Control

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 delivers a highly playable experience in Control, but only below the 4K ceiling. Benchmark data shows the combo comfortably clears the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p across all tested presets, and at 1440p on Low and Medium settings. At 4K, however, the hardware falls short of 60 FPS at every preset, with the best result being 57.3 FPS on Low. The measured FPS data reveals a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings, offering a clear performance hierarchy for users targeting specific display configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo consistently fails to reach the 60 FPS playable threshold. The strongest result is on Low settings, where the average FPS reaches 57.3. Moving to Medium drops the average to 40.3 FPS, while High yields 32.5 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset produces an average of just 27.7 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is substantial, with a 29.6 FPS difference, indicating that the RX 6600’s 8 GB memory bus and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are the limiting factors at this resolution. No setting at 4K provides a consistent 60 FPS experience, and the data suggests users should avoid this resolution for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the picture improves considerably. Low settings deliver an average of 84.2 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides significant headroom. Medium settings hit exactly 60.2 FPS average, making it the most demanding playable preset at this resolution. High settings fall to 53.5 FPS average, which is below the target, while Ultra drops further to 47.8 FPS. The 36.4 FPS difference between Low and Ultra highlights a steep performance curve, but the key takeaway is that Medium is the ceiling for a locked 60 FPS experience at 1440p.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo performs at its best. Low settings produce an average of 110.2 FPS, offering an exceptionally smooth experience with plenty of overhead for high refresh rate displays. Medium settings average 77.5 FPS, maintaining a comfortable margin above the threshold. High settings reach 68.2 FPS average, still safely above 60 FPS. Ultra settings yield 60.1 FPS average, which is just barely above the target, making it the best visual preset that remains playable. The difference between Low and Ultra is 50.1 FPS, showing that even the most demanding preset at 1080p is achievable, though with minimal headroom.

The data includes only average FPS values; min and max FPS are not reported in the measured results. This means the analysis relies on average performance, which can mask occasional dips below the threshold. For a game like Control with intense action sequences, users at 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium should expect some variance, but the average scores indicate a generally stable experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU each have near-neighbor hardware that would produce comparable results in Control. For the Intel Core i5-12600KF, the benchmark data shows it sits within a very tight performance band of its rivals. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D has an average score of 27896, which is 0.3% higher than the i5-12600KF’s 27799 average, making it a near-identical performer. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U scores 27887, also 0.3% higher. On the lower side, the Intel Core i9-10900K scores 27872, which is 0.3% lower, while the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores 27712, 0.3% lower. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver essentially the same frame rates.

For the AMD Radeon RX 6600, the GPU’s nearest rivals show a similarly tight grouping. The NVIDIA Quadro K6000 scores 19030, which is 0% different from the RX 6600’s 19036 average. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile scores 19049, 0.1% higher, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20m scores 19089, 0.3% higher. The NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation scores 18954, which is 0.4% lower. These differences are so small that in practice, users with any of these GPUs would see virtually identical performance in Control. It is importantly the RTX 4050 Mobile is a laptop part, so desktop users would only see this level of performance from a mobile implementation, but the benchmark scores confirm the RX 6600’s position in the market.

When considering a full system swap, a user moving from this combo to one with a Ryzen 7 5800X3D and RTX 4050 Mobile would see no meaningful change in FPS, as both components are within 0.3% of their counterparts. The data suggests that this combo is well balanced, with neither the CPU nor GPU acting as a significant bottleneck at the tested settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K resolution?*

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 57.3 on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. All other presets fall significantly short, with Medium at 40.3 FPS, High at 32.5 FPS, and Ultra at 27.7 FPS.

Q: What is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Medium settings, which achieve an average of 60.2 FPS. Low settings reach 84.2 FPS, but High drops to 53.5 FPS and Ultra to 47.8 FPS, both below the target.

Q: Is Ultra settings playable at 1080p?

A: Yes, but barely. Ultra settings produce an average of 60.1 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a narrow margin. High settings offer more headroom at 68.2 FPS, while Medium and Low reach 77.5 FPS and 110.2 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799. Its closest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D at 27896 (0.3% higher) and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U at 27887 (0.3% higher). The Intel Core i9-10900K is 0.3% lower at 27872, and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE is 0.3% lower at 27712.

