Control

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is an extreme pairing for Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. Benchmark data shows this combination produces very high frame rates across all tested resolutions and presets, making it a system that will not struggle with this game. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, compares it to similar hardware, and explains which component is doing the heavy lifting.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). All results are average FPS values; minimum and maximum frame times were not recorded in the dataset.

At 1920x1080, the system is massively overqualified. On the Low preset, it hits an average of 241.8 FPS. Moving to Medium drops that to 202.8 FPS, while High yields 181.1 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset produces an average of 158.2 FPS. Every single setting at this resolution clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by a wide margin, with the lowest result (Ultra) still being more than 2.6 times the threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance remains exceptionally high. The Low preset averages 216.3 FPS, which is only a 10.5% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium delivers 153.1 FPS, High comes in at 134.7 FPS, and Ultra manages 121.1 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent: each preset loses roughly 20-25% of its average FPS, which is typical for a resolution jump of this magnitude. Even at Ultra, the system is still delivering double the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the results show the RTX 5090 finally starting to feel some load, though the i5-13400F keeps up. The Low preset averages 145.7 FPS. Medium drops to 102.4 FPS, High to 88.6 FPS, and Ultra to 77.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is significant — a 68.1 FPS difference — indicating that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck at this resolution. Nevertheless, all four presets remain comfortably above 60 FPS, with Ultra still 29.3% above the threshold.

The data pattern is clear: resolution scaling is smooth, and the performance penalty for cranking settings from Low to Ultra is substantial at 4K (a 46.7% reduction from 145.7 to 77.6 FPS) but much less pronounced at 1080p (a 34.6% reduction from 241.8 to 158.2 FPS). This suggests the GPU has more headroom at lower resolutions, while the CPU's role becomes more prominent as resolution drops.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on nearestRivals data, the Intel Core i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25292. The closest matching CPUs are the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (avg score 25284, deltaPct 0.0), the Intel Core 5 120 (avg score 25362, deltaPct -0.3), the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (avg score 25365, deltaPct -0.3), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (avg score 25201, deltaPct 0.4). In practical terms, all four of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control when paired with the RTX 5090, as their aggregate performance is within 0.4% of the i5-13400F. The Ryzen 9 6900HS and Ryzen 7 6800H are mobile parts, but their benchmark scores indicate they would not hold back the GPU any differently than the desktop i5.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, the avg benchmark score is 79842. The nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (avg score 79605, deltaPct 0.3), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (avg score 79396, deltaPct 0.6), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (avg score 78940, deltaPct 1.1), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (avg score 80959, deltaPct -1.4). These are not consumer gaming GPUs in most cases — the Tesla P100s are compute accelerators and the Pro Vega 64X is a workstation part — but their raw benchmark scores suggest they would produce similar FPS in Control. The RX 6850M XT, a mobile gaming GPU, is the closest consumer equivalent in this list, with a delta of just 1.1% behind the RTX 5090.

If you were to swap either component for one of these nearest rivals, the measured FPS in Control would change by less than 1.5% in most cases. That means a system with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D or an AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT would deliver nearly identical performance to what is shown in the measured FPS table, assuming the rest of the system is unchanged.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combo of Intel Core i5-13400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 86th out of 3720 tested combinations for Control. That places it in the top 2.3% of all tested systems, which is exceptionally strong for a game that is nearly six years old. The high rank is driven primarily by the RTX 5090's raw power — its 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs — combined with a CPU that sits in the 77th percentile among all processors.

The rank of 86 out of 3720 means there are 85 other combos that perform better in Control, but those would almost certainly feature even higher-end CPUs (such as the Core i9 or Ryzen 9 parts) paired with the same RTX 5090. The i5-13400F is not the limiting factor here; the data shows the combo still delivers 77.6 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is far above the playable threshold. A higher-ranked combo might squeeze out a few more FPS, but the practical difference in gameplay would be negligible at these frame rates.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Control. The verdictByResolution data is unambiguous: at all three tested resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160), every single settings preset — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — is listed as playable. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the lowest average FPS recorded across the entire dataset is 77.6 FPS at 4K Ultra.

For 4K (3840x2160), the best settings are Ultra, which runs at an average of 77.6 FPS. This is the clear recommendation for visual fidelity, as it stays 29.3% above the 60 FPS threshold. If you prefer even higher frame rates, dropping to High gives you 88.6 FPS (14.2% faster than Ultra), Medium gives 102.4 FPS, and Low gives 145.7 FPS.

