Control

Measured FPS Breakdown

Starting with the 1920x1080 results, the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination delivers its strongest performance at this resolution. At Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 158 FPS, which is the highest recorded average across all tested configurations. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 112 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS. High settings produce an average of 100 FPS, while Ultra settings still maintain an average of 87 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 71 FPS, showing that the preset scaling has a substantial impact on performance.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern appears but with reduced headroom. Low settings yield an average of 120 FPS, which is 38 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 85 FPS, with a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. High settings average 76 FPS, and Ultra settings average 66 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 54 FPS, a tighter spread than at 1080p. The minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium is 72, which remains above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes more constrained. Low settings average 81 FPS, which is still comfortably above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS. High settings average 51 FPS, and Ultra settings average 44 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 37 FPS. Notably, the 4K Medium minimum of 49 FPS falls below the playable threshold, even though the average is close to 60 FPS. The 4K Low result of 81 FPS is the only 4K preset that clears the 60 FPS mark.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: resolution scaling reduces average FPS at every preset level, and the gap between presets widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, even Ultra stays above 85 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra barely clears 60 FPS with 66 FPS. At 4K, only Low remains viable.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured results indicate that the RTX 3070 is the dominant factor at higher resolutions, while the i5-10400F provides sufficient headroom at lower resolutions. The scaling between 1080p and 4K reveals how the GPU workload intensifies. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 158 at 1080p to 120 at 1440p and then to 81 at 4K. This is a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. At Ultra settings, the average drops from 87 at 1080p to 66 at 1440p and then to 44 at 4K, a 49% reduction as well. The consistent percentage drop across presets suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at all resolutions, with the CPU not limiting frame rates even at 1080p Low.

The CPU's benchmark scores support this interpretation. The i5-10400F achieves a single-thread score of 1451 in Cinebench R23 and a multi-thread score of 10283 in the same test. Its 3DMark single-thread score is 688, and its 3DMark max-thread score is 4735. These numbers indicate a capable six-core processor, but the frame rate scaling in Control is more consistent with GPU-bound behavior. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the 1080p Low result would likely show less separation from the 1440p Low result, since the CPU workload would remain constant while the GPU load decreased.

The RTX 3070, with its 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 448.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth, appears to be the component that determines the playable ceiling. The 4K Medium result of 57 FPS average, despite the CPU's strong multi-thread score of 12115 in PassMark, confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K. At 1080p, the CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 2541 and Geekbench single-core score of 1420 are sufficient to keep frame rates high, but the GPU still dictates the final numbers.

The recorded data also shows that the difference between presets grows with resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 71 FPS. At 1440p, it is 54 FPS. At 4K, it is 37 FPS. This narrowing suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so heavily loaded that preset changes have a smaller absolute impact on FPS. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases, reinforcing the conclusion that the RTX 3070 is the performance gatekeeper for this pairing in Control.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best settings that stay at or above 60 FPS are Ultra, with an average of 87 FPS. This is the most demanding preset tested at this resolution, and it clears the 60 FPS threshold by 27 FPS. The minimum FPS at 1080p Ultra is not recorded, but the average suggests that even the lowest frames likely remain playable.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 66 FPS. This is only 6 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, so while it is technically playable, the margin is slim. The Medium preset at 1440p has a recorded minimum of 72 FPS, which offers more safety for users who prefer consistent frame pacing, but the Ultra average of 66 FPS meets the stated playable criterion.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Low, with an average of 81 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. Medium at 4K averages 57 FPS, which is below the threshold, and its minimum of 49 FPS makes it unsuitable for smooth gameplay. High and Ultra at 4K average 51 FPS and 44 FPS, respectively, both well below the playable line.

The verdict data confirms these choices: 1920x1080 Ultra at 87 FPS, 2560x1440 Ultra at 66 FPS, and 3840x2160 Low at 81 FPS are the best playable settings for each resolution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185. The Intel Xeon 6756E scores 14163, which is 0.2% lower. The Intel Core 7 160UL scores 14232, which is 0.3% higher. The AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115, which is 0.5% lower. The AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277, which is 0.6% higher. These four processors are all within 0.6% of the i5-10400F's average score, meaning they would deliver nearly identical CPU performance in Control at the same GPU settings.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083, which is 0.7% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037, which is 1% lower. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, which is 1.1% lower. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468, which is 1.5% higher. These four GPUs are all within 1.5% of the RTX 3070's average score, so they would produce similar frame rates in Control, assuming no other bottlenecks.

A system with any of these rival CPUs paired with any of these rival GPUs would behave nearly identically to the tested combo. The 0.2% to 0.6% CPU deltas and the 0.7% to 1.5% GPU deltas translate to FPS differences of roughly one frame or less in the measured scenarios. For example, if the 4K Low result of 81 FPS were repeated with the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, the expected average would be approximately 80.5 FPS. At 1080p Ultra, the 87 FPS result would shift by less than one frame with any of these alternatives.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Control? The answer depends on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the combination runs the game at Ultra settings with an average of 87 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin. All four tested presets at 1080p are playable, from Low at 158 FPS to Ultra at 87 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the system also runs the game at Ultra settings with an average of 66 FPS. This clears the threshold but with a narrower margin. All four presets at 1440p are playable, with Low at 120 FPS, Medium at 85 FPS, and High at 76 FPS.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings are playable, with an average of 81 FPS. Medium at 4K averages 57 FPS, which misses the threshold, and High and Ultra average 51 FPS and 44 FPS, respectively. The verdict data lists only Low as playable at 4K.

The recorded data indicates that this is a strong 1080p and 1440p machine for Control, but a 4K experience requires significant settings compromises. The 60 FPS threshold is achievable at 4K only with Low settings, which may reduce visual fidelity too much for some users.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest recorded average is 158 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with Medium settings?

A: No. The 4K Medium preset averages 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The minimum FPS at this setting is 49.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: Ultra settings are playable at 1440p, with an average of 66 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 7600 XT's score of 17083.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: The frame rate scaling between presets and resolutions indicates the GPU is the dominant factor. At 1080p Low, the average is 158 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it is 87 FPS, a 71 FPS spread that reflects GPU load changes.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded in the entire dataset?

A: The lowest recorded minimum FPS is 49, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1607 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places it in the upper portion of the database, roughly in the 43rd percentile of all tested combinations. The rank reflects the system's ability to handle the game at high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, while its 4K limitations prevent a higher standing.

The CPU's percentile versus all CPUs is 68, meaning it outperforms 68% of all processors in the database. The GPU's percentile versus all GPUs is 61, meaning it outperforms 61% of all GPUs. These percentile scores are consistent with a mid-to-upper-tier pairing that excels at lower resolutions but struggles at 4K with demanding presets. The ranking of 1607 out of 3720 indicates that a significant number of combinations, likely those with higher-end GPUs, achieve better 4K performance, but this combo remains a solid choice for mainstream resolutions.