falling in between.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 163 FPS. This leaves considerable headroom above the playability threshold, and even the heaviest settings do not strain the system.

For 2560x1440, Ultra settings again remain the optimal choice, with an average frame rate of 124 FPS. The system maintains a 64 FPS margin above the 60 FPS minimum, indicating that this resolution is comfortably within the GPU’s capabilities.

At 3840x2160, Ultra remains playable with an average of 83 FPS. This is the most demanding configuration tested, yet it still exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by 23 FPS. The data shows that all four presets—Low (152 FPS), Medium (108 FPS), High (96 FPS), and Ultra (83 FPS)—are viable at 4K, but Ultra provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing playability.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals are all within 0.3% of the i5-12600KF’s average benchmark score of 27,799. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (27,896) and the Intel Core i9-10900K (27,872) are slightly faster, while the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE (27,712) and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (27,887) are essentially equivalent. In Control, these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates, as the game is not CPU-bound at the tested settings—the 1080p Low result of 262 FPS suggests the processor can handle even extreme frame rate demands.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904) is 1.1% slower than the RTX 5090 D (77,712), while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940) is 1.6% faster. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants (79,396 and 79,605) are 2.1% and 2.4% faster, respectively. For gaming, these differences translate to minor frame rate variations—at 4K Ultra, a 2% difference would change the 83 FPS average by roughly 1-2 FPS, which is imperceptible in practice.

The practical takeaway is that any of these component pairings would deliver a similar experience in Control. The system’s performance is so far above the 60 FPS threshold that the small benchmark differences between these rivals do not affect playability or visual quality settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces its highest frame rates. Low settings yield 262 FPS average, Medium delivers 211 FPS with a range of 180 to 243 FPS, High reaches 188 FPS, and Ultra maintains 163 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 99 FPS, showing that even the most demanding preset at 1080p leaves substantial performance on the table.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected reduction. Low settings produce 225 FPS, Medium averages 160 FPS with a 136 to 184 FPS range, High reaches 142 FPS, and Ultra drops to 124 FPS. The ratio between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra is 163:124, or approximately 1.31:1, which aligns with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the performance scales down further. Low settings deliver 152 FPS, Medium averages 108 FPS with a 92 to 124 FPS range, High reaches 96 FPS, and Ultra drops to 83 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that approaches the 60 FPS threshold, but it still clears it by 23 FPS. The minimum frame rates recorded at Medium settings—92 FPS at 4K, 136 FPS at 1440p, and 180 FPS at 1080p—indicate that the system maintains consistent performance without significant dips.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control at every resolution and preset combination tested, with all average frame rates exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 1920x1080, the system achieves between 163 FPS (Ultra) and 262 FPS (Low), making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. At 2560x1440, frame rates range from 124 FPS (Ultra) to 225 FPS (Low), still far above the minimum requirement. Even at 3840x2160, the most demanding scenario, the system delivers 83 FPS at Ultra settings and 152 FPS at Low.

The verdict by resolution confirms that all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at every resolution. The best settings for maximum visual quality are Ultra at each resolution, with average frame rates of 163 FPS (1080p), 124 FPS (1440p), and 83 FPS (4K). There is no configuration in the measured data that falls below 60 FPS, meaning the system has substantial headroom for future updates or more demanding games.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the GPU is the primary performance driver in Control, with the CPU playing a secondary role. This is evident from the scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system produces 262 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame delivery capability. Moving to 1440p Low reduces this to 225 FPS, and 4K Low further reduces it to 152 FPS—a clear GPU-bound scaling as pixel count increases.

The CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings. The difference between 1080p Low (262 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (163 FPS) is 99 FPS, while the same comparison at 4K shows a smaller gap: 152 FPS (Low) versus 83 FPS (Ultra), a 69 FPS difference. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU can partially compensate for lower GPU load, but at 4K, the GPU’s rendering workload dominates.

The CPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its adequacy. With a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23,391 and a single-core score of 3,302, the i5-12600KF has ample processing power for this game. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7,956 and 2-thread score of 1,995 indicate strong multi-threaded and low-thread performance, respectively. Since Control does not appear to be heavily CPU-dependent based on the frame rate scaling, the CPU never becomes a bottleneck, even at the highest frame rates.

The RTX 5090 D’s specifications—32 GB of GDDR7 memory, 21,760 shading units, and a boost clock of 2407 MHz—provide the raw throughput needed for consistent high frame rates. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 44,065 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,915 place it well above the requirements for this title. In summary, for Control, the GPU determines frame rates at all resolutions, while the CPU ensures that frame delivery remains consistent without introducing stalls or dips.