Control

The Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT pairing delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, but the data reveals a significant shift in system behavior as resolution climbs to 4K, where the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. With a 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake processor boosting to 5.00 GHz and a 16 GB RDNA 4 graphics card, the system’s measured FPS across presets tells a story of balanced performance at lower resolutions that gradually tilts toward GPU-bound throughput at higher pixel counts. The benchmark results indicate that this combo ranks 937th out of 3,720 tested configurations, placing it in the upper quartile of all tested combos for this title, though the percentile data for the individual components (84th for the CPU, 55th for the GPU) suggests the processor is the stronger relative component in this pairing.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-12700K brings 12 physical cores and 20 threads to the table, running at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boosting to 5.00 GHz under load. The measured FPS data in Control shows that this processor is rarely the bottleneck at 1080p, where the system achieves 193 FPS on Low settings and 122 FPS on High — figures that suggest substantial headroom for the CPU to feed the GPU. The processor’s Alder Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process with a die size of 215 mm², provides 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, which helps maintain consistent frame pacing in this action-adventure title. The benchmark scores reinforce this interpretation: the CPU’s single-thread performance in Cinebench R23 reaches 1,850.5 points, while multi-core scores hit 19,784, and the 3DMark 16-thread test yields 9,276 points — all indicating strong per-core and multi-threaded capability.

The 20 threads are particularly relevant for Control, which is known for its physics-heavy combat and destructible environments. The PassMark physics score of 1,790 and the floating-point math score of 88,035 suggest the CPU can handle complex game logic without dragging frame rates down. However, the data shows that at 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 54, and even at 4K High it only reaches 62 FPS — numbers that are far below what the CPU alone could sustain, indicating the processor is not the primary constraint at these settings. The CPU’s 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35,287, places it just 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-13600T and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12700KF, reinforcing that this is a top-tier processor for gaming workloads. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043 and 2-thread score of 2,065 show that even lightly threaded game code receives responsive execution, which is critical for maintaining minimum frame rates in fast-paced scenes.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Control?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 193, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the absolute ceiling for this pairing in the measured data, and it drops to 146 FPS at 2560x1440 Low and 98 FPS at 3840x2160 Low.

Q: How does Ultra settings performance compare between 1080p and 4K?

A: At 1920x1080 Ultra, the combo averages 106 FPS, which drops to 80 FPS at 2560x1440 Ultra and further to 54 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is 52 FPS lower than the 1080p Ultra figure, representing a 49% reduction in average frame rate.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only measured minimum FPS values are for Medium settings: 116 FPS at 1920x1080, 88 FPS at 2560x1440, and 59 FPS at 3840x2160. The data does not include minimum FPS figures for Low, High, or Ultra presets.

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

A: The combo ranks 937th out of 3,720 tested combos, placing it in the 75th percentile of all tested configurations. This rank reflects the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, not just peak performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to limit performance at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The CPU’s strong multi-threaded scores (19,784 in Cinebench R23 and 9,276 in 3DMark 16-thread) are paired with FPS that drop dramatically from 1080p to 4K, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where pixel throughput becomes the constraint.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 146 FPS average, while Ultra settings yield 80 FPS average — a difference of 66 FPS. This represents a 45% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, with the drop becoming more pronounced at higher settings. At Low settings, the combo delivers 193 FPS at 1080p, 146 FPS at 1440p, and 98 FPS at 4K — a 95 FPS total reduction from the lowest to the highest resolution. This 49% decrease between 1080p and 4K on Low settings suggests that even with minimal graphical load, the GPU begins to struggle at 4K, whereas the CPU maintains sufficient headroom. At High settings, the numbers are 122 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p, and 62 FPS at 4K, showing a similar 60 FPS drop but with a more significant percentage decrease of 49% from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling behavior at Medium settings is particularly telling, as it is the only preset with complete minimum and maximum FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 and maximum of 157. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 103 FPS with a range of 88 to 119. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 and maximum of 80. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (59) is close to the average at 4K High (62), which indicates that the GPU is working near its limits regardless of preset at this resolution. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings — 106 FPS versus 54 FPS — is the largest absolute drop in the entire dataset, confirming that the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical fidelity pushes the Radeon RX 9070 XT to its limits.

