Control

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a playable, though not exceptional, experience in Control. Benchmark data shows the combination achieves a rank of 1632 out of 2888 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The system demonstrates a clear performance ceiling, with frame rates dropping sharply as resolution and settings increase, indicating a balanced but ultimately limited pairing that prioritizes 1080p gaming over higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a significant performance drop as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 82 FPS at 1080p to 62 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 24.4%. The drop continues to 42 FPS at 4K, representing a 48.8% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the rendering load on the Radeon RX 9060 increases substantially.

The relationship between resolution and performance is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 130 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p and finally 66 at 4K, showing a 49.2% total reduction from the lowest to highest resolution. The Medium preset follows a similar trajectory, dropping from 92 FPS at 1080p to 70 FPS at 1440p and 47 FPS at 4K, a 48.9% decline. These consistent percentages suggest that the scaling penalty is primarily resolution-driven rather than settings-driven, with the GPU's rendering capacity being the dominant constraint.

The frame time consistency also degrades at higher resolutions. At 1440p Medium, the minimum FPS is 59 with a maximum of 80, creating a 21 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range narrows slightly to 40-54 FPS, a 14 FPS spread, but the average sits closer to the minimum, indicating more frequent dips. This behavior points to the GPU operating near its limits at 4K, with less headroom to maintain stable frame delivery. The data suggests that 1080p is the optimal resolution for this combo, while 1440p remains feasible for lower settings, and 4K is only viable at Low settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F provides a solid foundation for Control, with 6 cores and 12 threads operating at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The processor's benchmark scores reflect competent multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12380 and a single-core score of 1680. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache contribute to its ability to handle the game's physics and AI calculations without becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 73 among all tested processors indicates it sits above average, though not at the top tier. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS with a score of 19047 (0% delta) and the Intel Core 3 201E at 19056 (-0.1% delta), showing the i5-12400F performs nearly identically to these alternatives. The PassMark multi-thread score of 19433 and single-thread score of 3481 demonstrate balanced performance across both lightly and heavily threaded workloads.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops follow a GPU-bound pattern. However, at 1080p Low settings, the 130 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU sufficiently, though the 82 FPS at High settings indicates the GPU is already limiting performance. The 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and 2-thread score of 1699 suggest adequate per-core performance for the game's primary game thread, while the 16-thread score of 5895 shows the CPU can handle background tasks without significant impact.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the central component determining this combo's performance in Control. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, the GPU provides 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves sufficient for the game's texture streaming at 1080p but becomes strained at higher resolutions. The GPU's boost clock of 2990 MHz and game clock of 2400 MHz, combined with 1792 shading units, deliver a FP32 performance of 21.43 TFLOPS, which the benchmark results show is adequate for medium settings at 1440p.

The GPU's benchmark scores position it in the 59th percentile among all GPUs, with a PassMark G3D score of 17631 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, scores 16129 on average, a -0.7% delta, indicating the RX 9060 performs slightly better in aggregate benchmarks. The DirectX 12 PassMark score of 44 is notably low, which may explain the GPU's struggles with Control's demanding rendering features at higher settings.

The GPU's 64 ROPs and 112 TMUs provide a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s, which are moderate figures that align with the observed FPS at 1080p High (82 FPS) and 1440p Medium (70 FPS). The 28 RT cores suggest some ray tracing capability, though the game's implementation appears to impact performance significantly, as evidenced by the 36 FPS average at 4K Ultra. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a limiting factor at 4K, where the game's high-resolution textures likely exceed the available memory, contributing to the lower frame rates and potential stuttering.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 achieves a rank of 1632 out of 2888 tested combos in Control, positioning it in the 56.5th percentile of all configurations. This ranking places it in the lower-middle tier, indicating that while the system is capable of running the game, it does not excel compared to more powerful alternatives. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning, as the CPU's 73rd percentile score suggests the processor is not the primary constraint.

The GPU's performance relative to its rivals provides context for the combo's ranking. The RX 9060's nearest competitor, the RTX 3060 Ti, scores 16129 on average, a -0.7% delta, meaning the RX 9060 is marginally ahead. However, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 scores 15852, a 1% delta, indicating the RX 9060 outperforms it by a small margin. These close margins suggest the GPU is competitive within its class, yet the combo's overall rank is dragged down by the CPU's mid-range standing and the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.

The rank of 1632 means there are 1256 combos that perform worse and 1631 that perform better, placing this system in the middle of the pack. This position is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows playable frame rates at 1080p across all settings (71-130 FPS) but sub-60 FPS at 4K for all presets except Low. The combo's performance profile suggests it is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p being possible at lower settings, and 4K being a stretch only at Low settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset provides the best balance, averaging 82 FPS with no reported minimum FPS, suggesting stable performance. The Ultra preset drops to 71 FPS, which is still playable, but the 11 FPS difference may not justify the visual improvements. The Low preset at 130 FPS offers a significant margin for high-refresh-rate displays, but the visual quality trade-off is substantial.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, averaging 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and maximum of 80 FPS. This provides a smooth experience while maintaining reasonable visual fidelity. The High preset at 62 FPS is also viable, but the lower average and lack of minimum FPS data suggest potential dips below 60 FPS. The Low preset at 98 FPS offers excellent performance but sacrifices too much visual quality for the resolution. The Ultra preset at 54 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the only viable option is the Low preset, which averages 66 FPS. The Medium preset at 47 FPS and High at 42 FPS are below the playable threshold for most users, and Ultra at 36 FPS is unplayable. The data clearly indicates that 4K is not a practical resolution for this combo, and users should stick to 1080p or 1440p for the best experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers the following average frame rates: Low settings achieve 130 FPS, Medium settings achieve 92 FPS with a range of 78-106 FPS, High settings achieve 82 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 71 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 45.4% reduction in performance, demonstrating the significant impact of settings on frame rate at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low settings at 98 FPS, Medium settings at 70 FPS with a range of 59-80 FPS, High settings at 62 FPS, and Ultra settings at 54 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 44.9% decrease, similar to the 1080p scaling. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 59 is notably close to the average, indicating some frame time variability.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low settings at 66 FPS, Medium settings at 47 FPS with a range of 40-54 FPS, High settings at 42 FPS, and Ultra settings at 36 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra is 45.5%, consistent with other resolutions. However, only the Low preset maintains an average above 60 FPS, and the Medium preset's minimum of 40 FPS suggests significant dips during intense scenes.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 82 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 achieves 70 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS, making it the recommended choice for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?*

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 66 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 47 FPS and High to 42 FPS, both below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, while the RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, a -0.7% delta, meaning the RX 9060 is marginally ahead.

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile and how does it compare to similar processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F ranks in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19039, nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS at 19047.

Q: Does the GPU's 8 GB VRAM limit performance at higher resolutions?

A: The data shows significant FPS drops at 4K, with only 66 FPS at Low settings, suggesting the 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for high-resolution textures.