Control

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a solid, playable experience in Control, though the data reveals a configuration that is clearly more comfortable at 1080p and 1440p than at 4K. With a combo rank of 2008 out of 3720 tested combinations, this system sits in the upper-middle tier of the database, indicating that while it is not a top-tier enthusiast setup, it is far from a budget compromise. The benchmark results show a consistent scaling pattern across resolutions, with the GPU emerging as the primary limiting factor at higher settings, while the CPU proves more than capable of feeding the frame buffer at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's overall rank of 2008 out of 3720 places it in the 54th percentile of all tested CPU-GPU pairings for Control. This is a mid-pack result, suggesting that roughly half of the tested configurations outperform this system, while the other half trail behind. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing: the i5-12600KF is a strong mid-range processor, but the RTX 4060 is an entry-level Ada Lovelace GPU, and the combination lands where one would expect—solidly in the middle of the pack, capable of running the game well but not dominating the charts.

Looking at the CPU's synthetic benchmarks, the i5-12600KF scores an average of 27799, placing it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores 27872 (a delta of -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D at 27896 (-0.3%). The data shows the i5-12600KF is essentially tied with these older flagship and high-end gaming chips, with a negligible 0.3% difference in average score. This indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck here; it has ample compute headroom for Control's physics-heavy gameplay.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4060's average benchmark score is 17639, which lands it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are notably weaker products: the AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666 (-0.2%), and the AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588 (+0.3%). The RTX 4060 is effectively neck-and-neck with these legacy and integrated parts in raw compute metrics, which is a telling sign—this GPU is positioned as a 1080p-class card, and its mid-pack combo rank reflects that limitation in a demanding title like Control.

GPU Role

The RTX 4060 is built on the AD107 chip with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clocks run at 2125 MHz, which translates to 17 Gbps effective, while the GPU core boosts to 2460 MHz from a base of 1830 MHz. These specifications define the card's role in this pairing: it is a compact, power-efficient solution (115 W TDP) designed for mainstream resolutions, not for 4K ultra settings.

In Control, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows that the card's raw throughput, not the memory size, becomes the constraint at higher resolutions. The 128-bit memory bus is narrow by modern standards, and the 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is modest. The benchmark results reflect this: at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 39, which is below the playable threshold for most users, indicating that the GPU is overwhelmed by the pixel count and shading demands at that resolution. The card's 3072 shading units and 48 ROPs are simply not enough to maintain high frame rates at 3840x2160 with maximum settings.

The RTX 4060's tensor and RT cores (96 and 24, respectively) are present but not heavily utilized in Control without ray tracing enabled. The measured FPS data does not include ray tracing scenarios, so the analysis focuses on rasterization performance. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support and 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are adequate for the game's engine, but the performance ceiling is clear. At 1440p Ultra, the card manages 58 FPS average, which is playable but not smooth, and at 4K High it limps to 45 FPS. This is a GPU that excels at 1080p and handles 1440p with settings adjustments, but it is not a 4K-capable part.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 140 at 1080p to 106 at 1440p and further to 71 at 4K. This represents a 24% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 33% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the GPU is becoming increasingly saturated as pixel count rises.

At High settings, the pattern is similar: 88 FPS at 1080p, 67 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24%, and from 1440p to 4K is 33%. This consistent percentage drop across settings suggests that the limiting component remains the same—the GPU. The CPU, with its strong single-thread score of 3302 in Cinebench R23 and 1016 in 3DMark single-thread, has plenty of headroom to drive the game at even 4K if the GPU could keep up.

The scaling behavior is most telling at Ultra settings, where the FPS goes from 77 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p and 39 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below 40 FPS, which is a critical threshold for smooth gameplay. The data strongly indicates that the RTX 4060 is the bottleneck at 4K, as the CPU's performance would not degrade with resolution. In contrast, at 1080p, the system achieves 77 FPS at Ultra, which is a respectable result, showing that the CPU-GPU balance is nearly optimal at that resolution. The conclusion is that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p requiring a settings reduction to maintain high frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers strong performance across all settings. Low settings yield an average of 140 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth and well above any refresh rate concerns. Medium settings produce 99 FPS average, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS, showing a stable frame time distribution. High settings average 88 FPS, which is still excellent for fast-paced action. Ultra settings drop to 77 FPS average, which is still playable and smooth for most users, though the lack of minimum FPS data means we cannot assess 1% lows.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains playable but with noticeable reductions. Low settings average 106 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium settings average 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS, indicating some frame dips but generally stable performance. High settings average 67 FPS, which is on the edge of optimal smoothness for a 60 Hz display. Ultra settings drop to 58 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal, and the lack of minimum data suggests potential for stutter in heavy scenes.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle significantly. Low settings average 71 FPS, which is acceptable but not great. Medium settings average 51 FPS, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS—the minimum is below 45 FPS, which can cause noticeable judder. High settings average 45 FPS, which is marginal for playability. Ultra settings average 39 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay and not recommended for an enjoyable experience. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in Control beyond Low settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 39, and at 4K High it is 45. These results are below the 60 FPS target and approach the minimum playable threshold. Only at 4K Low (71 FPS) does the system achieve a smooth experience, so 4K gaming is limited to Low settings.

Q: How does the i5-12600KF compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, which is within 0.3% of the Intel Core i9-10900K (27872) and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (27896). This indicates the CPU is competitive with older high-end chips in synthetic tests.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 77 FPS average, and at Low settings it reaches 140 FPS. These results indicate the GPU is well-utilized, and the CPU is not limiting performance at this resolution.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 4060, and does it matter?

A: The RTX 4060 has a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. The bandwidth is modest, and the 4K performance drop (from 77 FPS at 1080p Ultra to 39 FPS at 4K Ultra) suggests that the narrow bus and limited ROPs are significant factors at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance, and why is it relevant?

A: The i5-12600KF scores 3302 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 1016 in 3DMark single-thread. This strong single-thread performance is relevant because Control's physics engine relies on CPU compute, and the data shows the CPU is not a bottleneck even at 1080p Low where the GPU is fully loaded.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 rank against its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average score of 17639, which is within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17509) and within 0.3% of the AMD Radeon 780M (17588). This shows the GPU is comparable to legacy discrete and modern integrated solutions in raw compute, but its feature set and drivers provide better gaming performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is recommended, as the 77 FPS average is smooth and the visual fidelity is highest. The High preset at 88 FPS offers a slight performance boost with minimal visual compromise, but Ultra is fully playable. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors (144 Hz), the Medium preset at 99 FPS, or even Low at 140 FPS, would be better choices to leverage the display's capabilities.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the best balance, delivering 67 FPS average, which is suitable for a 60 Hz display. The Medium preset at 75 FPS provides additional headroom and yields a minimum of 64 FPS, ensuring smoother frame pacing. The Ultra preset at 58 FPS is playable but not ideal, and the Low preset at 106 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality for such a resolution. The recommendation is to use High or Medium, depending on whether frame rate consistency or visual fidelity is prioritized.

At 3840x2160, the data is less favorable. The Low preset at 71 FPS is the only playable option, but it severely compromises visual quality. The Medium preset at 51 FPS is borderline, with a minimum of 43 FPS that could cause noticeable stutter. The High and Ultra presets (45 FPS and 39 FPS, respectively) are not recommended for a smooth experience. The data suggests that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in Control, and users with 4K displays should either lower the resolution or accept significant settings reductions. For the best overall experience, 1080p Ultra or 1440p High are the sweet spots for this hardware configuration.