Control

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 presents a study in contrasts within Control. This combination, ranking 3083rd out of 3720 tested configurations, demonstrates a system where a modern, high-core-count processor is firmly held back by a legacy graphics card. The data reveals a clear bottleneck: the GTX 1070, a 2016-era GPU, dictates performance across all resolutions, while the i7-12700KF operates well within its substantial capacity. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the board show a GPU-limited experience, where lowering graphical settings yields significant gains, but increasing resolution pushes the system to its breaking point. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to explain how each component contributes to the final experience in this action-adventure title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K in Control clearly identifies the GPU as the primary performance limiter. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the system produces an average of 53 FPS. Dropping to 1440p lowers this to 40 FPS, and at 4K, the average falls to 27 FPS. This represents a 49% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, a steep curve typical of a GPU that is saturated at even the lowest resolution tested. The scaling suggests that the GTX 1070 is the component under maximum load, with the CPU having ample headroom to feed it frames.

The data for High settings reinforces this pattern. The average FPS at 1080p is 61, which drops to 46 at 1440p and plummets to 31 at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is a 15 FPS loss, while the jump to 4K costs another 15 FPS. This linear degradation is a classic sign of a fill-rate or memory-bandwidth limitation, both of which are characteristics of the GTX 1070's 256-bit memory bus and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU's pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s is simply overwhelmed by the 4K resolution's 8.3 million pixels, leading to the sub-30 FPS average at Ultra.

Even at the lowest settings, the GPU remains the bottleneck, though the ceiling is higher. At Low settings, the system achieves 97 FPS at 1080p, 73 FPS at 1440p, and 49 FPS at 4K. While these numbers are more playable, the relative drop from 1080p to 4K is still 49.5%. This indicates that even with reduced shading complexity, the sheer pixel output required at 4K exceeds what the GTX 1070 can deliver. The CPU's role here is negligible, as the i7-12700KF's performance is far beyond what is needed to process the game's physics and logic at these frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the decisive factor in this configuration's Control performance. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory is sufficient for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results suggest it may be hitting capacity or bandwidth limits. The GPU's average benchmark score of 9780 places it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a mid-range performer by today's standards. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD FirePro W5000 and NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, have nearly identical average scores, confirming its position in the performance hierarchy.

The clock speeds of 1506 MHz base and 1683 MHz boost are the defining characteristics of this Pascal-generation card. The 1920 shading units operating at these clocks produce a FP32 performance of 6.463 TFLOPS. In Control, this translates to playable frame rates at 1080p, but the card's age shows at higher resolutions. The data shows that the GTX 1070 is a consistent performer, but its limits are clearly defined by the resolution and settings. For instance, the step from Medium to Ultra at 1440p costs 12 FPS (52 to 40), but the step from Low to High at 4K costs 18 FPS (49 to 31), showing that the card struggles more with the combination of high resolution and increased graphical fidelity.

The GTX 1070's DirectX 12 support (12_1) is relevant here, as Control can leverage this API. However, the benchmark results indicate that the card's raw compute power is the limiting factor, not its feature set. The measured FPS at 1080p Medium (69 FPS) shows a capable 1080p card, but the 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS demonstrates that it is not suited for high-resolution gaming in modern titles. The GPU's 47th percentile ranking versus all GPUs underscores that this is a card from a previous era, and its performance is now firmly in the mid-range segment.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 61 FPS.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?*

A: No. At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 31 on High and drops to 27 on Ultra, both below the 30 FPS threshold considered a minimum for playability. Even on Low settings, the average is only 49 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from 1440p to 4K on High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 46 at 2560x1440 to 31 at 3840x2160, a decrease of 15 FPS or about 32.6%.

*Q: What is the best performance this combo can achieve in Control?*

A: The highest average FPS measured is 97 at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system for Control?*

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, indicating the GTX 1070 is at its performance limit, while the i7-12700KF has ample headroom. The GPU's 47th percentile ranking versus all GPUs supports this, as it is a lower-performing component relative to the CPU's 85th percentile ranking.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 44 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested configurations for Control, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 3083rd out of 3720 total combinations. This places it in the lower 17% of all tested systems, a position that reflects the significant imbalance between the components. The CPU is a top-tier performer, ranking in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 47th percentile. This disparity is the primary reason for the low overall combo rank.

