Control

Control pairs the Intel Core i5-12600KF with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti in a combination that sits comfortably in the upper tier of tested systems, ranking 138th out of 1636 combos. This places it in the top ~8% of all configurations tested for this title. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but with enough CPU headroom at 1080p to push frame rates to very high levels, making it a versatile setup for both high-refresh 1440p gaming and smooth 4K experiences.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows across the three resolutions show a clear pattern: the Ultra preset is the most demanding, while the Low preset offers the highest performance. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra is substantial — 239.1 FPS versus 129.3 FPS — representing a 85% performance gap. However, the more practical comparison for a modern gamer is between High and Ultra. At 1080p, High delivers 146.9 FPS, which is 13.6% faster than Ultra's 129.3 FPS. The visual difference between High and Ultra in Control is typically subtle, so High is the recommended preset for 1080p users seeking the best balance of fidelity and speed.

At 2560x1440, the situation remains similar. High produces 110.8 FPS, while Ultra drops to 96.9 FPS — a 14.3% penalty for Ultra settings. The 110.8 FPS figure is comfortably above the 100 FPS threshold that most high-refresh monitors target, making High the sweet spot at this resolution. The Medium preset at 128.6 FPS is an option for those who prefer extra headroom, but it sacrifices noticeable visual quality for only a 16% gain over High.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation shifts. High produces 75.6 FPS, which is playable, but Ultra drops to 65.9 FPS — a 14.7% reduction. For 4K gaming, the data suggests using High settings to maintain a stable 75 FPS average, which is well-suited for VRR displays. The Medium preset at 87 FPS is a viable alternative for gamers who prioritize frame rate over visual detail, offering a 15.1% improvement over High. Low settings at 4K (122.1 FPS) are only relevant for competitive play where max frame rate is paramount, as the visual downgrade is significant. Overall, the High preset delivers the most consistent experience across all three resolutions, with the only exception being a preference for Medium at 4K if you want to push closer to 90 FPS.

GPU Role

The RTX 5070 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing for Control, as evidenced by the scaling patterns. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is ample for Control's needs, which is a 2019 title that doesn't stress modern VRAM capacities. The 16 GB allocation ensures zero risk of texture thrashing at any resolution or preset tested.

The GPU's clock behavior — 2295 MHz base and 2452 MHz boost — translates to strong raw throughput, with the card rated for 43.94 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The measured FPS data indicates that the GPU is the performance limiter at 4K, where the frame rates scale almost linearly with the graphics load. At 4K Low (122.1 FPS) versus 4K Ultra (65.9 FPS), the 85% frame rate drop mirrors the increased rendering load, confirming the GPU is fully saturated. The RTX 5070 Ti's 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores also suggest it handles Control's optional ray tracing features with ease, though the measured data only reflects standard rasterization.

The GPU sits in the 87th percentile for all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 52086. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (52085, 0% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 7700S (52505, -0.8%), and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (53414, -2.5%). This places the RTX 5070 Ti in a performance bracket essentially identical to the previous-generation RTX 4080, which is a strong indicator of its capability in a game like Control that responds well to raw GPU compute.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K reveals the system's bottleneck characteristics. At High settings, the frame rates are 146.9 FPS at 1080p, 110.8 FPS at 1440p, and 75.6 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24.6%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 31.8%. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario — the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p, but the rendering load at higher resolutions increasingly saturates the GPU.

The Low settings data tells the same story more dramatically. At 1080p Low, the system hits 239.1 FPS, which is near the practical limit for many displays. At 1440p Low, it drops to 178.5 FPS (-25.3%), and at 4K Low, it falls to 122.1 FPS (-31.6%). The 239.1 FPS figure at 1080p Low suggests the CPU is still not the limiting factor — if it were, we would see a plateau. Instead, the consistent ~25-32% drops per resolution step indicate the GPU is scaling predictably with pixel count.

The Ultra settings show the steepest drop from 1080p to 4K: 129.3 FPS to 65.9 FPS, a 49% reduction. This is expected, as Ultra settings increase both pixel shading and texture bandwidth demands, both of which are GPU-limited. The data strongly indicates that the Intel Core i5-12600KF is not a bottleneck in Control at any resolution tested. The CPU's 10-core, 16-thread design with a 4.90 GHz boost clock provides ample single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3309 Cinebench R23 single-core score and 1016 3DMark single-thread score. The system is GPU-limited starting around 1440p High, which is the ideal scenario for maximizing visual quality without sacrificing frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 138th out of 1636 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the top 8.4% of all systems. This is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The ranking reflects the system's ability to deliver high frame rates across all resolutions, with the weakest performance still being 65.9 FPS at 4K Ultra.

The CPU itself is positioned in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27827. Its nearest rivals in CPU performance are the Intel Core i9-10900K (27829, 0% delta), the Intel Core i5-12600K (27851, -0.1%), the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (27872, -0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-13700H (27716, +0.4%). This clustering means the i5-12600KF is performance-equivalent to a high-end 10th-gen i9 in synthetic benchmarks, which is remarkable for a 12th-gen mid-range part. In Control, this CPU performance is more than sufficient, as the game's engine benefits from strong single-thread performance rather than massive multi-thread scaling.

The GPU's ranking is equally strong, sitting in the 87th percentile with an average score of 52086. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080, has an identical score (52085, 0% delta), meaning the RTX 5070 Ti effectively matches the previous generation's top-tier card. This combination of a top-16% GPU and a top-16% CPU results in a top-8.4% overall combo ranking, which is exactly what the data predicts — there is minimal performance wasted in this pairing.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12600KF a bottleneck for the RTX 5070 Ti in Control?

A: No. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 239.1 FPS, and the FPS drops are consistent with GPU scaling as resolution increases. The CPU's 3309 Cinebench R23 single-core score and 1016 3DMark single-thread score indicate it has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU.

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes, the measured data shows 75.6 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings. This is comfortably playable, and the Medium preset (87 FPS) offers a smoother experience if you prefer higher frame rates over maximum visual detail.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to its closest GPU rival?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 52086, which is essentially identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080's 52085 (0% delta). This means the two cards are performance equivalents in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers 110.8 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh monitors. The Ultra preset drops to 96.9 FPS, a 14.3% penalty that may not justify the visual improvements in Control.

Q: Does the system have enough VRAM for Control?

A: Yes, the 16 GB GDDR7 memory (896.0 GB/s bandwidth) is more than sufficient. Control is a 2019 title that does not heavily tax memory capacity, and no resolution or settings combination shows signs of VRAM-related performance degradation.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 138th out of 1636 combos, placing it in the top 8.4% of all systems tested for Control. This is a strong performance tier, reflecting the balance between the CPU and GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 239.1 FPS, Medium follows at 167.2 FPS, High reaches 146.9 FPS, and Ultra trails at 129.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 71.9 FPS (43%), indicating that Medium introduces significant rendering effects that the GPU must process.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low hits 178.5 FPS, Medium achieves 128.6 FPS, High reaches 110.8 FPS, and Ultra settles at 96.9 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 81.6 FPS (84%), showing that the Ultra preset at 1440p is nearly twice as demanding as Low.

At 3840x2160, the system's limits become clear. Low produces 122.1 FPS, Medium drops to 87 FPS, High falls to 75.6 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 65.9 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings (146.9 to 75.6 FPS) represents a 48.5% reduction, which is consistent with the 4x increase in pixel count minus the GPU's ability to efficiently process the additional load. Across all settings, the 4K Ultra figure of 65.9 FPS remains above the 60 FPS playability threshold, making this combo viable for 4K gaming at any preset.