Control

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a highly playable experience in Control, though performance varies significantly across resolutions. The data shows this combination ranks 2152 out of 3720 tested combos for this title, placing it in the upper-middle tier of systems. At 1080p, the setup handles every preset above the 60 FPS threshold, while 1440p remains smooth at most settings. The 4K Ultra preset is the only configuration that falls clearly below playable standards, with the system struggling to maintain fluid frame rates at that extreme resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080: The RX 9060 demonstrates its strength at 1080p, starting with an average of 130 FPS on Low settings. Medium settings still produce a commanding 92 FPS average, with minimums of 78 FPS and maximums of 106 FPS, ensuring consistent frame pacing. High settings deliver 82 FPS on average, while the most demanding Ultra preset maintains a respectable 71 FPS average, keeping every configuration comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

2560x1440: Moving to 1440p introduces a noticeable performance step-down. Low settings yield 98 FPS average, which is still exceptionally smooth. Medium settings produce 70 FPS average, with minimums of 59 FPS and maximums of 80 FPS, placing the low-end moments just barely under the 60 FPS line. High settings drop to 62 FPS average, which clears the playable threshold but leaves little headroom. Ultra settings fall to 54 FPS average, marking the first preset in this resolution that fails to hit 60 FPS consistently.

3840x2160: At 4K, the pairing shows its limits. Low settings are the only playable option, delivering 66 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 47 FPS average, with minimums of 40 FPS and maximums of 54 FPS, showing a significant performance cliff. High settings manage only 42 FPS average, while Ultra plummets to 36 FPS average, making both presets unsuitable for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU each have nearby competitors that would produce similar frame rates in Control. The Intel Core i5-12600KF sits within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which averages a benchmark score of 27896 compared to the i5's 27799. The Intel Core i9-10900K is essentially identical, with a delta of -0.3% and an average score of 27872. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800U and AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE also fall within the same performance envelope, with deltas of -0.3% and 0.3% respectively, meaning any of these CPUs would yield nearly indistinguishable results in this game.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 9060's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which sits just 0.7% behind with an average score of 16129 versus the RX 9060's 16014. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is 1% ahead at 15852, while the AMD Radeon R9 370X and AMD Radeon Pro W5500 are 1% and 2.1% ahead respectively. In practical terms, swapping the RX 9060 for any of these cards would result in frame rate differences of only a few FPS across the measured settings, meaning the overall playability verdict would remain unchanged at each resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 71 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by a comfortable margin.

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

A: High settings at 2560x1440 deliver an average of 62 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. Ultra settings fall short at 54 FPS average.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: Only on Low settings, which produce 66 FPS average at 3840x2160. Medium settings drop to 47 FPS, High to 42 FPS, and Ultra to 36 FPS, all of which fail the playable threshold.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti for this game?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti is 0.7% behind the RX 9060 in average benchmark score, translating to negligible real-world frame rate differences in Control. Both cards would deliver essentially identical performance.

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

A: The data indicates the CPU is not a limiting factor. The i5-12600KF's nearest rival, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, is within 0.3% in average score, and the FPS scaling between resolutions follows a GPU-bound pattern rather than showing CPU limitations.

Q: What minimum FPS can be expected at Medium settings in 1440p?

A: The measured minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 59 FPS, with an average of 70 FPS and maximum of 80 FPS, showing occasional dips just below the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control effectively at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K limited to low settings. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 71 FPS and Low reaching 130 FPS. The 2560x1440 resolution offers three playable presets: Low at 98 FPS, Medium at 70 FPS, and High at 62 FPS, with Ultra falling short at 54 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve playability with 66 FPS average, while Medium, High, and Ultra all drop below 47 FPS. The system is best suited for 1080p gaming at maximum quality or 1440p gaming at high settings, delivering a smooth experience for the majority of playable configurations.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals that the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates in Control. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent 20-30% reduction in average FPS across most presets, and the drop from 1440p to 4K is even more severe, with High settings falling from 62 FPS to 42 FPS. This pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where the RX 9060's rendering capabilities determine the outcome. The CPU's role remains secondary, as evidenced by the fact that even at 1080p Low settings, where the GPU has the least work, the system only reaches 130 FPS rather than being limited by processing power. The i5-12600KF's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23391 and single-core score of 3302, provide ample headroom for this game's physics and AI workloads.

The preset scaling further confirms the GPU bottleneck. At 4K, dropping from Ultra to Low improves average FPS from 36 to 66, a near-doubling that points directly at the graphics card's fill rate and compute capabilities. Similarly, at 1440p, the jump from Ultra at 54 FPS to Low at 98 FPS shows the GPU's sensitivity to shading and texture loads. The CPU's influence is most apparent at lower resolutions and settings, where the system achieves 130 FPS at 1080p Low, but even there, the frame rates remain well within the GPU's output range rather than hitting a CPU ceiling.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only preset that maintains 60 FPS or higher is Low, which delivers an average of 66 FPS. This is the recommended configuration for 4K displays, as Medium settings drop to 47 FPS and fail to meet the playable standard. At 2560x1440, High settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance, averaging 62 FPS, though players seeking extra smoothness can opt for Medium at 70 FPS or Low at 98 FPS. The 1920x1080 resolution allows for maximum fidelity with Ultra settings at 71 FPS average, making it the clear choice for 1080p displays, with High at 82 FPS and Medium at 92 FPS also viable options. For each resolution, the recommended preset represents the most demanding configuration that stays at or above the 60 FPS playability threshold.