Control

Control is an action-adventure title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and the measured performance of the Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions while maintaining exceptional headroom at 1080p. The data indicates a clear hierarchy where the RTX 4080’s immense rasterization power becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises, while the i7-12700K’s 12 cores and 20 threads ensure that frame pacing remains consistent even in the most demanding scenes. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the component roles, and provides actionable settings recommendations based solely on the provided benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Control shows a predictable and steep decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, a pattern that strongly indicates the GPU is the dominant bottleneck in this configuration. At the "High" preset, the average frame rate drops from 156 FPS at 1080p to 118 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 38 FPS, and then further down to 79 FPS at 4K, which is a 77 FPS drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling is not linear; the transition from 1440p to 4K incurs a 39 FPS loss, which is nearly identical to the loss from 1080p to 1440p, suggesting that the RTX 4080’s compute and memory bandwidth are being saturated in a consistent manner as the pixel workload increases.

Looking at the "Low" preset, the scaling pattern becomes even more telling. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 246 FPS, which drops to 186 FPS at 1440p and then to 126 FPS at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K is 120 FPS, which is a 48.8% reduction. This proportionally larger drop at Low settings compared to High settings (where the 1080p to 4K reduction is 77 FPS, or 49.4%) indicates that even when the CPU workload is reduced, the GPU still cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K. The data suggests that at 4K, the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU, as the CPU’s headroom is not the constraining factor.

The "Medium" and "Ultra" presets follow the same trend, with 4K averages of 89 FPS and 69 FPS respectively, compared to 175 FPS and 135 FPS at 1080p. The gap between Medium and Ultra at 4K is 20 FPS, while at 1080p it is 40 FPS, showing that the cost of Ultra settings is relatively more expensive at higher resolutions where the GPU is already strained. Overall, the resolution scaling analysis reveals that this combo is ideal for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and fully playable at 4K, but the frame rate ceiling at 4K is firmly set by the RTX 4080’s capabilities rather than any CPU limitation.

CPU Role

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. In the context of Control, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations, and the benchmark results suggest it performs this task admirably without becoming a bottleneck. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9276 and the max-thread score of 9979 indicate strong multi-threaded throughput, which is relevant for a game that can utilize multiple cores for asynchronous compute and world simulation.

The single-thread performance, as measured by the 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1850.5, is also robust, ensuring that the game’s primary render thread is not starved. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 246 FPS, which is a scenario where CPU overhead is most likely to surface. The fact that the frame rate is still exceptionally high at this setting indicates that the i7-12700K has ample headroom to process game logic without limiting the GPU. The processor’s 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache also contribute to low-latency data access, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i5-13600T (35305) and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-12700KF (35365). These negligible deltas (all under 0.4%) suggest that in CPU-bound scenarios, the performance difference between these processors would be imperceptible, and the i7-12700K is effectively a peer of these parts. In Control, where the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions, the CPU’s relative performance versus these rivals is unlikely to change the measured FPS, as the system is not constrained by the processor in the tested configurations.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the clear workhorse in this combo, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU’s boost clock of 2505 MHz and its 9728 shading units provide massive raw compute power, which is reflected in its Passmark G3D score of 34457 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567. In Control, the GPU’s role is to handle the game’s rendering effects, including its signature physics-based destruction and ray-traced reflections, and the measured FPS indicates it does so effectively.

At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 135 FPS, which is a very high frame rate, but the scaling to 4K Ultra (69 FPS) shows the GPU struggling to maintain that performance under a four-fold increase in pixel count. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for the game’s textures at any setting, and the high memory bandwidth ensures that texture streaming does not cause hitches. The GPU’s Passmark DirectX 12 score of 132 is notably lower than its DirectX 11 score of 314, which is an anomaly in the benchmark data but does not appear to negatively impact the measured Control FPS, as the game runs on a custom engine that may favor certain DX12 paths.

