Control

# Control with Intel Core i7-12700KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER

This combination of an Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers solid 1080p performance in Control, with playable frame rates extending into 1440p, though 4K requires significant settings compromises. The measured data shows this pairing ranks 2152nd out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database—a result that reflects the GPU's position as the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 82 FPS at 1920x1080 to 62 FPS at 2560x1440—a 24.4% reduction—and then to 42 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 48.8% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is typical for a mid-range GPU like the RTX 2070 SUPER struggling with pixel throughput demands.

The gap widens further at Ultra settings. The RTX 2070 SUPER manages 71 FPS at 1080p Ultra, drops to 54 FPS at 1440p Ultra, and falls to 36 FPS at 4K Ultra. That 4K Ultra result is below the 40 FPS minimum threshold that many players consider acceptable for smooth gameplay, indicating the GPU simply cannot sustain high-fidelity rendering at that resolution.

Low settings tell a different story. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 130 FPS average, which drops to 98 FPS at 1440p Low and 66 FPS at 4K Low. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a 24.6% reduction, while 4K Low sits 49.2% below the 1080p figure. Even at the lowest settings, 4K remains a challenge, though 66 FPS is at least playable.

The Medium settings data includes minimum and maximum frame rates, providing insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the average is 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 FPS and maximum of 106 FPS—a tight range suggesting consistent performance. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 70 FPS with a 59 FPS minimum and 80 FPS maximum. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 47 FPS with a 40 FPS minimum and 54 FPS maximum, showing that even the lower bound approaches uncomfortable territory.

What the resolution scaling indicates is that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the bottleneck across all resolutions above 1080p Low. The CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by the relatively modest FPS drops when moving from Low to Medium settings at any given resolution. The 1080p Low to Medium transition costs only 29.2% performance (130 to 92 FPS), while 1440p Low to Medium costs 28.6% (98 to 70 FPS), and 4K Low to Medium costs 28.8% (66 to 47 FPS)—consistent GPU-limited scaling rather than CPU stalls.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF brings substantial processing power to this pairing, with 12 cores and 20 threads operating at a 3.60 GHz base clock and 5.00 GHz boost clock. This Alder Lake-S architecture chip, built on Intel's 10 nm process, delivers strong single-threaded performance that matters for Control's gameplay logic and physics calculations. The single-thread benchmark scores—1,043 in 3DMark single-thread, 410 in Cinebench R15 single-core, 1,709 in Cinebench R20 single-core, and 4,071 in Cinebench R23 single-core—indicate robust per-core capabilities.

Multi-threaded performance is equally impressive, with the CPU scoring 9,283 in 3DMark 16-thread, 9,983 in 3DMark max-threads, and 28,838 in Cinebench R23 multicore. These results place the i7-12700KF at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35,365. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T (average score 35,403, just 0.1% ahead), Intel Core i5-13600T (35,305, 0.2% behind), and Intel Core i7-12700K (35,287, 0.2% behind). The i7-12700KF essentially matches its direct successor counterparts in synthetic benchmarks.

For Control specifically, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows no signs of CPU bottlenecks even at 1080p Low where the frame rate reaches 130 FPS. The L3 cache of 25 MB (shared) provides ample capacity for game data, and the DDR4/DDR5 memory support with dual-channel configuration ensures adequate bandwidth. The 125 W TDP is reasonable for a desktop processor of this class.

The 3DMark thread scaling results are telling: the CPU scores 2,065 in 2-thread tests, 4,011 in 4-thread, 7,211 in 8-thread, and 9,283 in 16-thread. This near-linear scaling up to 16 threads suggests Control can leverage multiple cores if needed, but the game's engine appears optimized for fewer threads given the consistent frame rates across settings. The PassMark multithread score of 34,092 and physics score of 1,780 further confirm the CPU's capacity to handle complex simulations without becoming the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the decisive component in this pairing. Built on the Turing architecture with a TU104 chip using TSMC's 12 nm process, this GPU features 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for 1080p and 1440p but becomes strained at 4K.

Clock speeds are modest for the era: 1,605 MHz base and 1,770 MHz boost. The memory runs at 1,750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). These clocks translate to 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, 113.3 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 283.2 GTexel/s texture rate. The 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores enable ray tracing and DLSS features, though Control's measured data here does not include RT-specific benchmarks.

