Control

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a highly capable Control experience, with benchmark results showing that the combination is playable at 1080p and 1440p across all tested presets, while 4K requires a settings reduction to maintain smooth frame rates. Measured data places this combo at rank 1665 out of 3720 tested configurations, placing it in the upper half of the database, and the frame rate analysis reveals a system that scales predictably with both resolution and graphical fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5060 and i7-13700K combination produces its strongest results. The Low preset averages 149 FPS, which represents the highest frame rate recorded for this pairing at any resolution or setting. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 106 FPS, with a minimum of 90 FPS and a maximum of 122 FPS. The High preset averages 94 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 82 FPS. All four settings at 1080p maintain averages well above the 60 FPS playability threshold, with even the most demanding Ultra preset leaving a 22 FPS margin.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance profile remains strong but shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. The Low preset averages 113 FPS, a 36 FPS reduction from 1080p Low. Medium averages 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 92 FPS. High averages 71 FPS, and Ultra averages 62 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the closest this combination comes to dropping below 60 FPS, but the average of 62 FPS keeps it playable with only a 2 FPS margin above the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K rendering become evident. The Low preset averages 76 FPS, which remains comfortably playable. Medium averages 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS threshold. High averages 48 FPS, and Ultra averages 42 FPS. The data indicates that only the Low preset at 4K clears the playability bar, and the gap between Low and Medium is substantial, representing a 22 FPS average difference.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals a clear pattern where the GPU becomes the dominant constraint as pixel count increases. Comparing 1080p to 1440p at the same preset, the average FPS drops by roughly 24-27% across Low, Medium, and High settings. This reduction is consistent with the GPU handling additional pixel work. The i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, shows no signs of holding back the RTX 5060 at these resolutions, as the frame rate scaling aligns with GPU-bound behavior.

The transition from 1440p to 4K shows a more severe impact, particularly at higher presets. At Low settings, the average drops from 113 FPS at 1440p to 76 FPS at 4K, a 33% reduction. At Medium, the drop is from 80 FPS to 54 FPS, a 32.5% reduction. At High, the drop is from 71 FPS to 48 FPS, a 32.4% reduction. These consistent percentage drops across presets confirm that the RTX 5060 is the limiting factor at 4K, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom even at lower resolutions.

The preset scaling within each resolution further illustrates the GPU's role. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average from 149 FPS to 82 FPS, a 45% reduction. At 1440p, the same preset range reduces the average from 113 FPS to 62 FPS, a 45% reduction. At 4K, the reduction from Low to Ultra is from 76 FPS to 42 FPS, a 44.7% reduction. This consistent percentage impact across resolutions indicates that the RTX 5060's rendering pipeline handles the additional graphical features uniformly, regardless of pixel count. The i7-13700K's single-thread performance, as indicated by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 1136, provides adequate support for the game's logic and draw call processing without becoming a bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 1920x1080?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 82 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold by 22 FPS.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 3840x2160?

A: Only the Low preset is playable at 4K, with an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in this setup?

A: The RTX 5060's average benchmark score is 26331. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, which is 1.2% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553, which is 0.8% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421, which is 0.3% higher, and the AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401, also 0.3% higher.

Q: What is the performance difference between the i7-13700K and the AMD Ryzen 9 5900?

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971. The Ryzen 9 5900 is 0.2% higher, which is a negligible difference in real-world gaming performance.

Q: Is the 1440p Medium preset a good choice for balanced visuals and performance?

A: Yes. The 1440p Medium preset averages 80 FPS with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 92 FPS, providing a smooth experience with a 20 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Does the combo rank indicate this is a top-tier configuration for Control?

A: The combo ranks 1665 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the 55th percentile of tested hardware pairs. This indicates a mid-to-upper tier position among all tested configurations.

The Verdict

The benchmark data shows that this PC can run Control effectively at multiple resolutions. At 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clear the 60 FPS threshold, with averages ranging from 82 FPS at Ultra to 149 FPS at Low. The 1080p experience is fully playable at maximum settings.

At 2560x1440, all four presets also remain playable. The Ultra preset averages 62 FPS, which barely clears the threshold, while High averages 71 FPS, Medium averages 80 FPS, and Low averages 113 FPS. Users seeking the best visual quality at 1440p can use Ultra, but those prioritizing a larger frame rate cushion should consider High or Medium.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, averaging 76 FPS. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets at 4K all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 54, 48, and 42 FPS respectively. For 4K gaming, users must accept Low settings to maintain playability, which significantly reduces the visual experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination ranks 1665 out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This places the pairing in the upper portion of the database, though not among the top-tier configurations. The rank reflects a balanced pairing where the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its cinebench_r23_multicore score of 30745, complements the GPU's mid-range capabilities. The RTX 5060's passmark_g3d score of 20891 positions it as a capable 1080p and 1440p card, while its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth handle the game's texture loads without issue at those resolutions.

The combo's percentile ranking, with the CPU at the 89th percentile of all CPUs and the GPU at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, indicates that the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card. This asymmetry explains why the system becomes GPU-bound at higher resolutions, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed the RTX 5060.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 76 FPS. This is the only playable option at 4K, and it provides a 16 FPS margin above the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is Ultra, with an average of 62 FPS. While this clears the threshold, the margin is narrow at just 2 FPS. For a more comfortable experience, Medium averages 80 FPS with a minimum of 68 FPS, offering a larger cushion against frame rate dips.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding playable preset is Ultra, with an average of 82 FPS. This provides a 22 FPS margin above the threshold, making it a safe choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing playability.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals to the Intel Core i7-13700K, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 with an avgScore of 46971 and a deltaPct of -0.2, meaning it performs nearly identically. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, also -0.2% different. The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46654 with a deltaPct of 0.5, and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 scores 46653 with a deltaPct of 0.5. All four alternatives would deliver essentially the same gaming performance in Control, as the differences are within 0.5% of each other.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 include the AMD Radeon 860M with an avgScore of 26401 and a deltaPct of -0.3, the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 with an avgScore of 26421 and a deltaPct of -0.3, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary with an avgScore of 26553 and a deltaPct of -0.8, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT with an avgScore of 26011 and a deltaPct of 1.2. These GPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Control, with the RX 6750 XT being the closest match at just 1.2% slower. Users with any of these alternative components can expect comparable performance to the tested configuration, with the understanding that the CPU alternatives maintain the same multi-threaded capabilities and the GPU alternatives offer near-identical rasterization throughput for this title.