Control

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for this Intel Core i7-12700K + AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination in Control show a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 182 FPS, which drops to 137 FPS at 1440p and further to 93 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24.7% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 48.9% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings.

The scaling behavior shifts noticeably when moving to higher quality presets. At High settings, the frame rate goes from 115 FPS at 1080p to 87 FPS at 1440p (a 24.3% drop), then to 59 FPS at 4K (a 48.7% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the resolution scaling is primarily GPU-bound, with the CPU maintaining sufficient headroom even at 1080p.

Ultra settings tell a similar story but with lower absolute numbers. The combo achieves 100 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 51 FPS at 4K. The gap between Medium and Ultra at each resolution is relatively consistent: at 1080p, Medium produces 129 FPS versus Ultra's 100 FPS, a 29 FPS difference; at 1440p, the gap is 23 FPS (98 vs 75); at 4K, it narrows to 15 FPS (66 vs 51).

The data indicates that at 4K Ultra, the system falls just below the 60 FPS threshold with 51 FPS, suggesting that this resolution and preset combination is demanding enough to push the GPU to its limits. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at every setting shows a remarkably consistent pattern, which is characteristic of a system where the GPU is the limiting component across the board. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, does not appear to bottleneck the GPU even at lower resolutions where the frame rates are highest.

Interestingly, the scaling from Medium to High at each resolution costs roughly 14-15 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra costs an additional 7-8 FPS at 1080p and 1440p, but only 8 FPS at 4K. This suggests diminishing returns at higher settings, particularly at 4K where the pixel throughput demands dominate.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU-GPU combinations for Control, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700K with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 holds a combo rank of 1134 out of 3720 tested combinations. This places the combo in the top 30.5% of all tested pairings, which is a respectable position given the breadth of hardware configurations covered.

The CPU itself sits at the 84th percentile when compared against all processors in the database, with an average benchmark score of 35287. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13600T (average score 35305, delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i7-12700KF (average score 35365, delta -0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-13700T (average score 35403, delta -0.3%). The performance differences among these CPUs are negligible, all within 0.4% of each other.

The GPU achieves a 69th percentile ranking among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 23877. The nearest rivals to the RX 9070 include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (average score 23736, delta 0.6%), the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (average score 24063, delta -0.8%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile (average score 23628, delta 1.1%). The RTX 2080 SUPER also appears close with an average score of 24170 and a delta of -1.2%.

Given these component-level standings, the combo's rank of 1134 out of 3720 makes sense. The CPU is strong relative to other processors, while the GPU sits slightly above average but not in the top tier. In a game like Control, which is known for its demanding rendering, the GPU's contribution to the overall combo ranking is likely more significant than the CPU's.

The rank suggests that this pairing is competitive but not exceptional for Control specifically. Many other tested combinations with higher-end GPUs or better-optimized pairings achieve higher frame ratesholistically. The combo's position in the middle-to-upper range of the distribution indicates that it can handle the game comfortably at most settings, but it will not top any leaderboards.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rate data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. The data shows that 60 FPS is achievable at 4K with Medium settings (66 FPS average, with a minimum of 56 FPS and maximum of 76 FPS), making this the entry point for smooth 4K gameplay.

At 4K High, the average frame rate drops to 59 FPS, which is close to but slightly below the 60 FPS target. The 4K Ultra preset produces 51 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action sequences. For players with 4K displays who prioritize smoothness, Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS.

For 1440p gaming, the situation is more comfortable. High settings deliver 87 FPS, while Ultra still manages 75 FPS. Both are well above the 60 FPS threshold, and even the minimum frame rate at Medium (83 FPS) stays clear of any stutter concerns. The data supports using Ultra at 1440p for the best visual quality, as the 75 FPS average remains fluid and responsive.

At 1080p, all presets exceed 100 FPS, with Low hitting 182 FPS and Medium reaching 129 FPS. The Ultra preset at 100 FPS is the highest quality option that still maintains triple-digit frame rates, making it the clear choice for competitive or high-refresh-rate play. For players with 144Hz or 165Hz displays, the Medium preset at 129 FPS provides a smoother experience, while those with 240Hz panels might prefer Low at 182 FPS.