The RTX 4080’s nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, has an average score of 54209, which is 0.1% higher than the 4080’s 54247, indicating that the two are almost identical in synthetic benchmarks. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% higher, but these are not direct competitors in the same performance tier. The data confirms that the RTX 4080 is a high-end GPU that is the primary determinant of FPS in Control, and its performance at 4K (79 FPS High) is respectable but not sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is ranked 241 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 6.5% of all configurations. This high ranking is consistent with the component specifications: the CPU is in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, indicating that both parts are well above average in the database. The combo rank of 241 suggests that there are 240 other combinations that deliver higher average FPS in this game, which would typically involve more powerful GPUs (such as the RTX 4090) or higher-clock CPUs, but the i7-12700K and RTX 4080 pairing is still a formidable setup.

The rank is driven primarily by the GPU’s performance, as the RTX 4080’s 86th percentile ranking is the stronger of the two components. The CPU’s 84th percentile ranking is also high, but in a GPU-bound game like Control at higher resolutions, the GPU has a larger impact on the overall FPS. The data shows that this combo is not at the absolute top of the leaderboard, but it is in the top tier, and for the vast majority of users, the performance would be considered excellent. The fact that the combo’s rank (241) is lower than the GPU’s percentile (86) suggests that some other combos with similar GPUs but more powerful CPUs achieve slightly higher FPS, but the difference is likely marginal in practice.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across the board: the "Low" preset averages 246 FPS, "Medium" averages 175 FPS (with a min of 149 and max of 201), "High" averages 156 FPS, and "Ultra" averages 135 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the system is capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors (144Hz and above) even at the highest settings, and the Low preset can exceed 240 FPS for competitive play.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very strong. The "Low" preset averages 186 FPS, which is still excellent for high-refresh displays, while "Medium" averages 132 FPS (min 113, max 152), "High" averages 118 FPS, and "Ultra" averages 102 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets, with an average reduction of about 40-60 FPS, but the absolute numbers are still well above 100 FPS for all settings except Ultra, which is just above the 100 FPS mark.

At 3840x2160, the performance is more modest but still playable. The "Low" preset averages 126 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K and indicates the game’s scalability. "Medium" averages 89 FPS (min 76, max 103), "High" averages 79 FPS, and "Ultra" averages 69 FPS. The data shows that for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, the "Ultra" preset is sufficient, but for higher refresh rates (120Hz+), users would need to drop to "Medium" or "Low" settings. The min FPS values for "Medium" at 4K (76 FPS) and 1440p (113 FPS) show that the frame pacing is stable, with no severe drops below the average.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the "Ultra" preset is recommended for the best visual quality, as it still achieves an average of 135 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for 120Hz or 144Hz monitors. If a player has a 240Hz display, the "Medium" preset (175 FPS) or "Low" preset (246 FPS) would be necessary to fully utilize the refresh rate, but the visual fidelity trade-off may not be worth it for a single-player action-adventure game.

At 2560x1440, the "High" preset (118 FPS) is the sweet spot for balancing visual quality and performance, as it provides a high frame rate that is smooth on 120Hz displays. The "Ultra" preset (102 FPS) is also viable for 100Hz monitors, but the 16 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not be visually noticeable in fast-paced combat. For players who prioritize frame rate over visuals, the "Medium" preset (132 FPS) offers a significant boost over High, but the jump to "Low" (186 FPS) is excessive for most monitors and would unnecessarily degrade image quality.

At 3840x2160, the "Medium" preset (89 FPS) is the recommended choice for a balanced experience, as it provides a frame rate that is well above 60 FPS and close to 90 FPS, which is smooth on most 4K displays. The "High" preset (79 FPS) is also acceptable for 60Hz monitors, but the "Ultra" preset (69 FPS) is borderline for 60Hz, and any frame rate below 60 FPS would be noticeable to most players. The "Low" preset (126 FPS) is an option for high-refresh 4K monitors (120Hz+), but the visual downgrade is significant, and it is only recommended for competitive play or if the player is extremely sensitive to frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with the Ultra preset?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset is 69 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: No, the data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 246 FPS, indicating the CPU has ample headroom and is not limiting the GPU in Control.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo is ranked 241 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the top 6.5% of all configurations.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is 113 FPS.

Q: Which settings preset provides the best balance at 1440p?

A: The "High" preset at 2560x1440, which averages 118 FPS, offers the best balance between visual quality and performance based on the measured data.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 246 FPS, which is 111 FPS higher than the Ultra preset’s 135 FPS average.