Control

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a strong performance profile for Control, with benchmark results showing consistent playability across most modern resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combination achieves an average of 92.5 FPS on High settings, while the most demanding Ultra preset still holds at 80.8 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset remains viable with an average of 60.9 FPS, exactly at the playable threshold. The only limitation appears at 3840x2160, where High and Ultra settings drop below the 60 FPS target, though the Low preset still manages 76 FPS. The data indicates a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring settings adjustments for a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured frame rates show a clear scaling pattern across presets. The Low preset delivers the highest average at 146.3 FPS, followed by Medium at 102.8 FPS, High at 92.5 FPS, and Ultra at 80.8 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is relatively modest at 10.3 FPS, while the jump from Low to Medium represents a 43.5 FPS difference, indicating that Low settings substantially reduce GPU load in this title. All presets at this resolution remain well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, making 1080p the most comfortable environment for this hardware combination.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales predictably but with tighter margins. The Low preset delivers 109.5 FPS, Medium achieves 81.8 FPS, High reaches 72.3 FPS, and Ultra drops to 60.9 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 11.4 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional visual features have a moderate cost at this resolution. Notably, the transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by roughly 25-32% across presets, with Ultra showing the smallest relative drop from 80.8 to 60.9 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 5060's memory bandwidth and shading capabilities handle the increased pixel count efficiently.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes significantly. The Low preset produces 76 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 53.1 FPS and High falls to 47.4 FPS, with Ultra at 39.6 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 36.4 FPS total drop, which is proportionally larger than at lower resolutions. This suggests that 4K rendering places substantial pressure on the GPU's 8 GB GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus, particularly with higher-quality textures and effects. The data shows that only Low settings maintain the 60 FPS target at 4K, and even then with a narrow 16 FPS margin.

Across all resolutions, the frame rate deltas between presets are consistent in direction but vary in magnitude. At 1080p, the Low-to-Ultra spread is 65.5 FPS, while at 1440p it narrows to 48.6 FPS, and at 4K it shrinks further to 36.4 FPS. This compression at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as the relative cost of each preset's features diminishes when the render target demands more from the hardware.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings?*

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 2560x1440 Ultra is 60.9 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by 0.9 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: What is the best preset for 3840x2160 to stay above 60 FPS?

A: The Low preset is the only option that meets the target, delivering an average of 76 FPS at 4K. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 53.1, 47.4, and 39.6 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rivals based on benchmark scores?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 26331, with the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scoring 26011 (1.2% lower) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scoring 26553 (0.8% higher). The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 and AMD Radeon 860M are also within 0.3% of the RTX 5060's score.

Q: What is the CPU's competitive position relative to other processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, placing it at the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K at 27872 (-0.3%) and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D at 27896 (-0.3%), showing very tight competition.

Q: Is 1920x1080 the best resolution for this combo in terms of frame rate headroom?

A: Yes, at 1080p the Low preset reaches 146.3 FPS and even Ultra stays at 80.8 FPS, providing extensive headroom above the 60 FPS threshold. This allows for maximum visual quality without compromising playability.

Q: Does the system meet the playable threshold at 4K with any preset other than Low?

A: No, the data shows that at 3840x2160, only Low achieves 76 FPS. Medium at 53.1 FPS, High at 47.4 FPS, and Ultra at 39.6 FPS all fall below the 60 FPS target.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, delivering an average of 80.8 FPS. This provides a 20.8 FPS margin above the playable threshold, allowing for the highest visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The data shows that even with all features enabled, the GPU has sufficient headroom at this resolution.

