Control

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti delivers a highly capable Control experience, with benchmark data showing that 1080p and 1440p gaming are entirely viable, while 4K requires a settings adjustment to maintain smooth frame rates. The measured results place this combination at rank 1825 out of 3720 tested combos, putting it in the 49th percentile of all systems tested for this title, which reflects a solid mid-to-upper tier performance profile. The data shows a clear scaling pattern where resolution and preset choices dramatically alter the playability outcome, from a 41 FPS average at 4K Ultra to a 148.3 FPS average at 1080p Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080: The data shows this resolution is where the combo is most comfortable, with every preset clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold. At Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 148.3 FPS, which is the highest recorded across all tested configurations. Medium settings deliver 106.9 FPS average, High settings produce 92.2 FPS, and even the demanding Ultra preset maintains a strong 79 FPS average. The spread between presets is substantial, with Ultra delivering 46.8% lower performance than Low, but the absolute numbers remain well above the playability threshold.

2560x1440: Performance at 1440p shows a similar pattern to 1080p but with expected scaling losses. Low settings still produce a very high 112.5 FPS average, while Medium settings deliver 80.7 FPS and High settings hit 72.7 FPS. The Ultra preset just barely clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 61.2 FPS average, making it the most demanding setting that remains playable at this resolution. The data indicates that 1440p Ultra is a borderline case, while all other settings provide comfortable headroom above the playability threshold.

3840x2160: At 4K, the performance envelope tightens considerably and the data reveals clear limits. Low settings are the only playable option, delivering a 73.5 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 53 FPS, High settings fall to 46.5 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 41 FPS. These results show that the RTX 3060 Ti's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are stretched at this resolution, and the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The 37.3% performance gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is the largest observed across all resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured data shows a 41 FPS average at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which falls significantly below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The only playable 4K setting is Low, which delivers 73.5 FPS.

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

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 is playable with a 61.2 FPS average, making it the best visual option that still clears the threshold. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the system perform at 1080p with maximum visual quality?

A: The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 delivers a 79 FPS average, providing a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes it the recommended configuration for players prioritizing visual fidelity.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions. At 4K, the frame rate drops from 73.5 FPS on Low to 41 FPS on Ultra, a 44.2% reduction. The Intel Core i7-12700KF, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, has sufficient headroom for this title.

Q: What is the worst performing configuration tested?

A: The 3840x2160 Ultra preset produces the lowest average frame rate at 41 FPS. This configuration also shows the largest performance penalty relative to the best 4K setting.

Q: Does the system ever exceed 120 FPS?

A: Yes. The 1920x1080 Low preset produces a 148.3 FPS average, and the 2560x1440 Low preset reaches 112.5 FPS. These are the only two configurations in the measured data that approach or exceed 120 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i7-12700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. At 1080p, the CPU has more influence on performance, as evidenced by the 148.3 FPS result at Low settings, which represents the system's peak output. The 12-core, 20-thread processor with a 5.00 GHz boost clock can feed frames rapidly at lower resolutions, but the GPU's 16.20 TFLOPS FP32 compute capability begins to saturate as resolution increases.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts toward the GPU. The drop from 112.5 FPS at Low to 61.2 FPS at Ultra represents a 45.6% performance reduction, which is attributable to the increasing pixel count and shading complexity. The RTX 3060 Ti's 4864 shading units and 152 texture mapping units are working harder, while the CPU maintains sufficient throughput. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit bus becomes more relevant at this resolution, though the system still handles all presets acceptably.

The 3840x2160 results demonstrate that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at 4K. The 73.5 FPS at Low settings drops to 41 FPS at Ultra, a 44.2% reduction that mirrors the 1440p scaling pattern but with lower absolute values. The RTX 3060 Ti's 200 W TDP and dual-slot cooler are clearly being pushed to their limits, while the CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 suggests it has substantial headroom. The data points to the GPU being responsible for the majority of performance variance across all resolutions, with the CPU playing a more supportive role in this title.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearestRivals data shows the Intel Core i7-12700KF sits within a tight performance band of comparable processors. The Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403, which is just 0.1% higher, making it effectively indistinguishable in this workload. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, a 0.2% difference, while the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, also 0.2% off. The Intel Core i7-12700K, with a score of 35287, is the closest match at 0.2% lower, which is unsurprising given the KF variant's lack of integrated graphics. Any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Control.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's nearestRivals include the AMD Radeon RX 9060 with an average score of 16014, which is 0.7% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT at 16361, which is 1.4% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M also scores 16351, a 1.4% difference. These results suggest that users with these alternative GPUs would see very similar Control performance. The AMD Radeon R9 370X, scoring 15862, is 1.7% lower, representing a slightly weaker option. The deltaPct values across all four rivals are within a 1.7% range, indicating that the RTX 3060 Ti's performance class has several viable alternatives.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti combination ranks 1825 out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the 49th percentile of all systems benchmarked. This ranking reflects a system that is slightly below the median performance tier, which aligns with the measured FPS data. The 1080p results, where the combo delivers 79 FPS at Ultra, are competitive with many higher-tier configurations, but the 4K performance pulls the overall ranking down. The 41 FPS at 4K Ultra is a notable weakness, while the 148.3 FPS at 1080p Low demonstrates the system's potential in less demanding scenarios.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's 59th percentile standing among all GPUs, which is lower than the CPU's 85th percentile among all CPUs. This asymmetry explains why the combo performs better at lower resolutions where the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance (PassMark multi-thread score of 34092) can compensate for the GPU's mid-range positioning. The data suggests that the combo's overall rank would improve significantly if the GPU were upgraded, as the CPU is clearly capable of supporting more powerful graphics hardware.

The Verdict

The benchmark data provides a definitive answer: this PC can run Control successfully at 1080p and 1440p with all settings, and at 4K with Low settings. The verdictByResolution data shows that 1920x1080 supports all four presets (High, Low, Medium, Ultra) with the best setting being Ultra at 79 FPS average, which provides a comfortable 31.7% margin above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, all presets are also playable, with Ultra achieving 61.2 FPS average, just barely clearing the playability threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system is limited to Low settings, which delivers 73.5 FPS average. Players seeking 4K Ultra performance would need to consider a more powerful GPU, as the RTX 3060 Ti's 8 GB memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for this workload. For the majority of players using 1080p or 1440p displays, this combination provides an excellent Control experience, with the ability to max out visual settings while maintaining smooth frame rates. The data confirms that the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti form a balanced pairing for this title, with the CPU's high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4071) supporting the GPU's capabilities across most resolutions.