Control

The Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers a decisive performance profile in Control, with the data showing a clear shift from CPU-bound behavior at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound scenario at 4K. The measured frame rates indicate that this pairing is exceptionally well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, while 4K Ultra settings remain a demanding target that requires a compromise on visual fidelity to maintain smooth gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals a predictable but steep curve that highlights the GPU as the primary limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At 1080p, the system achieves an average of 136.2 FPS on High settings, which is a strong baseline. Moving to 1440p, the average drops to 105.1 FPS on the same settings, a reduction of 31.1 FPS. This 22.8% decline from 1080p to 1440p is significant but indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER still has ample headroom to deliver a fluid experience at the higher resolution.

The most pronounced impact occurs when scaling from 1440p to 4K. At 3840x2160 on High settings, the average FPS falls to 71.7, a 33.4 FPS decrease from the 1440p result. This 31.8% performance drop is characteristic of a GPU that is becoming saturated by the pixel throughput demand. The data shows a clear pattern: the performance gap between settings narrows as resolution increases, which is a classic indicator of the GPU becoming the bottleneck. At 1080p, the difference between Low (212.3 FPS) and Ultra (120.9 FPS) is a massive 91.4 FPS, suggesting the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to express the full range of graphical settings. By 4K, that same Low-to-Ultra spread compresses to 50.3 FPS (111.0 to 60.7), confirming that the GPU’s rendering workload, not the CPU, is now the dominant constraint.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K’s specifications and benchmark results indicate that it is more than adequate to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4070 SUPER in Control. With 12 cores (based on the Alder Lake architecture) and 20 threads, the processor provides substantial parallel processing capability. Its boost clock of 5.00 GHz, coupled with a single-thread 3DMark score of 1043, suggests strong per-core performance that is critical for game logic and draw call submission. The processor’s 25 MB of shared L3 cache further supports this role by providing fast access to frequently used data.

Benchmark data reinforces this assessment. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29241 and single-core score of 4128 place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance for its generation. In the context of Control, the measured FPS at 1080p on Low settings (212.3 FPS) is a strong indicator of the CPU’s ceiling. Since Low settings reduce the GPU load, this high frame rate demonstrates that the i7-12700K can process the game’s physics and AI routines quickly enough to allow the GPU to run at its maximum potential. Compared to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, the i7-12700K has an average benchmark score that is 0.3% lower, a negligible difference that suggests performance parity in CPU-bound scenarios. The data supports a conclusion that the processor is not the limiting component in this pairing for any of the tested settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the definitive performance driver in this configuration, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth proving sufficient for the demands of Control. The GPU’s 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores, while not directly benchmarked in the game’s FPS data, contribute to its overall capability for handling modern rendering techniques. The card’s boost clock of 2475 MHz and its FP32 performance of 35.48 TFLOPS provide the raw compute power necessary for the game’s particle effects and physics-based destruction.

The GPU’s role is most clearly defined by the 4K performance metrics. At 3840x2160, the average FPS on Ultra settings is 60.7, which is a playable but not ideal result. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor here, as the CPU has been demonstrated to handle 1080p Low at over 200 FPS. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s benchmark percentile of 84% versus all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 29995, confirms its position as a high-end performer. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, has an average score that is 0.2% higher, indicating that the 4070 SUPER is performing at the expected level for its class. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is another key factor; it ensures that the game’s textures and geometry at 4K Ultra settings do not exceed the memory buffer, preventing potential stutters that would otherwise appear if the card were forced to swap data with system memory.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: The data shows an average of 60.7 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is technically playable, but it is the lowest result in the measured set and leaves no headroom for demanding scenes.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate monitors?

A: The benchmark results at 2560x1440 on High settings show an average of 105.1 FPS. This is the optimal balance, as it provides a fluid experience that exceeds the 100 FPS threshold while maintaining high visual quality.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between High and Ultra settings?

A: At 1440p, the difference is 18.6 FPS (105.1 vs. 86.5). At 4K, the difference is 11.0 FPS (71.7 vs. 60.7). The impact of Ultra settings is more pronounced at lower resolutions.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU is the primary driver. The evidence is the 212.3 FPS result on Low settings, which is far higher than any other resolution, indicating the i7-12700K can push frames as fast as the GPU can render them.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Medium settings at 4K?

A: The measured data shows a significant jump. At 3840x2160, Low settings yield 111.0 FPS, while Medium settings drop to 79.9 FPS. This 31.1 FPS gap suggests that even the lowest settings are very demanding on the GPU.

Q: How does this combo’s performance rank against other systems?

A: The combination ranks 257th out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 15.7% of all configurations tested.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its full potential. The Low preset achieves an average of 212.3 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. Medium settings reduce this to 151.4 FPS, a 60.9 FPS drop, while High settings deliver 136.2 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most taxing, resulting in 120.9 FPS. These numbers show a linear progression, with each step up in settings costing a roughly 15-25 FPS penalty.

At 2560x1440, the results remain strong but show the GPU beginning to work harder. Low settings produce 165.2 FPS, a 47.1 FPS decrease from the 1080p result. Medium settings yield 115.1 FPS, and High settings provide 105.1 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers 86.5 FPS. The relative performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across all settings, indicating a balanced scaling of the GPU load.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is fully saturated. The Low preset averages 111.0 FPS, which is still highly playable. Medium settings drop to 79.9 FPS, High settings to 71.7 FPS, and Ultra to 60.7 FPS. The scaling here is steeper, with the difference between Low and Ultra being 50.3 FPS. This final data point underscores that 4K requires either a reduction in settings or acceptance of a 60 FPS target.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data strongly indicates that the High preset is the optimal choice for this configuration. At 1440p, it delivers 105.1 FPS, which is a 21.5% improvement over the Ultra preset’s 86.5 FPS while offering only a marginal visual fidelity reduction. At 4K, the High preset’s 71.7 FPS is significantly more stable than the Ultra preset’s 60.7 FPS, providing a smoother experience that is less likely to dip below the 60 FPS threshold during intense action sequences.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Medium preset is a viable alternative. At 1080p, it achieves 151.4 FPS, which is close to the High preset’s performance but with a noticeable reduction in graphical effects. The Low preset is not recommended for this hardware, as it leaves significant GPU performance on the table; the data shows it is capable of 212.3 FPS at 1080p, but the visual compromise is too severe given the card’s capabilities. The Ultra preset should be reserved for players with G-SYNC or FreeSync displays who prefer maximum image quality over raw frame rate, as the 60.7 FPS average at 4K is the minimum acceptable threshold for playable performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination achieves a rank of 257 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places the system in the top 15.7% of all configurations, a strong result that confirms its high-end status. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU’s 89th percentile standing and the GPU’s 84th percentile standing, with neither component significantly dragging down the overall performance.

This ranking is particularly impressive given the game’s release date in 2019. The combination’s performance is not merely adequate for the game’s demands; it is overwhelmingly sufficient, with the data showing that the system is capable of exceeding 200 FPS at 1080p on Low settings. The position in the top quartile of all tested combos indicates that this hardware pairing is well-matched for Control, offering a level of performance that would satisfy both competitive players seeking high refresh rates and enthusiasts wanting maximum visual fidelity at 1440p. The only area where the combo falls short of the absolute top tier is in 4K Ultra performance, where the 60.7 FPS average, while playable, does not provide the headroom that higher-ranked systems might achieve.