For 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is also the best option, with an average of 60.9 FPS. This barely clears the 60 FPS threshold, so users who prefer a larger safety margin might consider High at 72.3 FPS. However, the measured data confirms that Ultra is technically playable at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only viable choice, achieving 76 FPS on average. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 53.1, 47.4, and 39.6 FPS respectively. To maintain a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, users must select Low and accept reduced visual quality.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Core i9-10900K performs nearly identically, with an average benchmark score of 27872 compared to the i5-12600KF's 27799, a delta of -0.3%. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D also sits at 27896 (-0.3%), while the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE at 27712 is 0.3% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U at 27887 is 0.3% higher. This clustering indicates that any of these processors would yield essentially the same frame rates in Control when paired with the same GPU.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the closest competitor with an average score of 26011, sitting 1.2% below the RTX 5060's 26331. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553, which is 0.8% higher, while the AMD Radeon 860M at 26401 and NVIDIA GeForce MX550 at 26421 are both within 0.3% of the RTX 5060. When swapping in any of these GPUs with the same CPU, the measured FPS values would change by roughly 1% or less, meaning all presets and resolutions would remain within a few frames of the reported numbers.

The practical implication is that this combo sits in a dense performance cluster, and users upgrading from or to nearby hardware should expect similar gameplay experiences. The i5-12600KF's position at the 79th CPU percentile and the RTX 5060's at the 72nd GPU percentile confirms that both components are mid-to-high tier, but the tight rival deltas suggest that small benchmark variations do not translate into perceptible FPS differences in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12600KF and RTX 5060 combination ranks 1835th out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top half of the database. This percentile position reflects the measured performance across all resolutions and presets, where the system demonstrates strong 1080p and 1440p capability but struggles at 4K with higher settings. The rank of 1835 out of 3720 means roughly 49.3% of tested combos perform better, while 50.7% perform worse, indicating that this is a balanced mid-range pairing.

The ranking is influenced by the GPU's 72nd percentile standing among all GPUs and the CPU's 79th percentile, but the game's specific demands at 4K pull the overall rank down. At 1080p, the combo would likely rank higher due to the 80.8 FPS Ultra performance, but the 4K results with sub-60 FPS on most presets cap the overall score. The data shows that this combo is better suited to 1440p and below, which aligns with its mid-pack ranking.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control successfully, with clear resolution and preset boundaries defined by the measured data. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—deliver averages above 60 FPS, ranging from 80.8 to 146.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same is true, with Ultra at 60.9 FPS being the minimum playable setting. At 3840x2160, only Low achieves 76 FPS, while Medium (53.1 FPS), High (47.4 FPS), and Ultra (39.6 FPS) all fail to meet the 60 FPS playable threshold.

For users targeting 1080p or 1440p, this system delivers a fully playable experience at the highest visual quality. The 60.9 FPS average at 1440p Ultra is technically playable but leaves minimal headroom for demanding scenes, so those prioritizing consistent frame rates might prefer High at 72.3 FPS. At 4K, the system is limited to Low settings for a smooth experience, which contradicts the visual fidelity expectations of that resolution. Overall, the verdict is that this combo is excellent for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but 4K requires significant compromises.

CPU and GPU Roles

Analyzing the scaling between resolutions and presets reveals how the CPU and GPU divide responsibilities in Control. At 1920x1080, the CPU's role is more pronounced, as the frame rates of 146.3 FPS (Low) and 80.8 FPS (Ultra) suggest that the i5-12600KF can feed the GPU efficiently at lower pixel counts. The 65.5 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p indicates that the GPU is still the primary limiter for higher presets, but the CPU has enough headroom to maintain high frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops by 25-32% across presets compared to 1080p, which points to the GPU becoming increasingly dominant. The Ultra preset at 60.9 FPS shows that the GPU is working near its limit, while the CPU continues to supply frames effectively. The reduced spread of 48.6 FPS between Low and Ultra at 1440p confirms that the GPU's rendering load is now the main constraint, as the CPU's contribution becomes less critical at higher pixel counts.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's dominance is absolute. The Low preset's 76 FPS demonstrates that even with minimal graphical features, the GPU's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus are heavily taxed. The 36.4 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is the smallest across all resolutions, meaning that preset choices have less impact than resolution itself. This is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where the RTX 5060's raw throughput, not the CPU's processing power, determines performance. The i5-12600KF's 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample processing for the game's physics and AI, but these do not become a bottleneck at any resolution, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates at 1080p Low where CPU load is highest relative to GPU work.