Control

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, with the data showing a clear performance ceiling at 4K Ultra. This combination ranks in the 55th percentile of all tested combos for this title, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. The measured frame rates indicate that the RTX 3070 is the primary driver of performance, while the six-core processor provides ample headroom at lower resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?*

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the strongest resolution, with even the Ultra preset achieving 90 FPS. At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 76.4 FPS, while 3840x2160 only reaches a playable 54.1 FPS on High settings.

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

A: The combo ranks 725 out of 1636 tested combinations for Control. This places it in the upper-middle tier, indicating it outperforms more than half of all recorded configurations while not being among the top-tier performers.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 118.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 63.6 FPS. This represents a substantial 55.1 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra settings impose a significant load on the GPU.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor. The i5-12400F has 6 cores and 12 threads with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 161.3 FPS, indicating the GPU is still the performance ceiling rather than the processor.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset (80.2 FPS) and Medium preset (60.6 FPS) deliver smooth frame rates. The High preset (54.1 FPS) and Ultra preset (43.3 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold, making 4K gaming possible only with reduced quality settings.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070's average benchmark score of 28238 is 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti. It trails the AMD FirePro S7150 by 0.6% in average score.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 achieves a rank of 725 out of 1636 tested combinations for Control. This placement in the 55th percentile of all combos indicates a configuration that handles the game's demands competently but does not push into elite territory. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where neither component drastically underperforms the other.

Examining the CPU's position relative to its peers provides context for this rank. The i5-12400F sits in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19221. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K, scores 19210, a negligible 0.1% difference. The AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS scores 19364, placing it 0.7% ahead, while the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979, which is 1.3% behind. This tight clustering shows the i5-12400F performing right at the expected level for its class.

The GPU tells a similar story. The RTX 3070 ranks in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 28238. Its nearest rival, the AMD FirePro S7150, scores 28409 (0.6% higher), while the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT scores 27985 (0.9% lower). The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti is nearly identical at 27956, just 1% behind. This mid-pack GPU positioning, combined with a slightly above-average CPU, explains why the combo lands in the upper-middle range for Control specifically.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the dominant factor in determining Control's frame rates across all tested configurations. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 1725 MHz, and the card is built on the Ampere architecture using an 8 nm process.

The memory configuration directly impacts performance at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly compared to 1920x1080, with the High preset falling from 100.5 FPS to 54.1 FPS. This 46.4 FPS decline at 4K suggests the 8 GB VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth become strained when rendering the game's detailed environments at higher pixel counts.

The GPU's compute capabilities also play a role. With 5888 shading units and 46 RT cores, the RTX 3070 is well-equipped for Control's visual effects. The FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS supports the game's physics and particle effects. The pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s provide the raw throughput needed for the game's action sequences.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers excellent results across the board. The Low preset achieves 161.3 FPS, Medium reaches 111.1 FPS, High hits 100.5 FPS, and Ultra maintains 90 FPS. These numbers show that even the most demanding settings at 1080p remain well above the 60 FPS target.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. The Low preset delivers 118.7 FPS, which remains highly playable. Medium drops to 87 FPS, High produces 76.4 FPS, and Ultra settles at 63.6 FPS. This resolution represents the sweet spot for this combo, offering a good balance between visual fidelity and smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. The Low preset still manages 80.2 FPS, but Medium falls to 60.6 FPS. High dips to 54.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 43.3 FPS. The data indicates that 4K requires sacrificing quality settings to maintain acceptable frame rates, with only Low and Medium presets reaching or exceeding 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080 displays, the Ultra preset is the clear choice. The measured 90 FPS average provides a smooth experience with maximum visual quality, and the headroom above 60 FPS ensures consistent performance during intense combat sequences. Even if the frame rate dips slightly, the 90 FPS baseline offers substantial margin.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 76.4 FPS presents the optimal balance. While Ultra at 63.6 FPS is technically playable, the High setting offers a 12.8 FPS improvement with minimal visual degradation. For players prioritizing smoothness over maximum fidelity, Medium at 87 FPS is a viable alternative that still looks strong.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 60.6 FPS is the recommended choice. It barely clears the 60 FPS threshold and provides better visuals than Low. The High preset at 54.1 FPS may cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced scenes, while Ultra at 43.3 FPS is too demanding for comfortable play. Players with 4K monitors should accept Medium settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F provides the computational foundation for this combo, though the data indicates it is not the primary bottleneck in Control. The processor features 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Built on the Alder Lake architecture using a 10 nm process, it offers 18 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory.

The CPU's single-thread performance is particularly relevant for game logic and physics calculations. Its 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332 demonstrate strong per-core performance. The multi-threaded scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 16518, show that the processor can handle background tasks without interfering with gameplay.

The data suggests the CPU maintains adequate performance headroom even at high frame rates. At 1080p Low, where the GPU workload is lightest, the combo achieves 161.3 FPS. This indicates the i5-12400F can feed frames to the RTX 3070 without becoming a limiting factor. However, the 65W TDP and 18 MB cache suggest the processor is not designed for extreme overclocking scenarios, but it performs adequately for this game's requirements.