Control

This analysis covers the measured performance of the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 in Control, based exclusively on the provided benchmark data. The data set includes average FPS at three resolutions and four quality presets, alongside comparative rankings for both components. The primary objective is to determine which settings and resolutions maintain a playable frame rate, defined here as 60 FPS or higher.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this combo show a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across the board. With the Low preset, the average FPS reaches 191.1, which is remarkably high and indicates the GPU is far from being a bottleneck at this resolution. Moving to Medium drops the average to 135.8, and the High preset still maintains a strong 124.4 FPS average. The most demanding Ultra preset at 1080p yields an average of 107.7 FPS. All four presets at this resolution clear the 60 FPS threshold by a substantial margin, making 1080p an effortless scenario for this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains very strong but shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. The Low preset averages 143.9 FPS, which is a reduction from the 1080p result but still exceptionally smooth. The Medium preset delivers 106 FPS on average, and High settings produce 92 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p brings the average down to 77.7 FPS. This is notable because it is the only setting at this resolution that dips below the 100 FPS mark, yet it still remains comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is approximately 66 FPS, showing the significant cost of the highest quality settings.

The most demanding scenario tested is 3840x2160 (4K). Here, the performance curve steepens. The Low preset averages 95.7 FPS, which is still highly playable. The Medium preset drops to 68.8 FPS, staying above the 60 FPS line. The High preset at 4K averages 65 FPS, which is the closest the system comes to the playability threshold in any non-Ultra test. However, the Ultra preset at 4K falls below the line, averaging only 56.5 FPS. This is the only configuration in the entire data set that fails to reach 60 FPS, indicating a hard limit for this combo at maximum quality in 4K.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the delta between Low and Ultra settings grows with resolution. At 1080p, the difference is 83.4 FPS (191.1 vs 107.7). At 1440p, the difference is 66.2 FPS (143.9 vs 77.7). At 4K, the difference narrows to 39.2 FPS (95.7 vs 56.5). This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU has more headroom to push higher frame rates, while at 4K, the GPU workload becomes so heavy that the relative cost of each preset level compresses. In all cases, the average FPS numbers are the only metrics provided; no minimum or maximum frame time data is available in the fact pack.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The fact pack provides nearest rival data for both the CPU and GPU separately, based on their average benchmark scores. For the Intel Core i7-13700K, the closest comparable processors are all within a narrow performance band. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 has an average score of 46971, which is 0.2% lower than the i7-13700K's average. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, a 0.3% deficit. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 both score higher, with the Ryzen 9 7845HX at 46654 and the Xeon w3-2535 at 46653, each representing a 0.5% advantage for the i7-13700K. In practical terms, these deltas are negligible, meaning a system with any of these CPUs would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in Control, assuming the same GPU.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, the nearest rivals show a similar level of parity. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 has an average score of 37628, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4070's 37648 average. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 trails slightly with a score of 37507, a 0.4% deficit. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is the fastest of the group with a score of 38135, giving it a 1.3% lead over the desktop RTX 4070. The AMD Radeon PRO W6400 is the slowest, scoring 37157, which is 1.3% behind. These small percentage differences suggest that swapping the RTX 4070 for any of these alternatives would result in a change of only a few FPS in Control. For instance, using the RTX 4080 Mobile might push the 4K Ultra average from 56.5 FPS to roughly 57.2 FPS, which still would not cross the 60 FPS threshold. Conversely, the RX Vega 56 might lower the 4K High average from 65 FPS to around 64.7 FPS, keeping it playable.

It is important to note that these rival comparisons are based on synthetic benchmark averages, not on Control-specific tests. The actual in-game performance could vary due to driver optimizations and game engine quirks, but the data suggests that any of these alternatives would be a near-direct substitute in terms of overall performance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the specific context of Control, this CPU-GPU combination holds a rank of 898 out of 3720 tested combos. This places it in the top 24.1% of all systems in the database for this particular game. The percentile ranking is significant because it indicates that the i7-13700K and RTX 4070 together are a strong pairing for Control, outperforming the vast majority of other hardware configurations. The rank is likely influenced by the fact that Control is not an exceptionally demanding game by modern standards, and this mid-to-high-end combo has more than enough power for most scenarios. However, the 4K Ultra result shows that even a top-quartile combo has limits when pushing maximum settings at the highest resolution.