The GPU's benchmark results place it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 20,282. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20,480, 1% ahead), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20,534, 1.2% ahead), Intel Arc B570 (20,556, 1.3% ahead), and Intel Arc A750 (20,582, 1.5% ahead). This tight grouping indicates the RTX 2070 SUPER sits at a performance tier where small gains separate competitors.

In Control, the GPU's VRAM capacity becomes a factor at higher resolutions. The 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at all settings, but 4K Ultra textures may approach this limit. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (36 FPS average) versus 4K High (42 FPS) and 4K Medium (47 FPS) shows a consistent degradation as settings increase, consistent with both compute and memory bandwidth limitations.

The GPU's PassMark scores—18,169 in G3D and 7,557 in compute—reflect its mid-range positioning. DirectX 12 performance is notably weaker relative to older APIs, with a score of 67 in PassMark DX12 versus 151 in DX11 and 223 in DX9. Control uses DX12, and this relative weakness may partially explain the demanding performance at high settings. The 215 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for this class, requiring a 550 W suggested PSU.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Low settings, the average frame rate is 66 FPS, which is playable. At 4K Medium, it drops to 47 FPS (40 FPS minimum), and at 4K Ultra it falls to 36 FPS. For a smooth 4K experience, Low settings are recommended, while Medium is borderline acceptable.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination?

A: Based on the data, 1440p offers the best balance. At 1440p High, the combo delivers 62 FPS average, while 1440p Medium achieves 70 FPS (59 FPS minimum). For higher frame rates, 1080p High provides 82 FPS, and 1080p Medium reaches 92 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35,365, placing it 0.1% behind the Intel Core i7-13700T (35,403) and 0.2% ahead of both the Intel Core i5-13600T (35,305) and Intel Core i7-12700K (35,287). These are essentially identical performance levels.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER averages 20,282 in benchmarks, sitting 1% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20,480), 1.2% behind the RTX 3070 Mobile (20,534), 1.3% behind the Intel Arc B570 (20,556), and 1.5% behind the Intel Arc A750 (20,582). All five GPUs perform within a 1.5% band.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with different settings?

A: At 1080p, the combo delivers 130 FPS on Low, 92 FPS on Medium (78 FPS minimum, 106 FPS maximum), 82 FPS on High, and 71 FPS on Ultra. All settings are playable at 1080p, with Ultra still maintaining above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The CPU's single-thread and multi-thread scores are strong (85th percentile among CPUs), and frame rates scale consistently with resolution and graphics settings. The GPU sits at the 65th percentile, and the FPS drops at 4K indicate pixel and memory bandwidth limitations rather than CPU constraints.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing ranks 2152nd out of 3720 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the lower 42% of all tested systems. This ranking reflects the RTX 2070 SUPER's mid-range position rather than any CPU deficiency—the i7-12700KF is a high-end processor from its generation, while the GPU is now several generations old.

The ranking position makes sense when considering the GPU's percentile standing (65th among all GPUs) and the fact that Control is a demanding title at higher resolutions. Many newer GPU options would place significantly higher, but this combo's 1080p performance remains competitive with what many players consider playable.

The gap between this combo's rank and the top performers is substantial, but the data shows consistent, predictable performance. For a system targeting 1080p high-refresh or 1440p 60 FPS gaming, this pairing occupies a reasonable position. At 4K, however, it falls behind most modern combinations, with the 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS being below the 40 FPS floor that appears in the Medium setting minimums.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the measured average frame rates are 66 FPS on Low, 47 FPS on Medium (40 FPS minimum, 54 FPS maximum), 42 FPS on High, and 36 FPS on Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 45.5% performance reduction, with each settings tier costing approximately 10-15% performance.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the results improve substantially: 98 FPS on Low, 70 FPS on Medium (59 FPS minimum, 80 FPS maximum), 62 FPS on High, and 54 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p Ultra result matches what many players target for a smooth experience, though it sits right at the edge.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo performs best: 130 FPS on Low, 92 FPS on Medium (78 FPS minimum, 106 FPS maximum), 82 FPS on High, and 71 FPS on Ultra. All settings at 1080p exceed 60 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for this hardware pairing.

The Medium settings data provides the only complete min/max range across all resolutions: 78-106 FPS at 1080p, 59-80 FPS at 1440p, and 40-54 FPS at 4K. These ranges indicate that frame pacing remains stable, with no severe stutters or drops below playable thresholds at 1080p and 1440p. The 4K Medium minimum of 40 FPS is the lowest recorded value, confirming that 4K gaming requires Low settings for consistent performance above 60 FPS.