Control

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 delivers a performance profile in Control that scales predictably with resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the combination is overwhelmingly capable, with average frame rates ranging from 118.6 FPS on Low settings to 66.2 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset yields 86.9 FPS, while High settings produce 74.4 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 89.8 FPS on Low, 65.3 FPS on Medium, 59.8 FPS on High, and 48.2 FPS on Ultra. At 3840x2160, the strain becomes evident: Low settings average 63.1 FPS, Medium averages 42.6 FPS, High averages 38.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32.5 FPS. The measured data does not include min or max frame rate values, so the analysis relies solely on average FPS, which shows a consistent step-down of roughly 20-30% between each resolution tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The frame rate data for this CPU-GPU combo in Control is presented as average FPS only, with no minimum or maximum values recorded. At 1080p, the performance envelope is wide. Low settings produce 118.6 FPS, which is nearly double the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium settings average 86.9 FPS, High settings average 74.4 FPS, and Ultra settings still clear the threshold at 66.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 52.4 FPS, indicating that the preset selection has a substantial impact on headroom.

At 1440p, the averages compress. Low settings deliver 89.8 FPS, Medium drops to 65.3 FPS, High sits at 59.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 48.2 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 41.6 FPS. Notably, the drop from Medium to High at 1440p is only 5.5 FPS, while the drop from High to Ultra is 11.6 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset carries a disproportionately heavy load.

At 4K, the scaling becomes steeper. Low settings average 63.1 FPS, which barely clears the 60 FPS line. Medium averages 42.6 FPS, High averages 38.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 32.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 30.6 FPS, and every preset above Low falls well below the playable threshold. The data shows a clear pattern: the combo is comfortable at 1080p across all presets, marginal at 1440p for Medium and below, and restricted to Low settings at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 ranks 2504 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. That places it in the lower third of all systems tested for this game, which is a meaningful context for its performance. The rank reflects the overall capability of the pairing, not just the GPU or CPU in isolation. Given that the combo clears 60 FPS at 1080p on all presets and at 1440p on Low and Medium, the rank might seem harsh, but it indicates that many other tested systems achieve higher frame rates or handle higher resolutions with more ease.

The CPU itself sits at the 68th percentile among all CPUs tested in the database, with an average benchmark score of 13494. Its nearest rivals in CPU performance are the Intel Core 3 N355 with an average score of 13492 (0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 with a score of 13452 (0.3% higher), the Intel Core 5 120UL with a score of 13594 (0.7% lower), and the Intel Core i7-1250U with a score of 13351 (1.1% higher). These deltas are tiny, meaning the i3-12100F is effectively in a dead heat with those chips for overall CPU workload performance.

The GPU ranks at the 57th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15171. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15199 (0.2% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro 560X at 15082 (0.6% lower), the AMD Radeon 680M at 15270 (0.7% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti at 15063 (0.7% lower). Again, the deltas are within 1%, so the RX 7600 behaves nearly identically to those alternatives in synthetic benchmarks. For Control specifically, the combo rank of 2504 out of 3720 suggests that while the hardware is not top-tier, it is far from the bottom, and the measured FPS confirms it is playable at mainstream resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS across resolutions reveals how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU in Control. At 1080p, the CPU has more influence because the GPU is not saturated. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 52.4 FPS, and the fact that Low settings hit 118.6 FPS indicates the GPU is capable of much higher output if the CPU can feed it. The i3-12100F, with 4 cores and 8 threads, is not a high-core-count part, but its single-thread performance is strong enough to maintain high frame rates at 1080p, as shown by the 118.6 FPS on Low.

At 1440p, the GPU begins to take a more dominant role. The averages drop to a range of 48.2 to 89.8 FPS, and the relative gap between presets narrows compared to 1080p. The CPU is likely still keeping up, but the GPU is working harder to fill the larger pixel count. The data shows that the combo can still exceed 60 FPS at Medium (65.3 FPS) but falls just short at High (59.8 FPS), which points to the GPU being the limiting factor at this resolution.

