Control

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti delivers a commanding performance in Control, ranking 194th out of 1636 tested combos, placing it comfortably in the top 12% of all configurations. This is a pairing that prioritizes raw GPU throughput, and the benchmark results confirm that the RTX 4070 Ti is the dominant force driving frame rates across all resolutions. The i5-12400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, provides sufficient support without becoming a bottleneck at standard gaming resolutions, though the data shows the CPU's influence wanes as resolution increases. This combo is a practical choice for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and capable 4K performance, with the measured FPS indicating a system built for smooth, high-fidelity experiences.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 194 out of 1636 tested combinations places it in the 88th percentile of all systems benchmarked for Control. This is a strong result, indicating that this pairing outperforms the vast majority of configurations tested on this database. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU, as the RTX 4070 Ti sits in the 85th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 77th percentile. The data suggests that the graphics card is the primary driver of this high ranking, as its performance headroom allows the system to excel in a game like Control that benefits significantly from strong rasterization and ray tracing capabilities.

When looking at the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 4070 Ti's average benchmark score of 44900 is remarkably close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, which scores 45152, a negligible delta of -0.6%. It also edges out the Intel Arc A730M (45592, -1.5%) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT (45642, -1.6%), while being 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (44195). This indicates that the desktop RTX 4070 Ti is competing at a level that rivals top-tier mobile and professional workstation GPUs, which underscores its strength in this configuration.

For the CPU, the i5-12400F's average benchmark score of 19221 places it in a tight cluster with its rivals. It is a mere 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-8700K (19210) and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-1335U (19167). It trails the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS (19364) by -0.7% but leads the AMD EPYC 7773X (18979) by 1.3%. These small deltas show that the i5-12400F is a well-balanced mid-range CPU that holds its own against older high-end parts and modern mobile chips, providing a stable foundation for the powerful GPU.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this combo for a high-refresh-rate monitor?*

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 with High settings, the system achieves 107.5 FPS. For even higher refresh rates, 1920x1080 on High produces 145.3 FPS, and on Low it reaches 224.8 FPS, making 1080p the target for competitive or maximum-speed play.

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

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 70.7 FPS, which is playable. For a smoother experience, dropping to Medium settings yields 82.9 FPS, while Low settings push it to 115.6 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K will drop to 63.2 FPS.

*Q: How does the CPU's core count affect performance in Control?*

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has 6 cores and 12 threads. Its benchmark scores, such as 16518 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2332 in single-core, indicate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities. The game's performance scaling suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU's role diminishes at higher resolutions where frame rates are lower.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti a significant performance upgrade over its immediate rivals?

A: Benchmark results show its average score of 44900 is nearly identical to the RTX 5090 Mobile (45152, -0.6%) and it outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro 580 by 1.6%. This indicates it provides performance on par with or better than several high-end alternatives.

Q: What settings preset provides the most balanced experience at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset offers 107.5 FPS, which balances visual quality with high frame rates. Moving to Ultra drops the frame rate to 94.6 FPS, while Medium offers 122.9 FPS. High is the optimal choice for a 1440p monitor with a refresh rate around 100-120Hz.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: At 1920x1080, the frame rates are very high (224.8 FPS on Low), where the CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 5895 and single-thread score of 909 become more relevant. As resolution increases to 4K, the frame rates drop significantly, showing the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear trend in how the system scales across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 224.8 FPS, which is an exceptionally high frame rate that suggests the CPU is working to feed the GPU. Moving to 2560x1440, the same Low setting drops to 173.9 FPS, a 22.6% decrease. At 3840x2160, it falls further to 115.6 FPS, a 33.5% reduction from 1440p. This steep drop-off at 4K indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint as pixel count increases.

