Control

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Control with the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER shows a clear performance curve across the three tested resolutions. At 3840x2160, the system averages 38 FPS on High settings, 60 FPS on Low, 43 FPS on Medium, and 33 FPS on Ultra. The only preset with min/max data at this resolution is Medium, which fluctuates between 36 FPS and 49 FPS, indicating a fairly tight frame window despite the sub-60 average.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages improve substantially. High settings produce 56 FPS, Low settings reach 89 FPS, Medium lands at 63 FPS, and Ultra drops to 49 FPS. Medium is the only preset at this resolution with recorded min/max values, ranging from 54 FPS to 73 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 40 FPS, which suggests the GPU scales strongly with preset changes at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. High settings average 74 FPS, Low settings hit 118 FPS, Medium produces 84 FPS, and Ultra maintains 65 FPS. Medium again has the only min/max data, with a range of 71 FPS to 96 FPS. Every preset at 1080p clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, and even the most demanding setting leaves headroom above the target.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step down from 4K to 1440p to 1080p yields roughly a 50% improvement in average FPS at equivalent settings. For example, High settings go from 38 FPS at 4K to 56 FPS at 1440p to 74 FPS at 1080p. The same scaling appears on Low settings, where the numbers rise from 60 to 89 to 118 FPS. This scaling behavior points to the GPU being the primary constraint as resolution increases, with the CPU holding steady across all three.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database places the Intel Core i5-9400 at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals in the recorded data are tightly clustered. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, which is 0.2% higher, while the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 matches closely at 2246, 0.4% below, and the Intel Core i3-10305 leads the group slightly at 2264, 0.4% above. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, so any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control when paired with the same GPU.

On the graphics side, the RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile at 18159, only 0.4% higher, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 at 18189, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 460 scores 18373, 1.5% above, and the Intel Arc A770M reaches 18383, 1.6% above. The small deltas mean a system built with any of these GPUs and a comparable CPU would deliver nearly interchangeable performance in Control. The recorded FPS data for this combo should therefore generalize well to those alternative pairings.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only preset that holds at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of exactly 60 FPS. Medium falls short at 43 FPS, High at 38 FPS, and Ultra at 33 FPS. The verdict data confirms Low as the best playable setting at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, Medium is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 63 FPS. Low runs faster at 89 FPS, but Medium provides the higher visual quality while still clearing the threshold. High and Ultra both fail to reach 60 FPS, with averages of 56 FPS and 49 FPS respectively.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is the best setting, averaging 65 FPS. This is the only resolution where the highest preset remains playable. The drop from Ultra to High is 9 FPS, from High to Medium is 10 FPS, and from Medium to Low is 34 FPS, showing that the largest performance gain comes from moving to the lowest preset.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but the experience depends heavily on resolution and settings. The verdict by resolution is straightforward. At 3840x2160, the playable settings list contains only Low, with an average FPS of 60. Every other preset at this resolution falls below the 60 FPS threshold, with Medium at 43, High at 38, and Ultra at 33. Users with a 4K display must accept Low settings to maintain smooth playback.

At 2560x1440, the system clears 60 FPS on Low and Medium. The best playable setting is Medium at 63 FPS average, which is the recommended choice for 1440p users who want a balance of quality and performance. High at 56 FPS and Ultra at 49 FPS are close but miss the mark.

At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable. Ultra averages 65 FPS, making it the best option without any compromise. This is the resolution where the combo truly shines, delivering a fully playable experience at maximum settings. For the majority of users on 1080p displays, the Intel Core i5-9400 and RTX 2060 SUPER combination is more than sufficient for Control.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, where the average FPS is exactly 60. Medium averages 43 FPS, High 38 FPS, and Ultra 33 FPS, all below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p?

A: Medium is the best playable setting at 2560x1440, with an average of 63 FPS. Low runs at 89 FPS but offers lower visual quality, while High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS.

Q: Does the system handle Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes, Ultra at 1920x1080 averages 65 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. It is the only resolution where the highest preset is playable.

Q: How much performance is lost from Low to Ultra at each resolution?

A: At 4K, the difference is 27 FPS, from 60 FPS on Low to 33 FPS on Ultra. At 1440p, the difference is 40 FPS, from 89 to 49. At 1080p, the difference is 53 FPS, from 118 to 65.

Q: What are the min and max FPS values recorded?

A: The database only includes min and max data for the Medium preset. At 4K, the range is 36 to 49 FPS. At 1440p, it is 54 to 73 FPS. At 1080p, it is 71 to 96 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combination of Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2650 out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it below the middle of the tested field.

How This Combo Ranks

The recorded data places this combo at rank 2650 out of 3720 tested combinations for Control. That puts it in the lower portion of the database, which is consistent with the measured FPS results. The system handles 1080p comfortably at all presets, but struggles at 4K where only Low settings are playable. The ranking reflects this mixed performance profile: strong at lower resolutions, limited at higher ones.

Compared to the nearest rival components, the rank makes sense. The CPU sits at the 47th percentile and the GPU at the 62nd percentile, so neither component is a top-tier performer. The combo's overall position suggests that while it is not a high-end machine, it is also far from the bottom of the tested pool. For a game like Control, which demands a capable GPU for high resolutions, the RTX 2060 SUPER carries most of the load, and the i5-9400 provides adequate support without becoming a bottleneck at 60 FPS targets.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured data reveals how the CPU and GPU divide responsibilities in Control. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The average FPS drops from 60 on Low to 33 on Ultra, a decline of 45%, while the CPU workload remains constant. The GPU's rendering load at 4K is so heavy that even the i5-9400's six cores have little influence on the final frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly. The GPU still dominates, but the CPU has more room to contribute. The spread from Low to Ultra is 40 FPS, and the Medium preset's min/max range of 54 to 73 FPS shows some frame-time variance that could be influenced by CPU processing. Still, the overall pattern points to the GPU as the primary driver of performance at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the CPU begins to matter more. The gap between Low and Ultra is 53 FPS, the largest of any resolution, which indicates the GPU is less saturated and the CPU can feed frames more readily. The 118 FPS average on Low settings suggests the i5-9400 is capable of high frame delivery when the GPU is not the bottleneck. However, even at 1080p, the GPU remains the deciding factor for Ultra settings, where the average settles at 65 FPS.

The scaling between resolutions confirms this division. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K produces consistent FPS drops at every preset, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's role is supportive: it maintains enough throughput to avoid stalling the GPU, but it does not drive the frame rate at higher resolutions. For Control, the RTX 2060 SUPER is the component that determines whether the game runs smoothly, especially at 1440p and above.