Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 pairing in Control delivers a high-refresh-rate experience across all tested resolutions, with the GPU clearly acting as the primary performance ceiling at 4K. The measured data shows this combo ranks 241st out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 7% of all configurations in this game, and the frame rates confirm a system built for smooth action-adventure play.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 4 architecture with the Phoenix codename. It runs on the AMD Socket AM5 platform and uses a 4 nm process manufactured by TSMC. The CPU has a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. Cache is arranged as 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 16 MB of L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus with 83.2 GB/s of bandwidth, and the CPU provides Gen 4 PCIe with 20 lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 8400F posts a 3DMark single-thread score of 951 and a 16-thread score of 6091, with the max-thread result reaching 6165. Cinebench R23 scores are 20851 multi-core and 2943 single-core, while R20 shows 8757 multi-core and 1236 single-core. PassMark results include a single-thread score of 3685 and a multithread score of 24389. The processor sits at the 77th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25005.

Relative to its nearest rivals, the 8400F is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, which averages 24964 and sits just 0.2% behind. The Intel Core i7-11850H and Intel Core i7-13620H are also close, at 0.3% and 0.4% ahead respectively. The AMD EPYC 9474F leads by 0.4%. None of these deltas represent a meaningful performance gap, so the 8400F is perfectly competitive with its direct peers for gaming workloads.

For a game like Control, which is a single-player action title, the CPU’s 12 threads are more than sufficient. The game does not appear to be heavily multithreaded in a way that would stress the 8400F, and the benchmark results in this pairing show frame rates that climb well past 200 FPS at 1080p Low settings. That indicates the CPU is not holding back the RTX 4080 at lower resolutions. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, further reducing the CPU’s influence on the final frame rate.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to the Ryzen 5 7500F?

A: The two processors are nearly identical in average benchmark score, with the 8400F at 25005 and the 7500F at 24964. That is a 0.2% difference, which is within the margin of error for synthetic testing.

Q: What is the RTX 4080’s standing among all GPUs?

A: The GPU sits at the 86th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 54247. Its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209, just 0.1% behind.

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 4K gaming?

A: The data shows the combo can exceed 240 FPS at 1080p Low and still maintains 135 FPS at 1080p Ultra. At 4K, the frame rate drops to 69 FPS on Ultra settings, so the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS reaches 246, which suggests the CPU is delivering enough throughput to feed the RTX 4080. At 1440p and 4K, the frame rate scaling follows GPU load more closely, indicating the CPU is not the primary constraint.

Q: What are the measured frame times at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 132, with a minimum of 113 and a maximum of 152. This gives a solid frame time consistency for a fast-paced action game.

Q: How many total combos does this pairing rank against?

A: The combo is ranked 241st out of 3720 tested combinations in Control, putting it in the top 6.5% of all configurations.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 156. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 118, a reduction of 38 FPS. At 4K High, the average is 79, which is 77 FPS below the 1080p result. That is a 49% drop from 1080p to 4K, which is typical for a game that scales well with GPU compute but does not create a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The Low settings row reinforces this. At 1080p Low, the system produces 246 FPS on average. At 1440p Low, that falls to 186 FPS, and at 4K Low it reaches 126 FPS. The step from 1080p to 1440p is a 60 FPS loss, while the step from 1440p to 4K is another 60 FPS loss. This linear scaling suggests the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, not the CPU.

The RTX 4080 has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus with 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2505 MHz, and it delivers 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The pixel rate is 280.6 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 761.5 GTexel/s. These specifications are all well above what the Ryzen 5 8400F needs to keep fed, and the frame rate scaling confirms that the GPU’s rendering workload is what determines the final output.

At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 69, which is the lowest measured result in this dataset. The gap between 4K High (79 FPS) and 4K Ultra (69 FPS) is 10 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset’s additional effects have a measurable cost. The game is clearly GPU-limited at 4K, and the CPU’s role is reduced to maintaining a stable frame delivery rather than pushing higher ceilings.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

Starting at 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system shows its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 246 FPS. Medium settings average 175 FPS, with a minimum of 149 and a maximum of 201. High settings average 156 FPS. Ultra settings average 135 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 111 FPS, which is a substantial range that gives players plenty of headroom to prioritize frame rate or visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected drop from 1080p. Low settings average 186 FPS. Medium settings average 132 FPS, with a minimum of 113 and a maximum of 152. High settings average 118 FPS. Ultra settings average 102 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 84 FPS, slightly smaller than at 1080p but still significant.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s workload becomes the dominant factor. Low settings average 126 FPS. Medium settings average 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 and a maximum of 103. High settings average 79 FPS. Ultra settings average 69 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 57 FPS, which is the smallest relative spread of the three resolutions, indicating that even the Low preset is pushing the GPU hard at this resolution.

