Control

The pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D represents a stark contrast in component tiers. The data from Control shows a configuration where the GPU’s immense processing power is frequently tempered by the CPU’s 4-core/8-thread architecture. This analysis examines the measured frame rates to understand how this specific combination behaves across resolutions and settings, and where the bottleneck truly lies.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic pattern of resolution-dependent scaling, though with some notable anomalies. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 230 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 209 FPS, a decline of 9.1%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 152 FPS, which represents a 33.9% reduction from the 1440p figure. This scaling behavior suggests that at lower resolutions, the system is heavily constrained by the CPU, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames but is starved of data.

The High settings preset demonstrates a more pronounced resolution penalty. From 188 FPS at 1080p, the frame rate drops to 142 FPS at 1440p (a 24.5% decrease) and then to 96 FPS at 4K (a 32.4% decrease from 1440p). This steeper curve at higher settings indicates that the GPU begins to take on a more significant role as the rendering load increases, yet the CPU remains a limiting factor at 1080p.

The Medium preset shows the most linear progression: 202 FPS at 1080p, 160 FPS at 1440p (20.8% drop), and 108 FPS at 4K (32.5% drop). Interestingly, the Ultra preset at 1080p yields 163 FPS, which is only 19.4% lower than the Medium preset at the same resolution. This relatively small gap suggests that even at Ultra settings, the CPU is preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs at 1080p.

At 4K Ultra, the combo produces 83 FPS. Comparing this to the 4K Low result of 152 FPS, the scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 45.4% performance penalty. This is a substantial reduction, but it is important to note that the RTX 5090 D is still delivering playable frame rates at the highest settings, which speaks to its raw compute capability. The data indicates that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p to a more balanced scenario at 4K, where the GPU’s workload becomes the dominant factor in determining final frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Control, this specific pairing of the Core i3-12100F and RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 49 out of 2888 total combos. This places the configuration in the top 1.7% of all tested systems, which is a strong result on the surface. However, this ranking must be interpreted in the context of the CPU’s limitations.

The Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core 3 N355 with an average score of 13492 (0% delta) and the Intel Core i5-9500 with a score of 13452 (0.3% delta). This indicates that the CPU is a mid-range performer, and its position in the 68th percentile shows that it trails a significant portion of the desktop processor market.

Given the CPU’s relative standing, achieving the 49th rank in this game is largely attributable to the GPU. The RTX 5090 D sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904, 1.1% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940, -1.6% delta), which places it in a competitive mid-to-high tier for GPUs in this database.

The discrepancy between the CPU’s 68th percentile and the GPU’s 92nd percentile is telling. The combo rank of 49 suggests that while the GPU is powerful enough to push the system high up the leaderboard, the CPU is holding back what could otherwise be a top-tier result. In games that are less CPU-sensitive, this pairing could potentially rank higher, but in Control, the combination’s performance ceiling is clearly defined by the 4-core processor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a formidable graphics card on paper, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its clock speeds are specified at a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz. The card’s memory operates at 1750 MHz with a 28 Gbps effective data rate. These specifications provide the card with the resources to handle high-resolution textures and complex rendering workloads.

In the context of Control’s measured results, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 4K, the card’s 32 GB memory capacity ensures that texture streaming and asset loading are unlikely to be a bottleneck, allowing the GPU to focus on pixel throughput. The measured FPS at 4K High (96 FPS) and 4K Ultra (83 FPS) suggests that the card is operating within its capabilities, though the delta between Low and Ultra at 4K (152 vs 83 FPS) indicates that the card is sensitive to the increased shading and post-processing demands of higher presets.

The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 44065 reflects its strong compute capabilities, and its Geekbench Vulkan score of 376915 further underscores its API performance. However, the data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is not the limiting factor. The 230 FPS at 1080p Low is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame delivery rate, meaning the RTX 5090 D is idling, waiting for the processor to supply draw calls. This is a common scenario when pairing a high-end GPU with a budget CPU, and the results in Control demonstrate this dynamic clearly.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this combo for the highest frame rates?

