Control

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers a performance profile that is overwhelmingly sufficient for Control, with measured data indicating that every resolution and preset combination tested clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. Across all three tested resolutions, the combination of this 12th-generation Alder Lake processor and the Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU produces average frame rates that range from a solid 78 FPS at 4K Ultra to a commanding 268 FPS at 1080p Low, positioning this system in the top percentile of tested configurations for this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 78 FPS. While the High preset achieves 90 FPS and Medium reaches 101 FPS, the Ultra setting remains comfortably playable, allowing users to maximize visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is again the optimal choice, producing an average of 116 FPS. This represents a significant headroom over the 60 FPS threshold, and the gap between Ultra and the next step down (High at 133 FPS) is modest enough that the visual quality gain from Ultra is well worth the minor frame rate trade-off.

For 1920x1080, Ultra is the clear recommendation with an average of 153 FPS. The data shows that even at this demanding preset, the system has ample performance reserve, and the difference compared to High (176 FPS) is less critical given that both far exceed the playability standard. The Ultra preset at 1080p provides the best balance of image quality and high refresh rate capability.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, benchmark results indicate the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 achieves an average of 78 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the most demanding configuration tested and it remains fully playable.

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

A: The highest measured average is 268 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset. This highlights the substantial performance ceiling of the RTX 5090 when paired with the i7-12700K at lower resolutions.

Q: How does the system perform at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system delivers an average of 150 FPS, with minimum and maximum readings of 127 FPS and 172 FPS respectively. This indicates consistent frame pacing well above the playability threshold.

Q: Is there any resolution or preset combination that fails to reach 60 FPS?

A: No, the verdict data confirms that all tested settings across 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160 are playable. The lowest average recorded is 78 FPS at 4K Ultra, which still exceeds the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 268 FPS on Low to 153 FPS on Ultra, representing a reduction of roughly 43% in average performance when moving to the highest quality preset.

Q: How does the system's performance scale from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: The average frame rate at Ultra falls from 153 FPS at 1920x1080 to 116 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 78 FPS at 3840x2160. This demonstrates that the GPU becomes progressively more stressed as resolution increases, but remains capable throughout.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system exhibits exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset yields the highest average at 268 FPS, while Medium produces an average of 198 FPS with a minimum of 168 FPS and a maximum of 228 FPS. High settings achieve 176 FPS on average, and even the demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 153 FPS. These figures indicate that at 1080p, the RTX 5090 is operating well within its capabilities, with frame rates that support very high refresh rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains robust but shows the expected scaling impact. Low settings deliver an average of 211 FPS, while Medium reaches 150 FPS with a minimum of 127 FPS and a maximum of 172 FPS. High settings produce an average of 133 FPS, and Ultra maintains a strong 116 FPS average. The consistency between the minimum and maximum readings at Medium suggests stable frame delivery even during demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the resolution tax becomes more apparent but does not compromise playability. The Low preset averages 142 FPS, demonstrating the GPU's raw power. Medium settings achieve 101 FPS on average, with minimum and maximum values of 86 FPS and 116 FPS respectively. High settings reach 90 FPS, and Ultra still delivers a respectable 78 FPS average. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is 64 FPS, indicating that the visual quality settings have a pronounced effect at this resolution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-12700K, the benchmark data shows that the Intel Core i5-13600T produces an average score of 35305, which is a delta of -0.1% compared to the i7-12700K's score of 35287. The Intel Core i7-12700KF scores 35365, representing a -0.2% delta, while the Intel Core i7-13700T achieves 35403 with a -0.3% delta. The Intel Core 5 213PE rounds out the group with a score of 35428 and a -0.4% delta. These differences are negligible, meaning that swapping to any of these processors would result in virtually identical gaming performance in Control, as the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, the nearest rival list includes the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB with an average score of 79605 and a delta of 0.3%, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB at 79396 with a 0.6% delta, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 78940 with a 1.1% delta. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959, representing a -1.4% delta. While these alternatives show similar aggregate benchmark scores, the RTX 5090's substantial 32 GB GDDR7 memory and 512-bit bus width provide a distinct advantage in memory-intensive scenarios, though the core performance delta is minor.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, the Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 89th out of 3720 combinations for Control. This places the system in the 97.6th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating that this pairing is among the most capable for this game. The high ranking is consistent with the measured frame rates, which show no weakness at any resolution or setting level. The combination of a strong multi-threaded processor and a top-tier GPU ensures that neither component becomes a bottleneck in this title.

The Verdict

Based on the measured data, this system can definitively run Control with exceptional performance. At 3840x2160, all four tested presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable, with the best settings being Ultra at an average of 78 FPS. At 2560x1440, the verdict is equally positive, with Ultra achieving 116 FPS on average. At 1920x1080, the system reaches an average of 153 FPS on Ultra, and the playable settings include all four presets. The lowest average frame rate across any tested configuration is 78 FPS, which remains comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This system not only runs Control but does so with significant headroom, making it suitable for high refresh rate displays at lower resolutions and fully maxed-out settings at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance data reveals how the CPU and GPU contributions shift across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 153 FPS on Ultra to 268 FPS on Low, showing that the GPU is not fully saturated at this resolution. The i7-12700K's single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 1043 and passmark_single_thread score of 4013, is sufficient to feed the RTX 5090 at these high frame rates. The CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample headroom for the game's physics and logic, though the frame rates are primarily dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities.

At 2560x1440, the scaling shows a more balanced distribution of workload. The average frame rates drop to between 116 FPS on Ultra and 211 FPS on Low, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as pixel count increases. The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities, reflected in its cinebench_r23_multicore score of 19784, ensure that it can maintain consistent frame delivery even as the GPU works harder. The minimum FPS readings at Medium settings (127 FPS) suggest that the CPU avoids bottlenecking in complex scenes.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's role dominates the performance equation. The average frame rates fall to between 78 FPS on Ultra and 142 FPS on Low, clearly demonstrating that the RTX 5090's rendering throughput is the primary constraint. The CPU's contribution becomes less critical at this resolution, as the frame rates are bounded by the GPU's ability to process the increased pixel workload. The RTX 5090's 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth are the key specifications driving this 4K performance. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings (153 FPS down to 78 FPS) shows a 49% reduction, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases.