Control

Intel Core i7-12700K paired with Intel Arc B570 delivers a 1080p experience that is firmly playable but struggles to maintain high refresh rates, while 4K performance falls below the 30 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Benchmark results show that this combination ranks in the 20th percentile of all tested combos for Control, indicating that while the hardware is capable, it is not optimized for this specific title at higher resolutions. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at 4K, with CPU headroom becoming more apparent only at lower resolutions and settings.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This CPU sits in the 84th percentile of all processors tested, according to the benchmark database, and its average benchmark score of 35,287 places it in close competition with similar-tier parts. For Control, a title that relies on both single-thread performance for game logic and multi-thread scaling for physics and particle effects, the i7-12700K provides substantial headroom. Its single-thread performance, as measured by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,850.5, ensures that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck at 1080p, even when frame rates approach 100 FPS.

The processor’s multi-threaded capabilities are equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19,784 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 15,790. These figures indicate that the i7-12700K can handle the background tasks and complex simulations that Control throws at it without breaking a sweat. However, the measured FPS data suggests that the CPU’s role in this specific game is secondary. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 101 FPS, but as resolution increases, the frame rate drops dramatically, pointing to the GPU as the limiting factor. The CPU’s performance relative to its nearest rivals—such as the Intel Core i5-13600T with a delta of -0.1% and the Intel Core i7-12700KF with a delta of -0.2%—shows that it is essentially on par with these alternatives, meaning no meaningful CPU-driven variance would be expected between these chips in Control.

What the data does not show is any scenario where the CPU holds back the GPU. At 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 28, the i7-12700K is clearly waiting on the Arc B570 to render each frame. Even at 1440p High, where the combo produces 48 FPS, the CPU’s 20 threads are likely underutilized, as Control’s engine does not scale perfectly to that many threads. The 25 MB of shared L3 cache helps maintain consistent frame pacing, but the core takeaway is that this CPU is overqualified for the GPU it is paired with in this title. It provides a stable foundation, but the measured results are dictated almost entirely by graphics processing.

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

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base and boost clocks are both locked at 2500 MHz, and the card offers 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In the benchmark database, the Arc B570 ranks in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20,556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (delta 0.1%) and the Intel Arc A750 (delta -0.1%), placing it in a competitive mid-range segment. For Control, a game known for its heavy use of real-time ray tracing and complex visual effects, the GPU’s 18 ray tracing cores and 80 ROPs are put to the test.

The data shows that the Arc B570 is the primary bottleneck in this combo across all resolutions. At 1080p Low, the FPS reaches 101, which is respectable, but the drop to 55 FPS at 1080p Ultra indicates that the GPU’s shading units and texture units are overwhelmed by the higher settings. The 10 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the combination of higher resolution and High settings (32 FPS) or Ultra settings (28 FPS) shows signs of memory bandwidth constraints. The 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for the card’s class, but Control’s texture streaming at 4K can be demanding, and the 160-bit bus width limits the effective throughput compared to wider-bus rivals.

The GPU’s synthetic benchmarks reflect its performance profile. A 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,649 and a Passmark G3D score of 14,195 suggest that the card is capable of modern DirectX 12 workloads, which Control utilizes. However, the Passmark DirectX 11 score of 118 and DirectX 12 score of 72 indicate that the card is more efficient in certain API paths than others, which could explain the FPS variability between settings. The GPU’s percentile ranking versus all GPUs (65th) is lower than the CPU’s (84th), confirming that the Arc B570 is the weaker link in this pairing for Control. The card’s performance at 4K, where it fails to maintain 30 FPS on any preset except Low, underscores that it is not designed for high-resolution gaming in demanding titles.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent scaling pattern that identifies the GPU as the dominant constraint. Moving from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by 23.8% at High settings (63 to 48 FPS) and by 24.8% at Low settings (101 to 76 FPS). This reduction is roughly proportional to the increase in pixel count (1080p has approximately 2.07 million pixels, while 1440p has 3.69 million), suggesting that the GPU is working at full capacity and the CPU is not yet a limiting factor. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is even more severe, with High settings dropping from 48 to 32 FPS (a 33.3% decrease) and Low settings from 76 to 51 FPS (a 32.9% decrease). The pixel count jumps from 3.69 million to 8.29 million, a 2.25x increase, but the FPS does not drop by a corresponding 2.25x, indicating that other factors—such as memory bandwidth and fill rate—are also being taxed.

The most telling data point is the Ultra preset, which sees FPS fall from 55 at 1080p to 42 at 1440p and finally to 28 at 4K. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces less than half the FPS of 1080p Ultra, a 49.1% reduction. This is a classic sign of GPU saturation, where the card’s 80 ROPs and 11.52 TFLOPS of compute are insufficient to handle the increased render load. The CPU, with its high single-thread and multi-thread scores, does not exhibit any signs of bottlenecking at these resolutions; if it were CPU-limited, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, which is not the case here. Instead, the data shows that the Arc B570 is the sole arbiter of performance, and its limitations become more pronounced as resolution increases.

