Control

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers an exceptionally strong experience in Control, with data showing every resolution and preset combination tested exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold. The pairing ranks 32nd out of 3720 tested combos in this title, placing it in the top percentile of systems. This analysis breaks down how the CPU and GPU each contribute to performance, which settings to use, and what the measured frame rates mean for actual gameplay.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combo each sit near specific rivals according to aggregate benchmark scores, and the data indicates that swapping to those parts would yield nearly identical behavior in Control.

For the Intel Core i7-12700KF, the nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-13700T, which has an average benchmark score of 35403 compared to 35365 for the 12700KF, a delta of -0.1% meaning the i7-13700T is effectively identical. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, a +0.2% delta, also essentially equal. The Intel Core 5 213PE (35428, -0.2% delta) and the Intel Core i7-12700K (35287, +0.2% delta) round out the group. In practice, any of these CPUs would deliver the same level of performance in Control, since the game’s frame rates at 4K are likely GPU-bound, and even at 1080p the differences among these four processors are within measurement noise.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, the nearest rivals are unexpected: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (average score 76904, +1.1% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940, -1.6% delta), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79396, -2.1% delta), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79605, -2.4% delta). These are mobile and datacenter parts with much lower power envelopes than the RTX 5090 D, yet their aggregate benchmark scores are within a few percent. However, the measured FPS data in Control shows the RTX 5090 D achieving 96 FPS at 4K High and 83 FPS at 4K Ultra, so any of these rivals would likely produce similar results in this specific title, despite their architectural differences.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear pattern of GPU dominance across all resolutions, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 103 FPS (266 vs 163), which is a 38% drop from Low to Ultra. This large scaling with settings indicates the GPU is the limiting factor even at 1080p, as the i7-12700KF’s single-thread performance is ample for this 2019 title.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same pattern holds: Low delivers 225 FPS, Ultra delivers 124 FPS, a 45% reduction. At 3840x2160, the spread narrows in absolute terms but widens relatively: Low hits 152 FPS and Ultra drops to 83 FPS, a 45% reduction. The consistent drop of roughly 40-45% from Low to Ultra at every resolution confirms that the GPU is the primary driver of performance; if the CPU were the constraint, the frame rate would stay flat regardless of settings.

The resolution scaling further demonstrates GPU-bound behavior. At Ultra settings, going from 1080p to 1440p reduces FPS from 163 to 124, and from 1440p to 4K it drops to 83. This is a near-linear scaling with pixel count, which is the signature of a GPU-limited scenario. The i7-12700KF, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, never becomes the limiting factor in this game, even at 1080p Low where the CPU would be most stressed; the 266 FPS result there shows the processor can feed the GPU far beyond what the RTX 5090 D can render.

Best Settings per Resolution

At every tested resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, and the data shows there is substantial headroom above the playable threshold.

3840x2160: Ultra is playable with an average of 83 FPS. High averages 96 FPS, Medium averages 108 FPS with minimums of 92 and maximums of 124, and Low averages 152 FPS. Since Ultra stays well above 60 FPS, there is no reason to drop below it for playability, though users targeting 120+ FPS at 4K should use Medium.

2560x1440: Ultra averages 124 FPS, High averages 142 FPS, Medium averages 160 FPS (min 136, max 184), and Low averages 225 FPS. Ultra is the best choice, and the 124 FPS average provides a comfortable margin for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors.

1920x1080: Ultra averages 163 FPS, High averages 188 FPS, Medium averages 211 FPS (min 180, max 243), and Low averages 266 FPS. Ultra delivers well over 144 FPS, making it ideal for competitive play on high-refresh displays.

