Control

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers a strong performance profile for Control, with measured average frame rates that comfortably exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold across most settings and resolutions. The data shows a system capable of high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gameplay, while 4K remains viable at slightly reduced presets.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is High, which produces an average of 69.6 FPS. While Medium also clears the threshold at 78.1 FPS and Low reaches 106.9 FPS, High offers the best visual fidelity without dropping below the 60 FPS mark. The Ultra preset at this resolution falls short, averaging 55.8 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

For 2560x1440, the data indicates that Ultra settings are fully playable, achieving an average of 86.6 FPS. This is the highest quality preset available, and it remains well above the 60 FPS target. Lower presets at this resolution yield even higher frame rates: High at 96.9 FPS, Medium at 109.4 FPS, and Low at 159.1 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is again the best choice, delivering an average of 111.4 FPS. This resolution provides the largest headroom, with High at 131.4 FPS, Medium at 146.4 FPS, and Low reaching 207.4 FPS. The system is clearly not constrained at 1080p, allowing for maximum settings with substantial performance to spare.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling of frame rates across resolutions and presets reveals how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 111.4 on Ultra to 207.4 on Low, showing that the GPU is the primary limiter even at lower settings. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, appears more than capable of feeding the GPU at this resolution, as the frame rate scales almost entirely with graphics load.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 86.6 on Ultra and 159.1 on Low. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is significant, with the Ultra preset losing roughly 24.8 FPS (from 111.4 to 86.6). This indicates the GPU is becoming more saturated as pixel count increases, while the CPU continues to provide sufficient throughput. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 72.5 FPS, which is a larger absolute difference than at 1080p, suggesting the GPU's workload is scaling more steeply with resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. The Ultra preset drops to 55.8 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, while High maintains 69.6 FPS. The difference between Low (106.9 FPS) and Ultra (55.8 FPS) at 4K is 51.1 FPS, showing that the GPU's rendering capabilities are the bottleneck. The CPU's role diminishes at this resolution, as the frame rates are primarily determined by the GPU's ability to process the higher pixel count. The data suggests that the i7-12700KF provides enough headroom to avoid limiting the RX 7900 XT at any tested resolution, with the GPU being the decisive component for achieving higher frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160:

• Low: average 106.9 FPS
• Medium: average 78.1 FPS
• High: average 69.6 FPS
• Ultra: average 55.8 FPS

The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a steady decline, with the largest single drop occurring between Medium and High (a decrease of 8.5 FPS). The Ultra preset's average of 55.8 FPS falls short of the 60 FPS target, making High the recommended setting for this resolution.

2560x1440:

• Low: average 159.1 FPS
• Medium: average 109.4 FPS
• High: average 96.9 FPS
• Ultra: average 86.6 FPS

At 1440p, all presets remain above 60 FPS, with even Ultra providing a comfortable margin. The difference between Low and Medium is 49.7 FPS, which is the largest step, indicating that Medium settings introduce a significant increase in graphical workload. The gap between High and Ultra is smaller at 10.3 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at the highest quality level.

1920x1080:

• Low: average 207.4 FPS
• Medium: average 146.4 FPS
• High: average 131.4 FPS
• Ultra: average 111.4 FPS

At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, with Low exceeding 200 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 61.0 FPS, which is the most substantial single-step reduction in the entire dataset. From Medium to High, the decrease is 15.0 FPS, and from High to Ultra, it is 20.0 FPS. This pattern shows that the GPU's workload increases sharply when moving from the lowest settings, but the system still maintains high performance throughout.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K with max settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 55.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset at this resolution achieves 69.6 FPS and is the recommended choice.

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

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 86.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target. All other presets (High at 96.9 FPS, Medium at 109.4 FPS, Low at 159.1 FPS) also remain playable, but Ultra provides the highest visual quality.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 111.4 FPS at 1920x1080 to 55.8 FPS at 3840x2160, a decrease of 55.6 FPS. This illustrates the significant GPU workload increase at higher resolutions.

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

A: The GPU is the primary factor at all resolutions. The frame rates scale consistently with graphics settings, and the CPU's 12-core configuration appears to provide sufficient headroom, as the performance gap between resolutions is driven by the GPU's pixel throughput.

Q: Which settings provide the best frame rate headroom?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset reaches 207.4 FPS, offering the largest margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Even at 4K, the Low preset achieves 106.9 FPS, providing ample headroom for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: Are there any settings that fail to reach 60 FPS?

A: Yes. The only tested configuration that falls below 60 FPS is 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which averages 55.8 FPS. All other resolution and preset combinations in the data exceed the 60 FPS target.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core i7-13700T, which scores 35403 with a delta of -0.1%, and the Intel Core i5-13600T at 35305 with a delta of 0.2%. These processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Control, meaning the frame rates would remain unchanged unless the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The Intel Core i7-12700K is also very close, with a score of 35287 and a delta of 0.2%, so users with that chip should expect similar results.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 660M (average score 13812, delta -0.5%) and the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (average score 13821, delta -0.5%). These are notably lower-tier components, and their similar average scores suggest they would struggle to match the RX 7900 XT's performance in Control. The AMD Radeon RX 570X (score 13871, delta -0.9%) is another comparable option, but it is an older architecture. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (score 13543, delta 1.5%) is slightly faster on average, potentially offering a marginal frame rate improvement in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

This CPU-GPU combination ranks 768th out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places it in the top 20.6% of all tested configurations, indicating that it is a high-performing setup. The rank reflects the balance between the i7-12700KF's strong multi-threaded capabilities and the RX 7900 XT's substantial graphics power, which together deliver playable frame rates at nearly all tested settings. The data suggests that this combo outperforms the majority of other systems, with only a smaller fraction of higher-end configurations achieving better results.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Control effectively across all tested resolutions, provided the right settings are selected. At 1920x1080, the system easily clears the 60 FPS threshold at every preset, with Ultra averaging 111.4 FPS and Low reaching 207.4 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets are playable, with Ultra at 86.6 FPS being the best visual option. At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding playable choice, delivering 69.6 FPS, while Ultra falls short at 55.8 FPS. The data confirms that this combination is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, and it remains capable at 4K with a slight reduction in quality settings.