The high rank number (3083) indicates that the vast majority of other CPU-GPU pairings tested for this game deliver higher average FPS. This is not due to the CPU's inadequacy, but rather the GPU's age and performance class. The GTX 1070's average benchmark score of 9780 is a fraction of what modern GPUs achieve, and this directly translates to lower FPS in a demanding game like Control. The combo's rank suggests that while the system is functional, it is not competitive with even mid-range modern hardware.

Given the CPU's strength, this combo's ranking is almost entirely determined by the GPU. If the i7-12700KF were paired with a more powerful graphics card, the ranking would be dramatically better. However, as measured, this specific pairing is held back by its graphics solution. The data shows that the system is capable of 1080p gaming, but its rank of 3083/3720 highlights that it is far from the top of the performance charts, and users should expect performance below the median of all tested systems.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a high-end processor that is not a limiting factor in Control. With 12 cores and 20 threads, it offers substantial multi-threaded capability, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28838. Its boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is crucial for game logic and physics. The CPU's average benchmark score of 35365 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700T, has a virtually identical average score with a delta of -0.1%, showing its competitive position.

In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process the game's simulation. Given that the GPU is the bottleneck, the i7-12700KF's performance is underutilized. The FPS does not improve when lowering resolutions, which would be expected if the CPU were the limiting factor. For instance, the FPS at 1080p Low is 97, but this is not a CPU limit; it is the maximum the GTX 1070 can output at those settings. The CPU has more than enough headroom to handle higher frame rates, as its Passmark multithread score of 34092 and single-thread score of 3984 indicate.

The processor's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide a robust platform for gaming. However, in this specific test, the CPU's capabilities are never fully taxed. The measured FPS across all resolutions and settings are entirely within the GPU's performance envelope. The i7-12700KF is a future-proofing component, ensuring that if the GPU were upgraded, the CPU would not become the new bottleneck. Its ranking in the 85th percentile versus all CPUs confirms that it is a top-tier processor, but its contribution to this combo's Control performance is to simply stay out of the way.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data for this combo in Control is as follows:

3840x2160 (4K)

• High: Average 31 FPS
• Low: Average 49 FPS
• Medium: Average 35 FPS (Minimum 30, Maximum 40)
• Ultra: Average 27 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• High: Average 46 FPS
• Low: Average 73 FPS
• Medium: Average 52 FPS (Minimum 44, Maximum 60)
• Ultra: Average 40 FPS

1920x1080 (1080p)

• High: Average 61 FPS
• Low: Average 97 FPS
• Medium: Average 69 FPS (Minimum 58, Maximum 79)
• Ultra: Average 53 FPS

The data shows a clear and consistent hierarchy. At 1080p, the system is playable at all settings, with even Ultra achieving an average of 53 FPS. The Medium setting provides the best balance with an average of 69 FPS and a minimum of 58 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience. Moving to 1440p, the performance drops, but the system remains playable on Medium (52 FPS) and High (46 FPS), though Ultra dips to 40 FPS. At 4K, the system fails to maintain playable frame rates at any setting, with the highest average being 49 FPS on Low and the lowest 27 FPS on Ultra.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution highlights the GPU's workload. At 1080p, the difference between Low (97 FPS) and Ultra (53 FPS) is 44 FPS, a 45% reduction. At 1440p, the difference is 33 FPS (73 to 40), a 45% reduction. At 4K, the difference is 22 FPS (49 to 27), also a 45% reduction. This consistent percentage drop indicates that the GPU's rendering pipeline is uniformly stressed by the increase in graphical complexity. The minimum FPS data points, such as 30 FPS at 4K Medium and 44 FPS at 1440p Medium, confirm that frame pacing can be inconsistent, leading to potential stutters in demanding scenes.