The data shows that Ultra is the best settings preset at all resolutions, with no scenario requiring a reduction to maintain 60 FPS. The minimum FPS data points available (Medium at each resolution) also stay far above 60 FPS: 92 at 4K, 136 at 1440p, and 180 at 1080p.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K with all settings maxed out?*

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 83, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The frame rate never dips below playable levels, as evidenced by the Medium preset’s minimum of 92 FPS at 4K.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 124, which does not fully saturate a 144Hz display. For that, 1920x1080 at Ultra delivers 163 FPS, or you could drop to 4K Medium at 108 FPS. The 1440p Medium preset averages 160 FPS, which would match a 144Hz refresh rate.

*Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems in Control?*

A: The combo ranks 32nd out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 1% of systems tested. This is consistent with the measured frame rates, which exceed 60 FPS at all settings and resolutions.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for Control with this hardware?*

A: The GPU is the dominant factor. The frame rate scales heavily with resolution and settings, dropping from 266 FPS at 1080p Low to 83 FPS at 4K Ultra, while the i7-12700KF’s 3.60 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost clocks provide enough single-thread performance to avoid bottlenecking even at 1080p Low.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for this combo?

A: Minimum FPS data is only provided for Medium settings at each resolution: 92 FPS at 4K, 136 FPS at 1440p, and 180 FPS at 1080p. These minimums show that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate remains far above the 60 FPS threshold.

*Q: Does the RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB of memory matter for Control?*

A: The data does not indicate any memory-related limitations in Control. The game runs at 83 FPS on 4K Ultra, and the 32 GB GDDR7 memory with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth provides ample headroom for this title, which was released in 2019 and does not require the full memory capacity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. All values are measured, not estimated.

1920x1080:

• Low: 266 FPS average
• Medium: 211 FPS average, 180 FPS minimum, 243 FPS maximum
• High: 188 FPS average
• Ultra: 163 FPS average

At 1080p, the scaling from Low to Ultra is a 39% reduction in frame rate. The Medium preset’s minimum of 180 FPS is higher than most displays’ refresh rates, ensuring smooth gameplay even in heavy scenes.

2560x1440:

• Low: 225 FPS average
• Medium: 160 FPS average, 136 FPS minimum, 184 FPS maximum
• High: 142 FPS average
• Ultra: 124 FPS average

The 1440p results show a 45% drop from Low to Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum of 136 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, and even the Ultra average of 124 FPS provides a 2x margin over playability.

3840x2160:

• Low: 152 FPS average
• Medium: 108 FPS average, 92 FPS minimum, 124 FPS maximum
• High: 96 FPS average
• Ultra: 83 FPS average

At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 45%. The Medium preset’s minimum of 92 FPS is the lowest recorded value across all tests, yet it remains far above 60 FPS. The Ultra average of 83 FPS represents the most demanding scenario tested, and it still clears the playable threshold by 23 FPS.

The data shows consistent behavior: each step from Low to Medium to High to Ultra reduces frame rate by a similar proportion at each resolution. The minimum FPS values, where provided, follow the same pattern and never approach the 60 FPS playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 32nd out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 0.9% of all systems tested. This high rank is consistent with the measured performance, which shows the combo exceeding 60 FPS at every resolution and preset combination tested.

The rank reflects the GPU’s dominance in this title. The RTX 5090 D, with its 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, provides massive headroom for a 2019 game like Control. The i7-12700KF’s 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs ensures the processor does not bottleneck the GPU, even at 1080p Low where CPU load is highest.

Relative to other combos in the database, the 32nd rank out of 3720 means there are only 31 combinations that perform better in Control. Given that the RTX 5090 D is among the newest GPUs available, most of those higher-ranked combos likely feature the same GPU with a faster CPU, though the measured frame rates at 4K Ultra (83 FPS) suggest the CPU would provide minimal gains, as the game is heavily GPU-bound at that resolution.

The practical takeaway from the rank is that this combo is overkill for Control. The game’s most demanding preset, 4K Ultra, runs at 83 FPS, and the 32nd overall rank indicates that this system can handle far more graphically intensive titles. For Control specifically, the combo delivers a flawless experience at any resolution, with enough performance headroom to run the game at 4K Ultra on high-refresh-rate displays.