Q: What is the GPU’s standing compared to other graphics cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600 has an average score of 19036, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, scores 19030, which is a 0% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is 0.1% higher, and the NVIDIA Tesla K20m is 0.3% higher.

Q: Which resolution offers the best balance of visual quality and performance?

A: 2560x1440 on Medium settings, which delivers 60.2 FPS. This provides a higher resolution than 1080p while maintaining the 60 FPS target, unlike 4K where no preset achieves playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested hardware combinations in the benchmark database, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 2859th out of 3720 combos for Control. This places it in the lower portion of the ranking, specifically in the 23rd percentile of tested systems. The rank reflects the GPU’s mid-tier positioning, as the RX 6600 sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is stronger, ranking in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. The combination of a high-percentile CPU with a lower-percentile GPU means the system’s overall ranking is dragged down by the graphics card.

In practical terms, this rank indicates that the combo is capable of running Control at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, but it is not competitive with higher-end systems that can handle 4K. The data shows that the combo’s performance is sufficient for mainstream gaming, but users seeking maximum visual fidelity at high resolutions would need to look at more powerful GPUs. The rank also suggests that the CPU has headroom for future GPU upgrades, as it is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

The Verdict

The data indicates that this PC can run Control successfully at 1080p and 1440p, but not at 4K. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS threshold, with average scores of 110.2, 77.5, 68.2, and 60.1 FPS respectively. This makes 1080p the most flexible resolution, allowing users to choose any preset based on their preference for visual quality or higher frame rates. At 2560x1440, the combo is playable on Low and Medium settings, with averages of 84.2 and 60.2 FPS, but High and Ultra fall below the target at 53.5 and 47.8 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset is playable, as even Low settings only reach 57.3 FPS.

The verdict is clear: this system is a solid 1080p performer and a capable 1440p machine when settings are moderated. For users with a 4K display, the hardware will not deliver a smooth experience, and they would need to reduce resolution or upgrade the GPU. The 60 FPS threshold is achievable at 1080p across the board, which is the primary use case for this combo.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, there is no preset that maintains 60 FPS. The best option is Low settings with an average of 57.3 FPS, but this still falls short of the target. Users at this resolution would need to accept lower frame rates or move to a lower resolution.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which delivers an average of 60.2 FPS. This is the optimal choice for users who want a balance of visual quality and smooth performance. Low settings provide 84.2 FPS for those who prefer higher frame rates, but Medium is the highest playable preset.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, achieving an average of 60.1 FPS. This allows users to experience the game’s full visual fidelity while maintaining playable performance. For users who want more headroom, High settings at 68.2 FPS or Medium at 77.5 FPS are viable alternatives, but Ultra is the recommended ceiling.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling in Control reveals distinct roles for the CPU and GPU at different resolutions. At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, but the CPU’s strength is evident in the high frame rates. The jump from Low (110.2 FPS) to Ultra (60.1 FPS) represents a 50.1 FPS drop, which is a 45% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed by the game’s rendering demands, while the CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, has enough headroom to keep up. The i5-12600KF’s 3.70 GHz base clock and 4.90 GHz boost clock, combined with its 20 MB L3 cache, ensure that the CPU does not bottleneck at these frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the GPU becomes more dominant as the resolution increases. The drop from Low (84.2 FPS) to Ultra (47.8 FPS) is 36.4 FPS, or a 43% reduction. This is a slightly smaller percentage drop than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is still the limiting factor, but the CPU’s influence wanes as the frame rate decreases. The CPU’s 79th percentile ranking compared to the GPU’s 63rd percentile confirms that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the bottleneck. The difference between Low (57.3 FPS) and Ultra (27.7 FPS) is 29.6 FPS, or a 52% reduction. The GPU’s 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus are clearly insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering, and the CPU’s performance is largely irrelevant at these low frame rates. The scaling across resolutions shows that the CPU matters most at lower resolutions where frame rates are high, while the GPU dominates at higher resolutions. For users upgrading this system, the data suggests that improving the GPU would yield the greatest benefit for 1440p and 4K gaming, while the CPU is well-suited for 1080p and even 1440p with the right GPU.