Control

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake generation, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It runs at a 2.50 GHz base clock and can boost to 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This is a locked multiplier part, so its clock behavior is fixed by Intel's specifications rather than user tuning. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 18 MB L3 cache Tweaks. The memory controller is dual-channel, supporting both DDR4 and DDR5 modules.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU shows a clear scaling pattern that matters for game performance. The 3DMark results show a jump from 909 points in single-thread to 1,699 in 2-thread, 3,067 in 4-thread, 4,779 in 8-thread, and 5,895 in 16-thread tests. The near-identical scores between 16-thread (5,895) and max-thread (5,912) indicate that the 12 threads are fully utilized by the 16-thread workload, and there is almost no headroom left beyond that. Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12,380 against a single-core score of 1,680 shows a roughly 7.4x scaling across all cores, which is typical for a 6-core/12-thread design without hyperthreading inefficiencies.

For Control, an Action Adventure title from 2019, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining a stable frame delivery floor. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 192 FPS average, which is the highest measured value across all settings and resolutions. This indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates at lower settings. However, the gap between 1080p Low (192 FPS) and 1080p Medium (136 FPS) is substantial, suggesting that the game's engine shifts more work to the CPU as settings increase, or that the GPU becomes a more significant factor even at 1080p.

The CPU's percentile ranking against all tested processors is 73rd percentile, placing it above most CPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (0% delta), Intel Core 3 201E (-0.1%), and Intel Core i5-1335U (0.3%). These are all within a fraction of a percent of the i5-12400F's average score of 19,039, which means the CPU sits in a tightly contested performance band. In Control specifically, the 1080p results confirm that this CPU has enough single-thread and multi-thread capability to avoid being the primary bottleneck at high frame rates, though the 4K results will tell a different story.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA102 chip, manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process. It packs 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, which gives it a transistor density of 45.1M per mm². The GPU has 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs. It also includes 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores for ray tracing and AI workloads. The base clock is 1,365 MHz with a boost clock of 1,665 MHz, while the memory runs at 1,188 MHz (19 Gbps effective).

The memory subsystem is a standout feature: 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus provides 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. This is critical for Control, which is known for its heavy use of destructible environments and physics-based effects that can consume VRAM quickly. The pixel rate is 186.5 GPixel/s and texture rate is 532.8 GTexel/s, while FP32 performance is rated at 34.10 TFLOPS with FP16 at the same rate (1:1). The GPU's 350 W TDP requires a 750 W suggested PSU and uses a single 12-pin power connector.

In the benchmark data, the GPU's role becomes evident when examining the frame rate scaling across resolutions at the same settings. At High settings, average FPS drops from 121 at 1080p to 92 at 1440p to 62 at 4K. This is a 49% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 33% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The RTX 3080 Ti's percentile ranking is 83rd among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,187. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (0.8% delta), NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB (-1.2%), and NVIDIA Tesla M40 (-1.7%), with the GeForce RTX 5070 also within 2% (scoring 40,377).

The GPU's 12 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for Control at 4K Ultra, as the Ultra preset at 4K still manages a 54 FPS average. However, the fact that the 4K Ultra result is below 60 FPS indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at that resolution and preset combination. The RTX 3080 Ti's compute capabilities, particularly its FP32 throughput, are well-suited for the particle-heavy effects in Control, but the data shows that even this high-end GPU cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra without dropping settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 192 at 1080p to 145 at 1440p to 98 at 4K. That is a 24.5% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 32.4% drop from 1440p to 4K. At High settings, the progression is 121 to 92 to 62 — a 24.0% drop, then a 32.6% drop. At Medium settings, the values are 136, 103, and 70, showing a 24.3% drop and then a 32.0% drop. At Ultra settings, the numbers are 105, 80, and 54, representing a 23.8% drop and then a 32.5% drop.

The near-identical percentage drops across all settings are striking. This suggests that the scaling behavior is resolution-bound rather than settings-bound. When resolution increases, the GPU must render more pixels, and the workload on the GPU grows proportionally. The fact that the percentage drops are so consistent indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor in frame rate reduction across resolutions, regardless of which quality preset is selected.

Looking at the absolute frame rates, the pattern becomes even clearer. At 1080p, every preset except Ultra (105 FPS) exceeds 120 FPS, with Low reaching 192 FPS. At 1440p, the performance is still strong, with Low at 145 FPS and High at 92 FPSacy. At 4K, only Low (98 FPS) and Medium (70 FPS) stay above 60 FPS, while High (62 FPS) barely crosses the threshold and Ultra (54 FPS) falls below itable. The CPU's contribution to this scaling is minimal because the i5-12400F's performance is sufficient to keep up with the GPU at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 192 FPS result at 1080p Low.

