Control

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 is a combination that delivers solid 1080p performance in Control, but struggles at higher resolutions. At 1920x1080, this combo achieves playable frame rates on High, Medium, and Low settings, with an average of 69 FPS on High. The system falls short of the 60 FPS threshold at 1440p unless settings are dropped to Low, where it hits 84.8 FPS, while 4K is not a viable option for smooth gameplay. This pairing ranks 2897 out of 3720 tested combos for this specific title, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all possible system configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i7-12700KF and Radeon RX 6600 ranks 2897th out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the 22nd percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects a system that is capable of running the game, but not at the highest visual fidelity or resolutions. The data indicates that this combo is positioned well below the top quartile of tested systems, suggesting that enthusiasts seeking maximum settings or high refresh rate 4K gameplay would need more powerful hardware.

The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance ceiling. The RX 6600 sits at the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19036. This is a mid-range graphics card that delivers competent 1080p performance but lacks the raw power for demanding 4K scenarios. The CPU, by contrast, is a strong performer, ranking in the 85th percentile of all processors with an average benchmark score of 35365. The disparity between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's mid-tier percentile explains why this combo performs well at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed, but falls off sharply as resolution increases.

Compared to other combos in the database, this system is neither a top performer nor a weak one. It sits in the lower half of the distribution, meaning a significant portion of tested configurations will outperform it in Control. However, the data also shows that many systems will perform worse, particularly those with older or lower-tier GPUs. For a balanced assessment, this combo is best suited for gamers targeting 1080p with high settings, where it delivers a comfortable frame rate above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combo each have nearest rivals that would produce very similar benchmark results. For the Intel Core i7-12700KF, the closest alternatives are the Intel Core i7-13700T, Intel Core i5-13600T, Intel Core 5 213PE, and Intel Core i7-12700K. The i7-13700T has a deltaPct of -0.1% compared to the i7-12700KF, making it statistically identical in overall performance. The i5-13600T is 0.2% faster, while the Intel Core 5 213PE is 0.2% slower. The most direct comparison is the Intel Core i7-12700K, which is only 0.2% faster than the -KF variant. In practice, swapping to any of these CPUs would yield virtually indistinguishable frame rates in Control, as the game is not heavily CPU-bound at the resolutions tested.

For the AMD Radeon RX 6600, the nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile, NVIDIA Tesla K20m, and NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation. The Quadro K6000 matches the RX 6600 exactly with a deltaPct of 0%, while the RTX 4050 Mobile is 0.1% faster. The Tesla K20m is 0.3% faster, and the RTX 2000 Ada Generation is 0.4% slower. These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning that any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control. It is importantly the RTX 4050 Mobile is a laptop part, so its desktop equivalent would likely perform slightly better, but based on the benchmark data alone, these alternatives are equivalent.

When considering a system upgrade or build with similar performance, any of these CPU or GPU alternatives would behave nearly identically in Control. The data suggests that the bottleneck in this combo is the GPU, so swapping the CPU for any of its rivals would have minimal impact on frame rates. Conversely, upgrading the GPU to a significantly higher-tier model would be the only way to meaningfully improve performance at 1440p or 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in component importance as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 108.6 FPS on Low settings, 74.5 FPS on Medium, 69 FPS on High, and 57.3 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a performance drop of 51.3 FPS, or approximately 47%, indicating that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at this resolution. The CPU, with its 85th percentile ranking, is more than capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, so the frame rates are largely determined by the graphics card's capabilities.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with more pronounced GPU limitations. The average FPS drops to 84.8 on Low, 56.4 on Medium, 53.9 on High, and 46.7 on Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is 38.1 FPS, a 45% reduction. The fact that even Low settings at 1440p only achieve 84.8 FPS, compared to 108.6 FPS at 1080p, shows that the GPU is being pushed harder. The CPU's role diminishes further, as the higher resolution increases the pixel count and places more strain on the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the overwhelming bottleneck. The average FPS plummets to 52.6 on Low, 39.5 on Medium, 37.6 on High, and 28.4 on Ultra. None of these settings reach the 60 FPS playable threshold. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 24.2 FPS drop, or 46%, consistent with the pattern seen at lower resolutions. The data clearly shows that the RX 6600's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K gaming in Control. The CPU, regardless of its strength, cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to render the game at this resolution smoothly.

