Control

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers a robust 1080p experience in Control, but the data shows a pronounced shift in system behavior as resolution climbs. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 211 FPS on average. This figure drops to 148.2 FPS at Medium and 129.7 FPS at High, before settling at 113.7 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p represents a reduction of roughly 46% in average frame rate, which indicates that the GPU is not the primary constraint at this resolution; the frame rate is heavily influenced by the graphics preset’s demands on the rendering pipeline.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are 157.2 (Low), 114 (Medium), 97.7 (High), and 83.4 (Ultra). The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is approximately 25%, while the drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is about 27%. This consistent percentage decline suggests that the system scales predictably with pixel count, but the GPU is starting to take on a more significant role. At 3840x2160, the average FPS falls to 103.8 (Low), 75.2 (Medium), 66.5 (High), and 59.4 (Ultra). The transition from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra results in a 29% performance loss, while the 4K Low to 4K Ultra difference is 43%. The data reveals that at 4K, the RX 7900 XT becomes the limiting component, as the frame rates converge toward the 60 FPS threshold even on High settings, with Ultra dipping below that mark.

The pattern across resolutions indicates a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher pixel densities, while the lower resolutions expose a mix of CPU and GPU headroom. The 1080p Low result of 211 FPS is notably high, suggesting that the CPU can feed frames quickly when graphical load is minimal, but the scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is steeper than at 4K, implying that the GPU’s compute units are not fully saturated at lower settings. Benchmark results indicate that the most significant performance cliff occurs between Medium and High at each resolution, with an average drop of 12-15% across all three pixel counts.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 31 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 1387 MHz, with a game clock of 2025 MHz and a boost clock of 2394 MHz. These specifications position the card firmly in the high-end segment, and its performance in Control reflects that, though the measured FPS reveals that its massive memory pool is not fully utilized by this 2019 title.

In Control, the GPU’s role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 59.4 is just below the 60 FPS target, indicating that the card’s raw compute throughput is the binding constraint. The GPU’s pixel rate of 459.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 804.4 GTexel/s are substantial, yet the game’s demanding effects at Ultra settings push the card to its limits. The 20 GB VRAM allocation is far more than the game requires; the data shows no performance anomalies that would suggest memory capacity is a factor, as the FPS scales smoothly with resolution without sudden stutters or dips. The memory clock of 2500 MHz, translating to 20 Gbps effective, provides ample bandwidth for high-resolution textures, but the benchmark results indicate that the GPU’s shading units (5376) and ROPs (192) are the more likely bottlenecks.

Compared to its nearest rivals in the database, the RX 7900 XT holds a narrow edge. Its average benchmark score of 38358 places it 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA CMP 70HX (38225) and 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135), while it trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile by 0.0% (38349). In Control, this translates to a card that can handle 1440p High at 97.7 FPS and 1080p Ultra at 113.7 FPS, but the 4K Ultra result of 59.4 FPS suggests that users targeting 4K should consider lowering settings to High, which yields 66.5 FPS. The GPU’s percentile rank of 82 among all tested GPUs underscores its strong standing, and the data confirms that it performs adequately for this game’s visual demands, though it does not deliver overwhelming 4K headroom.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It has 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. The CPU’s benchmark results show a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935 and a single-core score of 2249, with a Passmark multithread score of 18747 and a single-thread score of 3456. These figures place the processor in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 19850 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals.

In Control, the CPU’s impact is most visible at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the 211 FPS average indicates that the i5-12400 can keep up with the GPU’s output, but the frame rate does not scale linearly with GPU load, suggesting the CPU is providing a solid foundation without being a major bottleneck. The 3DMark scores are telling: a single-thread score of 910 and a 2-thread score of 1692 show that the processor has strong single-core performance, which is critical for games like Control that rely on a primary rendering thread. The multi-thread scores, such as 5873 for 16 threads and 5890 for max threads, are respectable but not exceptional, meaning the CPU can handle background tasks without stalling the game.

