Control

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a formidable combination for Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. The measured data shows this system delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested resolutions and presets, with the only question being how much headroom you have above the 60 FPS playability threshold. This analysis breaks down the exact performance metrics, the balance between CPU and GPU load, and which settings to choose for your target resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The FPS data is comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is heavily GPU-bound at lower settings, but the numbers are consistently high. On Low settings, the average FPS is 246. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 175, with a minimum of 149 and a maximum of 201. High settings yield an average of 156 FPS. At the most demanding Ultra preset, the average remains a very high 135 FPS. Even the minimum frame rates at this resolution, where data is available, never approach the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected, but the system remains far beyond comfortable playability. The Low preset delivers an average of 186 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 132 FPS, with a minimum of 113 and a maximum of 152. High settings show an average of 118 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, still manages an average of 102 FPS. The gap between the 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 results shows the GPU is still the primary driver, but the frame rates are high enough that the experience is consistently smooth.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4080 starts to flex its muscle, but the results are still excellent. The Low preset averages 126 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 and a maximum of 103. High settings drop to 79 FPS. Even the Ultra preset, which is the most punishing, holds an average of 69 FPS. This data shows that 4K gaming is not only possible but also highly playable, with the lowest point in the entire dataset being 76 FPS on Medium, still well above the 60 FPS threshold. The highest recorded frame rate on any preset is 246 FPS at 1080p Low, while the lowest average is 69 FPS at 4K Ultra.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in component importance as resolution changes, though both the CPU and GPU are high-end. The CPU, an Intel Core i7-13700K with 16 cores and 24 threads, has a strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and a Passmark multithread score of 45887. Its single-thread performance is also robust, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2529. This ensures it won't bottleneck in most scenarios.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high (246 FPS on Low), which suggests the GPU is doing most of the work. However, the CPU must be capable of feeding the GPU at these rates. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a significant drop in FPS for the same settings (e.g., Low goes from 246 to 186 FPS, a 24% decrease), which is caused by the increased pixel count. This scaling is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU's workload per frame does not change much with resolution.

Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the same pattern continues. The Low preset drops from 186 to 126 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops from 102 to 69 FPS. The percentage differences here (e.g., 102 to 69 is a 32% decrease) are similar to the 1080p to 1440p jump. This consistency shows that the RTX 4080 is the dominant component in determining frame rates across all resolutions. The CPU, being a high-end 13th-gen part, has enough single-thread and multi-thread headroom to keep up with the GPU's demands, but it is the GPU's sheer rasterization power that is the deciding factor in this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data shows that the most demanding preset (Ultra) stays above 60 FPS at all three resolutions. This makes the decision simple. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset yields an average of 135 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 102 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 69 FPS.

Given that all presets are playable, the best setting is always the highest one. There is no trade-off for visual quality. You can run the game at its maximum visual fidelity without any performance concerns. The data suggests that if you want to maximize visual quality, you should select the Ultra preset at any resolution, as the minimum frame rates (where provided) never fall below the playable threshold. For instance, at 1440p Medium, the minimum FPS is 113, and at 4K Medium, it is 76. This leaves a comfortable margin of safety for demanding in-game moments.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-13700K is surrounded by very close competitors in terms of average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 is essentially a tie, with a deltaPct of -0.2%. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is also nearly identical at -0.3%. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 are both 0.5% ahead. This means that in Control, a game that relies on both single-core and multi-core performance, these CPUs would likely produce very similar frame rates. The i7-13700K's own average benchmark score is 46881, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

For the GPU, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, which is a mere 0.1% faster on average. This is a negligible difference that translates into essentially identical FPS in Control. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% slower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% slower. The AMD Radeon 8060S is the slowest of the group, at 2.7% slower. The RTX 4080’s average benchmark score is 54247, placing it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Users with any of these rival cards, especially the RTX 4080 SUPER, should expect the same level of performance in Control. The performance deltas are so small that they fall within the margin of error for the benchmark.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Control with absolute ease. The data confirms that the Core i7-13700K + RTX 4080 combination clears the 60 FPS barrier at every resolution and every preset tested. The verdict is clear:

• 3840x2160: The playable settings list includes High, Low, Medium, and Ultra. The best settings are Ultra, which achieves an average of 69 FPS. This makes 4K Ultra a viable option.
• 2560x1440: The playable settings include High, Low, Medium, and Ultra. The best setting is Ultra, which achieves an average of 102 FPS. This gives you a very high-performance headroom.
• 1920x1080: The playable settings include High, Low, Medium, and Ultra. The best setting is Ultra, which achieves an average of 135 FPS.

In essence, for this game, the system is overkill. You will not be forced to lower settings or resolution to achieve a playable experience. The only limit to your visual choices is not the hardware, but the game's own maximum settings. The system ranks 241 out of 3720 in the database for this game, putting it in the top 6.5% of combinations, confirming its elite status.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K with the highest settings?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows that the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 resolution achieves an average of 69 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

*Q: What is the highest FPS this system can achieve in Control?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 246, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: I have an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. How would it compare?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER is listed as a nearest rival to the RTX 4080, with a deltaPct of 0.1% faster. This means its performance in Control would be essentially identical.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the bottleneck for this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rates scale down significantly with resolution (e.g., 186 FPS at 1440p Low vs 126 FPS at 4K Low), a pattern that is typical of GPU-bound scenarios.

Q: At 2560x1440, what settings should I use to stay above 60 FPS?

A: All presets, including Ultra, average above 60 FPS at this resolution. The Ultra preset has an average of 102 FPS, so you can use the highest quality settings.

Q: Does the game have any frame drops below 60 FPS at 4K?

A: The data shows a minimum FPS of 76 at 4K Medium settings. No minimum FPS data is provided for the other 4K presets, but the average for Ultra is 69 FPS, so it is safe to assume the minimums are also above 60 FPS.