Control

The data for this combo shows a clear pattern: the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a playable experience in Control, but the headroom varies dramatically by resolution. At 1080p and 1440p, the system has ample performance to run even the most demanding presets, while 4K requires a significant settings compromise to stay fluid. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, answers common questions, and provides a verdict based strictly on the benchmark data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for the i7-13700K and RTX 4060 combination in Control shows a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally strong: Low settings yield an average of 139.5 FPS, Medium settings drop to 102 FPS, High settings produce 91.4 FPS, and Ultra settings still maintain a solid 77.6 FPS. This represents a smooth 62 FPS swing from the most demanding to the least demanding preset, indicating that even at Ultra, the system is not stressed to its limit.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains robust but the scaling becomes more evident. Low settings average 107.7 FPS, which is a 23% reduction compared to the same preset at 1080p. Medium settings hit 74.1 FPS, High settings average 66.6 FPS, and Ultra settings land exactly at 60 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 47.7 FPS, showing that the GPU is beginning to feel the load of higher pixel counts, but the system still clears the 60 FPS threshold at every preset.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes significantly. Low settings average 72.3 FPS, making it the only preset that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings drop to 53.7 FPS, High settings fall to 44.3 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 40.5 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 31.8 FPS, which is a stark contrast to the 1080p scaling. The data shows that the RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus become a limiting factor at this resolution, as the average frame rate drops below the playability threshold for any setting above Low.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K with High settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 44.3, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The only playable setting at 4K is Low, which averages 72.3 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 1440p for a smooth experience?

A: The best preset at 2560x1440 is Ultra, which averages exactly 60 FPS. All presets from Low to Ultra at this resolution are playable, with High averaging 66.6 FPS and Medium averaging 74.1 FPS.

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

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 77.6 at 1920x1080 to 40.5 at 3840x2160. This represents a 48% decrease in average frame rate when quadrupling the pixel count.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 the bottleneck at 4K, or does the CPU matter more?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary constraint at 3840x2160. At Low settings, the system averages 72.3 FPS, but increasing to Medium drops the average to 53.7 FPS, a 26% reduction. This scaling indicates the GPU's rendering capacity, not the CPU's processing power, is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the single highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 139.5, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is nearly 2.4 times higher than the average at 4K Ultra.

Q: Does the i7-13700K hold back the RTX 4060 in this game?

A: Based on the measured FPS, the CPU does not appear to be a bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 139.5 FPS, and the frame rate scales predictably with resolution and settings, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor across all tested configurations.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 77.6 FPS. This leaves a 17.6 FPS margin above the threshold, making it a safe choice for a high-refresh-rate monitor.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS is Ultra, averaging exactly 60 FPS. This is a borderline result with zero headroom, so players who prefer a buffer should consider High, which averages 66.6 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the only setting that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, averaging 72.3 FPS. Medium falls to 53.7 FPS, so it is not playable under the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Low the definitive choice for 4K, but it requires a significant visual compromise.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but the quality of the experience is entirely dependent on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clearing the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra averages 77.6 FPS, which is comfortable for standard 60 Hz displays and even allows for some headroom on 144 Hz panels.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is also positive, but with a caveat. All presets are playable, with Ultra averaging exactly 60 FPS. This means the system can run the game at its highest visual quality at 1440p, but there is no performance buffer. If the game has any demanding scenes that push the average down, stuttering could occur. High settings, at 66.6 FPS, provide a safer margin.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is mixed. The system can run Control, but only at Low settings, which average 72.3 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with averages of 53.7, 44.3, and 40.5 FPS respectively. This means 4K gaming requires a substantial drop in visual fidelity to remain smooth.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data shows that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining performance for Control, particularly as resolution increases. The i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, provides ample processing power, but the frame rate scaling across resolutions points directly at the RTX 4060 as the bottleneck.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves 139.5 FPS on Low settings, which is a high enough frame rate to suggest the CPU is feeding the GPU effectively. However, the drop to 77.6 FPS on Ultra at the same resolution—a 44% reduction—shows that the GPU's rendering load is the primary constraint. The CPU is not holding back performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues. Low settings average 107.7 FPS, while Ultra averages 60 FPS. The 47.7 FPS difference between these presets is nearly identical in percentage terms to the 1080p scaling, confirming that the GPU is still the limiting factor. The CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame delivery, which it does effectively given the consistent scaling.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's dominance becomes absolute. Low settings average 72.3 FPS, but Medium drops to 53.7 FPS, a 26% reduction for just one step up in quality. High and Ultra further degrade to 44.3 and 40.5 FPS. This steep drop-off is characteristic of a GPU running out of memory bandwidth or shading power, not a CPU limitation. The i7-13700K's processing capacity is irrelevant at this point; the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are the deciding factors.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 1953 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, which aligns with the measured FPS data showing strong 1080p and 1440p performance but weak 4K capability.

The CPU itself ranks in the 89th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 46881. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, which scores 46971 (0.2% higher), and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, which scores 47022 (0.3% higher). The i7-13700K is also 0.5% ahead of both the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and the Intel Xeon w3-2535. This shows the CPU is a high-end performer that is not the weak link in this combo.

The GPU, however, ranks in the 61st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (0.2% higher), the AMD Radeon 780M (0.3% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (0.5% lower). This mid-tier GPU ranking explains why the combo's overall rank for Control is not higher; the RTX 4060 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card, but it lacks the raw power for 4K gaming.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's mid-tier percentile is the key takeaway. For Control specifically, the combo rank of 1953 out of 3720 reflects a system that is well-balanced for mainstream resolutions but underpowered for enthusiast-level 4K. The data suggests that players with this combo should target 1080p or 1440p for the best balance of visual quality and frame rate.