The Medium preset provides the only complete FPS data (min, max, and avg) across all resolutions, offering additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 71 with a minimum of 61 and maximum of 82. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 54 with a minimum of 46 and maximum of 62. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 36 with a minimum of 31 and maximum of 42. The spread between minimum and maximum FPS narrows as resolution increases (21 FPS at 1080p, 16 FPS at 1440p, 11 FPS at 4K), which suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is consistently maxed out, leaving less room for variance. This further confirms that the GPU is the limiting component, as a CPU-bound scenario would show wider FPS fluctuations due to variable scene complexity.

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

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i7-12700K + Intel Arc B570 combo delivers its strongest performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 101 FPS, which is the highest score across all resolutions and settings in the measured data. The Medium preset averages 71 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS, providing a smooth experience for most players. The High preset averages 63 FPS, dropping to 55 FPS on the Ultra preset. This indicates that at 1080p, the system can handle high-refresh-rate gaming at Low settings, but players seeking visual fidelity will need to accept frame rates in the 55-63 FPS range, which is still playable but not ideal for competitive play.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are noticeable. The Low preset averages 76 FPS, which remains fluid, but the Medium preset falls to 54 FPS (minimum 46, maximum 62), and the High preset averages 48 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 42 FPS, which is at the edge of playability for many users. The data shows that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo at higher settings; while Low and Medium settings are viable, High and Ultra presets push the frame rate below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the baseline for smooth gameplay. The minimum FPS of 46 on Medium at 1440p suggests that there are moments of stutter, likely during intense combat or particle-heavy scenes.

At 3840x2160, the results are consistently poor, making 4K gaming with this combo an exercise in compromise. The Low preset averages 51 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that approaches playability. The Medium preset averages 36 FPS with a minimum of 31 FPS and a maximum of 42 FPS, while the High preset averages 32 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 28 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS minimum for most players to consider a game playable. The data shows that 4K is only feasible at Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is not stable enough for a consistently smooth experience. For any player with a 4K display, this combo would require significant settings reductions to achieve playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i7-12700K + Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2,307 out of 2,888 tested combos for Control, placing it in the bottom 20.1% of all configurations. This ranking is surprisingly low given the individual components’ percentile scores (CPU at 84th, GPU at 65th), which suggests that the pairing is suboptimal for this specific game. The rank indicates that there are 581 other combos that perform better, and the data implies that either the GPU is underpowered for the CPU’s capabilities or the game’s engine does not favor Intel’s graphics architecture. Compared to the GPU’s nearest rivals, the Arc B570 is statistically tied with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (delta 0.1%) and the Intel Arc A750 (delta -0.1%), but the combo rank suggests that the i7-12700K does not boost the system’s standing as much as a comparable NVIDIA or AMD GPU might.

The combo’s rank of 2,307 must be interpreted in the context of the measured FPS data. At 1080p High, the 63 FPS average is respectable, but it is far from top-tier performance. The rank reflects that many combos with lower-tier CPUs but stronger GPUs (or even mid-range GPUs) achieve higher frame rates in Control. This reflects the game’s GPU-bound nature; the CPU’s high benchmark scores do not translate into proportional FPS gains because the GPU is the limiting factor. The ranking also suggests that the Arc B570’s drivers or architecture may not be fully optimized for Control, as its closest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks (RTX 3070 Mobile, Arc A750) might deliver better in-game results depending on the CPU pairing. Overall, this combo is a mid-to-low tier performer for this title, and the ranking underscores that potential buyers should temper expectations for high-end gaming performance.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance of visual quality and playability for this combo is the Medium preset at 1440p. At this setting, the system averages 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS, which is acceptable for a single-player action-adventure game like Control. The Medium preset at 1080p, which averages 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, is the best overall experience for smoothness, but 1440p Medium offers a significantly sharper image while remaining above the 45 FPS minimum that many players find tolerable. The jump from 1080p to 1440p provides a noticeable resolution improvement, and the 54 FPS average is within the range of what most gamers consider playable, even if it does not hit the 60 FPS gold standard.

For players with a 1080p monitor, the High preset at 63 FPS is a solid recommendation, as it provides better visual fidelity than Medium while staying above 60 FPS on average. However, the Ultra preset at 55 FPS is not worth the performance cost, as the visual difference between High and Ultra in Control is often subtle, and the 8 FPS drop is not justified. At 1440p, the High preset at 48 FPS is a wash; it is playable but close to the edge, and the Medium preset at 54 FPS offers a better frame rate with only a modest reduction in visual quality. The Low preset at 1440p (76 FPS) is only recommended for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, as the visual downgrade is significant.

At 4K, the data strongly advises against this combo for anything other than the Low preset, which averages 51 FPS. The Medium preset at 36 FPS is borderline, but the minimum of 31 FPS indicates frequent dips below smooth thresholds. High (32 FPS) and Ultra (28 FPS) are not recommended, as they fail to maintain 30 FPS. For players with a 4K display, the measured results suggest that this combo is not suitable for a satisfying Control experience, and users should either lower their resolution or consider a more powerful GPU. In summary, the best experience per the measured rows is 1080p High for a balance of quality and speed, or 1440p Medium for a sharper image with acceptable performance.