Control

Control with an Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 presents a combination that lands near the lower-middle of the tested spectrum for this title, securing the 2904th position out of 3720 recorded combos. The pairing of a six-core Alder Lake processor with an RDNA 2 graphics card produces a playable experience, but the data indicates that achieving high refresh rates requires careful attention to both resolution and quality settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance figures to show exactly where this combo excels and where it falls short.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear narrative about where the bottleneck lies for this combination in Control. At 1080p with Low settings, the system delivers an average of 108 FPS, which is a strong result, but as resolution increases, the performance drops are steep and consistent. Moving from 1080p Low to 1440p Low reduces the average from 108 FPS to 82 FPS, a 26 FPS loss, and then to 4K Low further drops it to 55 FPS, another 27 FPS loss. This pattern indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at High settings shows a similar trend: the average FPS falls from 68 to 52, a 16 FPS reduction. The jump to 4K High is even more punishing, with the average plummeting to 35 FPS. This 33 FPS difference between 1440p and 4K at High settings is the largest single-step drop in the entire dataset, underscoring the GPU’s inability to handle the pixel count at 4K with demanding quality presets. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth appears insufficient for the 3840x2160 resolution when texture quality is raised.

Interestingly, the scaling between 1080p and 1440p at Medium settings is proportionally smaller. The average FPS goes from 77 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p, a 19 FPS reduction, and then to 39 at 4K, another 19 FPS loss. This suggests that the Medium preset is where the GPU and CPU are more balanced, but the 4K result of 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS is still below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data shows that the i5-12400’s six cores and 12 threads are not the limiting factor at 4K, as the FPS drops align closely with the GPU’s compute capabilities, which peak at 8.928 TFLOPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a consistent 60 FPS?

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p with Low settings is the only configuration that achieves an average above 60 FPS comfortably, hitting 108 FPS. At 1440p Low, the average drops to 82 FPS, which is still above 60, but 4K Low falls to 55 FPS, missing the target.

Q: How does the CPU’s core count affect performance in Control?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The benchmark results show that it is not the primary bottleneck, as FPS scales consistently with resolution changes, indicating the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 suggests ample headroom for this game.

Q: Is the RX 6600 capable of running Control at Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 59, which is just below the 60 FPS target. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 45 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 30 FPS. The data shows that Ultra settings are only borderline playable at 1080p.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The measured average FPS at 1440p Low is 82, while at 1440p Ultra it is 45. This represents a 37 FPS difference, or approximately a 45% reduction in average FPS when moving from Low to Ultra, which is a significant trade-off for visual quality.

Q: Does the combo provide a playable experience at 4K?

A: At 4K, the highest average FPS measured is 55 with Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS standard. Medium settings yield 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS, while High and Ultra produce 35 and 30 FPS respectively. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable resolution for smooth gameplay with this hardware.

Q: How does the GPU’s memory bandwidth influence the results?

A: The RX 6600 has a memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s and 8 GB of VRAM. The steep FPS drops at 4K, especially when moving from Low to Medium settings, suggest that the memory subsystem is strained at higher resolutions, limiting performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 sits at rank 2904 out of 3720 tested combinations for Control. This places it in the bottom 22% of all tested systems, indicating that it is not a top-tier performer for this specific title. The CPU itself, when compared to all CPUs, is in the 72nd percentile, with an average benchmark score of 18683. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7643, has an average score of 18697, which is a delta of -0.1%, meaning the i5-12400 is essentially on par with that server-grade chip in synthetic benchmarks.

The GPU, however, is in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19036. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, has a delta of 0%, showing a near-identical average score. This suggests that while the CPU is a solid mid-range performer, the GPU is slightly below average in the broader context, and their combination in Control reflects this. The rank of 2904 is likely dragged down by the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions, as the CPU’s synthetic scores are respectable. For context, the CPU’s PassMark multi-thread score is 18747, and its single-thread score is 3456, both indicating a capable processor that is not holding back the system in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 108 FPS on Low, 77 FPS on Medium with a minimum of 65 and maximum of 88, 68 FPS on High, and 59 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show that 1080p is the sweet spot, with all settings except Ultra hitting above 60 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 31 FPS, while the difference between Medium and High is 9 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 9 FPS, indicating diminishing returns as quality increases.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 82 on Low, 58 on Medium with a minimum of 49 and maximum of 67, 52 on High, and 45 on Ultra. At this resolution, only Low settings maintain an average above 60 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 24 FPS, and between Medium and High is 6 FPS, showing that the Medium preset is a significant step down from Low. At 3840x2160, the results are 55 FPS on Low, 39 FPS on Medium with a minimum of 33 and maximum of 45, 35 FPS on High, and 30 FPS on Ultra. No settings at 4K reach 60 FPS, and the minimum FPS of 33 on Medium indicates potential stutter.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: Low settings provide the highest FPS, and each subsequent quality tier reduces performance by a smaller margin. The most significant drop is from Low to Medium at 4K, a 16 FPS reduction, which suggests that the Medium preset introduces effects or textures that heavily tax the GPU. The data confirms that the RX 6600 is a 1080p-focused card, with 1440p being playable only on lower settings, and 4K being largely unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a six-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its L3 cache is 18 MB shared, and it has a die size of 163 mm². In Control, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the FPS scaling patterns. At 1080p Low, the system hits 108 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would require a capable CPU to feed the GPU, and the i5-12400 manages this without issue.

The CPU’s synthetic benchmarks reinforce this: its 3DMark single-thread score is 910, and its multi-thread score is 5890. These scores indicate strong single-thread performance, which is often more important in games. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 further show that this processor has ample compute power for a game like Control, which is not heavily multi-threaded. The CPU’s percentile of 72 versus all CPUs means it outperforms the majority of processors, and its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-14100F, has a delta of 0.9%, meaning the i5-12400 is slightly faster in average benchmark score.

The fact that FPS drops are nearly linear with resolution increases suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see similar FPS at 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows a clear decline. For example, at High settings, the FPS goes from 68 at 1080p to 52 at 1440p, a 16 FPS drop, which is a 24% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is being fully utilized at each resolution, and the CPU is keeping up. The i5-12400’s 12 threads and 4.40 GHz boost clock are sufficient to avoid holding back the RX 6600 in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and frame rate. For 1080p, the High preset provides an average of 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a good balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset drops to 59 FPS, which is just below 60, so High is the recommended choice for a smooth experience without significant visual compromises. If a higher frame rate is desired, Medium settings at 1080p yield 77 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High is noticeable, making High the better value.

For 1440p, the data shows that only Low settings achieve an average above 60 FPS, at 82 FPS. Medium settings drop to 58 FPS with a minimum of 49, which may be acceptable for some players, but the minimum FPS suggests potential stutters in demanding scenes. The recommendation for 1440p is to use Low settings for a consistent experience, or Medium if the player is willing to tolerate occasional dips below 60 FPS. High and Ultra settings at 1440p, at 52 and 45 FPS respectively, are not recommended for competitive play but could be used for slower-paced exploration.

At 4K, none of the settings provide a playable experience, with the highest average being 55 FPS on Low. Even at Low, the 55 FPS average is below 60, and Medium drops to 39 FPS with a minimum of 33. The data strongly suggests avoiding 4K with this combo. For the best overall experience, the 1080p High preset is the clear winner, offering 68 FPS average with no reported minimum FPS, indicating stable performance. This configuration leverages the CPU’s capabilities while keeping the GPU within its comfortable range, making it the most balanced choice for Control.