Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title, and the data measured for this configuration—an Intel Core i5-12400 paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti—reveals a system with substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate gameplay at 1440p, while 4K requires a more careful approach to settings. The benchmark results show a clear progression of performance scaling that highlights the GPU as the primary driver of frame rates, with the CPU providing a stable foundation.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates demonstrate a classic GPU-bound scaling curve as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 143 at 1080p to 108 at 1440p, a 24.5% reduction, and then further to 73 at 4K, a 32.4% reduction from the 1440p figure. This steep decline as pixel count rises is the signature of a system where the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the limiting factor; the graphics card's workload expands dramatically with each resolution step.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at lower settings, which removes any potential CPU bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 226 at 1080p to 171 at 1440p (a 24.3% drop) and then to 115 at 4K (a 32.7% drop from 1440p). The consistency in these percentage drops across Low and High settings (roughly 24% and 32% for each step) strongly indicates that the Intel Core i5-12400 is not the constraint in this scenario. If the CPU were limiting performance, the gap between 1080p and 1440p would be much smaller, as the frame rate would plateau.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is operating well within its comfort zone, delivering over 140 FPS on High and over 220 FPS on Low. This points to a configuration that is heavily GPU-limited, even at the lowest resolution tested. The jump to 4K, however, shows the RTX 4070 Ti's limits, with the average FPS at Ultra settings falling to 63, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold many consider the baseline for smooth play. The resolution scaling results indicate that for maximum frame rates, 1080p is the target, while 1440p offers a balanced sweet spot between visual fidelity and performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate recorded for this CPU and GPU combination in Control?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 226, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This indicates the system has immense headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 3840x2160 resolution, the average FPS ranges from 115 on Low settings to 63 on Ultra settings. High settings yield an average of 73 FPS, which is playable, while Ultra settings dip to 63 FPS, which may be marginal for some users.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 44795, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. It is 0.8% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, 1.3% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, and 1.7% behind the Intel Arc A730M. It is 1.6% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A6000.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 resolution, the Medium setting averages 121 FPS, while High averages 108 FPS. This represents a 13 FPS difference, or about a 10.7% performance cost for the visual upgrade from Medium to High.

Q: Does the game show a significant frame rate drop when going from 1080p to 1440p?

A: Yes, the data shows a substantial drop. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 143 at 1920x1080 to 108 at 2560x1440, a decrease of 35 FPS, or roughly 24.5%. This is a significant cost for the increased resolution.

Q: What is the rank of this specific CPU/GPU combination among all tested combos in Control?

A: The configuration is ranked 496th out of 3720 total combinations tested, placing it in the top 13.3% of all tested systems for this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration, and the benchmark data reflects its capabilities and limitations. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the textures and effects in Control at all tested resolutions and settings, as evidenced by the smooth scaling of frame rates without any anomalous dips that would suggest memory capacity issues.

The card's clock speeds are substantial, with a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz. This high boost clock is a key factor in the GPU's ability to maintain high frame rates, especially at 1080p and 1440p where the shading units (7680 in total) and texture units (240 TMUs) are being fed with data. The GPU's raw compute power, rated at 40.09 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, is what allows for the high average FPS figures seen in the data. The 80 ROPs are responsible for the final pixel output, and their performance is a critical component in the 4K results, which show a more pronounced drop-off.

The GPU's benchmark scores contextualize its performance. With an average score of 44795, it sits in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, showing it is a high-end part. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile (0.8% faster), the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT (1.3% faster), and the Intel Arc A730M (1.7% faster), while it is 1.6% faster than the NVIDIA RTX A6000. These close margins in synthetic benchmarks suggest that in real-world gaming, the RTX 4070 Ti is positioned at a performance tier where it can excel at high refresh rates in less demanding scenarios but will be challenged by the pixel throughput required at 4K Ultra settings in a game like Control. The data shows the GPU is the component that determines the frame rate ceiling, as the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution tested.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the optimal settings for this hardware combination, depending on the user's display and performance goals. For 1080p owners, the High preset is the clear winner, delivering an average of 143 FPS. This is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors, and it provides a significant visual upgrade over the Medium preset, which averages 161 FPS but lacks the higher fidelity textures and effects. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 124 FPS, which is still excellent, but the 19 FPS drop from High does not offer a proportional visual benefit for most users.

At 1440p, the High preset is again the recommended balance point, with an average of 108 FPS. This provides a smooth experience for 100 Hz or 120 Hz displays. The Medium preset offers a higher average of 121 FPS, which could be used to push frame rates higher, but the visual compromise is more noticeable at this resolution. The Ultra preset averages 94 FPS, which is still playable and provides the best image quality, but it is a 14 FPS difference from High, a more significant cost than at 1080p.

At 4K, the situation changes. The Ultra preset averages 63 FPS, which is technically playable but may not feel consistently smooth in fast-paced combat. The High preset, with an average of 73 FPS, is a better choice for a more stable experience. For users with a 60 Hz 4K display, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset, averaging 82 FPS, is also a viable option for those who want to ensure frame rates never dip below 70 FPS, as the minimum recorded was 70 FPS. The data suggests that for this game, the High preset is the most efficient setting across all resolutions, offering the best balance between visual fidelity and performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data was measured for the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti combination in Control.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average FPS of 226.
• Medium: Average FPS of 161, with a minimum of 136 and a maximum of 185.
• High: Average FPS of 143.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 124.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average FPS of 171.
• Medium: Average FPS of 121, with a minimum of 103 and a maximum of 140.
• High: Average FPS of 108.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 94.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average FPS of 115.
• Medium: Average FPS of 82, with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 94.
• High: Average FPS of 73.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 63.

The frame rate deltas between settings are consistent across resolutions. For example, the difference between Low and Ultra is 102 FPS at 1080p, 77 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. This shows that the performance cost of the Ultra preset increases as resolution decreases, as the GPU has more headroom to process the additional effects. The Medium preset offers the only recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, suggesting it may be a more stable setting in terms of frame pacing, while the other presets' data points were not recorded.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 provides the processing foundation for this configuration, and the benchmark data shows it is more than sufficient for Control. With 6 cores and 12 threads, operating at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, this processor offers strong single-threaded performance, which is crucial for game logic and physics. The processor's benchmark scores confirm its capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a single-core score of 2257. Its Geekbench scores of 8564 (multi-core) and 1848 (single-core) further validate its strong per-core performance.

The CPU's performance context is established by its benchmark results, which place it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 18683 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, including the AMD EPYC 7643 (0.1% slower) and the Intel Core i7-1355U (0.3% slower). It is 0.7% slower than the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 and 0.9% faster than the Intel Core i3-14100F. These negligible differences in synthetic benchmarks indicate that the i5-12400 is a solid, mid-range performer that will not be a limiting factor in most gaming scenarios.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role is to feed the RTX 4070 Ti with draw calls and physics calculations. The resolution scaling data strongly suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck. When transitioning from 1080p Low (226 FPS) to 1080p High (143 FPS), the frame rate drops significantly, which is a classic sign of the GPU becoming the limiting factor as the graphical workload increases. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across different graphics settings, as the CPU's workload would be the same regardless of resolution. The measured data shows a clear and significant drop in FPS as resolution and settings increase, which confirms that the i5-12400 is providing a stable platform that allows the GPU to perform to its full potential. The processor's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are sufficient to keep the GPU fed with data, ensuring that the RTX 4070 Ti is the sole determinant of the frame rates seen in this benchmark.