The data indicates that the RTX 3080 Ti is the primary limiting component at 4K, particularly at Ultra settings where it drops to 54 FPS. At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU still has enough headroom to deliver high frame rates, but the CPU is not the bottleneck even at 192 FPS. This is consistent with the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking and its strong synthetic scores, which suggest it can handle high refresh rate gaming without holding back a GPU of this class.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 981st out of 3,720 tested combos in Control. This places it in the top 26.4% of all tested combinations, which is a solid position given the database includes both high-end and budget configurations. The rank is a relative measure of how this CPU+GPU pairing performs in this game compared to every other pairing in the database.

The rank of 981 out of 3,720 means there are 980 combos that achieve higher average FPS in Control, and 2,739 combos that perform worse. Given that the RTX 3080 Ti is an end-of-life product from the GeForce 30 seriesabbinate, and the i5-12400F is a mid-range 12th-gen Core processor, this rank reflects the fact that newer and more expensive combinations can outperform it. However, the data shows that this combo is still competitive, particularly at 1440p and 1080p where it delivers high average frame rates.

The nearest rivals for the CPU (AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, Intel Core 3 201E, Intel Core i5-1335U, AMD EPYC 7773X) all have nearly identical average benchmark scores, within 0.3% of each other. This suggests that the CPU's performance is well-understood and consistent across workloads. For the GPU, the nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (0.8% ahead) and NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB (1.2% behind), which are professional or older enterprise cards that perform similarly in synthetic benchmarks but may behave differently in games.

The combo rank is influenced by both components, but the data suggests that the GPU is the more significant factor in Control's performance. The GPU's 83rd percentile ranking is higher than the CPU's 73rd percentile, indicating that the RTX 3080 Ti is a stronger relative performer than the i5-12400F. This is reflected in the resolution scaling data, where the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck at 4K. The rank of 981 out of 3,720 is a reasonable outcome for a pairing of a mid-range 2022 CPU with a high-end 2021 GPU.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data across four presets and three resolutions allows for a clear recommendation based on frame rate targets. At 4K, the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS is Low, with 98 FPS. Medium at 4K provides 70 FPS, which is above 60 but with a minimum FPS of 59, meaning there will be occasional dips below the 60 FPS threshold. High at 4K averages 62 FPS, which is barely above 60 but with no minimum FPS data available, it is risky. Ultra at 4K averages 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

At 1440p, all presets deliver average FPS above 60: Low at 145, Medium at 103 (minimum 88), High at 92, and Ultra at 80. This means a 1440p monitor can be paired with any preset, but for a 60 FPS target, Ultra provides the best visual quality without dropping below 60 on average. The Medium preset has a minimum of 88 FPS, which is well above 60, while Ultra has no minimum FPS data but averages 80, suggesting it is safe for 60 FPS.

At 1080p, the performance is even more generous. Low averages 192 FPS, Medium 136 (minimum 116), High 121, and Ultra 105. For a 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitor, Low or Medium would be necessary to fully utilize the display's capability. For a 60Hz or 120Hz display, High and Ultra are viable, with Ultra averaging 105 FPS.

The best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K, Low is the only reliably smooth option, while Medium is a compromise that occasionally dips below 60 FPS. For 1440p, Ultra provides the best visual experience while staying above 60 FPS on average. For 1080p, High or Ultra offers a good balance, with Ultra providing the highest visual fidelity at an average of 105 FPS. Given that Control is a visually demanding game with heavy particle effects, the Ultra preset at 1440p appears to be the sweet spot for this combo, delivering 80 FPS average with the highest settings. At 4K, the data suggests that Medium (70 FPS) is the highest preset that maintains playable frame rates, despite the minimum FPS of 59.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest average FPS is 192, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. At Medium settings, the average is 136 FPS, while High and Ultra at 1080p reach 121 and 105 FPS respectively.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: At 4K, the Low preset averages 98 FPS, Medium averages 70 FPS, and High averages 62 FPS, all above 60. However, Medium has a minimum FPS of 59, so it can dip below 60. Ultra at 4K averages 54 FPS, which is below 60.

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

A: This combo ranks 981st out of 3,720 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the top 26.4% of all tested CPU+GPU pairings.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is in the 83rd percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,187. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, is 0.8% ahead in average score.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 192 FPS, which is the highest measured result. Since the CPU's single-thread score (909 in 3DMark) and multi-thread scores are strong, the data indicates the CPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution and settings level.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking and how does it compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F is in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,039. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (0% delta) and Intel Core i5-1335U (0.3% delta), showing very close performance.