Control

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX delivers a powerful, high-refresh-rate experience in Control, with the data showing strong performance across all tested resolutions and settings. This pairing ranks 536th out of 3,720 tested combos for this game, placing it comfortably in the top tier of systems. The CPU, a 10-core, 16-thread Alder Lake part with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, provides ample processing headroom, while the GPU, with its 24 GB of GDDR6 memory and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, handles the game's demanding visuals with ease. Benchmark results indicate that this system is well-suited for smooth gameplay at 1440p and even 4K, with the ability to push very high frame rates at lower settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 536 out of 3,720 tested combinations places this system in the top 14.4% of all tested hardware pairings for Control. This is a strong showing, indicating that the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX work well together to deliver high performance in this specific title. The rank reflects not just the GPU's raw power but also the CPU's ability to feed it adequately, avoiding significant bottlenecks that would drag the system down the list. While not a top-10 contender, this position suggests a very capable machine for this game, one that should provide a consistently smooth experience at high graphical presets.

When considering the CPU's standing among its peers, the i5-12600KF holds a percentile of 79 against all CPUs in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score of 27,799 places it in close competition with several notable rivals. For instance, it is only 0.3% behind the Intel Core i9-10900K and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, both of which are older but highly respected gaming processors. It also sits 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE. This tight grouping suggests that the i5-12600KF offers comparable processing power to these alternatives, making the overall combo's rank largely dependent on the GPU's performance. The data shows that the CPU is not a weak link in this pairing.

The GPU's own percentile is 64 against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,410. This is a more modest figure, but the nearest rivals list paints a picture of its standing relative to specific legacy cards. The RX 7900 XTX is 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB and 1.2% ahead of the NVIDIA TITAN Xp. It trails the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 by 1% and the AMD FirePro D300 by 1.2%. These deltas are small, but the nature of the rivals—older, lower-tier cards—highlights that the average benchmark score may not fully capture the RX 7900 XTX's modern feature set and performance in a current title like Control. The combo's high rank in-game suggests that its real-world performance exceeds what the synthetic average would imply.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the undisputed performance driver in this pairing, and its specifications are substantial. It is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 31 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC, containing 57,700 million transistors on a 529 mm² die. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1929 MHz and a boost clock of 2498 MHz, with a game clock rated at 2365 MHz. This high clock speed is crucial for Control, a game that relies heavily on GPU compute for its physics and visual effects. The memory subsystem is equally impressive, featuring 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This massive memory pool ensures that even at 4K with high-resolution textures, the GPU will not run out of memory, preventing stutters and frame drops.

The GPU's compute capabilities are immense. It has 6,144 shading units, 384 TMUs, and 192 ROPs, along with 96 ray accelerators. Its pixel rate is 479.6 GPixel/s and texture rate is 959.2 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 61.39 TFLOPS. These raw numbers translate directly to the measured FPS in the game. For example, at 3840x2160 with High settings, the system averages 72 FPS. Pushing to Ultra drops that to 63 FPS, while dropping to Medium raises it to 82 FPS, and Low yields 115 FPS. This scaling pattern shows that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance, with the CPU providing enough support to allow these frame rates to be realized. The 20 Gbps effective memory speed is also a key factor, allowing the GPU to feed its many compute units without stalling.

The GPU's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6 ensures compatibility with modern rendering techniques. In Control, which uses DirectX 12, the GPU can leverage features like ray tracing and mesh shaders, although the measured FPS data does not specify whether these are enabled. The high VRAM capacity and bandwidth are particularly beneficial for this game, as it is known for its destructible environments and complex particle effects that can tax memory. The data shows that the RX 7900 XTX is more than capable of handling these demands, making it the clear star of the show in this combo.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combo in Control?*

A: The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX ranks 536th out of 3,720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the top 14.4% of all tested systems.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27,799. It is 0.3% behind the Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, and 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE, showing it is competitively matched with these processors.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve at 1920x1080?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 225. At Medium, it is 160 FPS, at High it is 142 FPS, and at Ultra, it is 123 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for high-resolution gaming in this title?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX features 24 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 384-bit bus and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for even the most demanding scenarios in Control at 4K.

Q: What is the GPU's clock speed and how does it affect performance?

A: The GPU has a base clock of 1929 MHz, a game clock of 2365 MHz, and a boost clock of 2498 MHz. These high clocks, combined with the 61.39 TFLOPS FP32 performance, are directly responsible for the high frame rates observed in the measured data.

