Control

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 pairing delivers a highly capable 1440p and 4K experience in Control, though the data reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution climbs. At 1080p, the CPU does the heavy lifting to push frame rates past 190 FPS on Low settings, but by 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the definitive limiting factor, dropping the average to 54 FPS. This combination ranks 904th out of 3720 tested combos in this title, placing it in the top quarter of all systems.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The chip features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration and connects via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes.

Looking at the benchmark data, this CPU shows strong multi-threaded performance that scales well with load. In Cinebench R23, it scores 28,838 in multi-core and 4,071 in single-core. The 3DMark results show a clear scaling pattern: 2,065 in the 2-thread test, 4,011 in 4-thread, 7,211 in 8-thread, and 9,283 in 16-thread, reaching 9,983 at max threads. This indicates the processor efficiently utilizes its 20 threads, which matters for games that spawn background tasks while maintaining high single-thread responsiveness.

The CPU's performance relative to other processors is notable. It sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35,365. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T (score 35,403, which is 0.1% higher) and the Intel Core i5-13600T (score 35,305, which is 0.2% lower). The i7-12700K is essentially a twin, scoring 35,287, just 0.2% behind. This means the 12700KF delivers performance virtually identical to the newer 13700T in synthetic tests, despite being a generation older.

In Control specifically, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p. The jump from 106 FPS at Ultra to 193 FPS at Low settings at 1080p—an 82% increase—demonstrates that the processor can feed the GPU far more frames when graphical load is reduced. The 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample headroom for the game's physics and AI systems, which are typically single-thread-bound but benefit from the high 5.00 GHz boost clock. The data suggests that at lower resolutions, this CPU is not the limiting factor; it is the GPU that caps performance.

At higher resolutions like 4K, the CPU's role diminishes. The delta between Low and High settings at 4K is 36 FPS (98 vs 62), which is proportionally smaller than at 1080p. This is expected behavior: as pixel count increases, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, and the CPU has spare capacity to handle the extra draw calls without breaking a sweat.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with a die size of 294 mm² containing 35,800 million transistors. It features 5,888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The GPU has 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Its base clock is 1920 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz.

Memory configuration is critical for Control's high-resolution textures. The card comes with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz, which translates to 21 Gbps effective. This bandwidth is sufficient for the game's demands, as evidenced by the measured frame rates. The card draws 200 W TDP and requires a 550 W suggested PSU, using a single 16-pin power connector.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4070 scores 26,927 in Passmark G3D and 14,720 in GPU compute. It ranks at the 81st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37,648. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (score 37,628, 0.1% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (score 37,507, 0.4% higher). The RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38,135, which is 1.3% above, while the Radeon PRO W6400 is 1.3% below at 37,157. This places the desktop RTX 4070 in a tight performance band where a few percentage points separate it from its nearest competitors.

The GPU's role in Control becomes evident in the resolution scaling data. At 1080p Ultra, the card produces 106 FPS, but dropping to Low settings at the same resolution yields 193 FPS. This 87 FPS gap shows the GPU has significant headroom when the CPU is not the bottleneck. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 54 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The 12 GB VRAM appears adequate for Control's textures, as there are no signs of stuttering or memory-related frame drops in the data.

The RTX 4070's boost clock of 2475 MHz is a key factor in its performance. The card maintains high clocks under load, which helps sustain frame rates in demanding scenes with particle effects and physics interactions common in Control's action sequences. The 64 ROPs handle pixel output efficiently, and the 455.4 GTexel/s texture rate ensures texture-heavy environments don't cause dips.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, which directly indicates where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p High, the system averages 122 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, it drops to 92 FPS—a 25% reduction. At 4K High, it falls to 62 FPS, another 33% reduction from 1440p. This progressive decline is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, where each pixel quadrupling (1080p to 4K is 4x the pixels) reduces the frame rate roughly proportionally to the GPU's fill rate limits.

The Low settings data emphasizes this further. At 1080p Low, the system hits 193 FPS. At 1440p Low, it still manages 146 FPS, and at 4K Low, it drops to 98 FPS. The fact that even at Low settings, 4K produces less than half the frames of 1080p (98 vs 193) confirms the GPU is the primary limiter at high resolutions. The CPU, with its strong multi-threaded scores, has no trouble keeping up; the 12-core/20-thread configuration is more than sufficient for Control's engine.

The Medium settings data includes minimum and maximum FPS values, which provide insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the average is 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 and maximum of 157 FPS—a 41 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the average is 104 FPS with min 88 and max 119 FPS, a 31 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the average is 70 FPS with min 59 and max 80 FPS, a 21 FPS spread. Interestingly, the absolute FPS range narrows as resolution increases, suggesting that at higher resolutions, the GPU's consistent workload produces more stable frame times, while at lower resolutions, CPU-side variations cause larger swings.

