Control

Control, Remedy’s supernatural action-adventure, is a demanding showcase for any system, and the pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT delivers a decidedly mixed bag of results. The data from our measured benchmarks indicates that this combination is positioned in the lower-middle tier of tested hardware, ranking 1257 out of 1636 total combos. This placement suggests that while the system is capable of running the game, achieving consistently high frame rates at higher resolutions will require significant compromises in visual fidelity. The benchmark results tell a story of a CPU that is more than sufficient for the task, paired with a GPU that becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution and settings are pushed upward.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall standing of this CPU-GPU pairing in Control is modest, with the combo ranking 1257th out of 1636 tested combinations. This places it in the 23rd percentile of all systems, indicating that a majority of tested hardware configurations will outperform it in this specific title. This rank is not a reflection of a fundamentally flawed pairing, but rather a consequence of the GPU’s age and its position in the performance hierarchy relative to more modern contenders. The data shows that this setup is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can hold its own, but it falls behind when tasked with higher resolutions.

When examining the individual components, the CPU and GPU both sit in the mid-range of their respective performance charts. The Intel Core i5-11400F holds a percentile rank of 75 against all CPUs, showing it is a solid processor. However, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT only achieves a percentile rank of 68 against all GPUs. This difference in percentile ranking is the first hint that the graphics card is the limiting factor in this pairing. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with deltas of 0% and -0.2% respectively. This shows that the i5-11400F is performing exactly as expected for its class. Meanwhile, the GPU’s nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile and Intel Arc A350M, are also clustered tightly around its average score, with deltas of -0.1% and 0.3%, indicating that the RX 5700 XT is also performing to its expected standard. The performance in Control, therefore, is a direct result of this mid-range hardware combination.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the central figure in this performance analysis, as its capabilities directly dictate the frame rates achieved. This GPU is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The card’s core clock speeds are set at a base of 1605 MHz, with a game clock of 1755 MHz and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. These specifications are from a previous generation, and the benchmark results show that they are now struggling to keep pace with modern game demands at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s role becomes clear when analyzing the frame rate data. At 1080p, it is capable of producing high frame rates, but at 4K, it falls below the 60 FPS target even on Low settings. This indicates that the card’s raw processing power and memory bandwidth are insufficient for the pixel-pushing demands of 4K resolution in Control. The 8 GB of VRAM is also a factor, as higher resolutions and texture settings can quickly consume available memory. The card’s performance in the Passmark G3D benchmark, where it scores 16277, places it in a competitive position against its peers, but the real-world results in Control highlight its limitations as a high-resolution gaming solution.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and clearly illustrates where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 118.4 FPS. Stepping up to 1440p with the same Low settings drops the average to 87.5 FPS, a significant reduction. Finally, at 4K, the average FPS plummets to 58.8. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as the workload increases with resolution, and the RX 5700 XT cannot maintain its performance level.

The data shows that the frame rate is nearly halved when moving from 1080p to 4K on the High preset, going from 71.8 FPS down to 36.2 FPS. This steep decline is typical of a system where the graphics card is saturated, and the CPU has enough headroom to keep up. The Intel Core i5-11400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the primary constraint in this scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller frame rate difference between resolutions, as the CPU’s workload would remain similar. The consistent and significant drops in FPS as resolution increases point directly to the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT as the performance ceiling.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of delivering playable frame rates across all settings. The Low preset yields an average of 118.4 FPS, which then drops to 83.2 FPS on Medium and 71.8 FPS on High. The most demanding Ultra preset still manages an average of 63.4 FPS, which is a smooth experience for most players. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this hardware combination.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance becomes more strained. The Low preset still provides a good experience with an average of 87.5 FPS. The Medium preset averages 60.5 FPS, which is on the cusp of the ideal target. The High preset falls to an average of 56 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops further to 49.2 FPS. These numbers suggest that 1440p is only viable with reduced settings for a consistently smooth experience. At 3840x2160, the system struggles. The Low preset is the only one that comes close to 60 FPS, with an average of 58.8 FPS. The Medium preset averages 42.8 FPS, High averages 36.2 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to an average of 31.1 FPS, which is not a desirable gaming experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combination is at 1920x1080 resolution. At this resolution, the system can handle even the Ultra preset with an average of 63.4 FPS, providing a visually rich and smooth gameplay experience. For players who prioritize higher frame rates above all else, the Low preset at 1080p offers an excellent average of 118.4 FPS, which is ideal for fast-paced action. The Medium preset at 1080p provides a balanced experience at 83.2 FPS, which is a good middle ground for most users.

For those with a 1440p monitor, the data suggests that the High preset is the highest quality setting that can be used for a relatively stable experience, though it will dip below 60 FPS. The Low preset at 1440p is the safest choice for maintaining a high frame rate, with an average of 87.5 FPS. At 4K, the results indicate that the game is barely playable only on the Low preset, with an average of 58.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 31.1 FPS, should be avoided. The data clearly shows that 1080p is the intended resolution for this hardware to provide a consistent and enjoyable experience in Control.