Control

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT delivers a solid, but not flawless, experience in Control. The data shows that this combination is fully capable of clearing the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p and 1440p, but falls short at 4K. At 1920x1080, the system can run the game at the Ultra preset with an average of 64.2 FPS, making it a strong choice for high-refresh-rate monitors. Moving to 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Medium, which also hits 64.2 FPS, while High and Ultra presets dip below the 60 FPS mark. At 3840x2160, no settings achieve playable frame rates, with even Low averaging only 57.5 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark data for this CPU-GPU pair in Control reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling across resolutions. The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS, and the measured average frame rates determine which settings qualify.

At 1920x1080, all four tested presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—produce average frame rates above 60 FPS. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 64.2 FPS. This is a significant achievement, as it allows the game to run at its highest visual fidelity while maintaining smooth gameplay. For context, the High preset runs at 77.8 FPS, Medium at 82.4 FPS, and Low at 119.7 FPS, offering headroom for users who prefer higher refresh rates over maximum visual quality.

Moving up to 2560x1440, the performance ceiling drops noticeably. The data shows that only Low and Medium presets maintain an average of 60 FPS or higher. The best settings here are Medium, which achieves an average of 64.2 FPS. The High preset falls just short at 55.9 FPS, while Ultra drops further to 50.2 FPS. Low runs at 92.1 FPS, providing a comfortable margin for competitive play or smoother motion, but Medium represents the sweet spot for balancing visual detail and frame rate at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the combination cannot sustain a playable experience at any setting. The highest average frame rate is 57.5 FPS on Low, which is still below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 46.2 FPS, High averages 39.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 35.8 FPS. None of these meet the playability criterion, indicating that 4K gaming is out of reach for this hardware in Control without significant compromises that still fail to hit the target.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck for this game, while the CPU provides adequate headroom. The Intel Core i5-13400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, demonstrates strong multi-threaded capabilities in synthetic benchmarks, scoring 22604 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 25032 in Passmark multithread. However, Control's frame rates are heavily influenced by resolution, which points to the graphics card as the limiting factor.

Evidence for GPU dominance is clear when comparing the same preset across resolutions. For example, the Ultra preset at 1080p yields 64.2 FPS, but at 1440p it drops to 50.2 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 35.8 FPS. This steep decline with increasing pixel count is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. Similarly, the Low preset scales from 119.7 FPS at 1080p, down to 92.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 57.5 FPS at 4K. The consistent drop of roughly 20-30% at each resolution step suggests that the Radeon RX 6600 XT's rendering throughput, not the CPU's processing power, is what determines the final frame rate.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when looking at the performance difference between Low and Ultra presets at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 55.5 FPS (119.7 vs 64.2), indicating that the GPU is being stressed more as visual complexity increases. At 1440p, the gap shrinks to 41.9 FPS (92.1 vs 50.2), and at 4K it narrows further to 21.7 FPS (57.5 vs 35.8). This diminishing delta at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU is saturated, while the CPU has spare capacity. The processor's percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs, with a single-thread Passmark score of 3634, suggests it is more than capable of feeding the GPU in this title.

Users should note that the CPU does not appear to limit performance in any tested scenario. The measured FPS are consistent with what the GPU alone can deliver at each resolution. The i5-13400F's 3DMark scores, including 7314 for 16 threads and 960 for single-thread, indicate balanced performance that avoids becoming a constraint in this game. Therefore, optimization efforts should focus on GPU settings, such as reducing resolution or lowering preset quality, rather than CPU-related tweaks.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K resolution?*

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate is 57.5 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra presets produce 46.2, 39.4, and 35.8 FPS respectively, none of which are playable.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Medium is the best playable setting at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 64.2 FPS. Low runs faster at 92.1 FPS, but Medium offers a better balance of visual quality and performance. High and Ultra are not recommended as they fall below 60 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The data does not indicate CPU bottlenecking. Frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes, and the GPU's performance limits are the primary factor. The i5-13400F's strong multi-threaded scores, such as 22604 in Cinebench R23, provide ample processing headroom for Control.

Q: Is Ultra settings playable at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 64.2 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. This allows for maximum visual fidelity at standard HD resolution.

Q: How does the RX 6600 XT compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 24442 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 (24277, 0.7% slower) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (24236, 0.8% slower). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Arc A350M (24647, -0.8%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (24170, 1.1% faster).

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 92.1 FPS while Ultra produces 50.2 FPS, a difference of 41.9 FPS. This large gap highlights the significant impact of preset quality on frame rate at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT combination ranks 2519 out of 3720 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This percentile position reflects the hardware's capability to run Control at mainstream resolutions but not at the highest tiers. The rank of 2519 indicates that roughly 68% of tested configurations outperform this pairing, while about 32% perform worse.

This ranking is consistent with the measured FPS results, which show strong 1080p performance but clear limitations at 4K. The combo's position suggests it is suited for gamers targeting 1080p or 1440p with moderate settings, rather than those seeking maximum visual quality at high resolutions. The CPU's percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs is notably higher than the GPU's rank of 70 among all GPUs, reinforcing that the graphics card is the weaker link in this pairing for Control.

The rank also contextualizes the system's overall balance. With a combination rank near the 68th percentile from the bottom, users should expect a capable but not top-tier experience. The measured data confirms this, as the system handles 1080p Ultra easily but struggles with 4K even on Low. For users with this hardware, the optimal experience lies in tuning settings to match the 60 FPS target rather than pushing for maximum resolution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-13400F has a average benchmark score of 25292, with its nearest rivals providing nearly identical performance. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS scores 25284, a negligible 0% delta, meaning it would behave almost exactly the same in Control. The Intel Core 5 120 scores 25362, which is 0.3% faster, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D also scores 25365, also 0.3% faster. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800H scores 25201, which is 0.4% slower. Any of these processors would yield virtually indistinguishable frame rates in this game, as the differences are well within margin of error.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT's average benchmark score is 24442. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630, scores 24277, which is 0.7% slower, indicating a very close match in performance. The Intel Arc A350M scores 24647, being 0.8% faster. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti scores 24236, 0.8% slower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER scores 24170, which is 1.1% slower. These small deltas suggest that swapping the RX 6600 XT for any of these cards would result in similar FPS in Control, with the Arc A350M being the best alternative for slightly higher frame rates.

Users considering these alternatives should expect the same general playability profile: strong 1080p performance, playable 1440p on Medium, and no viable 4K options. The differences of roughly 1% or less in benchmark scores translate to frame rate variations of only a few FPS in practice, making these components effectively interchangeable for this game.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT can run Control successfully, but the experience depends heavily on the chosen resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all presets including Ultra delivering playable frame rates above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset's 64.2 FPS average means users can enjoy the game at its best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is conditional. The system can run the game at Medium settings with 64.2 FPS, which meets the playability threshold. Low settings provide even higher performance at 92.1 FPS, but High and Ultra fall short at 55.9 and 50.2 FPS respectively. Users willing to compromise on visual quality can achieve a playable experience, but those seeking High or Ultra will need to reduce resolution or upgrade hardware.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is negative. No settings achieve the 60 FPS target, with the best option being Low at 57.5 FPS. This falls just short of playable, meaning 4K gaming is not viable with this combination in Control. For users with 4K displays, the recommendation is to run the game at 1440p with Medium settings to secure a stable 60 FPS experience. Overall, this PC is a strong performer for 1080p gaming and a decent option for 1440p with adjusted settings, but it is not suited for 4K play.