Control

# Control with Intel Core i7-12700K + AMD Radeon RX 9060

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a playable but inconsistent experience in Control, with measured frame rates ranging from 36 FPS at 4K Ultra to 130 FPS at 1080p Low. The combination ranks 1632 out of 2888 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance helps maintain solid frame rates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down how each component contributes to the measured results, how resolution scaling affects performance, and which settings provide the best experience.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The processor includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus, and features PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present but irrelevant for gaming with a discrete GPU installed.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i7-12700K demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability. It scores 19,784 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,850.5 in single-core, while Geekbench results show 15,790 multi-core and 2,308 single-core. The 3DMark suite reveals scaling characteristics: 2,065 with 2 threads, 4,011 with 4 threads, 7,202 with 8 threads, 9,276 with 16 threads, and 9,979 with max threads. This scaling pattern indicates that the processor gains meaningful performance up to about 8 threads, after which returns diminish—a typical profile for a hybrid architecture with performance and efficiency cores.

The processor's percentile ranking of 84 against all CPUs confirms it sits above the vast majority of processors in the database. Its average benchmark score of 35,287 places it nearly identical to its nearest rivals: the Intel Core i5-13600T (35,305, -0.1% delta), Intel Core i7-12700KF (35,365, -0.2% delta), Intel Core i7-13700T (35,403, -0.3% delta), and Intel Core 5 213PE (35,428, -0.4% delta). These deltas are negligible, meaning the i7-12700K trades blows with these processors within a fraction of a percent.

For Control, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p, where the system achieves its highest frame rates. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo reaches 130 FPS average, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently at lower resolutions. The single-core performance, demonstrated by the 1,850.5 Cinebench R23 single-core score and 4,013 PassMark single-thread score, is sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck in this action-adventure title. Control is not typically CPU-intensive in the way that simulation or strategy games are, and the 12-core, 20-thread configuration provides ample headroom for background tasks and game engine threads.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process. It contains 29,700 million transistors on a 199 mm² die, with a transistor density of 149.2M per mm². The GPU features 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, 64 render output units, and 28 ray tracing cores. Its base clock is 1700 MHz, with a boost clock of 2990 MHz and a game clock of 2400 MHz. Memory consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, running at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed, yielding 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card is rated for 132 W TDP, requires a 300 W suggested power supply, and connects via PCIe 5.0 x16. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

In GPU benchmarks, the RX 9060 scores 33,22 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 88,183 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 39,476 in Geekbench Vulkan. PassMark results show 17,631 in G3D and 9,919 in GPU compute. The GPU's percentile ranking is 59 against all GPUs, placing it slightly above the median. Its average benchmark score of 16,014 is nearly matched by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16,129, -0.7% delta), while the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15,862, +1% delta), AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15,852, +1% delta), and AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15,679, +2.1% delta) trail by small margins. This places the RX 9060 in a performance tier comparable to the RTX 3060 Ti, though the comparison is based on aggregate benchmark scores rather than game-specific results.

For Control, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM capacity and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results show significant frame rate degradation. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only achieve 66 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 36 FPS. The GPU's compute capabilities—21.43 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 (1:1)—are modest by current standards, which aligns with its mid-tier positioning. The ray tracing cores (28) are present, but Control's implementation may not fully utilize them given the older game release date.

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

The measured frame rates reveal a clear resolution scaling pattern that identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system averages 130 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops this to 98 FPS, a 24.6% reduction. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 66 FPS, representing a 49.2% drop from 1080p and a 32.7% drop from 1440p. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor.

At High settings, the pattern is similar but with lower absolute values. The 1080p High average is 82 FPS, dropping to 62 FPS at 1440p (24.4% reduction) and 42 FPS at 4K (48.8% reduction from 1080p). Medium settings show 92 FPS at 1080p, 70 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce the lowest values: 71 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K.

The consistent ~24% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~49% drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings strongly indicates that the RX 9060's rendering throughput, not the CPU, governs performance scaling. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect smaller percentage drops at higher resolutions, since the CPU workload remains relatively constant while GPU load increases. Instead, the near-linear scaling with pixel count points to GPU limitations. The 8 GB VRAM may also contribute to the 4K performance degradation, though the frame rate drops are more consistent with raw compute and bandwidth constraints than memory capacity issues.

The CPU's capability is demonstrated by the fact that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 130 FPS without apparent CPU limitation. The i7-12700K's strong single-thread performance (1,850.5 Cinebench R23 single-core) and high boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide sufficient headroom to drive the GPU at lower resolutions. Only if frame rates had plateaued or shown inconsistent scaling would CPU involvement be suspected.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1632 out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 56.5th percentile of all tested configurations. This means roughly 56% of tested combos perform better, while 44% perform worse. Given the GPU's modest 59th percentile ranking and the CPU's strong 84th percentile ranking, the overall combo rank is dragged down by the GPU's mid-tier positioning.