The Medium settings rows are the only ones with min and max FPS data, and they show consistent frame delivery. At 1080p Medium, the spread between min and max is 52 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the spread is 39 FPS. At 4K Medium, the spread is 27 FPS. The narrowing spread at higher resolutions suggests that frame pacing becomes more stable as the GPU becomes the bottleneck, since the CPU is less likely to cause hitches.

Across all resolutions, the Ultra preset consistently delivers the lowest frame rates, which is expected given the additional rendering load. The High preset sits between Medium and Ultra in every case, providing a balanced middle ground. The Low preset offers the highest frame rates but at the cost of visual quality, and the data shows that even at 4K, the Low preset keeps the game well above 120 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Ryzen 5 8400F and RTX 4080 ranks 241st out of 3720 tested combos in Control. That places this pairing in the top 6.5% of all configurations tested in this game, which is a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank reflects the measured FPS across all resolution and settings combinations, and the data confirms that this system delivers competitive performance in this title.

The GPU’s individual standing reinforces the combo’s strength. The RTX 4080 sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209, a 0.1% difference, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, 1.1% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S are 2.6% and 2.7% higher respectively, but those differences are small enough that the 4080 remains a top-tier performer.

The CPU’s rank is lower, at the 77th percentile of all CPUs, but that does not hurt the combo’s overall standing. The Ryzen 5 8400F’s average benchmark score of 25005 is within 0.4% of all four nearest rivals, so it is not a performance outlier in either direction. For gaming, the CPU’s 12 threads and 4.70 GHz boost clock are more than enough to keep the RTX 4080 occupied, and the combo rank reflects that balance.

Compared to other combos in the database, the 241st place ranking puts this system in the upper echelon. The fact that the GPU is the stronger component is consistent with the resolution scaling data, where frame rates drop as pixel count increases. Players pairing this CPU with a lower-end GPU would see worse rankings, while those pairing it with a higher-end GPU might push into the top 200, but the current configuration is well-optimized for Control’s demands.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For players targeting the highest frame rates, the Low preset is the clear choice. At 1080p, it delivers 246 FPS on average, which is well beyond any display refresh rate currently on the market. Even at 1440p, the Low preset maintains 186 FPS, and at 4K it still reaches 126 FPS. If competitive responsiveness or maximum smoothness is the priority, this is the preset to use, though the visual quality will be reduced.

The Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 1080p, it averages 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 and a maximum of 201. At 1440p, it averages 132 FPS with a range of 113 to 152. At 4K, it averages 89 FPS with a range of 76 to 103. The min FPS at 4K Medium is 76, which is still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, and the frame time consistency is good. For most players, Medium will provide an experience that looks good while remaining smooth on high-refresh monitors.

The High preset is a solid option for those who want improved visuals without sacrificing too much performance. At 1080p, it averages 156 FPS, and at 1440p it averages 118 FPS. At 4K, it drops to 79 FPS. The 4K result is still playable, but it is close to the edge of what many players would consider acceptable for a fast-paced action game. If a 1440p monitor is in use, High is a good middle ground, as 118 FPS is smooth and the visual improvements over Medium are noticeable.

The Ultra preset is only recommended for players with 1080p or 1440p displays who prioritize image quality above all else. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 135, which is still high. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 102 FPS, which is acceptable for most players. At 4K Ultra, the average falls to 69 FPS, which is below the 70 FPS threshold that many consider the floor for a smooth experience. The 10 FPS difference between High and Ultra at 4K is not worth the visual gain for most users, so Ultra is best reserved for lower resolutions.

Given the measured data, the recommended preset depends on the display resolution. For 1080p, Medium or High both provide excellent experiences, with Medium offering higher frame rates and High offering better visuals. For 1440p, Medium is the sweet spot, as it clears 130 FPS on average while maintaining solid frame pacing. For 4K, High is the maximum viable preset, with 79 FPS being playable, but Medium at 89 FPS is the safer choice for consistent smoothness. Players with 120 Hz or higher refresh monitors should stick to Medium or Low at 4K to take full advantage of their display.