Control

Control pairs a 4-core/8-thread Intel Core i3-12100F with a 6 GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, a combination that lands at rank 2950 out of 3720 tested combos in this title. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions but surprisingly capable at 1080p, where the CPU's strong single-thread performance (893 in 3dmark single-thread) keeps pace with the Turing-based card. This is a mid-range pairing from 2019-era hardware that still delivers playable frame rates in Control, provided you are willing to adjust settings and resolution expectations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound title like Control. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 68 FPS, which drops to 51 FPS at 1440p and further to 35 FPS at 4K. That represents a 25% performance hit from 1080p to 1440p, and a 31% additional drop from 1440p to 4K. The pattern strongly indicates the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus (336.0 GB/s bandwidth) become the primary constraint as pixel count grows.

Looking at Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 107 FPS at 1080p, 81 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K. The 1440p result is 76% of the 1080p figure, while 4K is only 51% of the 1080p number. This steep drop-off at 4K suggests the GPU's memory bandwidth and raw compute (6.451 TFLOPS FP32) are insufficient to feed the higher pixel count, regardless of how low you drop the quality presets.

The gap between Low and High settings widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference is 39 FPS (107 vs 68), but at 4K it shrinks to 20 FPS (55 vs 35). This compression of the settings gap at higher resolutions is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck — when the card is already saturated at 4K, reducing quality settings does less to improve frame rates because the limiting factor is raw pixel throughput, not shader complexity.

Medium settings provide the only complete data set with min/max FPS values, which helps illustrate the frame pacing characteristics. At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 76 FPS average with a 65 FPS minimum and 88 FPS maximum — a reasonably tight range that suggests consistent performance. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 58 FPS with a 49 FPS minimum, still playable. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 39 FPS with a 33 FPS minimum, which is borderline for smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the observed performance envelope. Built on the TU106 chip with a 12 nm process, this card features 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The boost clock of 1680 MHz and base clock of 1365 MHz are modest by modern standards, but the card's real limitation in Control appears to be its 6 GB GDDR6 memory configuration on a 192-bit bus.

With 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores, the RTX 2060 was designed for ray tracing workloads, but Control's implementation of these features is not reflected in the measured FPS data — the results shown are for standard rasterization presets. The card's 336.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is a plausible bottleneck at 4K, where the pixel fill rate demands (80.64 GPixel/s) outstrip what the memory subsystem can sustain.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15290. This puts it in a close cluster with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (15283, 0% delta), AMD Radeon 680M (15270, 0.1% delta), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15199, 0.6% delta). The tight grouping around 15200-15300 suggests these cards offer similar general compute performance, though the RTX 2060's newer architecture gives it features like DirectX 12 Ultimate support.

At 1080p, the RTX 2060 has enough headroom to push frame rates above 60 FPS on High settings (68 FPS average), which is the sweet spot for this combination. The 6 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p textures in Control, but the data suggests that at 4K Ultra (30 FPS average), the card is struggling to keep up with the game's demands, likely due to both memory capacity and bandwidth constraints.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2950 out of 3720 tested combinations places this system in the lower third of all tested setups in Control. This positioning is consistent with the hardware's age — the RTX 2060 launched in January 2019 and the Core i3-12100F is a budget-oriented 12th Gen processor. The 68th percentile CPU score and 58th percentile GPU score suggest a balanced but entry-level pairing.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for the processor's contribution. The Intel Core 3 N355 (13492 avg score, 0% delta) matches the i3-12100F nearly exactly, while the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452 avg score, 0.3% delta) is essentially equivalent. The Intel Core 5 120UL (13594 avg score, -0.7% delta) is slightly ahead, and the Intel Core i7-1250U (13351 avg score, 1.1% delta) trails marginally. This shows the i3-12100F is competitive with older mid-range and newer budget processors.

Given that this combo ranks at the 79th percentile of tested combinations (2950/3720), it is positioned below the median but not at the very bottom. The data indicates that most configurations in this game are running more powerful hardware, but the i3-12100F + RTX 2060 combo still delivers playable frame rates at 1080p, which is its intended use case.

The CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads with a 4.30 GHz boost clock appear sufficient for Control's demands at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 107 FPS average at 1080p Low. However, at 4K the system is clearly GPU-bound, meaning a faster CPU would not meaningfully improve frame rates — the RTX 2060 is the limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on your target resolution. At 1080p, High settings (68 FPS average) offer the best balance of visual quality and performance, comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings (76 FPS average) provide a slight performance boost if you prefer higher frame rates, while Ultra (59 FPS average) dips just below 60 FPS and may not justify the visual upgrade.