The data reveals a consistent hierarchy: Medium offers the best balance of visual quality and performance at 4K, Ultra is viable at 1440p and 1080p, and Low is only necessary for extreme frame rate targets. Given that Control is a single-player action-adventure game, the recommendation leans toward visual fidelity where possible, meaning Ultra at 1440p or Medium at 4K represent the best experience-to-performance trade-offs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low produces 182 FPS, Medium averages 129 FPS with a minimum of 110 FPS and maximum of 148 FPS, High achieves 115 FPS, and Ultra reaches 100 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 82 FPS, showing that the settings scale significantly at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the expected reduction. Low delivers 137 FPS, Medium averages 98 FPS (minimum 83 FPS, maximum 112 FPS), High produces 87 FPS, and Ultra reaches 75 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 62 FPS, a narrower spread than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the 4K results reveal the GPU's limitations. Low manages 93 FPS, Medium averages 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS and maximum of 76 FPS, High drops to 59 FPS, and Ultra falls to 51 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra spread at 4K is 42 FPS, indicating that the settings have less impact at higher resolutions due to pixel throughput constraints.

The Medium preset at each resolution provides the most complete data set, with min and max frame rates recorded. At 1080p Medium, the range is 110-148 FPS; at 1440p Medium, 83-112 FPS; and at 4K Medium, 56-76 FPS. These ranges show that the frame pacing remains consistent, with the minimum never dropping more than 15 FPS below the average.

The step from Medium to High costs 14 FPS at 1080p (129 to 115), 11 FPS at 1440p (98 to 87), and 7 FPS at 4K (66 to 59). From High to Ultra, the cost is 15 FPS at 1080p (115 to 100), 12 FPS at 1440p (87 to 75), and 8 FPS at 4K (59 to 51). This pattern shows that each settings tier has a smaller absolute impact at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture using the Navi 48 chip, manufactured on a 4nm process by TSMC. The GPU contains 53,900 million transistors on a 357 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 151.0M per mm². This modern architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The GPU's memory configuration consists of 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 2518 MHz with 20.1 Gbps effective speed. With 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 128 render output units, the RX 9070 is well-equipped for modern game rendering. The 56 ray tracing cores contribute to Control's visual effects, though the game's implementation is not as demanding as newer titles.

Clock speeds show a base of 1330 MHz, a game clock of 2070 MHz, and a boost clock of 2520 MHz. The pixel rate reaches 322.6 GPixel/s, while the texture rate hits 564.5 GTexel/s, supporting the frame rates measured across resolutions. The FP32 performance of 36.13 TFLOPS matches the FP16 rating of 36.13 TFLOPS (1:1), indicating balanced compute capabilities.

The VRAM capacity of 16 GB proves sufficient for Control at 4K Ultra, as the measured 51 FPS at that setting shows no signs of memory-related stuttering. The bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s is adequate for the game's texture streaming and asset loading, as evidenced by the consistent frame times across all measured configurations.

Power delivery comes via 2x 8-pin connectors with a 220W TDP, and the card requires a 550W suggested PSU. The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensures no bandwidth bottleneck, though Control's engine is unlikely to saturate even PCIe 4.0. The GPU's benchmark scores, including a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290 and a PassMark G3D score of 25381, confirm its mid-to-upper tier positioning.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest frame rate this combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest measured frame rate is 182 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settingsikuha. At Medium settings, the combo achieves 129 FPS, and at High settings it reaches 115 FPS at the same resolution.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, at 4K with Medium settings the combo delivers 66 FPS average with a minimum of 56 FPS. However, at 4K High the average drops to 59 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 51 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the RX 9070 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 9070 has an average benchmark score of 23877. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z is 0.6% behind at 23736, the AMD Radeon RX 6800S is 0.8% ahead at 24063, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile is 1.1% behind at 23628.

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

A: The Ultra preset at 1440p delivers 75 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS targetholistic. High settings provide 87 FPS for a higher refresh rate experience, while Medium reaches 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rate scales from 182 FPS at Low to 100 FPS at Ultra, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint. The Intel Core i7-12700K's 3DMark 16-thread score of 9276 and single-thread score of 1043 suggest ample headroom for this game's demands.

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

A: This combo ranks 1134 out of 3720 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the top 30.5% of all tested pairings. The CPU sits at the 84th percentile, while the GPU is at the 69th percentile among their respective categories.