For 1440p (2560x1440), the best settings are also Ultra, averaging 121.1 FPS. This is more than double the playable threshold, so there is no reason to compromise on visual quality. Even at Ultra, the system has massive headroom.

For 1080p (1920x1080), Ultra averages 158.2 FPS. The system is so fast at this resolution that you could pair it with a high-refresh-rate monitor and still max out the settings. Low settings push it to 241.8 FPS, which is likely beyond the refresh rate of most displays.

The verdict is simple: run the game at Ultra at any resolution. The RTX 5090 + i5-13400F combo clears 60 FPS by at least 29% in the worst case (4K Ultra), and at 1440p and 1080p, it more than doubles the threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in which component matters more as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the CPU is the dominant factor. The i5-13400F's 10 cores and 16 threads are sufficient to keep frame rates extremely high, but the GPU is not fully stressed. Evidence: the difference between Low (241.8 FPS) and Ultra (158.2 FPS) at 1080p is 83.6 FPS, which is a 34.6% penalty. This penalty is moderate because the GPU still has headroom, but the CPU is likely the ceiling — a weaker CPU would cap FPS lower, while a stronger GPU would not help much.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts. The Low preset drops to 216.3 FPS (down 10.5% from 1080p), but Ultra drops to 121.1 FPS (down 23.4% from 1080p). The larger drop at Ultra suggests the GPU is starting to become the limiting factor at higher settings, as the increased pixel count and shading load begin to outpace the CPU's ability to feed frames. Still, the CPU is not a bottleneck here — the i5's single-thread score of 960 in 3dMark and 3191 in Cinebench R23 are more than enough for Control's engine.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the primary constraint. The Low preset averages 145.7 FPS, which is 32.6% lower than the 1080p Low result. More tellingly, the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 68.1 FPS (a 46.7% reduction), compared to a 83.6 FPS gap at 1080p (a 34.6% reduction). The absolute FPS drop from Low to Ultra is smaller at 4K because the GPU is already saturated; it simply cannot scale up settings without losing more performance. The CPU's role diminishes further, as it can easily feed the GPU at these frame rates — the i5's multi-thread score of 22604 in Cinebench R23 would only be taxed if the GPU were pushing 200+ FPS, which it does not at 4K.

In practical terms: at 1080p and 1440p, the i5-13400F is sufficient and the RTX 5090 is overkill; at 4K, the RTX 5090 is doing the heavy lifting, and the CPU is no longer a factor. For Control, the GPU scaling between presets is steep at 4K, so if you want to maximize FPS, lowering settings from Ultra to High at 4K yields an 11.0 FPS gain (from 77.6 to 88.6), which is modest. At 1080p, the same settings change yields a 22.9 FPS gain (from 158.2 to 181.1), showing the GPU has more to give when the CPU keeps up.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for this PC at 4K?

A: Ultra is the best settings at 3840x2160, running at an average of 77.6 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution.

*Q: Can this combo run Control at 1440p with a 144Hz monitor?*

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 121.1 FPS, which is below 144 FPS but still very high. If you want to hit 144 FPS, the High preset at 134.7 FPS or the Medium preset at 153.1 FPS would work — the latter exceeds 144 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-13400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-13400F has an avg benchmark score of 25292. Its nearest rivals — the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (25284, deltaPct 0.0), Intel Core 5 120 (25362, deltaPct -0.3), AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25365, deltaPct -0.3), and AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (25201, deltaPct 0.4) — are all within 0.4% of its score, so they would behave nearly identically in Control.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 overkill for this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, yes — the GPU delivers 158.2 FPS at 1080p Ultra and 121.1 FPS at 1440p Ultra, far exceeding the 60 FPS threshold. Even at 4K Ultra, it holds 77.6 FPS. The data shows no preset at any resolution drops below 60 FPS, so a less powerful GPU would still be playable, but this combo leaves maximum headroom.

Q: What resolution gives the best balance of visual quality and frame rate?

A: 2560x1440 at Ultra preset, which averages 121.1 FPS, offers a 2x margin over the 60 FPS threshold while still providing high visual fidelity. At 4K Ultra, the 77.6 FPS average is also excellent, but the margin over the threshold is smaller.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, as the GPU has headroom (Low preset hits 241.8 FPS). At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as the Low-to-Ultra FPS gap shrinks to 68.1 FPS and the GPU's 92nd percentile ranking dominates. The i5-13400F's 16 threads and 4.6 GHz boost clock are sufficient to avoid a hard bottleneck, but a faster CPU could push higher FPS at 1080p Low.