Q: How does the combo perform at 2560x1440 with High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the system averages 107 FPS, which is a smooth and playable frame rate for most gamers. It can reach higher frame rates at lower settings, with 170 FPS at Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates exceptional capability, easily surpassing 120 FPS at all settings. The lowest average FPS at this resolution is 123 FPS at Ultra settings, which is still extremely smooth. At Medium, the average rises to 160 FPS, with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 184 FPS, indicating good frame pacing. High settings yield 142 FPS average, while Low settings produce a staggering 225 FPS average, showing the CPU and GPU's headroom at lower graphical loads.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive. At Ultra settings, the average FPS is 93, which is still very playable for a fast-paced action game. High settings yield a solid 107 FPS average, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors. Medium settings provide an average of 121 FPS, with a minimum of 103 FPS and a maximum of 139 FPS, ensuring a consistent experience. At Low settings, the system reaches an average of 170 FPS, demonstrating that there is significant performance headroom if users prefer to prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the system remains a capable 4K performer, though the demands of the resolution become apparent. The average FPS at Ultra settings drops to 63 FPS, which is on the cusp of what many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay, but still playable. High settings bring this up to 72 FPS, which is a better target for a 60 Hz display. Medium settings deliver 82 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and maximum of 94 FPS, providing a comfortable margin. At Low settings, the average FPS jumps to 115, showing that the GPU can still push high frame rates at 4K when the visual load is reduced. This data shows a clear scaling pattern, with the GPU being the limiting factor at 4K, but the CPU never becoming a bottleneck, even at lower settings where frame rates are highest.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF plays a supporting but critical role in this combo. As a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, it provides substantial multi-threaded performance. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, which boosts up to 4.90 GHz, and it has a 20 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores reflect its capabilities: it scores 23,391 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,302 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 12,137 and single-core of 2,157. These scores indicate that the CPU is more than capable of handling game logic, AI, and physics calculations in Control, which can be demanding on multiple threads.

The CPU's role becomes more evident at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU is not the limiting factor. For instance, at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 225 FPS. At this frame rate, the CPU must process frames fast enough to keep up with the GPU's output. The i5-12600KF's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3,302 Cinebench R23 single-core score, is crucial here. If the CPU were weaker, the frame rate would plateau regardless of GPU power. The data shows no such plateau, with FPS scaling consistently from Ultra to Low, indicating the CPU has sufficient headroom.

Furthermore, the CPU's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, with a dual-channel memory bus, provides flexibility for system builders. The benchmark results show that the CPU's average benchmark score of 27,799 is competitive with the likes of the Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, both of which are known for strong gaming performance. This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the i5-12600KF will perform admirably. The processor's 125W TDP and support for PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes also ensure it can fully utilize the RX 7900 XTX's PCIe 4.0 x16 interface without bandwidth limitations. The data confirms that the CPU is a solid foundation for this high-end GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and frame rate priorities. For users with a 1920x1080 monitor, the data suggests that even Ultra settings are viable, with an average of 123 FPS. However, for those seeking the absolute highest frame rates, dropping to High settings yields 142 FPS, or Medium for 160 FPS. Given that the game is an action-adventure title, the difference between High and Ultra is often subtle, and the higher frame rate at High settings provides a smoother, more responsive experience. At this resolution, Medium settings offer the best balance of visual quality and performance, with a minimum FPS of 136, ensuring no significant drops.

At 2560x1440, the system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming. High settings provide an average of 107 FPS, which is ideal for a 144 Hz monitor. This is the recommended preset for most users at this resolution, as it delivers a significant visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining a high frame rate. For those with a 165 Hz or 240 Hz monitor, dropping to Medium settings yields 121 FPS, which is still a very fluid experience. Ultra settings at 93 FPS are also playable, but the marginal visual gains are not worth the performance cost compared to High. Low settings at 170 FPS are only recommended for competitive play where frame rate is the primary concern.

At 3840x2160, the target should be a stable 60 FPS or higher. High settings produce an average of 72 FPS, which is a good choice for a 60 Hz or 120 Hz display, providing a comfortable margin above the minimum. Medium settings at 82 FPS are also an excellent option, with a minimum of 69 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience. Ultra settings at 63 FPS are playable, but the average is close to the 60 FPS threshold, and any demanding scene could result in noticeable dips. Low settings at 115 FPS are overkill for most 4K displays and result in a significant loss of visual quality. Therefore, for 4K, the High preset is the best overall recommendation, offering a strong balance of fidelity and performance. The data consistently shows that the High preset is the sweet spot for this combo across all resolutions, providing high frame rates without sacrificing the game's detailed visuals.