At 4K, the GPU is almost entirely the bottleneck. The averages range from 32.5 to 63.1 FPS, and only the Low preset clears 60 FPS. The CPU’s role diminishes because the GPU cannot produce enough frames to expose CPU limitations. The scaling from 1440p to 4K on Low settings is particularly telling: 89.8 FPS drops to 63.1 FPS, a 29.7% reduction, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. The conclusion from the data is that the i3-12100F is sufficient to drive the RX 7600 at 1080p, but at 1440p and above, the GPU’s performance ceiling defines the experience.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Control? The answer depends on the resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the verdict is a clear yes. The verdictByResolution data lists all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—as playable, with the best settings being Ultra at an average of 66.2 FPS. This means a user can max out the game at 1080p and still stay above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset offers 74.4 FPS, which provides more headroom for demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is conditional. The playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best playable option at 65.3 FPS. High settings average 59.8 FPS, just under the 60 FPS line, so it is not officially playable by the threshold, though it is close. Ultra at 48.2 FPS is not playable. For a 1440p monitor, the recommendation is to stick with Medium for a stable experience or accept a slight compromise on High.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is restricted. The only playable setting is Low, which averages 63.1 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 42.6, 38.7, and 32.5 FPS respectively. This combo is not suited for 4K gaming in Control beyond the lowest preset. Overall, the system is a solid 1080p performer and a decent 1440p option with settings tuned down, but it is not a 4K machine for this title.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users looking at the CPU side, the Intel Core i3-12100F has nearest rivals that would behave nearly identically in Control. The Intel Core 3 N355 has an average score that is exactly the same (13492 vs 13494, 0% delta), so it would likely produce very similar frame rates. The Intel Core i5-9500 is 0.3% faster in average score, and the Intel Core i7-1250U is 1.1% faster, which are negligible differences for gaming. The Intel Core 5 120UL is 0.7% slower. In practice, swapping the i3-12100F for any of these would not change the measured FPS in any meaningful way, since the GPU is the dominant factor at most resolutions tested.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 7600’s nearest rivals are all within 0.7% of its average benchmark score. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is 0.2% faster, the AMD Radeon 680M is 0.7% faster, and the AMD Radeon Pro 560X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti are 0.6% and 0.7% slower respectively. For Control, a system with an RTX 3050 OEM would deliver essentially the same FPS as the RX 7600, meaning the same verdicts apply: playable at 1080p on all presets, playable at 1440p on Low and Medium, and playable at 4K only on Low. The Radeon 680M, which is an integrated GPU, would also be in this ballpark according to the scores, though its actual gaming performance may vary due to memory bandwidth. The key takeaway is that these alternatives offer a similar performance envelope, so users should not expect a dramatic jump by switching to any of them.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured data lists Ultra as playable at 1920x1080, with an average FPS of 66.2, which clears the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: Medium is the best playable setting at 2560x1440, with an average FPS of 65.3. High settings average 59.8 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware in Control?

A: Only on Low settings. At 3840x2160, Low averages 63.1 FPS and is the sole playable preset. Medium (42.6 FPS), High (38.7 FPS), and Ultra (32.5 FPS) all fall short of 60 FPS.

Q: How does the i3-12100F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. The Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13492 (0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452 (0.3% higher), and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351 (1.1% higher). These differences are minor and would not noticeably affect Control’s frame rates.

Q: Which GPU is closest in performance to the RX 7600?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has an average score of 15199, which is 0.2% higher than the RX 7600’s 15171. The AMD Radeon 680M is 0.7% higher, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti are 0.6% and 0.7% lower. Any of these would produce similar results in Control.

Q: What is the overall ranking of this combo for Control?

A: It ranks 2504 out of 3720 tested combos. This places it in the lower third of tested systems, yet the measured FPS shows it is still capable of 60 FPS at 1080p and 1440p on lower presets.