The rank of 898 out of 3720 also implies that there are 2822 other combos that perform worse. This is a useful data point for understanding the relative standing of this hardware. It is not a top-tier rank, but it is well above the median, which would be around 1860. The data does not provide a specific percentile value for the combo, but the rank alone is enough to conclude that this system is well-suited for Control at most settings. The gap between this combo and the very best systems is not quantified, but the 4K Ultra result suggests that higher-ranked combos likely include more powerful GPUs like the RTX 4080 or RTX 4090, which could handle 4K Ultra at higher frame rates.

The Verdict

Based on the measured FPS data and the defined playable threshold of 60 FPS, this system can run Control successfully across all resolutions, with one notable exception. At 1920x1080, the system clears the threshold at every preset, from Low at 191.1 FPS to Ultra at 107.7 FPS. There is no scenario at 1080p where the frame rate drops below 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same is true. All four presets, including Ultra with an average of 77.7 FPS, remain above the playable line. The system is fully capable of maxing out the game at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more nuanced. The Low, Medium, and High presets all average above 60 FPS, with High being the most demanding playable option at 65 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, falls short with an average of 56.5 FPS. This means that for 4K gaming, the user must choose between the High preset and the Ultra preset. The data shows that High is the best playable setting at 4K, delivering 65 FPS. The Ultra preset is not playable by this standard, as it is 3.5 FPS below the threshold. The verdict, therefore, is that this PC can run the game at 4K, but not at maximum quality.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU workload shifts across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU appears to be the limiting factor, as the GPU has enough headroom to produce very high frame rates. The Low preset at 191.1 FPS suggests the CPU is working hard to feed the GPU at such high speeds. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a drop of 83.4 FPS, which is a significant reduction but still leaves the system well above 60 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is not fully saturated at 1080p, and the CPU's single-thread performance is the primary driver of the high frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on more responsibility. The frame rates are lower than at 1080p across all settings, but the relative difference between presets narrows. The Low preset drops from 191.1 to 143.9 FPS, a reduction of 47.2 FPS, which is a larger absolute drop than the GPU would cause if it were purely a pixel-fill bottleneck. This suggests that both the CPU and GPU are sharing the load more evenly at 1440p. The Ultra preset at 77.7 FPS shows that the GPU is now the more significant constraint, as the higher quality settings demand more shading and texture work.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. The Low preset at 95.7 FPS is still high, but the scaling to Ultra at 56.5 FPS shows a 39.2 FPS drop, which is the smallest absolute drop of any resolution. This is because at 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that even the lowest settings require substantial pixel throughput. The CPU is no longer the bottleneck; the RTX 4070's raw rasterization and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. The fact that the 4K Ultra preset fails to hit 60 FPS is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance envelope, not the CPU. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario at high resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with the Ultra preset?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 56.5, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p that maintains 60 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset is playable at 1440p, with an average FPS of 77.7. It is the highest quality setting that clears the 60 FPS line at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881. The closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, scores 46971, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Xeon w3-2535 is 0.5% lower with a score of 46653.

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

A: The highest average FPS is 191.1, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more important for high frame rates at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is more important at 1080p, as the frame rates are very high across all settings, indicating the GPU is not fully utilized. The Low preset at 191.1 FPS is likely CPU-bound.

Q: What is the ranking of this combo among all tested systems in Control?

A: This combination ranks 898 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the top quartile of systems for this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

The following recommendations are based on the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS of at least 60 at each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which produces an average of 107.7 FPS. This is the maximum quality preset and it still delivers nearly double the playable threshold, making it the obvious choice for 1080p displays.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 77.7 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over High while still leaving a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Users with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors will appreciate the headroom.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are High, yielding an average of 65 FPS. This is the highest quality preset that stays above the 60 FPS line. While Ultra is not playable at this resolution, High still delivers a smooth experience with only a modest reduction in visual fidelity compared to the maximum settings. The Medium preset at 68.8 FPS is a viable alternative if users prefer a slightly higher frame rate buffer, but High offers the best balance of quality and performance at 4K.