Control

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT presents a classic high-CPU, mid-range-GPU configuration for Control. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system where the graphics card is the primary bottleneck, though the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures that even the most demanding settings remain playable at lower resolutions. The data shows a configuration that is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but which struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K, particularly with higher graphical presets.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 shows a steep and consistent drop in average frame rates, indicating that the Radeon RX 5700 XT is the limiting component as pixel count increases. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 72.4 at 1080p to 54.8 at 1440p, a reduction of 24.3%. Moving to 4K, the average plummets to 36.4 FPS, a further 33.6% decrease from the 1440p figure. This pattern—a substantial loss at each step—is characteristic of a GPU that is saturated by the increased rendering load.

The scaling is even more pronounced at the Ultra preset. The system delivers 62.3 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 47.4 FPS at 1440p and finally to 31.0 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, suggesting that this combination is not suitable for maximum fidelity at that resolution. The data indicates that the gap between 1080p and 1440p is significant but manageable, while the jump to 4K represents a clear step too far for the GPU’s 8 GB of memory and raw compute power.

Interestingly, the scaling from Low to Ultra at any given resolution is not linear. At 1080p, the difference between Low (116.3 FPS) and Medium (80.7 FPS) is 35.6 FPS, a large jump that suggests a significant increase in shader complexity. The gap between Medium and High (72.4 FPS) is smaller at 8.3 FPS, and the final step to Ultra (62.3 FPS) costs another 10.1 FPS. This behavior implies that the game’s Medium settings introduce a major visual feature that heavily taxes the GPU, while the higher presets add more incremental effects.

At 4K, the scaling is more compressed but still severe. The Low preset achieves 58.7 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. Medium drops to 44.4 FPS, High to 36.4 FPS, and Ultra to 31.0 FPS. The fact that Low at 4K (58.7 FPS) is faster than High at 1440p (54.8 FPS) highlights how much the resolution scaling impacts performance; the GPU is clearly struggling to fill the additional pixels, regardless of the visual complexity.

The overall pattern confirms that the Core i7-12700KF is not a limiting factor in these tests. With a boost clock of 5.00 GHz and a strong single-thread benchmark score of 4091 in Cinebench R23, the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at all resolutions. The consistent FPS drops are directly attributable to the Radeon RX 5700 XT’s rendering capabilities, making this a GPU-bound scenario across the board.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for this combination at 1920x1080 with High settings is 72.4 FPS, which provides a smooth experience for most action sequences.

Q: How does the performance at 1440p compare to 1080p?

A: At 1440p High settings, the average FPS is 54.8, which is 24.3% lower than the 1080p High result of 72.4 FPS. This indicates a significant performance cost for the higher resolution.

*Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Control?*

A: At 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 31.0, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. Even at 4K High, the result is 36.4 FPS. Only the 4K Low preset (58.7 FPS) provides a playable frame rate.

Q: What is the best preset for this GPU at 1080p?

A: The data shows that the Ultra preset at 1080p yields an average of 62.3 FPS. While playable, the High preset at 72.4 FPS offers a higher frame rate with a likely minor visual difference, making it a strong candidate for competitive play.

Q: How does the RX 5700 XT’s memory capacity affect results?

A: The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The steep performance drop at 4K suggests that this capacity and bandwidth are insufficient for the higher resolution’s texture and buffer demands, leading to the observed low frame rates.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU in this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate no. The Core i7-12700KF has a high average benchmark score of 35355 and a percentile of 89 among all CPUs. The consistent FPS scaling with resolution points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck, not the processor.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Control, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 1266 out of 1636 combos. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems, which is a direct reflection of the GPU’s mid-range classification. The data indicates that while the CPU is a top performer, the overall gaming experience is heavily constrained by the graphics card’s capabilities.

The GPU’s individual standing supports this assessment. The Radeon RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 24731 and sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (with a deltaPct of -0.1%), the Intel Arc A350M (0.3%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (0.6%). These close scores in synthetic benchmarks suggest that the RX 5700 XT is competitive with those parts, but none of them are top-tier performers.

The CPU’s ranking is far more impressive. The Core i7-12700KF is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35355. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i5-14400 (deltaPct of 0.1%), the Intel Core i7-13800H (-0.2%), and the Intel Core i9-12900HX (0.2%). This indicates that the processor is performing at a level comparable to much newer and more expensive parts, meaning the bottleneck is purely on the graphics side.

The disparity between the CPU’s high percentile and the combo’s low rank is the key takeaway. The data confirms that a powerful processor cannot compensate for a graphics card that is out of its depth at higher resolutions. The combo rank of 1266 out of 1636 is a direct consequence of the GPU’s 68th percentile standing, showing that the system’s overall performance is dictated by its weakest link.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably across all presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 116.3 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates the CPU and GPU are working efficiently without heavy graphical load. Medium settings produce an average of 80.7 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS target. High settings yield 72.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, achieves 62.3 FPS. All results at this resolution are playable, with even the most taxing settings providing a smooth experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance impact is noticeable. The Low preset remains strong at 86.3 FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 63.9 FPS. High settings average 54.8 FPS, which is beginning to fall below the ideal threshold for fast-paced action. The Ultra preset at 1440p produces an average of 47.4 FPS, which is still playable but shows clear signs of strain on the GPU. This resolution represents the practical limit for high-fidelity gaming with this combo.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become severe. The Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 58.7 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 44.4 FPS, and High falls to 36.4 FPS. The Ultra preset averages just 31.0 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth motion and would result in noticeable stuttering. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is ideal, 1440p is acceptable with reduced settings, and 4K is only viable with the lowest settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the definitive performance limiter in this configuration. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, with a 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it is overwhelmed at 4K. The memory capacity is likely a factor, as higher resolutions require larger texture pools and more frame buffer space, which can exceed the available VRAM and force slower memory swapping.

The GPU’s clock speeds are also relevant. The base clock is 1605 MHz, the game clock is 1755 MHz, and the boost clock is 1905 MHz. These clocks are moderate by modern standards, and the performance scaling with resolution indicates that the GPU’s compute units are being fully utilized. The chip, based on the RDNA 1.0 architecture, has 2560 shading units and 160 texture mapping units, which provides a theoretical FP32 performance of 9.754 TFLOPS. This raw compute power is adequate for 1080p but is insufficient to drive 4K at high settings.

The GPU’s performance percentile of 68, relative to all other GPUs, underscores its mid-range position. Its nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000, which are professional-grade parts, but the RX 5700 XT’s gaming performance is what matters here. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the sole reason for the performance drop at higher resolutions, as the CPU’s benchmarks indicate no bottleneck. The combination of 8 GB VRAM, a 256-bit bus, and a 1905 MHz boost clock simply cannot keep pace with the demands of 4K rendering in Control.