Control

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process with a 125 W TDP. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, and it features 20 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU posts a multi-threaded score of 23,444 in Cinebench R23 and a single-thread score of 3,309, while its average benchmark score of 27,827 places it at the 84th percentile against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance are the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores essentially identically with a 0% delta, and the Intel Core i5-12600K, which is a negligible 0.1% faster, indicating that the KF variant's lack of integrated graphics does not hamper its processing muscle. For a game like Control, which is an Action Adventure title, this level of multi-core throughput is ample; the game's engine typically scales well with strong single-thread performance, and the 4.90 GHz boost clock ensures that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck in frame generation, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom to push frames.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The 10-core, 16-thread configuration of the i5-12600KF provides a robust foundation for gaming workloads. Control is not an exceptionally demanding game in terms of CPU core count, but the high boost clock of 4.90 GHz is critical for maintaining high frame rates, as the game's physics and AI routines often rely on single-threaded performance. The benchmark data shows that this CPU's single-thread score of 1,016 in 3DMark single-thread and 3,309 in Cinebench R23 single-core are strong, allowing the processor to handle the game's primary game logic without creating a bottleneck. In multi-threaded tasks, the CPU's 23,444 Cinebench R23 score is more than sufficient for any background processes or streaming overhead, but in this game, the data indicates the CPU's role is largely supportive. At 1080p with Low settings, the combination achieves 162.4 FPS, which is close to the practical ceiling for many displays, and this high frame rate is a direct result of the CPU's ability to feed the GPU quickly. The deltaPct comparisons show the i5-12600KF is effectively tied with the i9-10900K (0% delta) and the i5-12600K (-0.1% delta), meaning that in this title, any difference in frame rates would be attributable to the GPU rather than these CPU-level variances. The processor's 20 MB of L3 cache also helps reduce memory latency, which can smooth out frame pacing in action sequences.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a 5 nm process and features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock reaches 2544 MHz, with a game clock of 2171 MHz, and the GPU houses 3,456 shading units, 216 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. This configuration yields a pixel rate of 244.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 549.5 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 35.17 TFLOPS. In synthetic benchmarks, the GPU scores 22,547 in Passmark G3D and 127,549 in Geekbench OpenCL, placing it at the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, which has a 0% delta in average score, though the RX 7700 XT is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon RX 570 in the same metric list, which is an anomaly given the generational gap. In Control, the GPU's 12 GB VRAM is more than adequate for the game's textures, even at 4K Ultra settings, where the measured average FPS is 46. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s is a key factor in maintaining consistent frame rates at higher resolutions, as Control features detailed environments and particle effects that stress memory throughput. The card's 96 ROPs are also well-suited for the game's rendering pipeline, ensuring that pixel fill rates do not become a limiting factor at 1440p and below, where the combination achieves over 125 FPS at Low settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p with High settings, the combination produces 103.1 FPS, which drops to 75.8 FPS at 1440p, and further to 53.2 FPS at 4K. This represents a 26.5% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a 48.4% decrease from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as the resolution rises. At 1080p Low settings, the frame rate is 162.4 FPS, which suggests that the CPU is still capable of pushing the GPU to its limits, but the GPU is not fully saturated, as evidenced by the fact that High settings only reduce the FPS to 103.1, a 36.5% drop. Moving to 1440p Low, the FPS is 125.2, which is a 22.9% reduction from 1080p Low, showing that the GPU is now more of a limiting factor. At 4K Low, the FPS is 79.4, which is a 51.1% drop from 1080p Low, confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution. The data shows that the CPU has sufficient headroom to handle the game's logic at all resolutions, while the GPU's performance scales predictably with pixel count. The 4K Ultra setting at 46 FPS is the most demanding scenario, and the gradual decline in FPS across settings at each resolution indicates that the RX 7700 XT is the component that determines the playability at higher quality presets, while the i5-12600KF maintains a stable frame delivery without causing stutters.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers an average of 162.4 FPS at Low settings, 112.8 FPS at Medium, 103.1 FPS at High, and 90.3 FPS at Ultra. The jump from Low to Medium is a 30.5% reduction, while the drop from Medium to High is a more modest 8.6%, and from High to Ultra is another 12.4% reduction. This suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for high refresh rates, while Ultra still maintains a playable frame rate. Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are 125.2 at Low, 87.5 at Medium, 75.8 at High, and 65.6 at Ultra. The delta between Low and Medium is 30.1%, and the drop from High to Ultra is 13.4%, showing a similar scaling pattern to 1080p but with a lower absolute ceiling. At 3840x2160, the performance is significantly lower: 79.4 FPS at Low, 60.6 FPS at Medium, 53.2 FPS at High, and 46 FPS at Ultra. The reduction from Low to Medium is 23.7%, and from High to Ultra is 13.5%, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed at 4K, with the Ultra preset barely maintaining 46 FPS, which would be noticeable in fast-paced action sequences. Across all resolutions, the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases, from a 44.4% difference at 1080p to a 42.0% difference at 4K, confirming that the GPU's rasterization capabilities are the primary driver of these results.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 690th out of 1,636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 42.2% of all configurations. This ranking reflects a balanced pairing, where the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's solid mid-range capabilities combine to deliver frame rates that are competitive but not top-tier. The data shows that the RX 7700 XT's average benchmark score of 30,097 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the RTX 5060, and the CPU's average score of 27,827 is within 1% of the i9-10900K, indicating that this combo's ranking is largely determined by the GPU's performance class rather than any CPU limitation. In the context of Control, the 690th rank suggests that many other combos with higher-end GPUs or more powerful CPUs will achieve higher frame rates, particularly at 4K Ultra, where this combo's 46 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players target. However, the ranking also shows that this combo outperforms a significant number of alternatives, especially those with older or lower-tier components, and the measured FPS at 1080p and 1440p are strong enough for smooth gameplay. The data indicates that this pairing is a competent mid-range solution for Control, with the GPU being the limiting factor for maximum quality settings.