At 1440p, High settings (51 FPS average) are the most demanding preset that remains playable, though you will need to accept frame rates below 60 FPS. Medium settings (58 FPS average) are the better choice for smoother gameplay, as they stay close to the 60 FPS target while offering acceptable visuals. Low settings (81 FPS average) are viable if you prioritize frame rate above all else, but the visual compromise is significant.

At 4K, the data shows this combo is not well-suited for high-quality play. Ultra settings (30 FPS average) are borderline unplayable, and High (35 FPS average) only marginally improves things. Even Low settings (55 FPS average) cannot reach 60 FPS, indicating that 4K is beyond the RTX 2060's comfortable range in Control. If you must play at 4K, Low settings are the only option that approaches playability.

For the best experience, stick to 1080p with High or Medium settings. The Medium preset's min/max data (65-88 FPS) shows consistent frame pacing without severe dips, which is more important for perceived smoothness than the raw average. At 1440p, Medium settings (58 FPS average, 49-66 FPS range) provide the most stable experience, while 4K should be avoided unless you are willing to drop to Low settings and accept sub-60 FPS performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1080p. At 1080p High settings, the combo averages 68 FPS, and at 1080p Low it reaches 107 FPS. At 1440p, even Medium settings only average 58 FPS, and at 4K no setting reaches 60 FPS — the closest is Low at 55 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM enough for Control?

A: The data suggests it is sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, where the combo maintains playable frame rates. At 4K, the performance drops sharply (35 FPS on High, 30 FPS on Ultra), which likely reflects both VRAM capacity and bandwidth limitations, though the exact VRAM usage is not measured in the FPS data.

Q: How does this combo compare to similar GPU configurations?

A: The RTX 2060's average benchmark score of 15290 is nearly identical to the GTX 580 (15283, 0% delta) and AMD Radeon 680M (15270, 0.1% delta). It is slightly ahead of the RTX 3050 OEM (15199, 0.6% delta) and RX 7600 (15171, 0.8% delta), but the differences are minimal in general compute.

Q: Should I upgrade the CPU or GPU first?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. At 4K, frame rates barely improve from Low (55 FPS) to High (35 FPS), suggesting the RTX 2060's pixel throughput is the limiting factor. The i3-12100F's strong single-thread score (893 in 3dmark single-thread) means it is less likely to hold back performance at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the best setting for competitive play?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 107 FPS average, which gives the highest frame rate for fast-paced gameplay. However, the difference between Low (107 FPS) and Medium (76 FPS) is substantial, so if you can tolerate slightly lower frame rates, Medium offers better visual clarity without dropping below 65 FPS minimum.

Q: Is this a good combo for 1440p gaming?

A: The data shows it is playable but not ideal. At 1440p Medium, the combo averages 58 FPS with a 49 FPS minimum, which is acceptable for slower-paced games like Control. For more demanding titles, you would likely need to drop to Low settings (81 FPS average) to maintain smooth gameplay, but the visual quality would suffer noticeably.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F plays a supporting role in this pairing, and the benchmark data indicates it is well-matched to the RTX 2060 for most scenarios. With 4 cores and 8 threads running at a 3.30 GHz base clock and 4.30 GHz boost, this Alder Lake-S processor delivers strong single-thread performance for its class — evidenced by a 3dmark single-thread score of 893 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674.

The CPU's multithreaded capabilities are modest, as expected from a 4-core design. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860 and Geekbench multicore score of 7252 reflect the limited core count, but Control's engine appears to prioritize single-thread performance based on the FPS data. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 107 FPS average, which suggests the CPU is not significantly bottlenecking even at high frame rates.

The i3-12100F's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) provide adequate data throughput for the RTX 2060. The 58W TDP is modest, and the 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms it is a mid-tier performer. Its nearest rivals — the Core 3 N355 (0% delta), Core i5-9500 (0.3% delta), and Core 5 120UL (-0.7% delta) — all perform within 1% of the i3-12100F, indicating that this processor is exactly where you would expect for its price point and position.

At 4K resolutions, the CPU's role diminishes significantly. The FPS difference between Low (55 FPS) and High (35 FPS) at 4K is driven almost entirely by GPU workload, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed the RTX 2060 even at lower settings. This is a healthy pairing for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the i3-12100F's 4.30 GHz boost clock ensures the GPU is rarely starved of draw calls, but at 4K the system becomes purely GPU-bound.

The CPU's 3dmark scores show a clear scaling pattern: 1659 for 2 threads, 2859 for 4 threads, 4026 for 8 threads, and 4023 for max threads. This indicates the processor gains little from more than 8 threads, which is consistent with its 4-core/8-thread design. For Control, this is sufficient, as the game's frame rates at 1080p suggest the CPU can maintain high minimum FPS (65 FPS at Medium settings) without stuttering, even when the GPU is pushed to 76 FPS average.