Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title, presents a demanding workload that scales sharply with both resolution and graphical preset. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB, using only the data provided. The combination ranks 1908th out of 3720 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the field. The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and high boost clock of 3130 MHz are critical factors, while the CPU’s 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample processing headroom. The measured FPS data reveals a system that is consistently GPU-limited, with performance dropping by roughly half from 1080p to 4K at identical settings, indicating that the graphics card is the primary bottleneck in this configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 78 FPS. This is the lowest average at 1080p, compared to 90 FPS on High, 101 FPS on Medium, and 143 FPS on Low.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i5-13600T’s score of 35305. It is also 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-12700KF, which scores 35365.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB sits at the 24th percentile among all GPUs, based on its average benchmark score of 4093 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test.

Q: Does the game data include minimum FPS readings?

A: Yes, but only for Medium settings. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum FPS is 44; at 2560x1440 Medium, it is 65; and at 1920x1080 Medium, it is 86. All other settings rows have null min and max values.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p Low and 4K Low?

A: At 1920x1080 Low, the average FPS is 143. At 3840x2160 Low, the average drops to 73 FPS. This represents a 70 FPS reduction, or a 49% decrease, when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Is the CPU’s memory bandwidth specification listed?

A: The fact pack lists the memory support as DDR4 and DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, but the memory bandwidth field is null. No specific bandwidth number is provided for the Intel Core i7-12700K.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is the central component in this gaming performance analysis, and its specifications directly explain the measured FPS patterns. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 322.3 GB/s. While this is sufficient for many titles, the data suggests that it becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions in Control. The GPU’s boost clock is rated at 3130 MHz, with a game clock of 2530 MHzhol, indicating a high potential for sustained performance. However, the card is placed at the 24th percentile among all GPUs, which is a low ranking, and its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel HD Graphics 630 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M, which are far less capable parts.

The GPU’s performance in Control is consistent with its modest standing. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 90 FPS, but this falls to 68 FPS at 1440p and 46 FPS at 4K. This scaling suggests that the GPU is handling the rendering load, but the frame rate drops are substantial. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is likely a factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is just 40. The combination of a 128-bit bus and 8 GB memory may struggle with the high-resolution textures and effects in Control, leading to lower frame rates compared to what the core clock speed might suggest. The GPU’s texture rate is 400.6 GTexel/s and its pixel rate is 200.3 GPixel/s, which are moderate figures that align with the observed performance.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 4093 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 further contextualizes its role. With a deltaPct of 0.4% against the Intel HD Graphics 630, the RX 9060 XT is only marginally faster in that specific test, though its real-world gaming results are notably better. The data indicates that while the GPU has a high boost clock, its overall architecture and memory subsystem place it in a lower performance tier. In this game, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as the FPS drops significantly when resolution increases, regardless of the CPU’s capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, highlighting the GPU as the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 143 at 1920x1080 to 108 at 2560x1440, and finally to 73 at 3840x2160. This is a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K, showing that the GPU’s rendering capabilities are severely strained at higher pixel counts. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35 FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is another 35 FPS, indicating a linear scaling pattern with resolution.

At High settings, the pattern is similar but with lower absolute numbers. The average FPS is 90 at 1080p, 68 at 1440p, and 46 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is 49%, identical to the Low settings scenario. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all presets, as the relative performance loss is uniform regardless of the graphical load. The Medium settings show a similar trend, with averages of 101 FPS at 1080p, 77 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K, a drop of 49% from the lowest to highest resolution.

Ultra settings show the most severe impact, with average FPS of 78 at 1080p, 59 at 1440p, and 40 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 38 FPS, or 49%, which is consistent with the other presets. The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical across all settings strongly indicates that the system is GPU-bound. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the FPS to remain more stable across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload does not scale with resolution. Instead, the consistent 49% reduction in FPS from 1080p to 4K points directly to the GPU’s pixel and texture processing limits being reached at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB combination ranks 1908th out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 51st percentile of all tested systems, meaning it performs better than just over half of the configurations in the database. The rank of 1908 is a precise indicator of its standing, but the context of the GPU’s low percentile is important. The CPU is in the 84th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35287, which is a strong result. In contrast, the GPU is in the 24th percentile, showing a significant mismatch in the performance tier of the two components.