The Ultra settings show the most dramatic resolution scaling. From 106 FPS at 1080p to 80 FPS at 1440p to 54 FPS at 4K, the system loses roughly 25-30% of its frame rate at each step up. The 4K Ultra result of 54 FPS is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS, indicating that this setting pushes the RTX 4070 to its limits. Users targeting 4K 60 FPS would need to dial back to High settings (62 FPS) or use upscaling technologies, though the data does not include specific upscaler measurements.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo handle Control at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The data shows an average of 54 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. For a smoother experience, High settings at 4K produce 62 FPS, and Medium settings yield 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU pushes the system to 193 FPS on Low settings, but the GPU caps at 106 FPS on Ultra. The i7-12700KF's strong single-thread score of 4,071 in Cinebench R23 indicates it has ample headroom.

Q: How does the i7-12700KF compare to its nearest rival, the i7-13700T?

A: The i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35,365, which is 0.1% lower than the i7-13700T's 35,403. This difference is negligible in real-world gaming performance.

Q: What is the best resolution-to-settings ratio for a consistent 60 FPS experience?

A: At 4K, High settings (62 FPS) or Medium settings (70 FPS) both exceed 60 FPS. At 1440p, all settings from Low (146 FPS) to Ultra (80 FPS) comfortably surpass 60 FPS. At 1080p, even Ultra averages 106 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 4070's 12 GB VRAM cause issues in Control?

A: The measured data shows no VRAM-related stuttering or frame drops. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings (59 FPS at 4K, 88 FPS at 1440p, 116 FPS at 1080p) indicate consistent performance without memory bottlenecks.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Control?

A: It ranks 904th out of 3,720 tested combos, placing it in the top 24% of all systems. This is a strong result for a mid-to-high-range desktop configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a rank of 904 out of 3,720 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 75.7th percentile of all systems tested, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of the configurations in the database.

This ranking is driven by a balanced pairing. The CPU's 85th percentile standing among all processors and the GPU's 81st percentile among all GPUs create a system where neither component severely bottlenecks the other in most scenarios. The CPU's nearest rivals—the i7-13700T and i5-13600T—are within 0.2% of its average score, confirming that the 12700KF remains competitive even against newer parts. The GPU's nearest rivals are similarly close, with the Tesla P4 just 0.1% higher and the RX Vega 56 0.4% higher.

The rank of 904 suggests that while this combo is strong, there are many systems with higher-end GPUs (like the RTX 4080 or 4090) or faster CPUs that push higher. However, for a mainstream desktop build, the 12700KF/RTX 4070 pairing delivers a top-quartile result in Control, which is reflected in its ability to maintain playable frame rates at 4K and excellent performance at 1440p.

The data also shows that the combo's rank is not held back by CPU limitations. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 193 FPS, which is well above what most displays can show. This indicates the CPU can drive even faster GPUs without becoming a bottleneck, meaning the combo's position in the rankings is primarily determined by the RTX 4070's raw rasterization power.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings levels (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). Medium settings are the only tier with complete min/avg/max data.

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 193 FPS average
• Medium: 137 FPS average, 116 FPS minimum, 157 FPS maximum
• High: 122 FPS average
• Ultra: 106 FPS average

At 1080p, the system is clearly GPU-bound. The difference between Low and Ultra is 87 FPS, but even the lowest Ultra result of 106 FPS is well above typical 60 Hz displays. The Medium setting shows a 41 FPS range between minimum and maximum, indicating some frame time variability, though the minimum of 116 FPS is still very smooth.

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 146 FPS average
• Medium: 104 FPS average, 88 FPS minimum, 119 FPS maximum
• High: 92 FPS average
• Ultra: 80 FPS average

1440p is the sweet spot for this combo. Even at Ultra, the 80 FPS average provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium setting's minimum of 88 FPS ensures no noticeable stutter. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 66 FPS drop, with each settings tier costing roughly 12-18 FPS.

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 98 FPS average
• Medium: 70 FPS average, 59 FPS minimum, 80 FPS maximum
• High: 62 FPS average
• Ultra: 54 FPS average

At 4K, the system remains playable but requires settings management. Low settings provide 98 FPS, which is excellent for a 4K experience. Medium stays above 60 FPS with a 70 FPS average, though the 59 FPS minimum dips below the threshold. High settings average 62 FPS, while Ultra drops to 54 FPS. The Medium setting's 21 FPS range (59-80) shows tighter frame pacing than at lower resolutions, which is a positive sign for consistency.

The overall pattern shows that this combo excels at 1440p, delivers strong 1080p performance, and handles 4K with settings tuned to High or Medium for a 60 FPS experience. Users prioritizing maximum visual quality at 4K would need to accept sub-60 FPS averages, while those targeting high refresh rates at 1080p or 1440p will find ample headroom.