Control

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a mixed bag in Control, depending heavily on the resolution you target. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy: at 1080p, this combo is comfortably in high-refresh territory, while 1440p remains fully playable at all presets. 4K is the breaking point, where only the Low preset maintains consistent frame rates above the 60 FPS threshold. Here is the exact measured breakdown.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p)

At the most common resolution, the combo shows strong headroom. With Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 148 FPS. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 105 FPS, with recorded minimum and maximum values of 89 and 121 FPS respectively. High settings yield 93 FPS average, and Ultra is still very fluid at 81 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra is 67 FPS, indicating a substantial performance scaling cost but no playability concerns at any preset.

2560x1440 (1440p)

The step up to 1440p shows a predictable decline but remains well within playable bounds.

• Low: 112 FPS average.
• Medium: 80 FPS average, with min/max readings of 68 and 92 FPS.
• High: 71 FPS average.
• Ultra: 61 FPS average.

The minimum recorded at Medium (68 FPS) stays above the 60 FPS playable threshold, confirming that even the heavier settings manage to avoid problematic frame dips.

3840x2160 (4K)

This is where the GPU workload becomes punishing.

• Low: 76 FPS average, the only setting that clears the 60 FPS bar.
• Medium: 54 FPS average, with min/max of 46 and 62 FPS. The minimum reveals that the experience is subject to noticeable drops.
• High: 48 FPS average.
• Ultra: 41 FPS average.

The data indicates that while Low is smooth, Medium and above fall short of the playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions clarifies the bottleneck distribution. At 1080p, the frame rates (148 FPS Low, 103 FPS Medium, 97 FPS High, 81 FPS Ultra) show that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the primary constraint; the CPU is not the limiting factor when the GPU load is lower. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1080p is about 45%, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario.

Moving to 1440p, the average frame rates drop by 24% to 35% compared to 1080p across the same settings, which confirms that the GPU is still the dominant component. The CPU, a 6-core Intel part with a 4.10 GHz boost clock, is capable of feeding the GPU at these frame rates.

At 4K, the GPU load becomes extreme. The average FPS drops by more than 50% compared to 1080p for the same settings, and the gap between Low and Ultra narrows. The Intel Core i5-9400 is not the limiting factor here; the Radeon RX 7700's raw pixel throughput is what determines the outcome. The recorded data shows that the scaling from 1440p to 4K is much more severe than from 1080p to 1440p, confirming that the GPU is stressed to its limits at the highest resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 Ultra is 81 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p?

A: Per the verdict data, all four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at 2560x1440. The "best" setting is Ultra, as it still achieves an average of 61 FPS, just above the threshold.

Q: Is 4K feasible with this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 76 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging just 41 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: The average frame rates at 1440p are 16 to 20 FPS lower than 1080p for the same preset. For example, High drops from 97 FPS to 71 FPS, and Ultra drops from 81 FPS to 61 FPS.

Q: What is the frame consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The only recorded min/max data is at Medium presets. At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 89 and the max is 121. At 1440p Medium, the range is 68 to 92 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 46 to 62 FPS, showing a wider swing.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU?

A: The data suggests no. The Core i5-9400 has a 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 58th percentile. The FPS scaling across resolutions is consistent with GPU-bound behavior, and the CPU's single-core score of 935 in Cinebench R23 is sufficient to avoid limiting the GPU at the frame rates observed.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the database's nearest rival comparisons for the CPU and GPU, other hardware will behave very similarly.

CPU Comparisons:

The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its closest rivals are:

• Intel Core i7-1068NG7: Score of 2259, which is 0.2% higher in performance.
• Intel Core i7-10710U: Score of 2248, 0.3% lower.
• AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500: Score of 2246, 0.4% lower.
• Intel Core i3-10305: Score of 2264, 0.4% higher.

In practical terms, swapping in any of these CPUs will produce almost identical frame rates in Control, as the differences are within a fraction of a percent.

GPU Comparisons:

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852. The nearest rivals are:

• AMD Radeon R9 370X: Score of 15862, 0.1% higher.
• AMD Radeon RX 9060: Score of 16014, 1.0% higher.
• AMD Radeon Pro W5500: Score of 15679, 1.1% lower.
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti: Score of 16129, 1.7% higher.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the strongest rival listed, and would produce slightly higher average frame rates, but the difference is negligible in gameplay terms. The AMD Radeon R9 370X and RX 9060 are essentially equivalent in raw compute score.

How This Combo Ranks

The database records this specific CPU and GPU pairing as rank 1756 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This puts it in the 47th percentile of all combinations tested, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of other systems but is not a top-tier setup. This ranking is consistent with the performance data: it is a solid middle-tier performer that excels at 1080p and 1440p, but falls short of the demands of 4K Ultra.

The rank indicates that the system is not a high-end enthusiast configuration. There are 1,963 other combos that score better in this game. However, it also beats more than 1,900 other combos, so it is not a low-end configuration either. The performance is balanced, with the GPU being the stronger component relative to the CPU.

The Verdict

The recorded data provides a clear answer on whether this PC can run Control.

• 1920x1080: Yes, absolutely. All presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) average above 80 FPS, with the worst minimum recorded being 89 FPS at Medium. This is a smooth experience for any display.
• 2560x1440: Yes. Every preset is playable, with Ultra averaging 61 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for this combo, allowing you to max out the game with a marginal frame rate.
• 3840x2160: Only at Low settings. Low averages 76 FPS, but Medium, High, and Ultra all fall short of 60 FPS. For 4K, you must reduce the settings to Low to maintain a playable experience.

This system is a strong 1080p and 1440p machine for Control. The frame data shows that the game is GPU-limited at all resolutions, and the 6-core CPU does not struggle. The 4K Low settings are the only viable option, and 4K Ultra is not an option, averaging just 41 FPS. If you are targeting 4K, you would need a stronger GPU, but for 1440p and below, this build delivers a smooth, high quality experience.