Control

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers an exceptionally strong performance profile in Control, with measured frame rates that consistently exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold across every resolution and preset combination tested. The data shows a system that is not merely capable, but overwhelmingly dominant, with the weakest recorded average still hitting 79.2 FPS at 4K Ultra settings. This combination ranks 108th out of 3,720 tested combos for this title, placing it in the top percentile of all configurations evaluated, and the benchmark results indicate that users can expect a fluid, high-refresh-rate experience regardless of their display’s native resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Control reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions, with the RTX 4090 providing ample headroom even at the most demanding settings. At 1920x1080, the performance is staggering: Low settings produce an average of 269.3 FPS, Medium yields 195.3 FPS, High delivers 171.3 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a commanding 150.2 FPS average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the CPU-GPU combination is rarely the bottleneck, and the frame rates are high enough to fully saturate even the fastest 240Hz or 360Hz gaming monitors, though the data does not specify minimum or maximum frame rates for any configuration.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally high, with the RTX 4090’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensuring that the increased pixel count does not cause any significant drop-off. The Low preset averages 206.6 FPS, Medium achieves 147.5 FPS, High reaches 132.2 FPS, and Ultra settles at 112.5 FPS. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 23-30% of the average frame rate depending on the preset, but the absolute values remain far above the 60 FPS threshold, making this resolution the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming with all visual features enabled.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still remarkable, though the gap between presets narrows as the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor. Ultra settings average 79.2 FPS, High improves to 87.9 FPS, Medium jumps to 102.2 FPS, and Low reaches 142.1 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is roughly 63 FPS, which is a smaller absolute difference than at lower resolutions, but the relative scaling is consistent. Notably, even the most demanding Ultra preset at 4K clears the 60 FPS playability threshold by a healthy margin of 19.2 FPS, indicating that the RTX 4090’s 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is more than sufficient for this title’s rendering demands.

The absence of min and max FPS data means the analysis relies solely on averages, but the consistency of the scaling across resolutions and settings suggests stable performance. The i7-12700K, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, provides ample single-thread performance (as evidenced by its 1850.5 Cinebench R23 single-core score) to feed the GPU efficiently, preventing CPU-bound frame drops that could skew the average downward. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown presents a picture of overwhelming capability, with every configuration tested delivering well over double the 60 FPS baseline.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combination?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 269.3, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the absolute ceiling of the tested configurations, though the Ultra preset at the same resolution still delivers a very high 150.2 FPS average.

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

A: Yes, the data confirms that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system averages 79.2 FPS, which is 19.2 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at 4K are listed as playable in the verdict data.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 150.2 FPS at 1920x1080 to 79.2 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 47.3% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 269.3 FPS to 142.1 FPS, a similar proportional reduction of approximately 47.2%.

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

A: According to the verdict data, Ultra is the best settings preset at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 112.5 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and represents the highest visual quality option tested.

Q: How does this system rank compared to other tested combinations?

A: This CPU-GPU combo ranks 108th out of 3,720 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the top 3% of all configurations evaluated. This high ranking reflects the RTX 4090’s 88th percentile performance score among all GPUs and the i7-12700K’s 84th percentile score among all CPUs.

Q: Is the performance consistent across all resolutions?

A: Yes, the measured data shows that every resolution-settings combination tested achieves an average FPS above 60. The lowest recorded average is 79.2 FPS at 4K Ultra, while the highest is 269.3 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating consistent playability across the board.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-12700K in synthetic benchmarks are all within a narrow performance band, with the closest being the Intel Core i5-13600T, which scores 35,305 versus the i7-12700K’s 35,287 average benchmark score, a negligible delta of -0.1%. The Intel Core i7-12700KF is the next closest at 35,365 (-0.2%), followed by the Intel Core i7-13700T at 35,403 (-0.3%) and the Intel Core 5 213PE at 35,428 (-0.4%). These rivals would produce essentially identical CPU-bound performance in Control, meaning users with any of these processors paired with an RTX 4090 would see frame rates within a fraction of a percent of the measured values.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4090’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score are somewhat surprising, as they come from the professional and workstation segments rather than consumer gaming cards. The Intel Arc Pro A60 matches the RTX 4090 almost exactly with a score of 60,326 versus 60,347, a delta of 0%. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60,140, just 0.3% lower, while the AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% lower at 58,657. Interestingly, the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores higher at 61,896, putting it 2.5% above the RTX 4090 in the aggregate benchmark. However, these workstation-oriented GPUs may not deliver identical gaming performance in Control due to driver optimizations and clock behavior, despite their similar synthetic scores.