The CPU’s nearest rivals are all within 0.4% of its average score: the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831, +0.1%), the Intel Core i7-8700 (19894, -0.2%), the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (19928, -0.4%), and the Intel Core i5-11600K (19771, +0.4%). This clustering indicates that the i5-12400’s performance is highly competitive for its class, and in Control, the measured FPS at 1440p and 4K show no signs of CPU limitation, as the frame rates drop consistently with resolution rather than plateauing. The CPU’s 65 W TDP and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) contribute to a balanced platform, but the data does not suggest that memory bandwidth is a limiting factor, as the frame rates scale predictably across all tested resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p Ultra with this combo?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 113.7 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7900 XT compare to its nearest rival in the database?

A: The RX 7900 XT’s average benchmark score of 38358 is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA CMP 70HX (38225) and 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135), but it is 0.0% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile (38349).

Q: Does the i5-12400 bottleneck the GPU at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop consistently from Low (103.8 FPS) to Ultra (59.4 FPS), indicating the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU’s single-core performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best resolution for maintaining 60+ FPS on High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 97.7, and at 3840x2160 with High settings, it is 66.5. Both exceed 60 FPS, but the 4K result is closer to the threshold.

*Q: How does the CPU’s multi-thread performance affect Control?*

A: The i5-12400’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935 and Passmark multithread score of 18747 show capable multi-threading, but Control benefits more from single-core speed, as evidenced by the 3DMark single-thread score of 910.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1440p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 Medium, the average FPS is 114, while at 3840x2160 Medium, it is 75.2, a difference of 38.8 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of an Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT ranks 350 out of 1636 tested combos in the database for Control. This placement places it in the top 22% of all configurations, which is a strong showing given the CPU’s mid-range positioning and the GPU’s high-end status. The rank reflects the balance between the components; the CPU’s 77th percentile score and the GPU’s 82nd percentile score combine to produce a system that handles this game well across all settings.

The data shows that the combo’s rank is likely driven by the GPU’s performance headroom at 1440p and 4K, where it delivers playable frame rates, while the CPU ensures that lower-resolution scenarios do not introduce stutter. The rank of 350 suggests that there are 349 combos with better overall performance, which may include higher-tier CPUs or GPUs, but the i5-12400’s proximity to its rivals (all within 0.4% in average score) indicates that CPU choice has less impact on this game’s ranking than GPU selection. For context, the GPU’s nearest rivals are within 0.6% of its score, so the ranking is tightly packed at this performance level. The measured FPS data confirms that this combo is well-suited for Control, with no resolution or setting combination falling below 59.4 FPS, which is acceptable for most players.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 113.7 FPS, which is smooth and visually rich; this is the best choice for players with high-refresh-rate monitors, as the Medium preset (148.2 FPS) offers a 30% improvement but sacrifices visual fidelity, and the Low preset (211 FPS) is only necessary for extreme refresh rates. The High preset at 129.7 FPS is a balanced option, providing most of the visual benefits of Ultra with a 14% performance boost.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 97.7 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it exceeds the 60 FPS target comfortably while maintaining good image quality. The Ultra preset at 83.4 FPS is still playable and offers the best visuals, but the drop to Medium at 114 FPS is a significant gain for players who prioritize smoothness over fidelity. For 3840x2160, the High preset at 66.5 FPS is the highest setting that maintains a 60+ FPS average, making it the best overall experience for 4K. The Medium preset at 75.2 FPS provides additional headroom, while the Ultra preset at 59.4 FPS dips below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable frame pacing issues. The Low preset at 103.8 FPS is viable for competitive play, but it severely reduces the game’s atmospheric effects, which are a core part of Control’s experience. In summary, the data supports using High at 4K, Ultra at 1440p for visual enthusiasts, and Ultra at 1080p for the best balance of performance and quality.