Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and this particular pairing of an AMD Ryzen 5 8400F with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 produces a wide range of results depending on resolution and quality settings. The recorded data shows that at 1080p, this system can handle the game at maximum settings, while at higher resolutions, compromises are necessary. This analysis breaks down exactly what to expect from this combination, where the bottlenecks lie, and how it compares to other hardware in the database.

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark results for this game, measured with this specific CPU and GPU combination, show clear thresholds for playable performance at the 60 FPS target. At 1920x1080, the system has enough headroom to run the game at its highest visual quality. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 60.7 FPS, which clears the playable threshold by a slim margin. If you want a small buffer above 60 FPS, the High preset offers 68.1 FPS, and the Medium preset reaches 75.7 FPS. The Low preset is the fastest at this resolution, producing 107.5 FPS, but it is unnecessary for maintaining smooth gameplay when Ultra already hits the target. Therefore, the best setting for 1080p is Ultra, with an average of 60.7 FPS, since it provides the highest fidelity while staying at or above 60 FPS.

Moving up to 2560x1440, the demands on the GPU increase significantly, and the Ultra preset cannot hold 60 FPS, dropping to 48 FPS on average. The High preset comes close but still falls short at 53.9 FPS. Medium is also just under the line at 57.9 FPS. Only the Low preset manages to exceed the playable threshold, delivering an average of 80.7 FPS. The data indicates that the best playable setting at 1440p is Low, because it is the only preset that remains at or above 60 FPS. While Medium and High are visually superior, they both fail to meet the minimum performance target, so the recommendation is to run the game at Low settings for a smooth experience at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more challenging. None of the tested presets reach the 60 FPS target. The Low preset yields an average of 54.9 FPS, which is the highest result at 4K but still below the playable threshold. Medium produces 38.1 FPS, High drops to 34.4 FPS, and Ultra falls to 30.7 FPS. Since no setting clears 60 FPS, the database records no playable settings for this resolution. The best you can achieve is Low at 54.9 FPS, which is playable in a looser sense but does not meet the strict 60 FPS requirement. For a locked 60 FPS experience, 4K is not viable with this hardware, and users should consider lowering the resolution or accepting a lower frame rate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling of frame rates across resolutions and presets reveals how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial, going from 107.5 FPS down to 60.7 FPS. This shows that the GPU is the primary limiter, as increasing visual quality directly reduces performance. The CPU, an AMD Ryzen 5 8400F with 6 cores and 12 threads, has enough processing power to feed the GPU at this resolution. The single-thread and multi-thread benchmark scores, such as a PassMark single-thread score of 3685 and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851, indicate that the processor is not struggling to keep up. The frame rate drop from Low to Ultra is almost entirely a GPU-bound scenario.

When moving to 2560x1440, the gap between presets narrows in percentage terms but remains significant. Low runs at 80.7 FPS, while Ultra drops to 48 FPS. The GPU is still the dominant factor, as the increased pixel count puts more strain on the RTX 2060. However, the CPU's role becomes slightly less important because the frame rates are lower overall, giving the processor more time between frames. The Ryzen 5 8400F sits in the 77th percentile of all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 25005, so it is not a bottleneck in this game. The performance scaling from 1080p to 1440p at the same preset, for example High dropping from 68.1 to 53.9 FPS, is consistent with a GPU-limited workload.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the limiting component. The highest frame rate at 4K is 54.9 FPS on Low, which is far below the 107.5 FPS seen at 1080p Low. This massive reduction, roughly a 49% drop, is typical of a GPU that is saturated by the pixel throughput. The RTX 2060, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus, simply does not have the raw bandwidth or compute power for 4K at high settings. The CPU's performance becomes almost irrelevant at this resolution, as the GPU is working at its maximum capacity. Benchmark results for the GPU, such as a PassMark G3D score of 14111 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 65846, place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, which aligns with its mid-range positioning. The data confirms that for this game, the GPU is the decisive factor at every resolution, with the CPU only mattering insofar as it avoids being a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows that at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset, the average frame rate is 60.7 FPS, which is above the playable threshold of 60 FPS. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at this resolution exceed 60 FPS, with Ultra being the highest quality option that still meets the target.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming with this hardware?

A: The only preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 2560x1440 is Low, which averages 80.7 FPS. Medium and High both fall below 60 FPS, at 57.9 and 53.9 FPS respectively, while Ultra drops to 48 FPS. Therefore, Low is the recommended setting for a smooth experience at this resolution.

Q: Is 4K playable with an RTX 2060 and Ryzen 5 8400F in this game?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate recorded is 54.9 FPS on the Low preset, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all produce lower results, ranging from 38.1 to 30.7 FPS. The database lists no playable settings for 4K.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: The drop depends on the preset. For High settings, the average frame rate falls from 68.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 53.9 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of about 21%. For Low settings, it goes from 107.5 to 80.7 FPS, a roughly 25% decrease. The GPU is the primary cause of this scaling.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance in this game?