For practical purposes, users seeking similar gameplay performance to the i7-12700K + RTX 4090 combination would need to look at other high-end desktop components. The i7-12700KF is essentially the same chip without integrated graphics, so it would deliver indistinguishable frame rates. The i5-13600T and i7-13700T, despite being lower-tier or lower-power variants, are close enough in CPU benchmark scores that they would not bottleneck the RTX 4090 in Control at any resolution. On the GPU side, no direct consumer equivalent to the RTX 4090 is listed among its nearest rivals, but the data indicates that any GPU with a similar average benchmark score would likely produce comparable FPS in this title.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unequivocal: this PC can run Control with exceptional performance at every resolution and preset tested. The verdict by resolution confirms that all four settings presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080, with the 60 FPS threshold cleared in every single configuration. At 4K, the best settings preset is Ultra with an average of 79.2 FPS, which is comfortably above the playable threshold. At 1440p, Ultra averages 112.5 FPS, providing a significant margin for high-refresh-rate displays. At 1080p, Ultra averages 150.2 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS baseline and suitable for even the fastest competitive gaming monitors.

The data suggests that this combination is overkill for Control, as even the most demanding configuration (4K Ultra) leaves 19.2 FPS of headroom above the playability threshold. The RTX 4090’s 24 GB of VRAM is far more than Control requires, and the i7-12700K’s multi-threaded performance (19,784 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) ensures that CPU-side physics and AI calculations do not introduce stutters. For users with a 120Hz or 144Hz 4K display, the 79.2 FPS average at Ultra may fall short of maxing out the refresh rate, but dropping to High settings yields 87.9 FPS, and Medium reaches 102.2 FPS, both of which are closer to saturating such displays. At 1440p and below, the system has more than enough performance to drive high-refresh-rate monitors to their limits.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 150.2 FPS. This is the highest quality setting tested, and it provides more than double the playable threshold, making it the clear recommendation for 1080p users. The performance headroom is so large that users could enable additional GPU-intensive features without concern, though the data does not specify which features are included in each preset.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is again the best settings preset, with an average of 112.5 FPS. This is 52.5 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the system has substantial headroom even at this higher resolution. The step down to High settings yields 132.2 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is unnecessary given that Ultra already clears the playability threshold with a wide margin.

At 3840x2160, the best settings preset is also Ultra, with an average of 79.2 FPS. This is 19.2 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, which is a comfortable margin but notably tighter than at lower resolutions. For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, dropping to High settings provides 87.9 FPS, Medium gives 102.2 FPS, and Low reaches 142.1 FPS, but none of these are necessary to achieve playable performance. The data indicates that 4K Ultra is fully viable, and the system can handle the game’s maximum settings at 4K without dipping below the playability threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 108th out of 3,720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the top 2.9% of all configurations evaluated. This ranking is a reflection of the individual component strengths: the RTX 4090 holds an 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 60,347, while the i7-12700K sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs with an average score of 35,287. The combination of two top-tier components results in a system that is near the pinnacle of the benchmark database for this title.

Given that there are 107 combos ranked higher, those configurations likely feature even more extreme hardware, such as overclocked variants or newer-generation components. However, the practical difference in Control’s frame rates is likely minimal, as the game’s performance is already far above the playability threshold at all settings. The ranking also contextualizes the system’s performance: it is not merely playable, but among the best-performing 3% of all tested combinations, which is an exceptional result for a game released in 2019. The data confirms that this combo represents a high-end solution that will not struggle with Control under any circumstances, and users can expect a consistently smooth experience with maximum settings at any resolution.