Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title, behaves predictably when paired with the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700. The measured data shows a system where the GPU is the primary scaling factor across resolutions, while the six-core processor provides a stable foundation that rarely becomes the bottleneck. This analysis walks through the benchmark results step by step, interpreting what the frame rates mean for the hardware combination in question.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, particularly at higher settings. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 148 at 1920x1080 to 112 at 2560x1440, a 24.3% reduction, and then further to 76 at 3840x2160, a 32.1% reduction from the 1440p figure. This steep decline is characteristic of a graphics card being pushed to its limits as pixel count increases, with the Radeon RX 7700's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus width handling the data throughput but the shader workload growing exponentially.

At Medium settings, the pattern shifts slightly. The average FPS goes from 105 at 1080p to 80 at 1440p, a 23.8% drop, and then to 54 at 4K, a 32.5% drop from 1440p. The min FPS at Medium settings also tells a story: 89 at 1080p, 68 at 1440p, and 46 at 4K. These minimums show that even the frame pacing scales proportionally with resolution, indicating no sudden CPU-related hitches that would cause irregular frame times.

High settings show the most linear scaling. The averages are 93 at 1080p, 71 at 1440p, and 48 at 4K. The percentage drops are 23.7% from 1080p to 1440p and 32.4% from 1440p to 4K. This consistency suggests the rendering pipeline is well-balanced for this title, with the GPU's 40 ray accelerators and 2560 shading units being the limiting factor rather than the processor's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s.

Ultra settings produce the lowest overall frame rates, with averages of 81 at 1080p, 61 at 1440p, and 41 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 41 FPS is notably below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while the 1080p Ultra figure of 81 remains playable. The data indicates that the RX 7700's boost clock of 2459 MHz and game clock of 2041 MHz are sufficient for 1080p Ultra but not for 4K Ultra in this game.

The limiting component is clearly the GPU. Evidence comes from the fact that even at Low settings, the 4K average of 76 FPS is still far below the 1080p Low average of 148 FPS. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see a plateau at higher resolutions where the processor cannot feed the GPU fast enough. No such plateau exists in the data, confirming that the Radeon RX 7700 is the performance ceiling across all tested configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination in Control?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the strongest resolution, with averages ranging from 148 FPS at Low to 81 FPS at Ultra. At 2560x1440, the averages range from 112 FPS at Low to 61 FPS at Ultra, while 3840x2160 produces 76 FPS at Low and 41 FPS at Ultra. The 1080p results are the only ones that consistently exceed 60 FPS across all settings.

Q: How does the CPU's core configuration affect the game's performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The benchmark data shows that this configuration is sufficient, as frame rates scale smoothly with resolution changes. The processor's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support contribute to maintaining consistent frame delivery, with no evidence of CPU-related bottlenecks in the measured results.

Q: Is the Radeon RX 7700's 16 GB VRAM sufficient for Control at 4K?

A: The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth is not the limiting factor. The average FPS at 4K ranges from 76 at Low to 41 at Ultra, and the pattern of decreasing performance with higher settings indicates that the limiting factor is the GPU's compute throughput (25.18 TFLOPS FP32) rather than memory capacity.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 112 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS. This represents a 45.5% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings. The Medium preset sits between these at 80 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination of Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1294 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 44.8th percentile of all tested hardware pairings, meaning roughly 55% of tested combos perform better in this specific game.

Q: What settings provide the most consistent frame pacing at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration with recorded min and max FPS values, showing an average of 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 and maximum of 121. This narrow range of 32 FPS between min and max indicates more consistent frame delivery compared to other settings where only average values are available.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F provides the computational backbone for this pairing. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it offers enough parallelism for Control's engine, which is not known for extreme multi-threaded demands. The processor's boost clock of 4.40 GHz is the key specification for gaming, as higher single-thread performance directly translates to better frame pacing in titles that rely on a primary simulation thread.

