Control

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a benchmark profile that is heavily dependent on resolution and graphical preset. At 1920x1080, the combination achieves an average of 88.9 FPS at Ultra settings, while the same settings at 3840x2160 drop to 43.9 FPS. The data indicates this is a capable pairing for high-refresh 1080p and 1440p gaming, but 4K requires a substantial reduction in settings to maintain playable frame rates. The GPU’s percentile rank of 61 against all GPUs, combined with the CPU’s percentile rank of 84 against all CPUs, suggests a system where processing power is not the primary constraint in most scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 2560x1440?

A: The data shows that Ultra settings are playable at 2560x1440, with an average frame rate of 67.7 FPS. This is above the playable threshold of 60 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that clears the threshold at this resolution.

Q: How does the frame rate scale from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 at High settings?

A: The average frame rate at High settings drops from 100.2 FPS at 1920x1080 to 74.1 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 52.5 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a reduction of approximately 47.7 FPS when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Is the i7-12700K a bottleneck for the RTX 3070 in this game?

A: Based on the benchmark results, the CPU appears to have ample headroom. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 35287 places it in the 84th percentile, while the GPU’s average score of 17208 places it in the 61st percentile. The frame rate scaling between resolutions suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best preset for 1920x1080 if the goal is maximum visual quality?

A: Ultra settings at 1920x1080 provide an average of 88.9 FPS, which is the highest visual preset available in the data. This preset maintains a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combination ranks 1590 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. This rank reflects its balanced performance across CPU and GPU benchmarks.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra at 3840x2160?

A: Low settings at 3840x2160 yield an average of 79 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 43.9 FPS. This is a difference of 35.1 FPS, showing the significant impact of preset selection at 4K resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 79 FPS. Medium settings fall below the threshold at 56.7 FPS, and High and Ultra are progressively lower at 52.5 FPS and 43.9 FPS, respectively. For 2560x1440, Ultra settings are the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, with an average of 67.7 FPS. At this resolution, even the heaviest preset clears the threshold, with High at 74.1 FPS and Medium at 85.4 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings are fully playable with an average of 88.9 FPS. The data shows that this resolution provides the most headroom, with Low settings reaching 161.5 FPS and Medium at 112.9 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in component roles as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are high across all presets, with Low settings reaching 161.5 FPS and Ultra at 88.9 FPS. This wide spread suggests that the GPU is the primary driver of performance, as the CPU’s high percentile rank (84) indicates it is not limiting the frame rate. When moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop proportionally across presets, with Ultra at 67.7 FPS. This scaling continues at 3840x2160, where the GPU’s workload becomes significantly heavier, and only Low settings (79 FPS) remain playable. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces the Ultra preset average by 21.2 FPS, while the transition from 1440p to 4K reduces it by 23.8 FPS. This consistent decline indicates that the RTX 3070’s rendering capabilities are the limiting factor, rather than the CPU’s processing power. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19784 and single-core score of 1850.5 demonstrate strong computational performance, but the game’s frame rates are more closely tied to GPU load.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals to the Intel Core i7-12700K, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core i5-13600T with a score of 35305 and a delta of -0.1% from the i7-12700K’s average of 35287. The Intel Core i7-12700KF scores 35365, which is -0.2% higher, while the Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403, a -0.3% difference. These CPUs would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in Control, as their performance is within a fraction of a percent. For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, the closest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT with an average score of 17083 and a delta of 0.7% relative to the RTX 3070’s 17208. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037, a 1% difference, and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, a 1.1% difference. These GPUs would deliver similar frame rates in the game, with the RX 7600 XT being the most direct competitor. The data suggests that swapping to any of these alternatives would result in minimal changes to the measured FPS, as the performance deltas are all under 1.5%.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1590 out of 3720 tested combos in the database for Control. This places it in the 57th percentile of all tested combinations, indicating a solid but not top-tier performance level. The CPU’s individual percentile of 84 is notably higher than the GPU’s percentile of 61, which suggests that the combo’s ranking is limited by the GPU. The benchmark results support this, as the frame rates at higher resolutions decline significantly, indicating GPU-bound performance. This ranking means that while the combo is above average, there are 2130 other combinations that achieve better overall performance in this game. The gap between the CPU and GPU percentiles also implies that upgrading the GPU would yield a more substantial improvement in Control than upgrading the CPU.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC can run Control, but the experience varies significantly by resolution. At 3840x2160, only Low settings are playable, with an average of 79 FPS. Medium (56.7 FPS), High (52.5 FPS), and Ultra (43.9 FPS) all fall below the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, all presets are playable, with Ultra achieving 67.7 FPS, High at 74.1 FPS, Medium at 85.4 FPS, and Low at 118.8 FPS. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable of handling Ultra settings at 88.9 FPS, with no preset dropping below the threshold. The verdict is clear: for a consistent 60 FPS experience, 1440p is the highest resolution where maximum settings are viable. For 4K, users must compromise on visual quality to maintain playability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 79 FPS, Medium produces 56.7 FPS, High produces 52.5 FPS, and Ultra produces 43.9 FPS. The data does not include minimum or maximum frame rate values for this resolution. Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low at 118.8 FPS, Medium at 85.4 FPS, High at 74.1 FPS, and Ultra at 67.7 FPS. Again, no min or max values are provided. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are: Low at 161.5 FPS, Medium at 112.9 FPS, High at 100.2 FPS, and Ultra at 88.9 FPS. The minimum and maximum frame rates are not specified for any resolution or preset in the data. The progression of frame rates across resolutions shows a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution reduces the average FPS by a significant margin, with the largest absolute drop occurring between 1440p and 4K at Ultra settings, which falls from 67.7 FPS to 43.9 FPS.