Control

# Control with Intel Core i5-12600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a formidable Control experience, with measured 1080p averages ranging from 135 FPS at Ultra settings to 246 FPS at Low. This combination ranks 241st out of 3,720 tested CPU-GPU combos in the game, placing it in the top 7% of all configurations. The data indicates a system capable of high-refresh-rate 1440p play and solid 4K performance, with the RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth proving ample for Control's demanding visuals.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread Alder Lake processor with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core give it strong gaming responsiveness. In synthetic benchmarks, the chip scores 3,302 points in Cinebench R23 single-core and 23,391 in multi-core, while 3DMark results show 1,016 in single-thread and 7,956 in 16-thread tests. These figures position it within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D's average score, a notable comparison for gaming workloads where that rival is often considered a top-tier option.

The CPU's 79th percentile rating across all processors, combined with its average benchmark score of 27,799, places it just 0.3% behind the Intel Core i9-10900K (average score 27,872) and 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE (27,712). For Control specifically, the i5-12600KF's strong single-thread performance matters most — the game's physics and AI routines respond well to high per-core throughput. The 4.90 GHz boost clock ensures that even at 1080p Low settings, where the CPU has the most influence, the system maintains 246 FPS average, indicating no significant processor bottleneck.

At higher resolutions, the CPU's role diminishes as the GPU takes over the rendering load. The measured data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 69 FPS, a figure that reflects the GPU's limits rather than CPU capability. The i5-12600KF's 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample parallelism for Control's background tasks while gaming, and the 3DMark 8-thread score of 6,128 suggests strong mid-thread scaling that benefits modern game engines. Compared to its nearest rivals, the CPU's performance is tightly clustered — the 0.3% deltaPct values indicate that users would see virtually no difference in frame rates between the i5-12600KF and the Ryzen 7 5800X3D in CPU-bound scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory runs at 22.4 Gbps effective, delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth across a 256-bit bus. The GPU's 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output pipelines process Control's particle effects and destructible environments with ease. Base clock sits at 2,205 MHz, boosting to 2,505 MHz, and the card achieves 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 4080 scores 6,567, while Geekbench Vulkan shows 263,779 and OpenCL 214,739. The PassMark G3D score of 34,457 places the GPU in the 86th percentile of all graphics cards. Its average benchmark score of 54,247 sits within 0.1% of the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209), making the two cards effectively interchangeable in practice. The RTX 4080 outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1% and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.6% in these aggregated benchmarks.

For Control, the RTX 4080's ray tracing capabilities and 16 GB VRAM are particularly relevant. The game's use of reflective surfaces and volumetric lighting benefits from the 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores. The measured FPS data shows the GPU scaling well across resolutions: at 1440p High, the system achieves 118 FPS, while 4K High drops to 79 FPS. The 16 GB memory capacity prevents any VRAM-related stutters, even at 4K Ultra, where the average of 69 FPS indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The card's 320 W TDP and triple-slot design are considerations for system integration, but the performance returns are clear in the benchmark results.

FAQ

Q: How does this CPU-GPU combo rank for Control specifically?

A: The combination ranks 241st out of 3,720 tested combos, placing it in the top 7% of configurations for this game. This high ranking reflects balanced performance across resolutions.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this hardware?

A: The data shows 1440p as the sweet spot. At High settings, the system averages 118 FPS, while 4K High drops to 79 FPS. For 60+ FPS at 4K, Medium settings (89 FPS) or High (79 FPS) are viable, but 1440p offers the best balance of quality and frame rate.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080's average benchmark score of 54,247 is within 0.1% of the RTX 4080 SUPER's 54,209. In practical terms, there is no measurable performance difference between the two cards in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: Is the Core i5-12600KF a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 in Control?

A: At 1080p Low, the system hits 246 FPS average, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU effectively. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1,016 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,302 indicate strong per-core performance that avoids bottlenecking in most scenarios.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: The measured average is 135 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This is 39 FPS lower than Medium settings (175 FPS) and 111 FPS lower than Low (246 FPS), showing the impact of Ultra presets on the GPU.

Q: How much VRAM does Control use at 4K with this GPU?

A: The RTX 4080 has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory with 716.8 GB/s bandwidth. The measured results show no min FPS data indicating VRAM limitations, even at 4K Ultra, so the 16 GB capacity is sufficient for this game at maximum settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings levels, providing a complete picture of performance. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 246 FPS at Low, 175 FPS at Medium (with min/max of 149/201), 156 FPS at High, and 135 FPS at Ultra. The 1080p results show excellent headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors, with even Ultra settings exceeding 135 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 186 FPS at Low, 132 FPS at Medium (min/max 113/152), 118 FPS at High, and 102 FPS at Ultra. The 1440p numbers indicate that gamers with 144 Hz or 165 Hz displays can comfortably use High settings, while those prioritizing visual fidelity can still exceed 100 FPS at Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 84 FPS, showing the significant GPU load from higher presets.

At 3840x2160, the system averages 126 FPS at Low, 89 FPS at Medium (min/max 76/103), 79 FPS at High, and 69 FPS at Ultra. The 4K results reveal the RTX 4080's limitations at the highest resolution — even Medium settings produce 89 FPS, but Ultra drops to 69 FPS. The minimum FPS of 76 at 4K Medium suggests occasional dips, though the average of 89 FPS remains smooth for most displays. Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently shows the smallest gap between average and minimum FPS, indicating stable frame pacing.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals important information about the system's bottleneck characteristics. At Low settings, the average drops from 246 FPS at 1080p to 126 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 120 FPS (or approximately 49%). This substantial drop indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as resolution rises. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 135 FPS at 1080p to 69 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 66 FPS (approximately 49% as well). The consistent percentage drop across settings suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at all resolutions, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom.

The data shows that 4K performance is roughly half of 1080p performance across all settings. This scaling pattern is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where pixel count directly impacts frame rate. The RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth handle the increased memory pressure at 4K without introducing frame time spikes, as evidenced by the 4K Medium min FPS of 76 versus the 1080p Medium min of 149. The resolution scaling also highlights that 1440p offers the best compromise: FPS drops from 1080p are moderate (about 24% at High settings, from 156 to 118), while visual quality improves significantly. For 4K gaming, users must accept lower settings to maintain high frame rates, as Ultra drops below 70 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and display refresh rate. For 1080p displays with 144 Hz or 240 Hz refresh rates, Ultra settings at 135 FPS provide the best visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. The 39 FPS difference between Medium and Ultra at 1080p is a worthwhile trade for the improved lighting and shadow quality that Control's Ultra preset offers.

For 1440p, High settings at 118 FPS represent the best balance. This configuration delivers nearly 120 FPS while maintaining high visual fidelity, and the gap to Ultra (102 FPS) is only 16 FPS. Gamers with 144 Hz displays should choose High; those with 60 Hz displays can comfortably use Ultra at 102 FPS. The Medium preset at 132 FPS is a viable alternative for competitive play, but High provides better image quality with only a 14 FPS penalty.

At 4K, the recommendation is Medium settings at 89 FPS. This preset offers the best combination of visual quality and performance, with a minimum FPS of 76 ensuring consistent smoothness. High at 79 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz displays, but the 10 FPS gain from dropping to Medium is noticeable. Ultra at 69 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The measured data shows that Low settings at 4K (126 FPS) are unnecessary for this hardware, as Medium provides a much better visual experience with only a 37 FPS penalty. Overall, the i5-12600KF and RTX 4080 combination excels at 1440p, where High settings deliver an excellent experience, while 4K users should stick to Medium or High depending on their refresh rate preferences.