Control

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers a robust Control experience, with benchmark data showing that this combination is capable of high refresh rate gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, while still maintaining a playable frame rate at 4K. The measured results indicate that the system is well-balanced for this title, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces exceptional frame rates across all settings. The Low preset yields an average of 205.8 FPS, while Medium reaches 147.4 FPS. High settings deliver 135 FPS on average, and even the demanding Ultra preset maintains a strong 113.1 FPS average. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the system has significant headroom above the 60 FPS playable threshold, making it suitable for high refresh rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains very strong. The Low preset hits an average of 159.3 FPS, and Medium averages 114.8 FPS. High settings produce 96.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset still achieves 88 FPS on average. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but not steep, with the Ultra preset losing roughly 25 FPS when moving up in resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to feel the strain of 4K rendering. The Low preset stays fast at 107.4 FPS, and Medium averages 74.2 FPS. High settings remain playable with a 65.4 FPS average, but the Ultra preset falls to 57.1 FPS, dipping just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data shows that at 4K, the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as the gap between presets widens considerably compared to lower resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a clear division of labor. At 1920x1080, the RX 7900 XT is not fully taxed, as even the Ultra preset delivers 113.1 FPS. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, has enough headroom to feed the GPU efficiently. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 92.7 FPS, which indicates that the GPU has substantial performance reserves that are unlocked as settings are lowered.

At 2560x1440, the system remains GPU-bound, but the workload increases. The difference between Low (159.3 FPS) and Ultra (88 FPS) is 71.3 FPS. This tighter spread suggests that while the GPU is still the dominant factor, the CPU's role becomes slightly more relevant as resolution increases, though the i7-13700K's strong single-thread performance prevents any bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting component. The Ultra preset falls to 57.1 FPS, and the gap between Low (107.4 FPS) and Ultra is 50.3 FPS. The CPU has ample capacity at this resolution, as the frame rate scaling is almost entirely dictated by GPU load. Benchmark results indicate that the i7-13700K is never the constraint in this pairing for Control, with the RX 7900 XT's rendering throughput determining the final frame rate.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which achieves an average of 65.4 FPS. Medium also clears the threshold at 74.2 FPS, and Low is considerably faster at 107.4 FPS, but High provides the best visual fidelity while maintaining playability. The Ultra preset at 57.1 FPS misses the 60 FPS mark, so it is not recommended for 4K gaming with this setup.

At 2560x1440, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold. The best choice is Ultra, which delivers an average of 88 FPS. This provides the highest quality visuals while still offering a comfortable margin above the playable threshold. High (96.5 FPS) and Medium (114.8 FPS) are also viable, but Ultra is the optimal pick for maximum graphical fidelity at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, every preset exceeds 60 FPS, and the Ultra setting is the clear winner with a 113.1 FPS average. Low (205.8 FPS), Medium (147.4 FPS), and High (135 FPS) are all faster, but Ultra offers the best balance of image quality and performance. For competitive play, the Low preset could be used to push frame rates past 200 FPS, but the visual trade-off is substantial.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 726th out of 3720 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the top 19.5% of all systems tested for this game. This is a strong result, though not at the very pinnacle of the performance charts. The CPU's average benchmark score of 46881 places it near the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022, -0.3% delta), while slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46654, 0.5% delta) and Intel Xeon w3-2535 (46653, 0.5% delta). This indicates the i7-13700K is competitive with other high-end processors.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 13745 is surprising close to much lower-tier options in the nearest rivals list, with the AMD Radeon 660M (13812, -0.5% delta) and NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13821, -0.5% delta) showing nearly identical aggregate scores. This is likely due to the RX 7900 XT's specialized strengths in certain workloads, but in Control specifically, the measured FPS data shows strong performance. The GPU's percentile ranking of 55 against all GPUs is modest, yet the game-specific results demonstrate that this card is well-suited for Control's rendering demands.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 57.1, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset is the best option for 4K, delivering 65.4 FPS on average.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware?

A: For a balance of visual quality and performance, the 2560x1440 Ultra preset provides an average of 88 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold with a comfortable margin and offers maximum graphical settings.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: This pairing ranks 726th out of 3720 tested combinations for Control, meaning it performs better than approximately 80% of all tested systems. The CPU is well-matched with similar processors like the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, while the GPU's game-specific performance outpaces its aggregate benchmark standing.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary factor, with the Ultra preset reaching 113.1 FPS. The i7-13700K has sufficient headroom at this resolution, as evidenced by the large performance gap between Low (205.8 FPS) and Ultra settings.

Q: Will dropping to Low settings significantly improve frame rates?

A: Yes. At 4K, switching from High to Low increases the average from 65.4 FPS to 107.4 FPS, a gain of 42 FPS. At 1440p, the same switch moves from 96.5 FPS to 159.3 FPS. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 205.8 FPS compared to 135 FPS on High.

Q: Does the system hold 60 FPS in all tested scenarios?

A: No. The only configuration that falls below 60 FPS is 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, which averages 57.1 FPS. Every other resolution and preset combination in the data exceeds the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination can run Control effectively, with verdict data showing playable performance at all three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system plays every preset above 60 FPS, with the Ultra setting delivering 113.1 FPS on average. At 2560x1440, all presets are playable, and the Ultra preset achieves 88 FPS, making this the sweet spot for this pairing.

At 3840x2160, the system remains playable but with a caveat. The High preset is the best choice, delivering 65.4 FPS on average, while Medium (74.2 FPS) and Low (107.4 FPS) also clear the threshold. The Ultra preset at 57.1 FPS is the only combination that misses the 60 FPS target. For 4K gaming, users should stick to High settings or lower to maintain smooth performance. Overall, this is a capable setup for Control, offering high frame rates at mainstream resolutions and solid 4K performance with moderate settings.