Benchmark scores for the CPU reinforce its mid-range positioning. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and single-core score of 2024 indicate solid performance, while the 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and 2-thread score of 1691 show the processor's strength in lightly-threaded workloads. The CPU's percentile rank of 71 among all tested processors means it outperforms 71% of CPUs in general benchmarks, but in Control specifically, the measured FPS data shows the GPU becomes the limiting factor before the CPU does.

The processor's architecture, Rocket Lake on a 14 nm process, has a die size of 276 mm² and supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. This modern interface allows the Radeon RX 7700 to communicate at full bandwidth via its PCIe 4.0 x16 bus interface. The L3 cache of 12 MB shared across all cores is adequate for game data, though not exceptional. The memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s from dual-channel DDR4 is a potential consideration, but the measured results show no frame rate anomalies that would indicate memory starvation.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals provides context. The Intel Core i5-12450H has an average benchmark score 0.4% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G is 0.6% higher. The AMD EPYC 7H12 and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U are 0.3% and 0.6% lower, respectively. These tiny differences in general benchmark scores suggest that the i5-11400F is competitive with a range of other processors, and none of these rivals would dramatically change the game's frame rates given that the GPU is the bottleneck.

In Control, the CPU's role is to maintain consistent frame delivery. The fact that the average FPS scales nearly linearly with resolution and settings changes indicates the processor keeps up with the GPU's demands. The 12 threads allow background processes and game engine tasks to run without interfering with the main render thread, and the measured data supports this with no instances of frame rate collapsing at lower resolutions where CPU overhead would become more apparent.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1294 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This ranking places the system in the middle of the field, at approximately the 45th percentile of all tested hardware pairings. The rank reflects the balanced nature of this setup: not a high-end enthusiast configuration, but far from a low-budget or mismatched pairing.

The CPU's individual percentile of 71 among all processors is notably higher than the combo's overall rank. This discrepancy suggests that while the processor is capable, the GPU holds the combination back in this specific game. The Radeon RX 7700's percentile of 58 among all GPUs is closer to the combo's final ranking, reinforcing the conclusion that the graphics card is the primary determinant of performance in Control.

The GPU's nearest rivals in general benchmarks include the AMD Radeon R9 370X, which scores 0.1% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 1.7% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is 1.1% lower and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is 1% higher. These small percentage differences in synthetic benchmarks do not directly translate to Control's measured FPS, but they indicate the RX 7700 sits in a crowded performance band where minor architectural differences can shift rankings.

Given that 2888 combinations have been tested, a rank of 1294 means the system outperforms 1594 other configurations while trailing 1293. This middle-of-the-pack placement is expected for a pairing of a mid-range 2021 processor with a newer mid-range GPU. The data indicates that users with this combo can expect a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K being possible only at lower settings.

The ranking also implies that many other CPU and GPU combinations deliver better frame rates in Control. These would likely include pairings with higher-end GPUs or processors with stronger single-thread performance. However, the exact specifications of those superior combos are not in the data, so any comparison beyond the rank itself would be speculative.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the dominant component in this pairing for Control. Built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 32 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process, the GPU has 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation units. The 40 ray accelerators provide hardware support for the game's ray-traced effects, though the measured data does not distinguish between ray tracing enabled and disabled.

The GPU's clock speeds are relevant to the results. The base clock of 1900 MHz, game clock of 2041 MHz, and boost clock of 2459 MHz show a significant headroom for dynamic frequency scaling. The game clock of 2041 MHz is the typical frequency expected during sustained gaming workloads, and this aligns with the frame rates observed in the measured data. The memory clock of 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus yields 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Control's textures and assets at all resolutions.

The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory is a notable feature. At 4K with Ultra settings, the game averages 41 FPS, and the memory capacity is unlikely to be the constraint given that the frame rate scales consistently with settings changes. The GPU's compute capabilities, rated at 25.18 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16, determine how quickly the game's rendering pipeline can execute. The pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s provide theoretical ceilings that the game does not appear to hit, given the measured frame rates.

