Control

# Control Performance Analysis: Intel Core i7-12700KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers exceptional performance in Control, with measured frame rates ranging from 78 FPS at 4K Ultra to 266 FPS at 1080p Low. This pairing ranks 90th out of 3,720 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top 2.4% of all configurations. The data indicates a system capable of high-refresh-rate gameplay at 1440p and solid 4K performance, with the RTX 5090's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and the i7-12700KF's 12 cores providing a balanced foundation across all settings presets.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data across four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at three resolutions reveals a clear hierarchy in performance scaling. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Ultra costs 113 FPS (from 266 to 153), while at 4K, the same preset change costs only 64 FPS (from 142 to 78). This differential suggests that higher resolutions are more GPU-bound, making the Ultra preset more palatable at 4K.

For the best experience per the measured rows, Medium settings at 1440p stands out as the optimal balance. This preset delivers 150 FPS average with a minimum of 127 FPS and a maximum of 172 FPS, providing smooth gameplay that exceeds typical 144 Hz display refresh rates. The 4K Medium preset offers 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS, which remains playable but shows more variance. At 1080p, High settings at 176 FPS represent a strong middle ground, though the 198 FPS Medium preset with its 168 FPS minimum provides more headroom for demanding scenes.

The Ultra preset, while visually superior, shows the steepest performance drop relative to other presets. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 78 FPS, which is 12 FPS below the 90 FPS High preset. The data suggests that High settings at 4K provide a better balance of visual fidelity and performance than Ultra, given the 12 FPS penalty for the highest preset. For players targeting 4K, High settings at 90 FPS is the recommended configuration. At 1440p, the 116 FPS Ultra preset may appeal to those prioritizing visual quality, but Medium at 150 FPS offers a 29% improvement in frame rate with a minimal visual compromise.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 brings substantial hardware resources to Control, with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 21,760 shading units and 176 ROPs provide the raw processing power needed for the game's particle effects and physics interactions. The boost clock of 2407 MHz, paired with a base clock of 2017 MHz, allows the GPU to scale performance dynamically based on workload demands.

The RTX 5090's memory configuration is particularly relevant for Control at high resolutions. The 32 GB capacity exceeds the requirements of even 4K Ultra settings, eliminating any potential VRAM bottlenecks. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and asset loading do not become limiting factors, even during intense combat sequences with multiple debris objects. The GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power provides ample headroom for the game's physics simulations.

Benchmark results show the GPU scoring 39,650 in Passmark G3D and 18,355 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs. The nearest rivals in aggregate scoring include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% delta) and AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% delta), though these comparisons reflect general compute workloads rather than gaming-specific performance. In Control specifically, the measured frame rates demonstrate the GPU's capability to maintain high averages even at 4K, with the 90 FPS High preset showing the card's efficiency at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF provides 12 cores and 20 threads based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. The CPU's base clock of 3.60 GHz can boost to 5.00 GHz, offering substantial single-thread performance for game logic and physics calculations. The 25 MB of shared L3 cache, complemented by 1.25 MB of L2 per core, ensures that frequently accessed data remains close to the processing cores.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i7-12700KF demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,838 and a single-core score of 4,071. The Geekbench multi-core score of 14,367 and Passmark multi-thread score of 34,092 further confirm the CPU's ability to handle demanding workloads. The 3DMark results show scaling from 1,043 in single-thread to 9,983 in max-threads, indicating efficient utilization of all 20 threads.

For Control, the CPU's role becomes more prominent at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully saturated. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 266 FPS, which requires the CPU to feed frames at a rate that tests its single-thread performance. The 5.00 GHz boost clock helps maintain high minimum frame rates, though the measured data at 1080p Medium shows a minimum of 168 FPS, suggesting the CPU handles the game's scripting and AI without becoming a bottleneck. The CPU's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier provide overclocking potential for users seeking additional performance, though the measured results indicate the stock configuration is sufficient for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 90th out of 3,720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 2.4% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the synergy between the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's massive compute resources. The 85th percentile ranking of the CPU among all processors and 92nd percentile of the GPU among all GPUs suggests that this combo outperforms many pairings that might have higher individual component rankings.