The presets also reveal how the settings affect the balance between CPU and GPU. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 108.6 FPS, which is likely close to the CPU's limit for this game. As settings increase, the GPU workload grows, and the frame rate becomes more GPU-bound. This is typical of a well-balanced mid-range system where the CPU is not the limiting factor at standard gaming resolutions.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Control is answered definitively by the verdict data. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold on High, Medium, and Low settings. The best playable setting at this resolution is High, with an average of 69 FPS. Ultra settings fall just short at 57.3 FPS, so gamers seeking maximum visual quality will need to accept a slight performance compromise or use a lower preset.

At 2560x1440, the system can only achieve playable frame rates on Low settings, with an average of 84.8 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 56.4, 53.9, and 46.7 FPS respectively. This means 1440p gaming is possible, but only with significant visual downgrades. The data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160, with the best average being 52.6 FPS on Low, which is still below the 60 FPS threshold.

For a smooth experience, this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with High settings. It can handle 1440p for gamers willing to lower settings to Low, but 4K should be avoided entirely. The RX 6600, with its 63rd percentile ranking, is simply not powerful enough for the higher resolutions in this game. The i7-12700KF provides ample headroom, but it cannot overcome the GPU's limitations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves the following average frame rates: 108.6 FPS on Low, 74.5 FPS on Medium, 69 FPS on High, and 57.3 FPS on Ultra. The step from Low to Medium is a 34.1 FPS drop, while Medium to High is a 5.5 FPS drop, and High to Ultra is an 11.7 FPS drop. This indicates that the most significant performance hit occurs when moving from Low to Medium settings, while the differences between Medium, High, and Ultra are smaller.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 84.8 FPS on Low, 56.4 FPS on Medium, 53.9 FPS on High, and 46.7 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 28.4 FPS, which is the largest single-step reduction. Medium to High is a 2.5 FPS drop, and High to Ultra is a 7.2 FPS drop. This pattern suggests that the low preset is significantly less demanding on the GPU, while the medium and high presets are relatively similar in cost.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 52.6 FPS on Low, 39.5 FPS on Medium, 37.6 FPS on High, and 28.4 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 13.1 FPS, Medium to High is 1.9 FPS, and High to Ultra is 9.2 FPS. At this resolution, even the Low preset fails to reach 60 FPS, confirming that 4K is beyond the capabilities of this hardware.

No minimum or maximum FPS values are provided in the data, so the analysis is limited to average frame rates. The lack of min/max data means that frame pacing and stuttering cannot be assessed, but the averages are consistent enough to draw clear conclusions about overall performance.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?*

A: No. The data shows that at 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate is 52.6 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. All other settings at this resolution produce lower averages, with Ultra at 28.4 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gaming?

A: The best playable setting at 1920x1080 is High, which achieves an average of 69 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a balance between visual quality and performance. Ultra is not playable, averaging 57.3 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the primary determinant of performance in Control. The CPU ranks in the 85th percentile of all processors, while the GPU is in the 63rd percentile. The frame rate scaling across resolutions and presets shows that the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions, particularly at 1440p and 4K.

Q: How does this combo compare to similar systems?

A: This combo ranks 2897th out of 3720 tested combos for Control. The CPU's nearest rivals include the i7-13700T and i5-13600T, which are within 0.2% of its performance. The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, matches its performance exactly.

Q: What are the playable settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the only playable setting is Low, which achieves 84.8 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 56.4, 53.9, and 46.7 FPS respectively.

Q: Does the RX 6600 have enough memory for this game?

A: The RX 6600 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The data indicates that this is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but not for 4K, where even Low settings fail to reach 60 FPS. The GPU's overall benchmark score places it in the 63rd percentile, reflecting its mid-range positioning.