Control

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 delivers a playable experience in Control at most common resolutions, though 4K requires significant compromises. Benchmark results show the combo hitting 60 FPS only at Low settings in 3840x2160, while 1440p and 1080p offer more headroom for higher presets. The data indicates a system that scales predictably with resolution, with the GPU becoming the limiting factor as pixel count rises.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo performs strongly across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 118 FPS, Medium averages 84 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 97 FPS, High averages 75 FPS, and Ultra averages 65 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, with even the most demanding setting maintaining a comfortable margin above the target.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops but remains respectable. Low settings average 89 FPS, Medium averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS, High averages 56 FPS, and Ultra averages 49 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one that consistently stays above 60 FPS, though its minimum dips slightly below that mark. High and Ultra fall short of the playable threshold, indicating the GPU begins to struggle with the increased pixel load.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. Low settings average exactly 60 FPS, making it the only playable option at this resolution. Medium averages 43 FPS with a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 49 FPS, High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra averages 33 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is substantial — a 17 FPS drop — suggesting that texture quality and shading complexity at 4K heavily tax the RX 7600’s 8 GB memory buffer and 128-bit bus.

The min/max data available for Medium presets reveals frame pacing behavior. At 1080p, the spread from 71 FPS to 97 FPS around an 84 FPS average shows moderate variance. At 1440p, the 54-to-73 FPS range around a 64 FPS average indicates tighter but still noticeable fluctuation. At 4K, the 36-to-49 FPS range around a 43 FPS average demonstrates that even the playable-looking average masks significant dips below smoothness.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores are closely clustered. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, which is 0.1% below the i7-12700K’s 35287 average. The Intel Core i7-12700KF scores 35365, 0.2% higher, and the Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403, 0.3% higher. The Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, 0.4% above. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, meaning any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control when paired with the same GPU.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 7600’s nearest rivals show similar tight clustering. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, 0.2% below the RX 7600’s 15171 average. The AMD Radeon Pro 560X scores 15082, 0.6% higher, while the AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, 0.7% below. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti scores 15063, 0.7% higher. These differences are within noise margins, so swapping the RX 7600 for any of these cards would yield comparable performance in this title. The RTX 3050 OEM is the most direct alternative, offering nearly identical average scores.

It is notably the CPU’s percentile rank of 84 versus the GPU’s 57 indicates the processor is far stronger relative to its peers than the graphics card. This asymmetry matters for Control, as the game’s rendering demands shift toward the GPU at higher resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the i7-12700K and RX 7600. At 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance — evidenced by a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1043 and passmark_single_thread score of 4013 — ensures the GPU is well-fed. The 118 FPS Low result at 1080p suggests the RX 7600 is the primary bottleneck even at modest settings, as the CPU has ample headroom to push far beyond this frame rate.

As resolution increases, the GPU’s role becomes more dominant. The scaling from 1080p Low (118 FPS) to 1440p Low (89 FPS) represents a 24.6% drop, while 1440p to 4K Low (60 FPS) shows another 32.6% decline. This pattern is consistent with GPU-bound rendering, where pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth — the RX 7600 offers 288.0 GB/s — determine performance. The CPU’s workload does not scale with resolution, so its contribution remains constant while the GPU’s load rises.

The preset scaling further confirms this. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra drops average FPS from 118 to 65, a 44.9% reduction. At 1440p, the same preset change drops from 89 to 49, a 44.9% reduction as well. At 4K, Low to Ultra falls from 60 to 33, a 45% reduction. The consistency of this percentage across resolutions indicates that preset changes affect the GPU proportionally, while the CPU’s frame time contribution stays flat.

