Control

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a playable experience in Control, but the data reveals a system that is firmly GPU-limited at higher resolutions while maintaining strong CPU headroom. This analysis walks through the measured frame rates, scaling behavior, and component roles based solely on the provided benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the RTX 5050 as the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 78 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 High drops that figure to 59 FPS, a reduction of 19 frames. The jump to 3840x2160 High further reduces the average to 40 FPS, another 19-frame decline. This linear scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is fully saturated, with each pixel-count increase translating directly into a proportional workload increase on the graphics card.

The scaling behavior across settings presets reinforces this conclusion. At Low settings, the system achieves 124 FPS at 1080p, 94 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops from 1080p to 4K at Low settings are substantial, showing the GPU struggling to maintain higher frame rates as resolution climbs. At Ultra settings, the numbers compress further: 68 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The fact that even the lowest settings preset cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K (63 FPS average) suggests the RTX 5050’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus become limiting factors at that resolution.

The data indicates that the i5-12400 is not the constraint in this scenario. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see a plateau in frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work. Instead, the FPS climbs consistently from 4K to 1440p to 1080p at every settings level, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound system. The 6-core, 12-thread processor with a 4.40 GHz boost clock provides enough compute headroom to feed the RTX 5050 at all tested resolutions, as evidenced by the smooth scaling curve.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested hardware combinations for Control, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1756 out of 2888 tested combos. This places the configuration in the 60th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 40% of tested combos deliver higher average frame rates in this game. The ranking position reflects the mid-range nature of both components rather than any specific deficiency in their pairing.

The combo’s percentile ranking is consistent with the individual component performance tiers. The RTX 5050 sits at the 66th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the i5-12400 ranks at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs. The combined system rank of 1756 out of 2888 suggests that Control is slightly more demanding than the average game in the test suite, or that the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a limiting factor in this title’s specific rendering demands.

Benchmark results show the GPU’s average score of 21035 across all tests, with the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test yielding 2502 points. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 18683 places it just below several notable rivals, including the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, -0.1% delta) and Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, -0.3% delta). The i5-12400 outperforms the Intel Core i3-14100F by 0.9% in average benchmark scores, though this margin is negligible in real-world gaming scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using TSMC’s 5 nm process node. The GPU contains 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units, along with 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores. The chip operates at a base clock of 2317 MHz with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, delivering a theoretical FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS. The memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Control, the GPU’s VRAM capacity appears to be a relevant factor at 4K resolution. The measured frame rates at 3840x2160 show a steep drop-off as settings increase: 63 FPS at Low, 45 FPS at Medium (with a minimum of 38 and maximum of 52), 40 FPS at High, and 35 FPS at Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 18 FPS, while the gap between Medium and Ultra is only 10 FPS. This suggests that the Medium preset may be hitting a VRAM or bandwidth wall that prevents further scaling, rather than a pure compute limitation.

The GPU’s 130 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a power-efficient card that operates within a 300 W suggested PSU requirement. The PCIe 5.0 x8 interface provides ample bandwidth for the 8 GB frame buffer. The RTX 5050’s predecessor is listed as the GeForce 40 series, and its successor is the GeForce 60 series, confirming its position as a current-generation entry-level Blackwell card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest performance across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 124 FPS, providing a smooth experience for fast-paced action. Medium settings yield 88 FPS average with a minimum of 75 and maximum of 101 FPS, maintaining consistent frame pacing. High settings produce 78 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 68 FPS. All 1080p configurations remain comfortably above 60 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for the RTX 5050.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates become more moderate. Low settings maintain 94 FPS average, which is still highly playable. Medium settings average 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 and maximum of 77 FPS, placing the minimum just below the 60 FPS threshold. High settings average 59 FPS, and Ultra falls to 52 FPS. At this resolution, players seeking consistent 60+ FPS performance would need to select the Low or Medium preset, with Medium providing the best balance of visual quality and frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates across all settings. Low settings average 63 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that exceeds 60 FPS. Medium settings average 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 and maximum of 52 FPS, indicating noticeable frame drops during intense scenes. High settings average 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. The 4K results suggest that this resolution is only viable with the Low preset, and even then, the 63 FPS average leaves little headroom for demanding sequences.

