Control

Control, a 2019 action-adventure title, stresses the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT more heavily than the Intel Core i7-12700K across all tested settings. The measured frame rates show a clear pattern where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, while the CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample headroom even at 1080p. With a combo rank of 1018 out of 1636 tested combinations, this pairing sits in the lower-middle tier for this specific game, indicating that the graphics card holds back the overall experience more than the processor does. The data shows a playable setup at 1440p with High settings, but 4K Ultra demands compromises that push average frame rates below 35 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a steep performance curve that is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 122.5 FPS, but this drops to 90.5 FPS at 1440p and further to 65.1 FPS at 4K. This represents a 47% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, which is a substantial hit that points directly at the RX 7600 XT's 128-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth as the bottleneck.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced at higher quality presets. With Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls from 69.4 FPS at 1080p to 51.2 FPS at 1440p and finally to 33.3 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K at Ultra is a 35% drop, while the gap between 1080p and 1440p is 26%. This non-linear degradation suggests that the GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, while ample in capacity, cannot maintain throughput as pixel count quadruples. The processor's role diminishes at 4K; the Core i7-12700K's 5.00 GHz boost clock and 20 threads are not the limiting factor when the GPU is already producing sub-45 FPS results.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this combo?

A: The data indicates 2560x1440 with High settings is the sweet spot, delivering 59.9 FPS average. This provides a smooth experience without the steep performance penalty seen at 4K, where even Low settings only reach 65.1 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7600 XT compare to its nearest rival, the RX 7600?

A: The RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score of 20146, which is 0.6% lower than the RX 7600's 20258. This negligible difference suggests near-identical raw performance in synthetic tests, though the 7600 XT's 16 GB VRAM offers more capacity.

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

A: At 4K, only Low settings produce a playable average of 65.1 FPS. Medium drops to 46.8 FPS, High to 42.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 33.3 FPS. The GPU's 22.57 TFLOPS FP32 compute is insufficient for high-fidelity 4K in this title.

Q: Is the Core i7-12700K a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29241 and single-core score of 4128 show strong performance. With 1080p Low producing 122.5 FPS, the processor keeps up easily, and the GPU becomes the limiting component even at lower resolutions.

Q: What settings should be avoided entirely?

A: 4K Ultra should be avoided, as the 33.3 FPS average is below acceptable playability thresholds. Similarly, 1440p Ultra at 51.2 FPS may feel inconsistent during fast-paced combat sequences.

Q: How does the GPU's memory configuration affect performance?

A: The 16 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. While capacity is generous, the narrow bus limits throughput, which explains the significant frame rate drops when moving from 1080p to 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1018 out of 1636 tested combinations places this pairing in the 62nd percentile of all tested systems for Control. This is a middling result that reflects the RX 7600 XT's position relative to other GPUs. The graphics card sits at the 63rd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20146. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, scores 19774, which is 1.9% lower, while the RTX 3070 Mobile scores 20534, 1.9% higher.

The CPU, by contrast, performs much better in isolation. The Core i7-12700K is at the 89th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35684. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, scores 35802, a mere 0.3% difference. This discrepancy between CPU and GPU standing explains the overall combo rank: the processor is overqualified for the graphics card's capabilities in Control, and the measured frame rates reflect this imbalance. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a stronger GPU would yield a significantly higher combo rank, as the 12-core processor would not be the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce 122.5 FPS, Medium reaches 89.7 FPS, High achieves 77.9 FPS, and Ultra settles at 69.4 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 53.1 FPS, showing that the GPU has enough headroom at this resolution to handle quality increases without collapsing.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop noticeably. Low yields 90.5 FPS, Medium 68.4 FPS, High 59.9 FPS, and Ultra 51.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 39.3 FPS, indicating that the GPU is starting to feel the pressure of additional pixels. High settings remain above 60 FPS, but barely, and Ultra dips below that threshold.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve flattens considerably. Low produces 65.1 FPS, Medium 46.8 FPS, High 42.2 FPS, and Ultra 33.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is now just 31.8 FPS, and all settings except Low fall below the 60 FPS target. This pattern confirms that the RX 7600 XT's pixel throughput, rated at 176.3 GPixel/s, is simply not sufficient for 4K with high-quality presets in this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K brings 12 cores and 20 threads to this pairing, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its Alder Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process, delivers strong single-threaded performance as evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2561 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4128. In Control, which is not particularly multi-threaded, this single-core strength ensures the CPU never becomes a bottleneck.

The processor's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 provide ample bandwidth for feeding the GPU. PassMark integer math score of 114264 and floating point math score of 88035 indicate robust computational throughput, but the game's measured frame rates show that this power is largely untapped. At 1080p Low, the 122.5 FPS result is likely near the GPU's maximum output, not the CPU's. The CPU's percentile rank of 89 against all processors, with an average benchmark score of 35684, places it far above the GPU's 63rd percentile, reinforcing the conclusion that the graphics card is the performance limiter in this configuration.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, 2560x1440 with High settings is the recommended configuration. This produces an average of 59.9 FPS, which is just shy of the 60 FPS target but still smooth enough for the game's action-adventure gameplay. At 1080p, High settings at 77.9 FPS offer a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS, making this the safer choice for players who prioritize frame rate consistency.

Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the 69.4 FPS average is playable, but the visual improvement over High does not justify the 11% frame rate penalty. At 1440p Ultra, the 51.2 FPS average introduces noticeable stutter during intense effects sequences. Medium settings provide a middle ground, with 89.7 FPS at 1080p and 68.4 FPS at 1440p, but High offers better visual fidelity for a relatively small performance cost. Low settings should only be used at 4K, where the 65.1 FPS average is the only playable option at that resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture using a 6 nm process at TSMC. It features 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2755 MHz and a game clock of 2470 MHz. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus delivers 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is the key constraint in Control's 4K performance.

The GPU's 22.57 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 352.6 GTexel/s texture rate are respectable for its class, but the measured FPS data shows that memory bandwidth is the limiting factor. The 128-bit bus is narrow for a card with 16 GB of VRAM, and this becomes evident in the scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 4K High, the 42.2 FPS average suggests the GPU is starved for data, despite having ample memory capacity. The card's PassMark G3D score of 17132 and average benchmark score of 20146 place it at the 63rd percentile, with its nearest rival being the RX 7600 at a 0.6% higher score. In Control specifically, the GPU's performance at high resolutions is below what the CPU can deliver, making this a balanced but ultimately GPU-limited system.