Control

This PC configuration, pairing the Intel Core i7-13700K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Control across all tested resolutions and settings. The measured data shows that this combination ranks in the 54th percentile of 3,720 tested configurations for this game, placing it comfortably in the upper tier of systems. The benchmark results consistently exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold, even at the most demanding settings, indicating that this hardware handles the game's physics-heavy combat and destructible environments with substantial overhead.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Control shows a clear hierarchy of performance across the three resolutions and four settings presets tested. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates, with the Low preset producing an average of 283.8 FPS. The Medium preset delivers 204.3 FPS, while High settings yield 177.4 FPS. The Ultra preset, which represents the most demanding configuration, still maintains an average of 154 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the RTX 5090 is operating well beyond the limits of typical high-refresh-rate monitors, as even the Ultra preset leaves more than double the headroom needed for a 60 FPS target.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales predictably downward but remains exceptionally strong. The Low preset averages 213.5 FPS, followed by Medium at 151.3 FPS, High at 135.5 FPS, and Ultra at 119.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 94.1 FPS, which demonstrates that the settings presets have a substantial impact on the rendering load. The Ultra preset at 1440p still clears the 60 FPS threshold by a factor of nearly two, making this resolution entirely viable for competitive or visually demanding play.

At 3840x2160, the system continues to perform admirably, though the frame rates begin to reflect the increased pixel count. The Low preset produces 147.1 FPS, Medium drops to 104.6 FPS, High achieves 89.1 FPS, and Ultra maintains 81.4 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 65.7 FPS, which is proportionally similar to the scaling seen at lower resolutions. Notably, even the most demanding Ultra preset at 4K never approaches the 60 FPS threshold, staying 21.4 FPS above it on average. The data shows no min or max FPS values recorded, so the analysis relies on average frame rates, but the consistency across presets suggests stable performance characteristics.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the optimal settings preset is the one that delivers the highest visual quality while maintaining an average frame rate at or above the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as it achieves 154 FPS on average. This represents a 94 FPS margin above the playability threshold, meaning there is considerable headroom for demanding scenes or background processes without dropping below playable levels. The data indicates that Ultra settings at 1080p are not merely playable but actually deliver a high-refresh-rate experience.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again stands as the best option, with an average of 119.4 FPS. This is 59.4 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, which provides enough buffer for the game's most intense combat encounters, particularly those involving multiple enemy types and destructible environmental elements. The step down to High settings would yield 135.5 FPS, but the visual fidelity loss from dropping off Ultra is not necessary given the performance headroom.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset remains the recommended choice, delivering 81.4 FPS on average. This is 21.4 FPS above the 60 FPS playability threshold, which is a comfortable margin for a game like Control that features fast-paced action and unpredictable physics interactions. The High preset at 89.1 FPS offers slightly more headroom, but Ultra's 81.4 FPS is still well within playable territory. The verdict data confirms that all four settings presets are playable at 4K, but Ultra provides the best balance of visual quality and performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling between resolutions and presets reveals distinct roles for the CPU and GPU in this configuration. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all presets, ranging from 154 FPS at Ultra to 283.8 FPS at Low. The large spread of 129.8 FPS between Low and Ultra at this resolution suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as reducing the rendering load through lower settings produces substantial frame rate gains. The Intel Core i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, has more than enough processing power to feed the RTX 5090 at these frame rates, as indicated by its 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs.

At 2560x1440, the frame rate spread between Low and Ultra narrows to 94.1 FPS, with the Ultra preset at 119.4 FPS and Low at 213.5 FPS. This narrower spread indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as the pixel count increases, but the CPU still has sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck. The 16-core processor's multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30,745, ensures that the game's physics and AI systems are handled without delaying frame delivery.

At 3840x2160, the spread between Low and Ultra compresses further to 65.7 FPS, with the Ultra preset at 81.4 FPS and Low at 147.1 FPS. This trend confirms that the GPU's rendering workload dominates at higher resolutions, making the RTX 5090 the definitive performance limiter. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases, but the i7-13700K's strong single-thread performance, reflected in its 3DMark single-thread score of 1,136, ensures that frame pacing remains consistent even when the GPU is heavily loaded. The data shows a clear pattern: at 1080p the CPU matters more for achieving extreme frame rates, while at 4K the GPU's raw throughput determines the experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the Intel Core i7-13700K, the nearest rival hardware in terms of average benchmark score includes the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, which scores 46,971 against the i7-13700K's 46,881, representing a negligible 0.2 percent difference. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47,022, which is 0.3 percent higher, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46,654, a 0.5 percent difference. The Intel Xeon w3-2535 also scores 46,653, matching the Ryzen 9 7845HX within rounding. These rivals would deliver virtually identical frame rates in Control, as the CPU is not the primary performance limiter at most settings and resolutions tested.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, the nearest rival based on average benchmark score is the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which scores 79,605 against the RTX 5090's 79,842, a 0.3 percent difference. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79,396, which is 0.6 percent lower, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, a 1.1 percent difference. On the higher side, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80,959, which is 1.4 percent above the RTX 5090. These alternatives would produce similar frame rates in Control, though the RTX 5090's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth provide advantages in memory-intensive scenarios that these rivals may not match.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 3840x2160, all four settings presets are playable. The Ultra preset averages 81.4 FPS, while High achieves 89.1 FPS, Medium reaches 104.6 FPS, and Low produces 147.1 FPS. All of these exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset is recommended for 2560x1440, as it delivers an average of 119.4 FPS. This provides a 59.4 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay during intense action sequences.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rival in this game?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 79,842, which is 0.3 percent higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and 1.1 percent higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 1.4 percent higher, but the RTX 5090's superior memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s may provide advantages in texture-heavy scenes.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, the Intel Core i7-13700K's strong multi-threaded performance, indicated by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30,745, ensures it can keep up with the RTX 5090 even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 280 FPS on Low settings. The 3DMark max threads score of 12,412 further confirms its capability.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 154 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: How does this system rank among all tested configurations for Control?

A: The combination ranks 54th out of 3,720 tested configurations, placing it in the top 1.5 percent of systems. This ranking reflects the exceptional performance of both the CPU and GPU in this game.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC configuration is more than capable of running Control at maximum settings across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 154 FPS on average, which is 94 FPS above the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra settings produce 119.4 FPS, maintaining a 59.4 FPS margin. Even at 3840x2160, the most demanding resolution, Ultra settings achieve 81.4 FPS, which is 21.4 FPS above the threshold. The verdict data lists all four settings presets as playable at every resolution, meaning there is no scenario where this hardware fails to meet the 60 FPS target.

The RTX 5090's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance ensure that Control's visual effects, including its signature physics-based destruction and particle systems, are rendered without compromise. The i7-13700K's 16 cores and 24 threads provide ample processing power for the game's AI and physics calculations, as evidenced by its 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs. For any user seeking to play Control at high resolutions with maximum visual fidelity, this system offers substantial performance headroom, making it a reliable choice for both current and future gaming needs.