A: The data shows the highest average FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings, achieving 230 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 1440p Medium at 160 FPS is a strong choice.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the combo delivers 163 FPS, while at 4K Ultra, it drops to 83 FPS. This represents a 49.1% reduction in average frame rate.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, benchmark results indicate the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions. The 230 FPS at 1080p Low is likely constrained by the Core i3-12100F, not the GPU’s capabilities.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 49th out of 2888 tested combos for Control, placing it in the top 1.7% of systems.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration?

A: The RTX 5090 D features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory with a 512-bit bus width, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s.

Q: Does the CPU have enough cores for this game?

A: The Core i3-12100F has 4 cores and 8 threads. The measured data shows it can deliver playable frame rates, but its performance ceiling is evident in the 1080p results where it bottlenecks the system.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the user’s priority for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For users with a 1080p display seeking the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset at 230 FPS offers maximum responsiveness. However, stepping up to Medium at 202 FPS provides a significant visual improvement with only a 12.2% performance cost, making it the recommended choice for most 1080p users.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 160 FPS, which is an excellent balance for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 142 FPS is also viable, but the incremental visual gains over Medium may not justify the 11.3% frame rate reduction. For 1440p users who prioritize image quality, the Ultra preset at 124 FPS remains smooth and playable.

For 4K displays, the High preset at 96 FPS is the sweet spot. It offers strong visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 83 FPS is still playable but introduces a 13.5% performance penalty over High. The Low preset at 152 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as it undermines the resolution’s purpose without providing a substantial competitive advantage in a single-player action-adventure game. The data suggests that Medium at 4K (108 FPS) is a reasonable alternative for those who want a bit more visual polish without dropping below 100 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration is typical of a budget-oriented desktop processor, and its benchmark scores reflect its position in the market.

In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 11860 in multi-core and 1674 in single-core. Its Geekbench scores are 7252 multi-core and 1932 single-core. These numbers show that the CPU has respectable single-thread performance, which is crucial for gaming, but its multi-threaded capabilities are limited by the low core count.

In Control, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p. The 230 FPS at Low settings is a strong result, but it is likely near the CPU’s frame delivery ceiling. The data shows that the CPU can keep up with the GPU at higher resolutions, where the GPU takes on more of the workload, but it struggles to feed the RTX 5090 D at lower resolutions. The CPU’s 68th percentile ranking among all tested CPUs reinforces that it is a mid-range part, and pairing it with a 92nd percentile GPU creates an imbalance that is clearly visible in the 1080p results.

The Core i3-12100F’s performance in 3DMark tests (4051 in 16-threads and 893 in single-thread) further illustrates its capabilities. While it is not a top-tier processor, it provides enough performance to drive the RTX 5090 D to high frame rates in most scenarios, with the caveat that it will hold back the GPU in CPU-bound situations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves 230 FPS average. The Medium preset delivers 202 FPS with a minimum of 172 FPS and a maximum of 233 FPS. The High preset yields 188 FPS, while the Ultra preset produces 163 FPS. The range from Low to Ultra at this resolution is 67 FPS, showing a 29.1% performance penalty for maxing out settings.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease as expected. Low settings produce 209 FPS. Medium delivers 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 184 FPS. High settings yield 142 FPS, and Ultra produces 124 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 85 FPS, a 40.7% reduction. This larger percentage drop compared to 1080p indicates that the GPU is becoming a more significant factor at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates show the most substantial drop. Low settings achieve 152 FPS. Medium delivers 108 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS. High settings produce 96 FPS, and Ultra yields 83 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 69 FPS, a 45.4% reduction. This scaling pattern confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, as the CPU has more available headroom relative to the rendering workload.

The data across all resolutions shows a consistent trend: the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases, which is expected behavior for a GPU-bound scenario. However, the absolute frame rates at 1080p, particularly the 230 FPS Low result, suggest that the CPU is preventing the GPU from reaching even higher numbers, as the RTX 5090 D is theoretically capable of exceeding this threshold in a less CPU-limited system.