Control

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 delivers a playable but not uncompromising experience in Control. The data shows a system where the GPU is clearly the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, but the CPU's strong multi-threaded headroom ensures that even the most demanding settings remain fluid enough to explore the Oldest House. This combination sits in the lower-middle tier of tested configurations, and the benchmark results indicate that users will need to make deliberate settings choices to hit their target frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the system produces 57.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same preset drops that to 46.7 FPS, a reduction of roughly 18%. The jump to 4K at Ultra is far more punishing, landing at 28.4 FPS—a 50% decline from the 1080p result. This steep curve is typical for a mainstream GPU like the RX 6600, which lacks the raw pixel throughput to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low, the system delivers 108.6 FPS at 1080p, but that falls to 84.8 FPS at 1440p and 52.6 FPS at 4K. The frame rate drops are not linear; they accelerate as resolution increases, which points directly at the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth as limiting factors. The RX 6600 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth, and the data suggests that 4K textures and shading are simply too heavy for it.

Notably, the gap between Low and Medium settings widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (108.6 FPS) and Medium (74.5 FPS) is 34.1 FPS. At 4K, the same settings gap shrinks to 13.1 FPS (52.6 vs. 39.5). This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even reducing quality settings yields diminishing returns—the limiting component is the GPU's compute throughput, not the settings configuration. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, is not the constraint here; it has ample headroom to feed the GPU at all tested resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows show a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate, and the optimal choice depends heavily on the target resolution. For 4K gaming, the data suggests that High settings (37.6 FPS) are barely playable, while Ultra (28.4 FPS) dips below acceptable smoothness. Medium at 4K (39.5 FPS) is the highest preset that stays above 30 FPS, but Low (52.6 FPS) is the only setting that provides a comfortable margin for action sequences. If 4K is the target, the benchmark results indicate that Low is the practical choice.

At 1440p, the situation improves. High settings deliver 53.9 FPS, which is smooth for a narrative-driven action game. Medium (56.4 FPS) offers a slight edge, but the difference is negligible. Ultra at 1440p (46.7 FPS) is still playable but may exhibit occasional stutter during intense particle effects. For a balance of visuals and performance, High is the sweet spot at this resolution, as it avoids the minor frame pacing issues that can occur below 50 FPS.

1080p is where this combo shines. Ultra settings achieve 57.3 FPS, which is playable, but High (69 FPS) is noticeably smoother. Medium (74.5 FPS) and Low (108.6 FPS) are both excellent, but the jump from High to Medium is only 5.5 FPS, suggesting that High is the best visual compromise. The data shows that this pairing is capable of exceeding 60 FPS at 1080p on Medium and Low, making it a solid choice for high-refresh-rate monitors at that resolution. The recommendation is to prioritize High at 1080p, Medium at 1440p, and Low at 4K.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 60 FPS on a 1440p monitor?*

A: Only on Low settings. The measured data shows 84.8 FPS at 1440p Low, but Medium drops to 56.4 FPS and High to 53.9 FPS. To maintain 60 FPS, you must use Low, or accept a small dip below 60 on Medium.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo?

A: 1080p is the clear winner. The combination achieves 108.6 FPS on Low, 74.5 FPS on Medium, and 69 FPS on High at 1920x2160. All presets except Ultra (57.3 FPS) exceed 60 FPS, making this the only resolution where the system has consistent headroom.

Q: Why is 4K performance so poor even on Low settings?

A: The RX 6600 is the limiting factor. Its 8 GB frame buffer and 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are insufficient for 4K workloads. The data shows only 52.6 FPS at 4K Low, which is far below the 108.6 FPS seen at 1080p Low, indicating a severe bandwidth bottleneck rather than a CPU issue.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF holding back the RX 6600 in this game?

A: No. The CPU has 12 cores and 20 threads, with benchmark scores like 28979 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 12171 in R20 multicore. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are proportional to GPU load, and the CPU's percentile rank of 89 versus all CPUs suggests it is not the bottleneck.