This ranking makes sense when considering the individual component strengths. The CPU is clearly not the limiting factor—it outperforms 84% of all CPUs in the database. The GPU, however, only outperforms 59% of all GPUs. The combo's 56.5th percentile rank in Control is slightly below the GPU's individual percentile, suggesting that Control's specific rendering demands may not play to the RX 9060's strengths. The game's release date of 2019-08-26 predates the GPU's 2025-08-04 release, so no game-specific optimizations are likely present in the title.

Relative to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RX 9060's aggregate benchmark score is within 1% of the RTX 3060 Ti, R9 370X, and RX 7700. If Control performance follows the aggregate benchmark pattern, users could expect similar frame rates from these GPUs when paired with comparable CPUs. However, the measured data for this specific combo provides the most reliable reference point. The rank of 1632 is a middling result—not embarrassing, but not impressive either. For a game that can be demanding at high resolutions, this combo delivers acceptable performance at 1080p and 1440p with appropriate settings adjustments.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 delivers the highest frame rates across all settings, ranging from 71 FPS at Ultra to 130 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, averages range from 54 FPS at Ultra to 98 FPS at Low. At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve above 60 FPS with 66 FPS average, while all other settings fall below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the i7-12700K compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35,287, which is virtually identical to the Intel Core i5-13600T (35,305, -0.1% delta), Intel Core i7-12700KF (35,365, -0.2% delta), Intel Core i7-13700T (35,403, -0.3% delta), and Intel Core 5 213PE (35,428, -0.4% delta). All of these processors are within 0.4% of each other.

Q: Is the RX 9060's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Control at 4K?

A: The measured 4K results show frame rates between 36 FPS at Ultra and 66 FPS at Low. While the data does not isolate VRAM usage, the significant performance drop from 1080p to 4K suggests the GPU's overall resources, including memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, are strained at this resolution regardless of VRAM capacity.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo averages 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. This provides a playable experience with reasonable visual quality, though not at high refresh rates.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 1632 out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The CPU's 84th percentile ranking is offset by the GPU's 59th percentile ranking, resulting in an overall middling position.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 Low, the system reaches 130 FPS average, suggesting the CPU is not limiting performance at this resolution. The i7-12700K's strong single-thread score of 1,850.5 in Cinebench R23 and 4,013 in PassMark single-thread indicates sufficient processing power to feed the GPU effectively.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, High settings provide 82 FPS average, which is a well-balanced choice for smooth gameplay without sacrificing visual quality. Medium settings at 1080p deliver 92 FPS, offering a slightly faster experience with modest visual compromises. Ultra at 1080p yields 71 FPS, which remains playable but does not provide a significant visual improvement over High for the frame rate cost.

At 2560x1440, High settings produce 62 FPS average, which is borderline acceptable for most players. Medium settings at 1440p deliver 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, making this the recommended choice for a smoother experience. Low settings at 1440p reach 98 FPS but significantly compromise visual quality. Ultra at 1440p drops to 54 FPS, which may be acceptable for players prioritizing image quality over smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. Low settings achieve 66 FPS average, making it the only 4K setting that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. Medium settings at 4K average 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. High settings at 4K drop to 42 FPS, and Ultra falls to 36 FPS. For 4K gaming, Low settings are recommended for playable frame rates, while Medium is viable for players who tolerate sub-60 FPS performance.

The best overall experience per the measured data is 1080p High at 82 FPS or 1440p Medium at 70 FPS, depending on whether resolution or visual fidelity is prioritized. The 1080p High setting provides a strong balance of performance and quality, while 1440p Medium offers a higher resolution with acceptable frame rates. For players with 4K displays, Low settings are the only option that maintains playable performance.

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

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the Low setting delivers the highest average at 130 FPS, followed by Medium at 92 FPS (minimum 78, maximum 106), High at 82 FPS, and Ultra at 71 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 38 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 10 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 11 FPS. This indicates diminishing returns as settings increase, with the largest performance cost occurring between Low and Medium.

At 2560x1440, the pattern is similar but compressed. Low averages 98 FPS, Medium averages 70 FPS (minimum 59, maximum 80), High averages 62 FPS, and Ultra averages 54 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 28 FPS, between Medium and High is 8 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 8 FPS. The 1440p Medium setting provides the only minimum frame rate data point (59 FPS) among the measured rows at this resolution, indicating it remains just above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, performance drops significantly across all settings. Low averages 66 FPS, Medium averages 47 FPS (minimum 40, maximum 54), High averages 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 19 FPS, between Medium and High is 5 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 6 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings maintain an average above 60 FPS, while Medium dips below with a 47 FPS average and a 40 FPS minimum.

Comparing across resolutions, the Low setting shows the most consistent scaling: 130 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 66 FPS at 4K. Medium settings scale from 92 FPS at 1080p to 70 FPS at 1440p to 47 FPS at 4K. High settings range from 82 FPS at 1080p to 62 FPS at 1440p to 42 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings span 71 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. The only settings with minimum and maximum data are Medium at all three resolutions, providing a more complete picture of frame time consistency: 78-106 at 1080p, 59-80 at 1440p, and 40-54 at 4K.