Control

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT paired with the Intel Core i5-12400 delivers a compelling performance profile for Control, a 2019 action-adventure title. Measured data shows this combination handles the game decisively at 1080p and 1440p, with clear limitations emerging at 4K. The benchmark results indicate a system that is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate gaming at mainstream resolutions, but one that requires settings adjustments to maintain smooth gameplay at ultra-high definition.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination produces consistently high frame rates across all presets. The Low preset reaches an average of 160.8 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure for this pairing in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 112.4 FPS, still far above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset yields 103.9 FPS average, while Ultra delivers 92.1 FPS average. The scaling between Low and Ultra at this resolution is a 68.7 FPS difference, indicating that the GPU has substantial headroom even under maximum load.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. The Low preset averages 120.1 FPS, which is a 25.3% reduction compared to the 1080p Low result. Medium produces 85.1 FPS, High reaches 79 FPS, and Ultra settles at 65.6 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the only configuration in this resolution that dips below 70 FPS, but it still clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 5.6 FPS margin. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 54.5 FPS, showing that visual fidelity comes at a measurable cost.

At 3840x2160, the data reveals a sharp performance cliff. The Low preset averages 82.4 FPS, which is the only playable configuration at this resolution. Medium drops to 58.3 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold, while High falls to 50.5 FPS and Ultra bottoms out at 44.8 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 37.6 FPS, and the step from Medium to High costs 7.8 FPS, indicating that each tier of settings has a pronounced effect on the rendering load. The 4K Low result is notable because it exceeds the 1440p Ultra result by 16.8 FPS, demonstrating that resolution scaling has a larger impact on this GPU than preset scaling alone.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows that the GPU is the dominant performance factor at every resolution, but the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions where frame rates are highest. At 1080p, the Intel Core i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, are sufficient to feed the RX 7700 XT at frame rates exceeding 160 FPS on Low settings. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and passmark single-thread score of 3456 indicate strong per-core performance, which is critical for maintaining high minimum frame rates in a game like Control that relies on physics and particle effects.

At 1440p, the GPU begins to take on more of the workload, as evidenced by the smaller FPS gap between Low and Medium presets. The 120.1 FPS Low result at 1440p compared to 160.8 FPS at 1080p shows a 40.7 FPS drop, which is a larger reduction than the 9.3 FPS difference between Medium at 1440p and Medium at 1080p. This suggests that the CPU is still keeping pace at 1440p, but the GPU's rendering capabilities are becoming the primary constraint.

At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes further. The RX 7700 XT's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth become the limiting factors, as the card cannot maintain 60 FPS on any preset above Low. The CPU's 3DMark max-threads score of 5890 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 indicate it has ample headroom for this game's threading model, but the GPU's raw throughput at 4K is insufficient for higher presets. The scaling between 1440p Ultra at 65.6 FPS and 4K Low at 82.4 FPS shows that dropping resolution and preset simultaneously yields a 16.8 FPS gain, which points to the GPU being the primary bottleneck in all scenarios.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearestRivals data for the CPU, the Intel Core i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 is closely matched by several other processors. The AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18697, which is a 0.1% difference, meaning it would behave nearly identically in CPU-bound scenarios. The Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18730, 0.3% higher, but this is a mobile chip with different thermal characteristics. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811, 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519, 0.9% lower. For Control specifically, any of these CPUs would produce similar frame pacing, as the game's CPU demands are modest relative to the GPU load.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT's average benchmark score of 22549 is bracketed by several alternatives. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile scores 22435, 0.5% lower, which would yield nearly identical FPS in most scenarios. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile scores 22729, 0.8% higher, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, 1.5% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 scores 22170, 1.7% lower. The RTX 2080's 1.5% advantage would translate to roughly 1-2 FPS difference at 1080p Ultra and less than 1 FPS at 4K Low, making it a statistically equivalent alternative for this game.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control with clear playability at 1080p and 1440p across all presets. At 1920x1080, every setting from Low to Ultra maintains an average above 90 FPS, with the Ultra preset achieving 92.1 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers 65.6 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a comfortable margin. The data confirms that this combination is fully playable at 1440p with maximum visual settings.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more restrictive. Only the Low preset, with an average of 82.4 FPS, is playable. The Medium preset at 58.3 FPS falls just short of the 60 FPS threshold, making it unsuitable for consistent 60 FPS gameplay. The High preset at 50.5 FPS and Ultra at 44.8 FPS are not viable for smooth play. Users targeting 4K must accept Low settings or consider adjusting resolution scaling, as the GPU cannot handle higher presets at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Control at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings is 65.6 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by 5.6 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming?

A: The Low preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 82.4 FPS, which is the only playable configuration at this resolution. All other presets fall below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to the RTX 2080 in this game?

A: The RTX 2080 has an average benchmark score of 22895, which is 1.5% higher than the RX 7700 XT's 22549. This translates to a negligible FPS difference in Control, likely less than 2 FPS at any resolution.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RX 7700 XT at 1080p?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combination reaches 160.8 FPS, and the CPU's passmark single-thread score of 3456 suggests it can keep up with the GPU's output.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 112.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: Does the game run better at 4K Low or 1440p Ultra?

A: The 4K Low preset averages 82.4 FPS, while 1440p Ultra averages 65.6 FPS. The 4K Low configuration offers higher frame rates but with lower visual quality and resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination ranks 1507 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places it in the 59.5th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly 59% of other configurations. The rank reflects the GPU's 67th percentile standing among all GPUs and the CPU's 72nd percentile among all CPUs. This is a solid mid-to-upper tier result, consistent with the measured FPS data showing strong 1080p and 1440p performance with 4K limitations. The combination's rank is not surprising given that the GPU's passmark G3D score of 22547 and the CPU's passmark multithread score of 18747 both represent capable but not top-tier hardware.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which produces an average of 92.1 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, and it delivers a 32.1 FPS margin above the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 65.6 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold by 5.6 FPS, making it the highest visual quality that remains playable at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Low, which averages 82.4 FPS. This is the only preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset at 58.3 FPS falls 1.7 FPS short of the threshold, so Low is the recommended maximum for 4K playability.