The combo's rank indicates that while there are 89 configurations that achieve higher frame rates in Control, these are likely to include newer or more specialized hardware. The delta between this combo and the top performers is not measurable from the provided data, but the 90th position out of 3,720 represents a configuration that delivers near-flagship performance. The CPU's nearest rivals in aggregate scoring include the Intel Core i7-13700T (-0.1% delta) and Intel Core i5-13600T (0.2% delta), while the GPU's nearest rivals show larger deltas, with the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X at -1.4% and AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 1.1%.

The ranking position suggests that Control's engine scales well with both CPU and GPU resources, and this combo provides balanced performance across all settings. The fact that the combo ranks higher than the individual component percentiles might indicate that the specific interaction between this CPU and GPU is favorable for this game's workload characteristics.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how performance scales from 1080p to 4K across all settings presets. At Low settings, performance drops from 266 FPS at 1080p to 211 FPS at 1440p (a 20.7% reduction), then to 142 FPS at 4K (a 32.7% reduction from 1440p). Medium settings show a similar trend: 198 FPS at 1080p, 150 FPS at 1440p (24.2% reduction), and 101 FPS at 4K (32.7% reduction from 1440p).

High settings follow the same pattern with 176 FPS at 1080p, 133 FPS at 1440p (24.4% reduction), and 90 FPS at 4K (32.3% reduction from 1440p). Ultra settings show the most consistent scaling: 153 FPS at 1080p, 116 FPS at 1440p (24.2% reduction), and 78 FPS at 4K (32.8% reduction from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage reductions across all presets indicates that the scaling behavior is resolution-dominated rather than settings-dominated.

The consistent 20-24% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and 32-33% reduction from 1440p to 4K suggests that the limiting component remains the same across resolutions. The GPU's 32 GB memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth provide sufficient headroom, while the CPU's 5.00 GHz boost clock maintains frame delivery at lower resolutions. The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical across all presets points to a balanced system where neither component becomes a disproportionate bottleneck at any resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p Medium at 150 FPS provides the best balance of performance and visual quality. The 127 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay, while the 4K High preset at 90 FPS is viable for those prioritizing resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's memory configuration affect Control performance?

A: The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth eliminates any VRAM bottlenecks at 4K Ultra settings. The GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 compute power handles the game's physics and particle effects without performance degradation.

Q: Does the i7-12700KF bottleneck the RTX 5090 in this game?

A: The data shows consistent resolution scaling across all presets, with 20-24% reductions from 1080p to 1440p and 32-33% reductions to 4K. This consistency indicates the CPU's 5.00 GHz boost clock and 12 cores maintain adequate frame delivery, with no disproportionate bottleneck at any resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p Low and 4K Ultra?

A: The system achieves 266 FPS at 1080p Low and 78 FPS at 4K Ultra, a 188 FPS difference representing a 70.7% reduction. This large gap reflects the combined impact of resolution scaling and preset quality on GPU load.

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

A: This combo ranks 90th out of 3,720 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the top 2.4%. The CPU ranks at the 85th percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs.

Q: Is the 4K Medium preset playable with this hardware?

A: The measured data shows 101 FPS average with a minimum of 86 FPS and maximum of 116 FPS at 4K Medium. This provides a smooth experience on 60 Hz displays and remains playable on higher refresh rate monitors, though the 86 FPS minimum shows some frame-time variance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 266 FPS average
• Medium: 198 FPS average, 168 FPS minimum, 228 FPS maximum
• High: 176 FPS average
• Ultra: 153 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 211 FPS average
• Medium: 150 FPS average, 127 FPS minimum, 172 FPS maximum
• High: 133 FPS average
• Ultra: 116 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 142 FPS average
• Medium: 101 FPS average, 86 FPS minimum, 116 FPS maximum
• High: 90 FPS average
• Ultra: 78 FPS average

The complete dataset shows that minimum and maximum frame rates are only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the 168 FPS minimum and 228 FPS maximum indicate a 60 FPS range, suggesting some scene-to-scene variance. At 1440p Medium, the range is 45 FPS (127 to 172), and at 4K Medium, the range is 30 FPS (86 to 116). This narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes more consistently loaded as resolution increases, reducing frame-time spikes that might occur at lower resolutions where CPU-bound scenarios can cause more variable performance.