Control

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, but the data reveals a sharp drop-off at 4K where only the Low preset maintains a playable frame rate. The measured FPS shows a processor that keeps up with the GPU at lower resolutions, while the graphics card becomes the clear bottleneck as resolution climbs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers a wide spread of performance across the four presets. The Low preset hits an average of 161.1 FPS, which is the highest recorded for this configuration. Medium drops to 116.3 FPS, High comes in at 99.4 FPS, and Ultra settles at 88.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 72.5 FPS, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution even with maximum settings. None of the presets dip below the 60 FPS threshold, so the entire range is playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages compress noticeably. Low produces 121.8 FPS, Medium 84.9 FPS, High 79.1 FPS, and Ultra 66.3 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 55.5 FPS, showing a tighter spread than at 1080p. Ultra remains above the 60 FPS line, but the margin is slim at just 6.3 FPS. This suggests that 1440p Ultra is playable but leaves little room for demanding scenes or background tasks.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. Low yields 81.9 FPS, which is still comfortable. Medium falls to 59.1 FPS, just under the 60 FPS threshold. High drops to 53.3 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 44.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 37.8 FPS, a smaller absolute range than at lower resolutions, but the entire upper half of the preset ladder is now unplayable. The data shows that 4K requires significant settings sacrifices to maintain smooth gameplay.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's benchmark scores place it near a cluster of comparable processors. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 19047, which is effectively identical to the i5-12400F's 19039 average, a delta of 0%. The Intel Core 3 201E trails by 0.1% with 19056, while the Intel Core i5-1335U is 0.3% ahead at 18982. The AMD EPYC 7773X also sits 0.3% ahead with 18979. This indicates that the i5-12400F's compute performance is closely matched by these alternatives, though the EPYC is a server part and not a direct consumer comparison.

On the GPU side, the RX 7700 XT's nearest rivals are all NVIDIA cards or an older AMD flagship. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile scores 22435, which is 0.5% behind the RX 7700 XT's 22547. The RTX 4060 Mobile is 0.8% ahead at 22729. The RTX 2080 leads by 1.5% with 22895, while the AMD Radeon RX 5700 trails by 1.7% at 22170. For a desktop user, the RTX 2080 is the most relevant comparison, as it is a previous-generation desktop card with similar rasterization performance. The mobile parts are less useful for direct system building but show that the RX 7700 XT occupies a performance tier near upper-midrange hardware.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 88.6 FPS. This means the full visual experience is available without compromise. At 2560x1440, Ultra also clears the threshold, averaging 66.3 FPS. This is the highest preset that remains playable, though the margin is tighter than at 1080p. For 3840x2160, only Low achieves the 60 FPS target, averaging 81.9 FPS. Medium falls short at 59.1 FPS, so it cannot be recommended for a consistent 60 FPS experience. The data shows a clear pattern: 1080p and 1440p allow max settings, while 4K demands the lowest preset.

The Verdict

Benchmark results indicate that this PC can run Control at all three tested resolutions, but with important caveats. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable, with Ultra averaging 88.6 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same is true: every preset clears 60 FPS, and Ultra averages 66.3 FPS. The verdict at these resolutions is a straightforward pass.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more restrictive. The verdict shows only Low is playable, with an average of 81.9 FPS. Medium at 59.1 FPS, High at 53.3 FPS, and Ultra at 44.1 FPS all fail to reach the 60 FPS threshold. For 4K users, the recommendation is to stick with Low settings or consider lowering the resolution. The system is not a 4K-capable machine for this game beyond minimal settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU is likely the limiting factor at low settings, where the GPU has so much headroom that the processor's single-thread performance becomes relevant. The i5-12400F's single-thread score of 909 in 3dmark and 1680 in Cinebench R23 suggests it can handle high frame rates, but the 161.1 FPS Low result at 1080p may be constrained by the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU. The GPU's percentile rank of 67 versus the CPU's 73 indicates the CPU is relatively stronger in the overall benchmark distribution.

At 2560x1440, the GPU starts to take on a larger role. The drop from 121.8 FPS at Low to 66.3 FPS at Ultra shows a 45.6% reduction in performance as settings increase, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU still has enough headroom to avoid bottlenecking, as evidenced by the strong scaling between presets. At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the dominant factor. The gap between Low at 81.9 FPS and Ultra at 44.1 FPS is a 46.2% difference, and the absolute frame rates are low enough that the CPU's role is minimal. The RX 7700 XT’s 12 GB of memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this game, but the raw compute of 35.17 TFLOPS is not enough for 4K Ultra.

The scaling between resolutions is also informative. At Low settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by 24.4% (161.1 to 121.8 FPS), and from 1440p to 4K by 32.8% (121.8 to 81.9 FPS). At Ultra, the drops are 25.2% (88.6 to 66.3 FPS) and 33.5% (66.3 to 44.1 FPS). This consistent scaling pattern suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and fill rate are the primary constraints at higher resolutions, with the CPU contributing less as pixel count increases.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 1080p with maximum settings?*

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 88.6, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Ultra is playable at 2560x1440 with an average of 66.3 FPS. This provides the highest visual quality while staying above 60 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this combo?

A: Only with Low settings. The average at 3840x2160 Low is 81.9 FPS. Medium falls to 59.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to its closest rival?

A: The RX 7700 XT scores 22547 in average benchmarks, which is 0.5% ahead of the RTX 5060 Mobile (22435) and 1.5% behind the RTX 2080 (22895).

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data suggests the CPU is more relevant at 1080p Low, where the GPU has excess headroom. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The average FPS drops from 161.1 at Low to 88.6 at Ultra, a difference of 72.5 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Control, this pairing ranks 1500 out of 3720 combos. This places it in the 40th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 60% of configurations perform better. The rank reflects the balance between the i5-12400F and RX 7700 XT, which together deliver strong 1080p and 1440p performance but fall short at 4K. The CPU's percentile of 73 suggests it is a relatively strong processor, while the GPU's percentile of 67 indicates it is slightly below the CPU in relative standing among all tested components. This combination is best suited for high-refresh 1080p or solid 1440p gaming, rather than 4K enthusiasts.