Control

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is a formidable mid-range-to-high-end combination for playing Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. Based on measured FPS data, this combo delivers a smooth experience across most settings and resolutions, though 4K Ultra pushes the GPU to its limits. The combo ranks 1968 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all possible pairings. This ranking indicates a balanced system where neither component is a glaring bottleneck at typical gaming resolutions, though the data reveals clear scaling patterns that favor lower resolutions and adjusted settings for maximum frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1968 out of 3720 places it just past the midpoint of all tested CPU-GPU pairings, which is a solid result for a system built around a 12th Gen Intel processor and a Radeon RX 6000 series GPU. This position suggests that the i7-12700KF and RX 6700 XT work well together, but there is meaningful headroom above them in the database, likely occupied by more powerful GPUs or newer CPU architectures. In practical terms, this rank means the combination is capable of running Control at high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but it will not top any leaderboards for 4K performance.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU itself sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, which is a strong showing. Its average benchmark score of 35365 places it nearly identical to its nearest rivals: the Intel Core i7-13700T (avg score 35403, delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-13600T (avg score 35305, delta 0.2%), the Intel Core 5 213PE (avg score 35428, delta -0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-12700K (avg score 35287, delta 0.2%). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning the 12700KF is effectively tied with those chips in synthetic workloads. The GPU, meanwhile, sits at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 27425. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (avg score 27435, delta 0%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (avg score 27565, delta -0.5%), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell (avg score 27135, delta 1.1%), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (avg score 27839, delta -1.5%). The RX 6700 XT is effectively on par with those GPUs in aggregate benchmarks, which underscores its position as a capable 1440p-class card.

In the context of Control specifically, the measured FPS data shows that the combo’s rank is driven by the GPU’s ability to handle the game’s demanding visuals. At 1080p, the system achieves average frame rates well above 60 FPS across all settings, which is excellent for a fast-paced action game. At 1440p, performance remains playable, but Ultra settings dip to 59 FPS average, which is borderline. At 4K, only Low settings clear 60 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40 FPS average. This pattern confirms that the RX 6700 XT is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?

A: The best resolution depends on your target frame rate. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 141 FPS on Low, 100 FPS on Medium, 89 FPS on High, and 77 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, it delivers 107 FPS on Low, 76 FPS on Medium, 67 FPS on High, and 59 FPS on Ultra. For a 60 FPS target, 1440p High is the highest quality setting that clears that bar. For 4K, only Low settings (72 FPS) achieve an average above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-core performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403 (delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305 (delta 0.2%), the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428 (delta -0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287 (delta 0.2%). These deltas are all within 0.2%, indicating no meaningful performance difference among these chips.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at 3840x2160. The average FPS drops from 72 on Low to 51 on Medium, 46 on High, and 40 on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is 32 FPS, which is a 44% reduction. This steep scaling indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K with higher settings.

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

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo produces an average of 76 FPS, with a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. This is a comfortable range for most players, providing smooth gameplay with only rare dips below 70 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU’s boost clock matter for this game?

A: The i7-12700KF has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, which is the highest single-core speed available. Since Control is an Action Adventure game that typically relies on a few primary threads, this boost clock helps maintain high frame rates at 1080p, where the CPU is more likely to be a factor. The single-thread benchmark score of 1043 in 3dMark supports this, showing strong per-core performance.

Q: How does the combo’s rank compare to its component percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 1968 out of 3720 (roughly the 53rd percentile), while the CPU alone is at the 85th percentile and the GPU is at the 72nd percentile. The lower combo rank relative to component percentiles suggests that the GPU drags down the overall position when paired with such a strong CPU, reinforcing that the RX 6700 XT is the limiting component in this pairing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The CPU features a three-tier cache hierarchy: 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 in a dual-channel configuration, and it connects to the system via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes. This is a desktop-class chip with an unlocked multiplier, making it suitable for overclocking, though the measured FPS data does not include any overclocked results.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 12700KF shows strong multi-core performance, scoring 9983 in 3dMark’s max-thread test and 28838 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. The single-thread scores are also robust: 3dMark single-thread scores 1043, Cinebench R23 single-core scores 4071, and Geekbench single-core scores 2255. These numbers indicate that the CPU can handle both heavily threaded workloads and lightly threaded tasks like gaming. For Control specifically, the game’s engine benefits from high single-core clocks, and the 5.00 GHz boost clock provides a significant advantage. The CPU’s 12 cores and 20 threads also ensure that background tasks and the game’s auxiliary threads do not cause frame hitches.

The CPU’s role in this combo becomes clearer when examining the FPS scaling across resolutions. At 1080p, the average FPS on Low settings is 141, which approaches the refresh rate of many monitors. This high frame rate is only possible if the CPU can feed the GPU quickly enough. The 12700KF’s strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 410 score in Cinebench R15 single-core and 3984 in Passmark single-thread, ensures that the GPU is not starved for data. At higher resolutions, the CPU’s influence diminishes because the GPU becomes the bottleneck, but the CPU’s consistency prevents any stutter or frame pacing issues.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the 12700KF is statistically tied with the i7-13700T, i5-13600T, Core 5 213PE, and i7-12700K in average benchmark score. All deltas are within 0.2%, meaning any of these CPUs would perform identically in Control. The 12700KF’s 25 MB of L3 cache and 5.00 GHz boost clock are key specs, but the data shows that these do not translate into a measurable advantage over similarly priced or positioned chips. For this game, the CPU is more than sufficient, and the measured FPS numbers at 1080p confirm that it is not a limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how the combo performs across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers a wide range of frame rates. On Low settings, the average FPS is 141, which is exceptionally high and suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. Medium settings drop the average to 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS. High settings yield 89 FPS average, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 77 FPS. All of these are above 60 FPS, meaning the combo can handle 1080p with any preset without dropping below playable levels.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease but remain respectable. Low settings produce an average of 107 FPS, which is still excellent for 1440p. Medium settings average 76 FPS, with a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. High settings average 67 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings average 59 FPS, which is slightly below 60 FPS, indicating that the GPU is beginning to struggle with the highest preset at this resolution. The minimum FPS for Medium (65) is higher than the average for Ultra (59), showing that the jump from Medium to Ultra is significant in terms of GPU load.

