Control

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 60 FPS in 1080p?

A: Yes. The Intel Core i5-13400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 reaches an average of 68 FPS on High settings at 1920x1080, and 76 FPS on Medium. Even Ultra averages 59 FPS, just short of the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, only Low settings clear 60 FPS, averaging 81 FPS. Medium drops to 58 FPS average, and High falls to 51 FPS.

Q: Does this combo handle 4K at all?

A: Not at playable levels. At 3840x2160, the best recorded average is 55 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. None reach the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060's average benchmark score is 15290. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, virtually identical (0.1% difference). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, about 0.6% slower. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171, roughly 0.8% slower in this database's measurements.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this game?

A: The data suggests no. The i5-13400F ranks in the 77th percentile among all CPUs, with strong multi-threaded scores (22604 in Cinebench R23 multicore). Its nearest rivals, like the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (0% delta) and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (0.3% slower), deliver nearly identical average scores, indicating the CPU has ample headroom for this GPU.

Q: What does the combo ranking tell us?

A: This CPU-GPU pairing ranks 2950 out of 3720 tested combinations for Control. That places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, consistent with a GPU that sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data for Control shows a clear pattern: the GPU is the limiting factor across all resolutions, and the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the jump from Low to Ultra settings costs substantial frame rate, from 107 FPS down to 59 FPS. That 48 FPS spread reflects the GPU struggling with higher graphical loads, while the CPU keeps up easily.

At 2560x1440, the same preset scaling shows a tighter range: Low averages 81 FPS, Medium 58 FPS, High 51 FPS, and Ultra 45 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 26 FPS (107 to 81), which is a larger relative loss than the CPU-centric scaling would produce. This indicates pixel fill rate and GPU shading capacity are the dominant constraints.

Moving to 3840x2160, the GPU is thoroughly saturated. Low settings average 55 FPS, Medium 39 FPS, High 35 FPS, and Ultra 30 FPS. The resolution scaling from 1440p Low (81 FPS) to 4K Low (55 FPS) costs 26 FPS, while 1080p to 1440p costs the same 26 FPS. These consistent drops point squarely at the RTX 2060's 6 GB memory bus and 192-bit interface, not the CPU.

The CPU's role is best understood through its benchmark profile. The i5-13400F scores 7314 in 3DMark 16-thread tests and 7307 in max-thread tests, with a single-thread score of 960. Its Cinebench R23 single-core result of 3191 and multi-core of 22604 place it well above what Control's engine demands. The nearest CPU rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (0% delta) and AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (0.4% faster), all deliver similar average scores, confirming that no CPU in this performance class would change the outcome.

In practical terms, at 1080p the CPU has enough headroom that even the most demanding preset (Ultra) still delivers 59 FPS, which is only 1 FPS below the playable threshold. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that CPU differences become irrelevant. If you were to pair this CPU with a stronger GPU, Control would likely scale better, but with the RTX 2060, the GPU is the bottleneck at every resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

1920x1080: High settings deliver the best playable experience, averaging 68 FPS. Medium averages 76 FPS, but High offers better visual quality while still clearing 60 FPS by a comfortable margin. Ultra averages 59 FPS, which misses the threshold by 1 FPS, so High is the highest preset that stays above 60.

2560x1440: Low settings are the only playable option, averaging 81 FPS. Medium drops to 58 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. High averages 51 FPS, and Ultra averages 45 FPS. If you want to play at 1440p, Low is the required preset.

3840x2160: No settings reach the 60 FPS threshold. The best average is 55 FPS on Low, which is below the playable mark. Medium averages 39 FPS, High 35 FPS, and Ultra 30 FPS. This combination cannot deliver a playable experience at 4K for Control.

The pattern is consistent: each resolution step down allows a roughly one-preset improvement. At 1080p, High works. At 1440p, only Low works. At 4K, nothing works. This mirrors the GPU's compute capabilities, specifically its 6.451 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 201.6 GTexel/s texture rate, which are simply insufficient for Control's demands at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU (Intel Core i5-13400F): The nearest rivals in the database are nearly identical in average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS scores 25284, a 0% delta. The Intel Core 5 120 scores 25362, 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D scores 25365, also 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800H scores 25201, 0.4% lower. Any of these CPUs would deliver essentially the same performance in Control, since the game is GPU-bound in this configuration.

For the GPU (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060): The closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, with an average score of 15283 (0% delta). The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, just 0.1% slower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, 0.6% slower. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171, 0.8% slower. All four alternatives would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control at every resolution and preset.

The practical implication is that swapping the RTX 2060 for an RTX 3050 OEM or RX 7600 would not change your playable settings. You would still be limited to High at 1080p (68 FPS) and Low at 1440p (81 FPS), with no playable 4K option. Similarly, swapping the i5-13400F for a Ryzen 5 5600X3D or Ryzen 9 6900HS would leave the frame rates unchanged, because the GPU remains the bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this specific combination at 2950 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. That places it in the 21st percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 79% of tested combinations perform better in this game. This is consistent with the RTX 2060's position at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, paired with a CPU at the 77th percentile.

The ranking reflects that the GPU is the weaker link. A combo with the same CPU and a stronger GPU would rank much higher, while a combo with the same GPU and a weaker CPU would rank similarly. The 770-combo gap between this system and the top performers is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's limited rasterization throughput and 6 GB VRAM capacity.

For context, the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 14111 and DirectX 12 score of 53 indicate moderate DirectX 12 performance, which matters for Control since it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1242 further confirms the GPU's mid-range position. None of these metrics suggest the combo is mis-ranked; the data aligns with expectations for this hardware tier.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but with significant resolution and settings limitations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers a solid experience: High settings average 68 FPS, Medium averages 76 FPS, and Low averages 107 FPS. Only Ultra falls short at 59 FPS. For most players, 1080p High is the sweet spot, offering good visual fidelity while staying 8 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the system is barely playable. Only Low settings average above 60 FPS, hitting 81 FPS. Medium falls to 58 FPS, which is technically below the playable threshold, though some players may find it acceptable. High (51 FPS) and Ultra (45 FPS) are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot deliver a playable experience under any settings. The best average is 55 FPS on Low, which misses the 60 FPS mark. Medium (39 FPS), High (35 FPS), and Ultra (30 FPS) are all well below playable levels.

The verdict is clear: this combo is a 1080p machine for Control, with a workable 1440p option only if you drop to Low settings. For 4K, you would need a substantially stronger GPU. If you own this system and want to play Control, stick to 1080p High for the best balance of visuals and frame rate. If you have a 1440p monitor, accept Low settings or consider a GPU upgrade. The CPU is not the limiting factor; the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM and 6.451 TFLOPS FP32 performance define what this system can achieve.