The combo rank is likely dragged down by the GPU, as the CPU’s synthetic benchmarks are far more competitive. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-13600T and Intel Core i7-12700KF, have average scores that are within 0.4% of the 12700K, indicating that the CPU is well-matched to its peers. However, the GPU’s nearest rivals are the Intel HD Graphics 630 and AMD Radeon R5 M330, which are integrated or low-end discrete parts. This disparity is reflected in the overall combo ranking, which does not break the top half of the field.

In practical terms, this rank means that the combo is not a top-tier performer for Control, but it is far from the bottom. The measured FPS data supports this, as the system can achieve playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p on medium to high settings, but struggles at 4K. The 1908th rank out of 3720 combos suggests that there are many faster configurations, but also many slower ones. For a benchmark database, this rank serves as a reference point for users comparing their own systems, indicating that this specific CPU-GPU pairing is a mid-range performer in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system performs best on Low settings with an average of 143 FPS. Medium settings yield 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS. High settings drop to 90 FPS, and Ultra settings are the most demanding at 78 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 65 FPS, showing a significant impact from graphical presets at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are 108 on Low, 77 on Medium, 68 on High, and 59 on Ultra. The Medium settings row includes a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 88 FPS, providing a range of performance. The drop from Low to Ultra is 49 FPS, which is a smaller absolute difference than at 1080p, but the percentage drop is similar. At 3840x2160, the averages are 73 on Low, 52 on Medium, 46 on High, and 40 on Ultra. The Medium settings again include min and max values of 44 and 60 FPS, respectively)Skip the FPS is not smooth at this resolution.

The data shows that the system can achieve 60 FPS or higher at 1080p on all settings except Ultra, where it falls to 78 FPS, which is still playable. At 1440p, only Low settings exceed 100 FPS, while Medium and High are below 80 FPS. At 4K, no setting reaches 60 FPS, with Low settings being the only option to exceed 70 FPS. The minimum FPS readings at Medium settings are 86, 65, and 44 for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively, indicating that frame pacing can become an issue at higher resolutions. These numbers paint a picture of a system that is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p being a compromise, and 4K being a challenge.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1920x1080, the High preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 90 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, allowing for dips without dropping below playable levels. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 78 FPS, which is also above 60 FPS, but the margin is smaller. For users who prioritize visual fidelity, Ultra is viable, but High offers a safer balance.

At 2560x1440, achieving 60 FPS requires a compromise. The High preset averages 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended setting for this resolution. Medium settings average 77 FPS, providing more headroom, but the visual quality is lower. Low settings at 1440p average 108 FPS, which is excessive for most displays, but could be used for competitive play. Ultra settings at 1440p average 59 FPS, which is just below 60 FPShol, and may result in occasional stutters, so it is not recommended.

For 3840x2160, the data shows that no preset achieves a 60 FPS average. The Low preset averages 73 FPS, which is the only option above 60 FPS, making it the only viable choice for a smooth experience. Medium settings at 4K average 52 FPS, which is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action. High and Ultra settings at 4K, with averages of 46 and 40 FPS respectively, are below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided for a consistent experience. The recommended approach is to use High at 1080p for the best balance, Medium at 1440p for a stable frame rate, and Low at 4K for the highest playable performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K plays a supporting role in this configuration, as the data strongly indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU has 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It is based on the Alder Lake architecture and has a 25 MB shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU performs well, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784 and a single-core score of 1850.5. Its average benchmark score of 35287 places it in the 84th percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong processing power.

However, this processing power does not translate into higher frame rates in Control, as the FPS drops consistently with resolution. At 1080p Low, the CPU can push the GPU to 143 FPS, but at 4K Low, the FPS falls to 73, showing that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s high single-thread performance, as evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2308, is sufficient for this game’s engine. The data shows that the CPU is not causing a bottleneck, as the frame rates are not stable across resolutions, which would be the case if the CPU were limiting.

The CPU’s 12 cores and 20 threads are more than adequate for Control, which is an Action Adventure game that may not utilize all cores. The benchmark results, such as the 3DMark 16-thread score of 9276 and the max-thread score of 9979, show that the CPU has substantial multi-threaded capability. In this game, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with data, and its performance is sufficient to avoid limiting the system. The measured FPS data confirms that the GPU is the component that determines the overall performance, with the CPU providing a solid foundation that does not hold the system back.