Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title, is not typically the first game that comes to mind when pairing a high-end GPU like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 with a mid-range CPU like the Intel Core i5-11400F. However, the measured data for this combination provides a clear picture of how a six-core processor from the Rocket Lake generation interacts with a Blackwell 2.0 flagship card. The benchmark results show a setup that is largely GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but which reveals the CPU's limitations at 1080p, offering a nuanced look at bottlenecking in a real-world scenario. This analysis uses only the provided measured FPS data and hardware specifications to walk through the performance characteristics of this specific combo.

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

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It has a 12 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory. In the context of this benchmark, the processor's role is to feed the RTX 5080 with enough data to keep it busy. The data suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU's processing power becomes a limiting factor, capping the maximum frame rate.

For instance, at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 201 FPS. This is the highest FPS recorded across all tested configurations, but it is not proportionally higher than the 1440p result of 183.8 FPS at the same settings. The difference between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is only 17.2 FPS (about 9.4%), which is much smaller than the scaling seen between 1440p and 4K. This indicates that the i5-11400F is likely reaching its practical limit for single-threaded draw-call throughput, preventing the RTX 5080 from fully stretching its legs at 1080p.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 11400F scores 868 in 3dmark_single_thread and 2029 in cinebench_r23_singlecore, placing it in the 75th percentile against all CPUs. This is a solid score, but it is the ceiling for this processor. The measured FPS data confirms that this ceiling is hit in Control, as the frame rates at 1080p across all settings are much closer together than at higher resolutions. The CPU's 65W TDP and 14 nm process node are historical specs, but they underscore that this is a mid-range part from a previous generation, which is important context for its performance in a modern game.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved with this CPU/GPU combo in Control?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 201 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 70.3. This is the most demanding setting tested, and the frame rate is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p. The FPS difference between Low (201 FPS) and Ultra (141.8 FPS) settings at 1080p is 59.2 FPS, but the gap between Low and Medium is only 27.1 FPS. This suggests that the CPU is capping performance before the GPU can show its full potential.

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the FPS drops from 123 FPS at 2560x1440 to 82.6 FPS at 3840x2160, a decrease of 40.4 FPS (approximately 32.8%). This large drop indicates that the GPU is the primary performance driver at these resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: This specific combination of Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 98th out of 1636 total tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 6% of all configurations.

Q: Is the RTX 5080's performance close to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the provided GPU benchmark data, the RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 59188. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A570M, is 1.6% lower, while the Intel Arc Pro A60 is 1.9% higher. This shows the RTX 5080 is in a very competitive performance tier.

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

The resolution scaling data is the most telling aspect of this hardware combination. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on High settings, the average FPS drops from 165.8 to 123, a decrease of 42.8 FPS (25.8%). This is a significant drop, but the scaling from 1440p to 4K is even more dramatic: the FPS falls from 123 to 82.6, a further reduction of 40.4 FPS (32.8%). This pattern holds across all settings.

At Low settings, the scaling is more linear. The FPS goes from 201 at 1080p to 183.8 at 1440p, a drop of 17.2 FPS, and then to 133.3 at 4K, a drop of 50.5 FPS. The smaller drop between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings reinforces the idea that the CPU is holding back performance at 1080p. If the GPU were the only limiting factor, we would expect a more consistent percentage drop across all resolution steps. Instead, the data shows the CPU is the bottleneck at the lowest resolution, while the GPU takes over as the primary limiter as resolution increases.

This is a classic sign of a balanced pairing for 1440p and 4K gaming, but a slightly imbalanced one for 1080p. The RTX 5080 is powerful enough to push high frame rates, but the i5-11400F cannot keep up with the demand for CPU-side work at lower resolutions. For users with a 1080p monitor, the CPU is leaving performance on the table.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo's rank of 98 out of 1636 tested combinations places it in the top 6% of all configurations tested for Control. This is an excellent ranking, indicating that the overall performance of this CPU/GPU pair is very high. However, it's important to contextualize this rank with the resolution data. The rank suggests that in most scenarios, especially at higher resolutions, this combo delivers top-tier performance.

The high rank is likely driven by the RTX 5080's raw power, as it sits in the 89th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU, while in the 75th percentile, is a weaker link. The fact that this combo still ranks 98th overall shows that Control is a game that scales well with GPU power, and the i5-11400F is sufficient to avoid severe bottlenecks at the resolutions where the GPU is most stressed. If the game were more CPU-intensive, the rank would likely be lower, as the 11400F's limitations at 1080p would drag down the average performance across all tested settings.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K gaming, the High preset provides an average of 82.6 FPS, which is a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. The Ultra preset drops to 70.3 FPS, which is still playable but might be less desirable for fast-paced action. The Medium preset at 95 FPS is a strong alternative for those who prefer a higher frame rate buffer.

At 1440p, the High preset at 123 FPS is the recommended starting point. It offers a significant improvement over Medium (143.5 FPS) in visual fidelity while still maintaining a frame rate that is well above 100 FPS. For those with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, the Low preset at 183.8 FPS will provide the smoothest experience, though it will come with reduced visual quality.

For 1080p, the data suggests a different approach. The Ultra preset at 141.8 FPS is the best choice for maximizing visual detail while still staying above 140 FPS. The Low preset at 201 FPS is only necessary for users with 200Hz+ monitors, and the CPU bottleneck means that the jump from Ultra to Low only yields a 59.2 FPS gain, which is less than expected given the significant graphical downgrade. The High preset at 165.8 FPS is a solid middle ground.

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

The following is the exact measured average FPS data for the Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 in Control.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 201.0 FPS
• Medium: 173.9 FPS
• High: 165.8 FPS
• Ultra: 141.8 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 183.8 FPS
• Medium: 143.5 FPS
• High: 123.0 FPS
• Ultra: 112.1 FPS

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 133.3 FPS
• Medium: 95.0 FPS
• High: 82.6 FPS
• Ultra: 70.3 FPS

The data shows a clear trend: at 1080p, the differences between settings are compressed, with a 59.2 FPS gap between Low and Ultra. At 1440p, this gap widens to 71.7 FPS, and at 4K it becomes 63 FPS. The larger gaps at higher resolutions confirm that the GPU has more headroom to work with when the CPU is less constrained. The 4K Low setting at 133.3 FPS is particularly notable, as it is higher than the 1080p Ultra setting at 141.8 FPS, showing the GPU's raw capability even at lower quality settings.