The Medium preset data provides the most detailed picture, with minimum and maximum values recorded at all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range spans 75 to 101 FPS, showing a 26 FPS variance. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 57 to 77 FPS, a 20 FPS variance. At 4K Medium, the range compresses to 38 to 52 FPS, a 14 FPS variance. This decreasing variance at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes more consistently saturated, reducing the impact of scene complexity on frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset at 78 FPS average provides an excellent balance between visual fidelity and performance. Ultra at 68 FPS is also viable, offering improved image quality while staying above the 60 FPS threshold. For players prioritizing maximum smoothness, Low at 124 FPS delivers an exceptionally fluid experience, though the visual trade-off may not be justified given the High preset’s strong performance.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 67 FPS average is the recommended choice. It clears the 60 FPS bar and provides better visual quality than Low, which averages 94 FPS but sacrifices significant detail. The High preset at 59 FPS is borderline, with the average falling just short of 60 FPS. Players who prefer visual quality over frame rate consistency could select High, but the 59 FPS average suggests occasional drops below the smoothness threshold. Ultra at 52 FPS is only suitable for players who prioritize image quality above all else.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset at 63 FPS average provides a consistently playable experience. Medium at 45 FPS, High at 40 FPS, and Ultra at 35 FPS all fall below the 60 FPS standard and would likely result in a less responsive feel during combat sequences. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires reducing settings to Low, or alternatively, players could consider dropping to 1440p with higher settings for a better overall experience.

The measured data shows that the Medium preset offers the most balanced performance across all resolutions, with 88 FPS at 1080p, 67 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K. This preset also demonstrates the most consistent frame pacing, with the recorded minimum and maximum values showing reasonable variance. For most users, selecting the highest resolution at which the Medium preset maintains 60+ FPS (which is 1440p) would provide the optimal experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes.

Benchmark scores for the i5-12400 show strong single-threaded performance relative to its multi-threaded capabilities. The Cinebench R23 results indicate 2257 points in single-core and 15989 points in multi-core testing. The 3DMark tests show a progression from 910 points in single-thread to 5890 points in max-threads, with 5873 points in the 16-thread test. This scaling pattern suggests the processor effectively utilizes its 6 cores and 12 threads, with diminishing returns beyond 8 threads.

In Control, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling analysis. The i5-12400’s single-thread performance, reflected in its PassMark single-thread score of 3456, is sufficient to drive the RTX 5050 at all tested resolutions. The processor’s 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it performs well above average for gaming workloads. The nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD EPYC 7643 (-0.1% delta), Intel Core i7-1355U (-0.3% delta), and AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (-0.7% delta), all of which are within 1% of the i5-12400’s aggregate score.

The data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking in this configuration. If the i5-12400 were limiting performance, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions at the same settings preset. Instead, the measured FPS scales consistently with resolution, confirming that the RTX 5050 is the performance limiter. The processor’s 6 cores and 12 threads provide ample parallelism for Control’s rendering threads, while the 4.40 GHz boost clock ensures responsive single-threaded performance for game logic and physics calculations.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest resolution at which this combo maintains 60+ FPS on High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 59, which falls just short of 60. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 78, which comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. Therefore, 1080p is the highest resolution with High settings that maintains 60+ FPS.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 5050 cause issues in Control?

A: The data suggests VRAM may be a limiting factor at 4K resolution. At 3840x2160, the performance gap between Low (63 FPS) and Medium (45 FPS) is 18 FPS, while the gap between Medium and Ultra (35 FPS) is only 10 FPS. This compressed scaling at higher settings indicates a potential memory capacity or bandwidth constraint.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The i5-12400 averages 18683 points. The AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18697 (-0.1% delta), the Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18730 (-0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811 (-0.7% delta). The i5-12400 outperforms the Intel Core i3-14100F, which scores 18519 (0.9% delta).

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 averages 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS and maximum of 77 FPS. This is the only 1440p preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS. The High preset averages 59 FPS, while Low averages 94 FPS but with reduced visual quality.

Q: Is this system more CPU-bound or GPU-bound in Control?

A: The system is GPU-bound. Evidence includes the consistent FPS scaling across resolutions at every settings level, with frame rates increasing from 4K to 1440p to 1080p. The RTX 5050 ranks at the 66th percentile among GPUs, while the i5-12400 ranks at the 72nd percentile among CPUs, suggesting the GPU is the weaker component relative to its peers.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking in Control among all tested configurations?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1756 out of 2888 tested combos for this game. This places the configuration in the 60th percentile of all tested systems, indicating it delivers above-average performance for this title.