Q: What is the difference between High and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The measured average FPS drops from 69 on High to 57.3 on Ultra, a difference of 11.7 FPS. This indicates that Ultra's additional effects (likely ray tracing or higher shadow quality) cost a significant frame rate, but the game remains playable.

*Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems in Control?*

A: It ranks 1340 out of 1636 tested combos, placing it in the lower 18% of configurations. The data shows it is a mid-range pairing that struggles with 4K but handles 1080p well, which is consistent with its ranking.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1340 out of 1636 tested combos places this system in the 82nd percentile from the bottom, meaning it outperforms roughly 18% of all tested configurations in Control. This is a low ranking, but it must be interpreted in context. The RX 6600 is an entry-level to mid-range GPU, and the i7-12700KF is a high-end CPU, so the pairing is inherently unbalanced for a GPU-intensive title like Control. The ranking reflects the GPU's limitations more than the CPU's capabilities.

To put this in perspective, the GPU's average benchmark score is 25235, which places it at the 69th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 890M (deltaPct 0) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (deltaPct 0.5). The CPU, on the other hand, has an average benchmark score of 35355, ranking in the 89th percentile, with rivals like the Intel Core i5-14400 (deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Core i9-12900HX (deltaPct 0.2). The CPU is clearly the stronger component in this pairing.

The ranking suggests that in Control, the system is at the bottom of the mid-range segment. It will not compete with high-end rigs, but it is also not the worst performer. The data indicates that the bottleneck is almost entirely the GPU, as the CPU's performance is in the top 11% of all processors. Users with this combo should expect to make compromises on resolution or settings, but they are not fighting a CPU limitation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It has a 25 MB shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations, and the data shows it performs this task admirably.

The CPU's benchmark results are strong across the board. It scores 28979 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 4091 in single-core, along with 12171 in Cinebench R20 multicore and 1718 in single-core. These scores indicate high single-thread performance, which is crucial for game logic, and massive multi-thread headroom for background tasks. The 3dmark results further confirm this: 9983 in max threads, 9282 in 16 threads, and 1043 in single thread.

In Control, the CPU's influence is evident in the consistency of frame rates across settings at a given resolution. At 1080p, the frame rate scales smoothly from Low (108.6 FPS) to Ultra (57.3 FPS) without any sudden drops, which indicates the CPU is not stalling. The game is known for its physics-heavy environments and destructible objects, and the 20 threads provide enough parallel processing to handle these calculations without bottlenecking the GPU.

However, the CPU's performance is almost irrelevant at 4K because the GPU is so heavily constrained. The frame rates at 4K are uniformly low across all settings (28.4 to 52.6 FPS), and the CPU has no influence on these numbers. This is a clear sign that the i7-12700KF has more than enough computational power for Control, and any performance issues are squarely the GPU's responsibility.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. All results are average FPS values, and there are no minimum or maximum frame rate data points to indicate variance.

At 1920x1080, the system produces its best results. Low settings deliver 108.6 FPS, which is excellent for fast-paced combat. Medium achieves 74.5 FPS, and High reaches 69 FPS. Ultra drops to 57.3 FPS, which is still playable but represents a significant 11.7 FPS penalty over High. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 51.3 FPS, showing a wide range of performance options.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop substantially. Low settings maintain 84.8 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium falls to 56.4 FPS, and High to 53.9 FPS. Ultra drops further to 46.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 38.1 FPS, narrower than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is becoming the limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, performance is the weakest. Low settings yield 52.6 FPS, Medium 39.5 FPS, High 37.6 FPS, and Ultra 28.4 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 24.2 FPS, and all settings except Low are below 40 FPS. This data confirms that 4K is not a viable option for this combo, as even Low settings barely reach 53 FPS, and Ultra is not playable at 28.4 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the system is GPU-limited at 1440p and above, and CPU-limited only at 1080p with Low settings, where the frame rate of 108.6 FPS might approach the CPU's practical limit for game logic. However, given the CPU's high single-thread score of 4091 in Cinebench R23, it likely still has headroom. Overall, the measured results indicate this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p possible on lower settings, and 4K reserved for non-action screenshots.