Control

The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination ranks in the 1064th position out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it comfortably in the upper third of all systems evaluated. This pairing demonstrates a clear capability to run the game smoothly across most settings, with the data showing a definitive performance ceiling and floor across resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combo each have close benchmark rivals that would produce similar in-game behavior. The Intel Core i5-13400F posts an average benchmark score of 25292, with its nearest competitor being the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS at a nearly identical 25284 score, a delta of 0%. The Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D both sit 0.3% behind with scores of 25362 and 25365 respectively, while the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H trails by 0.4% at 25201. For gaming workloads, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D would likely deliver a nearly indistinguishable experience to the i5-13400F, given the negligible score difference.

On the graphics side, the RTX 3080 achieves an average benchmark score of 23172, placing it at the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are surprisingly lower-tier parts: the NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249 (0.3% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250 (0.3% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273 (0.4% higher), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276 (0.4% higher). This clustering suggests that in synthetic benchmarks, these disparate GPUs land in the same performance band, though the RTX 3080’s architecture and feature set would differentiate it in actual gameplay. For Control specifically, the RX 6600M represents the closest real-world analog in terms of raw compute, though the RTX 3080’s 10 GB GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth provide advantages that synthetic scores do not fully capture.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 1064 out of 3720 tested combinations, this system sits in the 71st percentile of all tested pairings for Control. This rank reflects the balanced nature of the i5-13400F and RTX 3080, where neither component bottlenecks the other in a way that would drag the overall score down. The CPU’s 77th percentile ranking across all processors and the GPU’s 68th percentile ranking across all GPUs combine to produce a system that outperforms roughly seven out of every ten tested configurations in this game.

The ranking also implies that a significant number of combos above this one rely on more recent or higher-tier components, while those below often pair weaker CPUs or GPUs. The measured FPS data supports this positioning, as the system clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at every resolution tested except for the most demanding configuration, which we will examine in the FPS breakdown.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers abundant frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 183.8 FPS, Medium drops to 130.8 FPS, High maintains 119.1 FPS, and Ultra still holds 99.4 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 45.9% reduction in average frame rate, yet even the most demanding preset remains well above the playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance envelope tightens but remains strong. Low settings hit 139.9 FPS, Medium reaches 102.1 FPS, High posts 87.6 FPS, and Ultra manages 76 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 45.7%, nearly identical to the 1080p scaling, indicating that the resolution increase does not disproportionately punish the higher presets.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to show its limits. Low settings still deliver a smooth 92.1 FPS, Medium drops to 70.1 FPS, High comes in at 62.5 FPS, and Ultra falls below the playable threshold at 50.6 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 45.1%, consistent with the other resolutions, but the absolute values mean that Ultra is the only preset that fails to maintain 60 FPS.

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings shows a 49.1% reduction in average frame rate (99.4 to 50.6 FPS), which is expected given the fourfold increase in pixel count. At Low settings, the reduction is 49.9% (183.8 to 92.1 FPS), showing that the GPU remains the limiting factor even at lower graphical workloads.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control at 60 FPS or higher in every resolution and preset combination tested, with exactly one exception. At 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold, with the lowest result being Ultra at 99.4 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets also remain playable, with Ultra averaging 76 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. Low (92.1 FPS), Medium (70.1 FPS), and High (62.5 FPS) all maintain playable frame rates, but Ultra drops to 50.6 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict data confirms this: the playable settings for 4K are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best playable option at 62.5 FPS.

For users prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, 1440p Ultra offers the best balance, delivering 76 FPS. At 1080p, all presets are viable, with Ultra providing 99.4 FPS for those who want the highest quality without sacrificing smoothness.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals how the CPU and GPU divide responsibilities across resolutions and presets. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 183.8 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames faster than most displays can show. The i5-13400F’s 16 threads and 10 cores provide ample headroom for Control’s physics and AI calculations, as evidenced by the modest frame rate drop when moving from Low to Medium (183.8 to 130.8 FPS, a 28.8% reduction) compared to the GPU-bound scaling at higher resolutions.

As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. At 4K, the difference between Low and Medium settings is 92.1 to 70.1 FPS (23.9% reduction), while at 1080p the same settings transition shows a 28.8% reduction. This indicates that at 4K, the RTX 3080’s rasterization and memory bandwidth (760.3 GB/s) are the primary constraints, while at 1080p the CPU can maintain a higher frame ceiling before the GPU becomes saturated.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings shows a 33.4% reduction (76 to 50.6 FPS), which is larger than the 16.4% reduction from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra (99.4 to 76 FPS). This nonlinear scaling points to the GPU’s pixel and texture processing limits becoming more pronounced at higher resolutions, particularly with the RTX 3080’s 96 ROPs and 164.2 GPixel/s pixel rate.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 50.6 FPS, below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable 4K preset is High at 62.5 FPS.

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

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 deliver an average of 76 FPS, which is above the playable threshold. This is the most demanding preset that maintains smooth gameplay at this resolution.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 99.4 FPS at 1920x1080 to 50.6 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 49.1% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 183.8 to 92.1 FPS, a 49.9% reduction.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 or the i5-13400F more important for Control?

A: The GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as shown by the 45.1% reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K (92.1 to 50.6 FPS). At 1080p, the CPU maintains high frame rates across all presets, with the GPU still driving the scaling from 183.8 to 99.4 FPS.

Q: Which rival GPU performs closest to the RTX 3080?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600M has an average benchmark score of 23273, which is 0.4% lower than the RTX 3080’s 23172. However, the RTX 3080 offers 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 320-bit bus, which would affect real-world performance in memory-intensive scenes.

Q: Does this combo rank high among all tested systems for Control?

A: Yes, it ranks 1064th out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 28.6% of all systems evaluated for this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS or higher is Ultra, which averages 99.4 FPS. This provides the full visual experience without any frame rate concerns.

At 2560x1440, Ultra remains the best choice, averaging 76 FPS. This is above the playable threshold and delivers the highest quality visuals available at this resolution.

For 3840x2160, High is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 62.5 FPS. While Medium (70.1 FPS) and Low (92.1 FPS) also remain playable, High offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. Ultra at 50.6 FPS falls short of the playable threshold and should be avoided for smooth gameplay.