For players with this combo, the practical implication is that CPU overclocking or upgrading would yield little benefit in Control. The i7-12700K’s 12 cores and 20 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, are far beyond what this game requires. Instead, GPU-bound scenarios at 1440p and 4K are where frame rates will fluctuate, and the RX 7600’s 8 GB VRAM becomes a constraint at Ultra presets on higher resolutions.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control successfully, but the playable envelope depends heavily on resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clear the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra averages 65 FPS, providing the highest visual quality while maintaining playability. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium achieve 60 FPS averages, with Medium at 64 FPS being the best visual option that stays above the line. High falls short at 56 FPS, and Ultra drops to 49 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more restrictive. Only Low settings reach 60 FPS, averaging exactly that number. Medium averages 43 FPS, High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra averages 33 FPS — none of these are playable by the 60 FPS standard. Players targeting 4K must accept Low presets, which may undermine the visual benefits of the resolution itself.

The data suggests this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with high or ultra settings, or 1440p gaming with medium settings. For 4K, the system is technically capable of running the game but only at the lowest visual quality. The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p is fully playable at all presets, 1440p is playable at Low and Medium, and 4K is playable only at Low.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080, where Ultra averages 65 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 49 FPS, and at 3840x2160, Ultra averages 33 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: Medium settings provide an average of 64 FPS at 2560x1440, making it the highest visual quality preset that stays above 60 FPS. High averages 56 FPS and Ultra averages 49 FPS, both falling short.

Q: How does the RX 7600 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 7600 scores 15171 on average. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, 0.2% higher, and the AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, 0.7% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro 560X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti score 15082 and 15063 respectively, 0.6% and 0.7% higher than the RX 7600.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The i7-12700K’s benchmark scores place it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, while the RX 7600 sits in the 57th percentile. The sharp FPS drops from 1440p to 4K — from 89 to 60 on Low — indicate GPU-bound rendering.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: High settings at 1920x1080 produce an average of 75 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The minimum and maximum values are not available for this preset, but the average suggests consistent performance.

Q: Does the combo rank well among other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 2608 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the lower third of all tested systems for Control. This aligns with the GPU’s mid-range positioning and the CPU’s high-end capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

The i7-12700K and RX 7600 combination ranks 2608 out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the 70th percentile of all systems tested. This rank reflects the GPU’s mid-tier performance more than the CPU’s strength. The CPU alone sits in the 84th percentile of all processors, while the GPU sits in the 57th percentile. The gap between these positions explains why the combo does not rank higher — the RX 7600 holds back the i7-12700K’s potential.

In practical terms, this rank means the system performs better than most tested configurations but lags behind high-end GPU pairings. The 1080p results, where the combo clears 60 FPS on all presets, are consistent with a mid-range gaming machine. The 4K results, where only Low settings are playable, reflect the GPU’s limitations. Players with this combo should target 1080p or 1440p for the best balance of visual quality and frame rate.

The rank also contextualizes the CPU’s headroom. Since the i7-12700K’s nearest rivals — the i5-13600T, i7-12700KF, i7-13700T, and Core 5 213PE — all score within 0.4% of each other, swapping the CPU would not meaningfully change the rank. Upgrading the GPU would have a far larger impact, as the RX 7600’s nearest rivals are similarly clustered but the card itself is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only preset that maintains 60 FPS is Low, with an average of exactly 60 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that stays at or above the playable threshold, but it represents a significant visual compromise. Medium drops to 43 FPS, so there is no middle ground at 4K — players must choose between Low at 60 FPS or Medium at an unplayable 43 FPS.

At 2560x1440, Medium is the optimal choice, averaging 64 FPS. This preset provides better visual fidelity than Low while staying above the 60 FPS line. High averages 56 FPS and Ultra averages 49 FPS, so neither is viable. The minimum of 54 FPS on Medium means occasional dips below 60 FPS, but the average remains solidly playable.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is the best setting, averaging 65 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that clears the threshold, and it does so with a 5 FPS margin. High averages 75 FPS and Medium averages 84 FPS if players prefer higher frame rates over maximum visual quality, but Ultra offers the full experience without sacrificing playability. Low at 118 FPS remains an option for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, though it is unnecessary for standard 60 FPS gaming.