Comparing the GPU to rivals, the Radeon R9 370X scores 0.1% lower in general benchmarks, meaning the RX 7700 is essentially tied with a much older card in synthetic tests. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 1.7% higher, suggesting the RX 7700 is competitive with that popular card. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is 1.1% lower and the RX 9060 is 1% higher, placing the RX 7700 in a tight cluster of GPUs with similar overall capability.

In Control specifically, the GPU's role is evident in the scaling behavior. The 4K Low average of 76 FPS versus the 1080p Low average of 148 FPS shows a 48.6% reduction, which is substantial. This reduction is consistent with a GPU that has enough memory and bandwidth but is limited by its shading and rasterization throughput. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 41 FPS, a 49.4% reduction from the 1080p Ultra average of 81 FPS, further confirming that the GPU's compute units are the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured data provides a complete picture across all settings. Low averages 148 FPS, Medium averages 105 FPS with a range of 89 to 121, High averages 93 FPS, and Ultra averages 81 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 45.3% reduction in average frame rate, from 148 down to 81. The Medium preset's min and max values indicate that even at the lowest recorded frame time, the game remains well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages shift downward across the board. Low averages 112 FPS, Medium averages 80 FPS with a range of 68 to 92, High averages 71 FPS, and Ultra averages 61 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most pronounced at Low settings (24.3% reduction) and least pronounced at High settings (23.7% reduction). The Ultra preset at 1440p barely clears the 60 FPS threshold, making it a borderline choice for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the averages become marginal for competitive play. Low averages 76 FPS, Medium averages 54 FPS with a range of 46 to 62, High averages 48 FPS, and Ultra averages 41 FPS. The Medium preset's maximum of 62 FPS shows that even at 4K, there are moments of playable performance, but the average of 54 FPS and minimum of 46 FPS indicate inconsistent frame delivery. The Ultra preset's 41 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target for most gamers.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: for every 1.78x increase in pixel count from 1080p to 1440p, the frame rate drops by roughly a quarter. From 1440p to 4K, the pixel count increases by 2.25x, and the frame rate drops by roughly a third. This non-linear scaling is typical for GPU-bound scenarios where memory bandwidth and fill rate become increasingly stressed at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data supports different settings choices depending on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset's average of 81 FPS is the best experience per the data, as it provides the highest visual quality while maintaining frame rates well above 60 FPS. The High preset at 93 FPS and Medium at 105 FPS offer progressively higher frame rates, but the visual fidelity trade-off may not be worth the additional frames for most players.

At 2560x1440, the High preset's average of 71 FPS is the recommended choice. The Ultra preset averages 61 FPS, which is technically above 60 but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 80 FPS provides a safety margin, but the High preset strikes the best balance between visual quality and performance. The Low preset at 112 FPS is unnecessary given that High already achieves playable frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset's average of 76 FPS is the only configuration that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced action but risks dropping to 46 FPS in intense moments. The High and Ultra presets, at 48 and 41 FPS respectively, are not recommended for this resolution as they fall below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

The Medium presets across all resolutions show the most consistent frame pacing, with recorded min and max values. At 1080p, the range is 89 to 121 FPS around an average of 105. At 1440p, the range is 68 to 92 FPS around an average of 80. At 4K, the range is 46 to 62 FPS around an average of 54. This consistency suggests the Medium preset avoids the extreme frame time spikes that can occur at higher settings when the GPU is more heavily loaded.

For the best overall experience, the data points to 1920x1080 with High or Ultra settings, depending on whether frame rate or visual quality is prioritized. The 1440p High preset is a strong alternative for users with 1440p monitors, as it maintains 71 FPS average. The 4K resolution should only be considered with Low settings, and even then, the 76 FPS average comes with the caveat that visual quality is significantly reduced compared to the High preset at lower resolutions.