A: The data suggests no significant CPU bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 8400F has a percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs, and its average benchmark score is 25005. Frame rates scale consistently with resolution and preset changes, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance. At 4K, the CPU is even less of a factor.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Control?

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 107.5 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only configuration that breaks the 100 FPS mark in the measured data.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for both the CPU and GPU provides context for how this system compares to other hardware. The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005. Its closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, which scores 24964, a difference of only 0.2%. In practical terms, these two processors would deliver nearly identical performance in Control. The Intel Core i7-11850H scores 24935, just 0.3% lower, and the Intel Core i7-13620H scores 24911, 0.4% lower. On the higher side, the AMD EPYC 9474F scores 25103, which is 0.4% above the Ryzen 5 8400F. None of these differences would translate into a meaningful frame rate change in this game, so any of these CPUs would behave similarly when paired with the RTX 2060.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290. The closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, which scores 15283, with a delta of 0%. This is a surprising match in synthetic benchmarks, but in a modern title like Control, the architectural differences would likely favor the RTX 2060 due to its newer features and driver support. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, just 0.1% lower, and represents an integrated graphics solution that performs similarly in aggregate benchmarks. More relevant is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, which scores 15199, 0.6% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600, which scores 15171, 0.8% lower. These GPUs would produce frame rates very close to the RTX 2060 in Control, meaning that if you swapped in any of these alternatives, the playable settings at each resolution would remain the same: Ultra at 1080p, Low at 1440p, and no playable option at 4K.

The practical takeaway from these comparisons is that this combo sits in a well-populated performance tier. Small benchmark differences, on the order of 1% or less, do not change the gaming experience. The Ryzen 5 8400F and its rivals all have similar multi-threaded capabilities, and the RTX 2060 and its rivals all fall into the same GPU performance class. Users with any of these alternative components can expect the same qualitative results in Control.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Control, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2890 out of 3720 total combos. This places it in the lower portion of the rankings, around the 22nd percentile of all systems tested. The rank reflects that while this setup can run the game at 1080p Ultra, it struggles at higher resolutions and offers no playable 4K settings. Many other combinations in the database, presumably with more powerful GPUs, achieve better frame rates at 1440p and 4K. The 3720 combos represent a wide range of hardware, and a rank of 2890 indicates that a substantial number of systems outperform this one in Control.

This ranking is consistent with the GPU's overall position. The RTX 2060 sits in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, meaning it is an average-to-mid-range card. The CPU is stronger, ranking in the 77th percentile, but the game's performance is heavily GPU-dependent. Therefore, the combo rank is pulled down by the graphics card rather than the processor. In the context of all tested systems, this combo is capable but not exceptional, offering a playable experience at 1080p with maximum settings and at 1440p with reduced settings. If the goal is to play Control at 4K, this combination falls short, but for 1080p gaming, it is more than adequate.

The rank also suggests that there is no hidden performance issue with this pairing. The CPU and GPU are well-matched for lower resolutions, and the frame rates scale as expected. A higher-ranked combo would likely feature a more powerful GPU, such as a higher-tier RTX card or a newer AMD Radeon, which would push 1440p and 4K performance above the 60 FPS line. For users targeting 1080p, however, this rank is not a concern, as the system already meets the playable threshold at the highest settings.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but the experience depends entirely on the resolution you choose. At 1920x1080, the verdict is clear: this system is fully capable, with all settings from Low to Ultra exceeding the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset averages 60.7 FPS, making it the recommended choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. For competitive or high-refresh-rate play, Low at 107.5 FPS or Medium at 75.7 FPS are also viable, but they are not necessary for a good experience.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is more restrictive. The only playable setting is Low, which delivers 80.7 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, so they are not recommended if you want a consistent frame rate. This means that at 1440p, you must accept a significant visual downgrade to maintain performance. The system is not capable of running the game at high or ultra settings at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is that this system cannot run Control at the playable threshold. No preset reaches 60 FPS, and the best result is Low at 54.9 FPS. While this might be acceptable for some players, it does not meet the standard defined by the database. For 4K, you would need a more powerful GPU.

In summary, the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination is a solid 1080p gaming setup for Control. It handles the game at maximum settings with a small margin above 60 FPS. At 1440p, it requires low settings to stay smooth, and at 4K, it is not viable for 60 FPS gameplay. The data shows that this is a GPU-limited system, and the CPU provides sufficient headroom for the graphics card to be the main determinant of performance. If your monitor is 1080p, this combo is a good match. If you plan to play at higher resolutions, you will need to lower settings or consider upgrading the GPU.