The resolution scaling data strongly suggests that the system operates in a CPU-bound regime at 1080p, where the i7-12700K’s 5.00 GHz boost clock and 20 threads can fully feed the GPU, and transitions to a GPU-bound regime at 4K, where the 16 GB frame buffer and 644.6 GB/s memory bandwidth become the determining factors. At 1440p, the system sits in a balanced zone, with the 92 FPS High result indicating neither component is severely bottlenecked. The fact that 4K Low (98 FPS) outperforms 1440p Ultra (80 FPS) by 18 FPS further illustrates how resolution and settings interact: even at the lowest preset, the sheer pixel count of 4K imposes a burden that cannot be offset by the CPU’s capabilities.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of performance across presets, and the optimal choice depends on the target resolution and the user’s tolerance for graphical compromises. At 1920x1080, all settings deliver playable frame rates, with Low at 193 FPS, Medium at 137 FPS, High at 122 FPS, and Ultra at 106 FPS. The 31 FPS gap between Ultra and High at 1080p is relatively modest, making High the recommended preset for users seeking near-maximum visual quality without sacrificing the high refresh rate potential of this resolution. The 116 FPS minimum at Medium settings suggests that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains smooth performance, whereas Ultra’s 106 FPS average leaves less headroom for frame drops, though the data does not provide minimum FPS for Ultra to confirm this.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts toward High settings, which delivers 92 FPS average. This is 12 FPS above Medium’s 103 FPS but 12 FPS below Ultra’s 80 FPS, and the Medium preset’s 88 FPS minimum is still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. High settings at 1440p provides a balanced experience, with the 92 FPS average indicating that the system can handle the increased pixel count without dropping below playable levels. The 80 FPS Ultra result at 1440p is acceptable for most users, but the 12 FPS gain from High to Ultra may not justify the potential for more frequent dips in complex scenes, especially given that the 119 FPS maximum on Medium is the highest frame ceiling at this resolution.

For 3840x2160, the data points to Medium settings as the sweet spot, with a 70 FPS average and a 59 FPS minimum. This is the only 4K preset with a minimum FPS above 60, making it the safest choice for maintaining consistent frame times. High settings at 4K yield 62 FPS average, which is technically playable but leaves little margin for demanding moments, while Ultra drops to 54 FPS average — below the 60 FPS threshold that many users consider the baseline for smooth gameplay. Low settings at 4K produce 98 FPS, but the visual compromise is severe, and the 28 FPS gain over Medium is unlikely to be worth the loss of graphical fidelity in a game known for its atmospheric environments. The 4K Medium result, with its 59 FPS minimum, is the recommended preset at this resolution, as it balances visual quality with performance stability.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo rank of 937 out of 3,720 tested configurations places this pairing in the 75th percentile of all tested combos in Control. This rank is notable because it reflects the combined performance of the i7-12700K and RX 9070 XT across all measured resolutions and settings, not just peak frame rates. The fact that this combo ranks in the top quarter of all tested systems suggests that it delivers consistently strong performance, but the rank also reveals that there are 936 configurations that outperform it, indicating room for improvement through component selection. The individual component percentiles provide additional context: the CPU’s 84th percentile ranking is higher than the GPU’s 55th percentile, which suggests that the processor is overqualified relative to the graphics card in this pairing.

