Control

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B570 produces a distinct performance profile in Control, one that shifts dramatically depending on the resolution and preset selected. This analysis breaks down the measured data to explain where this combination excels, where it struggles, and what the numbers indicate about the underlying hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, a pattern that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 101 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 76 FPS, a 25 FPS reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 51 FPS. This scaling pattern shows that even at the lowest graphical preset, the Arc B570 is working progressively harder as pixel count rises.

The scaling becomes more punishing at higher quality presets. At High settings, the combo delivers 63 FPS at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p, and only 32 FPS at 4K. The jump from 1080p to 4K at High settings represents a 31 FPS loss, nearly halving the frame rate. This indicates that the GPU's rendering capabilities, particularly its fill rate and memory bandwidth, are being saturated as resolution increases.

Ultra settings show the most severe scaling. The system manages 55 FPS at 1080p, drops to 42 FPS at 1440p, and falls to just 28 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest measured value in the entire dataset, confirming that this configuration is not suitable for maximum quality at 4K. The consistent pattern across all presets—where each resolution step costs roughly 15-25 FPS—suggests a performance curve dominated by pixel throughput rather than CPU limitations. The 380.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate of the Arc B570 are the specifications most relevant to this behavior.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F provides the computational foundation for this combo, and its specifications suggest it is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. This processor features 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 round out the core configuration. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860 and a single-core score of 1674, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs tested.

The benchmark results indicate that this CPU has sufficient single-thread performance for Control, which is a game that does not heavily utilize many cores. The 4-core, 8-thread layout provides adequate parallelism for the game's engine, but the real question is whether the CPU can feed the GPU fast enough. The data suggests it can, because frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across resolutions at a given preset, since the CPU workload would remain constant while GPU workload increased.

The nearest rival comparisons for this CPU reinforce its mid-range positioning. The Intel Core 3 N355 scores nearly identically with a deltaPct of 0, while the Intel Core i5-9500 trails by 0.3%. The Intel Core 5 120UL is 0.7% ahead, and the Intel Core i7-1250U leads by 1.1%. These small deltas show that the i3-12100F sits in a tightly contested performance band. For Control, the CPU's 3DMark 4-thread score of 2859 and 8-thread score of 4026 indicate it can handle the game's threading demands without imposing a hard ceiling on frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best frame rate this combo can achieve in Control?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 101, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K smoothly?

A: No. The highest 4K average is 51 FPS on Low settings, and it drops to 32 FPS on High and 28 FPS on Ultra. None of the 4K results reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20556. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 0.1% ahead with a score of 20534, while the Intel Arc A750 is 0.1% behind at 20582. The AMD Radeon R9 M390X trails by 0.5%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for performance in this game?

A: The data points to the GPU. Frame rates drop consistently as resolution increases, which is a signature of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's single-thread score of 1674 in Cinebench R23 is adequate for the game's engine.

Q: What is the measured minimum FPS at Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS values are recorded only for Medium settings. They are 31 FPS at 4K, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 1080p.

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

A: This combo ranks 2307 out of 2888 total combinations tested in Control, placing it in the lower half of all systems.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2307 out of 2888 tested combinations places this system in the 80th percentile from the bottom, meaning roughly 20% of tested configurations perform worse. This is a modest ranking that reflects the mid-range nature of both components. The Intel Core i3-12100F sits at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Arc B570 ranks at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. When combined, these components produce a system that is capable of smooth 1080p gameplay but struggles at higher resolutions.

The rank is likely dragged down by the GPU's performance at 4K, where the Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus becomes a limiting factor. The 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows it cannot sustain high frame rates at 4K. The combo's position in the rankings reflects this: it outperforms systems with weaker GPUs but falls behind configurations that pair stronger graphics cards with similar CPUs. The deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals are all within 1.1%, so swapping the i3-12100F for a comparable chip would likely shift the rank only marginally.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the dominant factor in this combo's Control performance. Its specifications include 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output pipelines. The GPU operates at a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, delivering 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The 10 GB GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a key specification for understanding the resolution scaling observed in the data.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark scores show mixed results. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 14195 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 83514, but its DirectX 11 score of 118 and DirectX 12 score of 72 are notably lower in the Passmark tests. These low DirectX scores may partially explain why Control performance drops sharply at higher resolutions, as the game's DirectX 12 rendering path places significant demands on the GPU's geometry and pixel processing capabilities.

The nearest GPU rivals provide context for the Arc B570's positioning. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is only 0.1% ahead, making them effectively equivalent in aggregate benchmarks. The Intel Arc A750 is 0.1% behind, showing that the B570 and A750 are closely matched. The 18 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) mean the GPU is feature-complete for modern games, but the raw performance numbers indicate it is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming rather than 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 101 FPS on Low, 71 FPS on Medium, 63 FPS on High, and 55 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset records a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS, indicating some frame pacing inconsistency but generally smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the numbers drop significantly. Low settings yield 76 FPS, Medium produces 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 and maximum of 62, High delivers 48 FPS, and Ultra falls to 42 FPS. The 1440p results are playable but begin to show the GPU's limitations, particularly at High and Ultra where frame rates dip below 50 FPS.

The 3840x2160 results are the weakest. Low settings achieve 51 FPS, Medium produces 36 FPS with a minimum of 31 and maximum of 42, High drops to 32 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 28 FPS. None of the 4K configurations reach 60 FPS, and the Low preset is the only one that approaches playable territory. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is excellent, 1440p is acceptable, and 4K is only viable at Low settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's resolution and frame rate priorities. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance, with an average of 71 FPS and a minimum of 61 FPS that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings at 1080p deliver 63 FPS, which is also playable, but the minimum frame rate is not recorded, making it harder to assess consistency. Ultra at 1080p drops to 55 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering in a game like Control with its fast-paced action.

For 2560x1440 users, the Low preset is the only configuration that guarantees smooth gameplay, with 76 FPS average. Medium at 1440p produces 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS, which is borderline playable but may dip below acceptable levels during intense combat sequences. High and Ultra at 1440p are not recommended, as they fall to 48 FPS and 42 FPS respectively.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only viable option, achieving 51 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 31 FPS indicates significant frame drops that would harm the experience. High and Ultra at 4K are effectively unplayable at 32 FPS and 28 FPS. The data suggests that users should prioritize the Medium preset at 1080p for the best combination of visual quality and performance, or drop to Low settings if they must play at 1440p or 4K. The 10 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for all tested settings, so memory is not the constraint; rather, the GPU's raw compute and bandwidth limit performance at higher resolutions.