Control

The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination delivers a solid, if not spectacular, experience in Control. This pairing shows a clear performance ceiling defined by the GPU, with the CPU providing ample headroom across all tested settings. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates, while 4K remains a challenge that requires significant graphical compromises.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 78 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops the average to 59 FPS, a decline of roughly 24%. The jump to 4K High is far more punishing, with the average falling to 40 FPS, which is a 49% reduction from the 1440p result and a 49% drop from 1080p. This pattern strongly indicates that the Radeon RX 7600 XT is the primary limiting factor; the i5-12400 has sufficient processing power to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU's rendering throughput cannot keep pace with the increasing pixel count.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution further confirms this. At 1080p, the spread from Low (124 FPS) to Ultra (68 FPS) is 56 FPS, showing that the GPU is doing most of the work. At 4K, the spread from Low (63 FPS) to Ultra (35 FPS) is 28 FPS. While the absolute numbers are lower, the relative performance drop with higher settings remains significant, reinforcing that the GPU is the bottleneck. The data shows that the i5-12400 is not holding the system back; the frame rate is consistently dictated by the RX 7600 XT's ability to render the scene, regardless of the resolution or quality preset.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested configurations, this specific CPU-GPU pairing finds itself in the lower-middle tier of performance for Control. The combo ranks 2363 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the 37th percentile of all systems. This suggests that while this pairing is functional and capable of playing the game, a significant majority of other tested combos deliver higher average frame rates.

This ranking is a direct result of the GPU's position in the market. The RX 7600 XT is a capable mid-range card, but it is outclassed by many other options in the database. The data shows the GPU's average benchmark score is 17083, placing it in the 60th percentile of all GPUs. While this is a respectable score, the combo's in-game rank is lower, indicating that Control is a demanding title that pushes the GPU to its limits. The CPU, which sits in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 18683, is clearly not the limiting factor in this equation. The ranking suggests that users with higher-tier GPUs will see substantially better performance in Control, while this combo represents a baseline for a playable experience.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the undisputed driver of performance in this pairing, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a 288.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, which is sufficient for the textures and assets in Control at 1080p and 1440p. However, the GPU's raw compute power, measured at 22.57 TFLOPS FP32, is what ultimately determines the frame rates. The boost clock of 2755 MHz and game clock of 2470 MHz provide the processing speed, but the data shows this is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

The GPU's performance in standard benchmarks correlates well with its in-game results. Its Passmark G3D score is 17132, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2348. These scores indicate a mid-range performer that can handle modern games at 1080p and 1440p with high settings. The nearest rival data shows it is within 0.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070's average benchmark score, but in Control, the combination with the i5-12400 still results in a lower overall rank. This suggests that while the GPU is competitive in synthetic tests, the game's specific engine and effects may be more demanding than those tests indicate, solidifying the RX 7600 XT as the component that holds this combo back from higher performance tiers. Its 16 GB VRAM buffer is a positive for future-proofing, but it does not compensate for the limits of its processing power at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive look at how this combo performs across different resolutions and settings. The results are consistent and predictable, with no anomalies.

• 1920x1080: This is the sweet spot for this combo. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 124 FPS, ensuring high refresh rate gameplay. Medium settings still deliver a smooth 88 FPS average (with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS). High settings produce a solid 78 FPS average, and even Ultra settings maintain a playable 68 FPS average. All 1080p results are comfortably in the playable range, making this resolution ideal for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

• 2560x1440: Performance remains good at this resolution, but the GPU begins to show its limitations. Low settings deliver a strong 94 FPS average. Medium settings provide a playable 67 FPS average (with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS). High settings drop to 59 FPS average, which is still playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Ultra settings yield a 51 FPS average, which is at the edge of smooth gameplay. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience, Medium settings are the recommended maximum at 1440p.

• 3840x2160: 4K gaming is a struggle for this combo. Low settings are the only option that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 63 FPS. Medium settings drop to a 45 FPS average (with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS), which is noticeable stutter-prone. High settings produce a 40 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to a 35 FPS average. None of the higher settings are recommended for a good experience at this resolution. The data clearly shows that 4K is beyond the comfortable reach of the RX 7600 XT in Control, requiring significant graphical sacrifices to maintain playable frame rates.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Control at 60 FPS on a 1440p monitor?*

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 1440p with Low settings, the average FPS is 94. Medium settings drop to an average of 67 FPS, which still exceeds 60 FPS. High settings fall to an average of 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience, Low or Medium settings are the recommended choices at 1440p.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve high frame rates?

A: The data shows that 1080p is the optimal resolution for this combo. At 1080p with High settings, it averages 78 FPS, and with Medium settings, it averages 88 FPS. Even at Ultra settings, it maintains a 68 FPS average, making 1080p the only resolution where all settings presets are comfortably playable.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 or the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT the bottleneck in this system?

A: The benchmark data clearly identifies the GPU as the bottleneck. The CPU has a high average benchmark score of 18683 and ranks in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. The GPU's average score is 17083, ranking in the 60th percentile. The steep FPS drops when increasing resolution from 1080p to 4K are a hallmark of a GPU-limited system, not a CPU-limited one.

Q: How does this combo's performance rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 2363 out of 3720 tested combinations for Control. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, indicating that while it can play the game, many other CPU-GPU pairings will deliver higher average frame rates.

Q: What settings should be used for a 4K experience?

A: For 4K resolution, the only setting that provides a consistently playable frame rate is Low, which averages 63 FPS. Medium settings drop to 45 FPS average, and High and Ultra settings produce averages of 40 FPS and 35 FPS, respectively. These higher settings are not recommended for a smooth experience at 4K.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is significant. At 1080p, Low settings average 124 FPS, while Ultra settings average 68 FPS. This is a 56 FPS difference, or a performance drop of roughly 45% when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 serves as a robust and capable foundation for this combo, ensuring that the GPU is never starved of data. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it provides ample processing power for the game's physics and AI calculations. Its boost clock of 4.40 GHz allows for strong single-threaded performance, which is often critical for game logic. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a single-core score of 2257, place it well above the performance needed for Control.

The data from the measured FPS confirms the CPU's non-limiting role. The consistent performance drops across all resolutions are a direct reflection of GPU load, not CPU limitations. If the i5-12400 were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less variation in FPS between 1080p and 4K, as the CPU would be the consistent limiting factor. Instead, the frame rates scale with resolution, proving that the CPU is delivering frames to the GPU faster than the GPU can render them. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and support for PCIe Gen 5 ensure it has the bandwidth and responsiveness to keep up with the RX 7600 XT, making it an ideal partner that allows the GPU to perform to its full potential.