Control

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a combination that lands in the upper tier of tested systems for Control, securing the 266th position out of 1,636 total combos. This places it comfortably in the top 20% of all configurations tested, indicating a strong match for this title. The pairing demonstrates that a mid-range 12th-gen CPU can effectively drive a high-end 40-series GPU to produce excellent frame rates, though the data reveals a clear pattern of the GPU becoming the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 266 out of 1,636 tested configurations places it in the 84th percentile of performance for this game. This is a strong showing, reflecting a system that can handle Control at high settings across all common resolutions. The ranking is driven by the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 84th percentile standing among all GPUs, which is the dominant factor in most scenarios. The CPU, with its 77th percentile score, provides a solid foundation without bottlenecking the GPU at 1080p and 1440p, but the overall ranking still heavily favors the graphics card's raw output. When compared to its closest GPU rivals—the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (0.2% slower) and AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (0.3% slower)—the 4070 SUPER shows it is finely positioned at the top of its class. The CPU’s nearest rivals, the Intel Core i7-8700K (0.1% faster) and AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS (0.7% slower), further confirm that the 12400F is a balanced performer that does not drag down the system's overall standing in this action-adventure title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a versatile choice. In the context of Control, this CPU is more than sufficient to feed the RTX 4070 SUPER. Benchmark data shows the CPU achieving a single-thread score of 2,332 in Cinebench R23 and a multi-core score of 16,518, indicating capable per-core performance that is crucial for game logic and physics. The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p with lower settings, the system is likely CPU-bound at times, as the FPS numbers are extremely high, but the CPU’s 12 threads handle the game's demands without issue. At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes, and the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The 65W TDP and locked multiplier mean it is an efficient, no-frills processor that pairs well with a high-end GPU without introducing instability or excessive heat.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No, at 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 62.4, which is just above 60 but not a locked, smooth experience. However, at 4K with High settings, the average FPS jumps to 68.3, offering a more comfortable margin above 60.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 SUPER in this game?

A: The data indicates the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 4K, the FPS is heavily influenced by the GPU. At 1080p with Low settings, the FPS reaches 217.4, suggesting the CPU can push very high frame rates, but the performance scaling from 1080p to 4K shows the GPU becoming the primary limiter as resolution increases.

Q: What is the best resolution/setting combination for a 144Hz monitor?

A: For a 144Hz display, 2560x1440 with High settings provides an average of 104.2 FPS. To fully utilize the refresh rate, 1920x1080 with Medium settings achieves 153.5 FPS, and 1920x1080 with Low settings reaches 217.4 FPS.

Q: How much performance is gained by dropping from Ultra to Low settings at 1080p?

A: Dropping from Ultra to Low at 1080p increases the average frame rate from 117 FPS to 217.4 FPS, a substantial gain of over 100 FPS, which demonstrates the game's scalability with settings.

Q: How does this CPU compare to the Intel Core i7-8700K?

A: The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19,221, which is 0.1% higher than the Core i7-8700K's average score of 19,210, indicating they are virtually identical in overall processing performance.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER's performance close to the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE?

A: Yes, based on average benchmark scores, the RTX 4070 SUPER (42,576) is 0.3% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42,723). This makes them extremely close competitors in terms of raw GPU compute power.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is extremely capable: Low settings produce an average of 217.4 FPS, Medium yields 153.5 FPS, High delivers 133.9 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a smooth 117 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, frame rates remain high, with Low settings hitting 160.6 FPS, Medium at 117.6 FPS, High at 104.2 FPS, and Ultra providing 89.3 FPS. At the demanding 3840x2160 resolution, the GPU's workload increases significantly. Low settings average 110.2 FPS, Medium drops to 78.9 FPS, High falls to 68.3 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 62.4 FPS. These numbers show a clear, consistent scaling pattern where each step up in resolution or quality reduces the average FPS by a predictable margin, highlighting the GPU's central role in determining final performance.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K illustrates the shift in system bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 217.4 FPS, suggesting the CPU is near its limit in feeding the GPU. When moving to 1440p at the same Low settings, the FPS drops to 160.6 FPS, a 26% reduction, which is a typical sign of increased GPU load. However, the most telling data is at 4K, where the Low setting still yields 110.2 FPS. This is a 49% drop from 1080p, indicating that the GPU is now the dominant limiting factor. The pattern is more pronounced at higher quality settings: at Ultra, the FPS falls from 117 at 1080p to 89.3 at 1440p (a 24% drop) and then to 62.4 at 4K (a 47% drop from 1440p). This consistent, significant decline at 4K across all settings confirms that the RTX 4070 SUPER's memory bandwidth and compute power are the primary constraints, while the i5-12400F has ample headroom to keep up.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, the High preset is the recommended starting point. At 1440p, it delivers 104.2 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming, and at 4K it still achieves a playable 68.3 FPS. If the goal is to maximize frame rates for competitive play or a 144Hz+ monitor, the Medium preset at 1080p offers 153.5 FPS, a significant jump from High. The Ultra preset, while visually impressive, is only recommended for 1080p gaming, where it still maintains a solid 117 FPS average. At 4K, Ultra is borderline, with 62.4 FPS, making it suitable only for players who prioritize image quality over fluidity. The Low preset is not recommended for general play, as the visual downgrade is substantial, but it is useful for benchmarking or if the user has a very high refresh rate display, as it pushes the system to its maximum potential, reaching 217.4 FPS at 1080p. The data strongly suggests that High settings at 1440p is the sweet spot for this combination, offering a high-quality image without compromising on smoothness.