The nearest rivals for the CPU — the Intel Core i5-13600T (0.1% behind), Intel Core i7-12700KF (0.2% behind), and Intel Core i7-13700T (0.3% behind) — are all clustered within a fraction of a percent of the i7-12700K’s average benchmark score of 35,287. This tight grouping indicates that the CPU’s performance is well-established and that minor variations in silicon quality or cooling could shift its position among these rivals. For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (0.1% ahead), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (0.2% ahead), and NVIDIA P106-090 (0.5% ahead), which are dramatically older and lower-performing cards. The fact that the RX 9070 XT’s average benchmark score of 13,543 is so close to these legacy GPUs is surprising, but it reflects the benchmark database’s scoring methodology rather than real-world gaming performance.

The 937th rank out of 3,720 is a strong result, but it is not exceptional. For a CPU that ranks in the 84th percentile and a GPU that ranks in the 55th percentile, the combo’s 75th percentile ranking suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing. The data implies that upgrading the GPU while keeping the same CPU would likely yield a higher combo rank, whereas upgrading the CPU alone would provide diminishing returns. The rank also indicates that this combo is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where its performance is competitive, but it falls behind at 4K, where the GPU’s 55th percentile ranking becomes more significant.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest performance across all presets. The Low preset produces an average of 193 FPS, the highest figure in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 137 FPS average, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. High settings reduce the average to 122 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 106 FPS. The difference between the lowest and highest presets at 1080p is 87 FPS, which demonstrates the significant impact of graphical settings on frame rate at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings average 146 FPS, Medium settings average 103 FPS with a minimum of 88 FPS and maximum of 119 FPS, High settings average 92 FPS, and Ultra settings average 80 FPS. The 66 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is smaller than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is beginning to become a more significant factor. The Medium preset’s 88 FPS minimum is the lowest recorded minimum at 1440p, but it remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops are most pronounced. Low settings average 98 FPS, Medium settings average 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and maximum of 80 FPS, High settings average 62 FPS, and Ultra settings average 54 FPS. The 44 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is the smallest of any resolution, which is notable because it suggests that even at the lowest settings, the 4K resolution imposes a significant burden on the GPU. The Medium preset’s 59 FPS minimum is the only measured minimum below 60 FPS across all resolutions and settings, highlighting the challenge of maintaining consistent frame rates at 4K. The data shows that the system’s performance ceiling at 4K is 98 FPS on Low, which is 95 FPS below the 1080p Low result of 193 FPS.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a Navi 48 chip manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 644.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is critical for high-resolution textures and complex shaders in Control. The 16 GB frame buffer is more than sufficient for this 2019 title, even at 4K Ultra, where the game’s texture streaming and particle effects could theoretically benefit from the available VRAM. The GPU’s boost clock of 2970 MHz and game clock of 2400 MHz enable the 48.66 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which drives the measured FPS figures across all resolutions.

The GPU’s 55th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13,543, is notably lower than the CPU’s 84th percentile ranking. This disparity is reflected in the measured FPS data, particularly at 4K, where the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 7,260 and PassMark G3D score of 26,795 indicate solid performance, but the GPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database — the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 — are vastly older cards, which is unusual for a modern GPU. This suggests that the benchmark database’s scoring methodology may not fully capture the RX 9070 XT’s real-world gaming capabilities, or that the GPU’s performance is more variable across different workloads.

The GPU’s 64 ray tracing cores and 4,096 shading units are relevant for Control, which features ray-traced reflections and indirect lighting. The measured FPS at 4K High (62 FPS) and Ultra (54 FPS) suggests that the GPU’s ray tracing capabilities are sufficient for this title, though the 70 FPS Medium result indicates that turning off some ray tracing effects helps maintain smoother performance. The GPU’s 128 ROPs and 380.2 GPixel/s pixel rate are directly responsible for the fill-rate demands at 4K, and the data shows that the GPU can sustain 54 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable. The 16 GB VRAM capacity ensures that the game’s assets are fully resident in memory, avoiding texture pop-in that could cause frame drops, but the GPU’s overall performance ceiling is evident in the 4K results, where even Low settings (98 FPS) cannot match the 1080p High result (122 FPS).