At 3840x2160, the combo’s limitations become apparent. Low settings average 72 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 51 FPS. High settings average 46 FPS, and Ultra settings average 40 FPS. None of the higher presets achieve 60 FPS at 4K, and the minimum FPS for Medium is 44, which means there will be noticeable stutters in demanding scenes. The data shows a clear trend: the RX 6700 XT is not powerful enough for 4K gaming with this game unless you are willing to compromise on visual quality.

The FPS data also reveals the delta between settings. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 64 FPS (141 vs 77), which is a 45% reduction. At 1440p, the difference is 48 FPS (107 vs 59), a 45% reduction as well. At 4K, the difference is 32 FPS (72 vs 40), a 44% reduction. This consistent percentage drop suggests that the settings presets scale uniformly across resolutions, with Ultra imposing roughly the same relative cost. However, the absolute numbers show that the GPU’s raw performance is the deciding factor, as the 4K Ultra average of 40 FPS is barely playable for a fast-paced action game.

Resolution Scaling

Analyzing the FPS drops from 1080p to 4K provides insight into which component is the limiting factor at each resolution. Starting with Low settings, the average FPS at 1080p is 141, at 1440p it is 107, and at 4K it is 72. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34 FPS (24%), and the drop from 1440p to 4K is 35 FPS (33%). This pattern shows a gradual degradation, but the fact that 4K Low still averages 72 FPS indicates that the GPU has enough power to handle the game’s lower-quality textures and effects at high pixel counts.

For Medium settings, the averages are 100 FPS at 1080p, 76 FPS at 1440p, and 51 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24 FPS (24%), and from 1440p to 4K is 25 FPS (33%). The 4K average of 51 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, showing that Medium settings at 4K are not ideal for this combo. High settings follow a similar trajectory: 89 FPS at 1080p, 67 FPS at 1440p, and 46 FPS at 4K. The 4K High average of 46 FPS is 34% below the 1440p average of 67 FPS, which is a substantial drop.

Ultra settings show the steepest decline. At 1080p, the average is 77 FPS, at 1440p it is 59 FPS, and at 4K it is 40 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 18 FPS (23%), and from 1440p to 4K is 19 FPS (32%). The 4K Ultra average of 40 FPS is exactly half of the 1080p Ultra average of 77 FPS, highlighting the GPU’s struggle at the highest resolution and preset.

These scaling patterns indicate that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The CPU’s performance, measured by its 3dMark single-thread score of 1043 and multi-thread score of 9983, is more than sufficient to drive the game at any resolution. The fact that FPS drops by roughly 30-35% when moving from 1440p to 4K, regardless of settings, is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. The RX 6700 XT’s 12 GB of memory and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth are simply not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with high-quality assets. In contrast, at 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU could become a factor, but the measured numbers (141 FPS on Low) suggest that the CPU is still not limiting, as the i7-12700KF has strong single-thread capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on your resolution and frame rate priorities. At 1920x1080, the best experience is achieved with Ultra settings, which average 77 FPS. This is above 60 FPS and provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. If you have a 144 Hz monitor, Medium settings at 100 FPS might be preferable for a more responsive feel, but Ultra is the best balance of quality and performance for most players.

At 2560x1440, the recommended preset is High settings, which average 67 FPS. This is just above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a significant visual improvement over Medium (76 FPS) without the steep performance cost of Ultra (59 FPS). Medium settings are also viable if you want more headroom, but High is the sweet spot for this resolution. The minimum FPS for Medium is 65, which is close to the High average, so High is the better choice for visual fidelity.

For 3840x2160, the only playable option is Low settings, which average 72 FPS. Medium settings average 51 FPS, which is below 60 FPS and will cause noticeable stutter in action scenes. High and Ultra are not recommended at 4K, as their averages of 46 FPS and 40 FPS are too low for a game that requires quick reflexes. If you insist on 4K, Low is the way to go, but the visual compromise is substantial. Alternatively, you could drop to 1440p High for a much better experience.

The data shows that the combo performs best at 1080p and 1440p, where it can achieve high frame rates with high or ultra settings. The GPU’s 12 GB memory and 40 ray accelerators do not help much at 4K, as the raw compute power (13.21 TFLOPS) is insufficient for that resolution. For most users, 1440p High is the recommended configuration, as it provides a good balance of image quality and performance. If you prioritize frame rate over visuals, 1080p Medium at 100 FPS is an excellent choice. Ultimately, the measured FPS numbers indicate that this combo is a strong 1440p machine, and it should be used at that resolution for the best overall experience in Control.