Control

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570 produces a very specific performance curve in Control, one that is almost entirely dictated by the graphics card. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of degradation as resolution climbs, moving from a playable 1080p experience to a slideshow at 4K. This analysis walks through the data to explain what is happening, what it means for the CPU, and what settings offer the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, revealing that the AMD Radeon RX 570 is the primary limiting component in this configuration. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 59.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 44.6 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 14.5 FPS, and then drops further to 30.3 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 51.2% decrease in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings.

The trend is even more pronounced at higher visual presets. At High settings, the average frame rate goes from 34.6 FPS at 1080p to 26.1 FPS at 1440p, and finally to just 18.9 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows an identical 4K result of 18.9 FPS, suggesting that the GPU has hit a hard performance ceiling at that resolution, regardless of how much graphical load is added.

The data indicates that the RX 570’s 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and its 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K rendering in Control. Even at Low settings, the card cannot maintain 30 FPS at 3840x2160. The 1080p results, however, tell a different story. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 15.6 FPS, which is a substantial hit for a single preset tier. This suggests that while the GPU is the bottleneck, it is capable of delivering a smooth experience only when the resolution and settings are kept within its modest specifications.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores are strong, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23444 and a single-core score of 3309. The data suggests that this CPU is not the limiting factor in Control, as the FPS drops align perfectly with the GPU’s known limitations at higher resolutions.

Looking at the CPU’s performance relative to its rivals, it sits very close to the Intel Core i9-10900K, with a deltaPct of 0. This means the 12600KF is effectively on par with that older flagship in average benchmark score. It is also 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-12600K, which is a negligible difference. The data indicates that the 12600KF provides ample processing power for this game, even at 1080p where CPU load is typically higher.

At 1080p Low, the combination achieves 59.1 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS regardless of resolution. Instead, the FPS scales down consistently as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and high boost clock are more than sufficient to feed the RX 570’s 2048 shading units, ensuring that the graphics card is always the deciding factor in frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which produces an average of 59.1 FPS. This is the only configuration in the data that approaches a standard 60 FPS target. The next best option is 1080p Medium at 43.5 FPS, but this represents a 26.4% drop in performance compared to Low, which may not be worth the visual upgrade for competitive or action-oriented play.

For players who prefer higher visual fidelity, 1080p High offers 34.6 FPS and 1080p Ultra offers 33.2 FPS. These are playable but not smooth, and the difference between High and Ultra is only 1.4 FPS, making Ultra a poor trade-off for the extra GPU load. At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only viable option at 44.6 FPS, while Medium dips to 32.1 FPS and High falls to 26.1 FPS. The data clearly shows that 1440p is a stretch for this GPU, and 4K should be avoided entirely, as even Low settings only reach 30.3 FPS.

The recommendation is to use 1080p Low for the best balance of frame rate and responsiveness. If visual quality is a priority, 1080p Medium is the highest preset that maintains a playable frame rate, but the data suggests that the RX 570 is best utilized at its lowest setting to maximize smoothness in Control.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of an Intel Core i5-12600KF and an AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 1536 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the bottom 6% of all configurations, which is a low position that reflects the GPU’s age and limitations. The RX 570 is an end-of-life product from 2017, and its performance in this 2019 game is modest at best.

The GPU’s percentile ranking versus all GPUs is 74, which seems respectable, but its average benchmark score of 30158 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, which has a deltaPct of 0.2. This is misleading, as the RTX 5060 is a much more modern card, and the average benchmark score does not translate directly to gaming performance in Control. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, again with a deltaPct of 0.2, but the measured FPS data shows that the RX 570 struggles to maintain 60 FPS even at 1080p Low.

The CPU’s rank is much better, sitting at the 84th percentile of all CPUs, but this does not help the overall combo ranking. The low rank is almost entirely due to the GPU, as the data shows that the CPU is capable of much higher performance. In comparison to other combos, this pairing is held back by the graphics card, and the ranking reflects that imbalance.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?*

A: The best resolution is 1920x1080, as it is the only resolution where the combo can achieve an average frame rate above 50 FPS, specifically 59.1 FPS at Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27827, which is essentially identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K with a deltaPct of 0. It is also 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-12600K.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: No, 4K gaming is not viable. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 30.3 FPS at Low settings, and it drops to 18.9 FPS at High and Ultra settings.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 59.1 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 33.2 FPS. This is a difference of 25.9 FPS, or a 43.8% reduction.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck in this system?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 is the bottleneck. The FPS scales down proportionally with resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario, while the CPU’s benchmark scores are high enough to avoid being a limiting factor.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1536 out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the bottom percentile of all tested systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is provided below, showing the average frame rates for each resolution and settings combination.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 59.1 FPS
• Medium: 43.5 FPS
• High: 34.6 FPS
• Ultra: 33.2 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 44.6 FPS
• Medium: 32.1 FPS
• High: 26.1 FPS
• Ultra: 24.4 FPS

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 30.3 FPS
• Medium: 23.3 FPS
• High: 18.9 FPS
• Ultra: 18.9 FPS

The data shows a clear progression: lowering the settings at any given resolution yields a higher average FPS. At 1080p, the step from Low to Medium is 15.6 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra is only 1.4 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at the highest preset. At 1440p, all settings are below 45 FPS, and at 4K, all settings are below 31 FPS. This breakdown confirms that the RX 570 is only capable of delivering a smooth experience at 1080p with lower settings, and that the CPU has no influence on the frame rate at higher resolutions.