For the High preset, the scaling is similar but with lower absolute numbers. The system runs at 145.3 FPS at 1080p, drops to 107.5 FPS at 1440p (a 26.0% decrease), and then to 70.7 FPS at 4K (a 34.2% decrease from 1440p). The percentage drops are consistent across settings, confirming that resolution scaling is a function of GPU load. The RTX 4070 Ti, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, handles this scaling predictably, but the 4K results show that even this powerful card is challenged by the game's demands at that resolution.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts based on resolution. At 1080p, the high frame rates (over 200 FPS on Low) suggest the CPU’s 6-core/12-thread configuration and its boost clock of 4.40 GHz are sufficient to keep up with the GPU's output. However, at 4K, the GPU's raw compute power becomes the bottleneck, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops. The RTX 4070 Ti's FP32 performance of 40.09 TFLOPS and 7680 shading units are taxed heavily at 4K, making the CPU less relevant to the overall frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the High preset is the recommended choice across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, it delivers 145.3 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth, responsive gameplay and leaves headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 2560x1440, it produces 107.5 FPS, which is ideal for 100Hz+ displays and provides a great balance between visual fidelity and performance. Even at 3840x2160, High settings yield 70.7 FPS, which is playable and offers a significant improvement in visual quality over Medium.

The Ultra preset is tempting for maximum visual quality but comes with a notable performance cost. At 1080p, Ultra hits 125.2 FPS, which is still very playable, but at 1440p it drops to 94.6 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 63.2 FPS. The step from High to Ultra at 4K is a 10.6% performance penalty, which may not justify the marginal visual gains for most users. The Medium preset is a solid fallback for those prioritizing frame rates, especially at 4K, where it achieves 82.9 FPS compared to 70.7 FPS on High.

Given the data, the High preset is the sweet spot. It offers a substantial visual upgrade over Low and Medium while maintaining frame rates that are suitable for most displays. For users with 1440p 144Hz monitors, High is the only sensible choice, as it is the highest preset that consistently stays above 100 FPS. At 4K, users must decide between the slightly smoother Medium (82.9 FPS) and the more detailed High (70.7 FPS), with the latter being perfectly playable on a 60Hz screen.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080: The system shows its full strength at this resolution, with the Low preset achieving an average of 224.8 FPS. The Medium preset produces 161.3 FPS, while High delivers 145.3 FPS. The Ultra preset, while the most demanding, still manages a strong 125.2 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the combo is rarely constrained, offering a wide range of playable settings for any type of display.

2560x1440: This is where the RTX 4070 Ti starts to flex its muscles. The Low preset averages 173.9 FPS, which is extremely high for 1440p. Medium settings yield 122.9 FPS, and High produces 107.5 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 94.6 FPS, which is still above 90 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors. The scaling from 1080p is consistent, with a roughly 22-27% drop in performance across all settings.

3840x2160: At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The Low preset averages 115.6 FPS, which is excellent for 4K and shows the card's raw power. Medium settings achieve 82.9 FPS, while High drops to 70.7 FPS. The Ultra preset brings the system down to 63.2 FPS, which is at the edge of playability for 60Hz displays but still usable. The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low is for maximum frame rates, while High is the most demanding preset that remains fluid.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide solid single-thread performance, reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332 and 3DMark single-thread score of 909. The CPU's L3 cache is 18 MB shared, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, making it a flexible choice for a variety of system builds.

In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system hits 224.8 FPS, which is a scenario where CPU limitations can often surface. The i5-12400F's PassMark multi-thread score of 19433 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16518 indicate it has enough headroom to handle these high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5895 suggests that the 12 threads are being utilized effectively.

However, as resolution increases to 4K, the frame rates drop significantly, and the CPU's influence diminishes. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 63.2 FPS, a workload where the GPU's 40.09 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 208.8 GPixel/s pixel rate are the primary drivers. The CPU's 6 cores are sufficient for this game, as Control is not heavily multi-threaded and does not scale beyond 12 threads. The processor's performance relative to its rivals, such as being 0.1% ahead of the Core i7-8700K, shows it provides a modern, efficient foundation that will not hold back the RTX 4070 Ti in this title.