Control

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread Raptor Lake-S processor with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its benchmark profile shows a strong balance: a single-thread score of 960 in 3dmark and a max-thread score of 7307, with Cinebench R23 results of 3004 single-core and 21279 multi-core. For Control, an Action Adventure title, this CPU provides ample headroom at lower resolutions, but the data suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor early. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 59.4 FPS, which is the highest measured average; this is a scenario where the CPU's multi-threaded capability (16 threads) can feed the GPU effectively. However, the jump to Medium settings at the same resolution drops the average to 40.3 FPS, indicating that the frame rate is not solely CPU-bound. The processor's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4/DDR5) are adequate for this game's engine, but the bottleneck shifts decisively to the graphics card as settings increase. The 3dmark 16-thread score of 7314 versus the single-thread score of 960 underscores that this CPU is built for parallel workloads, yet Control's demands at higher presets do not scale with core count; instead, they stress the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Control, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-13400F with the AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 1573 out of 1636 combos. This places it in the bottom 4% of all tested systems, a position that reflects the GPU's age and 4 GB memory limitation rather than a CPU deficiency. The CPU itself holds an 82nd percentile ranking among all processors, and its nearest rivals in the overall benchmark averages include the Intel Core i7-13620H (0.1% higher score) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (0.5% lower score). This indicates the processor is a modern, capable part, but the combo's in-game rank is dragged down by the graphics card. For context, the GPU's own percentile is 74, with nearest rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (0.2% higher average score) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (0.2% higher), which are vastly more powerful in real-world gaming. The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile and the combo's low rank is stark: the data shows a system where the CPU is underutilized, and the GPU cannot translate its theoretical capabilities into playable framerates at higher settings. This rank is a clear signal that while the CPU has headroom, the overall experience is restricted by the graphics subsystem.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average framerate this combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 59.4, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 2560x1440 compared to 1920x1080?

A: At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average FPS drops to 42.1, which is a 29% reduction from the 59.4 FPS at 1920x1080 Low. At High settings, the difference is smaller: 25.9 FPS at 1440p versus 37.6 FPS at 1080p.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-13400F a bottleneck for the AMD Radeon RX 570 in this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. The processor's 3dmark max-thread score of 7307 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21279 are strong, but the GPU's 4 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth limit performance, as evidenced by the steep FPS drops when raising settings from Low to Medium at the same resolution.

Q: What is the impact of raising settings from Low to Ultra at 1920x1080?

A: The average FPS falls from 59.4 at Low to 28.5 at Ultra, a 52% decrease. The most significant drop occurs between Low (59.4) and Medium (40.3), a 32% reduction, while the jump from High (37.6) to Ultra (28.5) is a 24% decline.

Q: How does the GPU's memory size affect performance in Control?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus. The data shows that at 3840x2160, all settings produce average FPS below 27.1 (Low), which is likely due to the memory capacity and bandwidth being insufficient for high-resolution textures, rather than raw compute limits.

Q: What is the combo's rank relative to all tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1573 out of 1636 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the bottom 4% of systems in the database.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data shows a consistent pattern across resolutions, with the AMD Radeon RX 570's limitations becoming more pronounced as pixel count and settings increase. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable framerates only at Low settings, with an average of 59.4 FPS. Stepping up to Medium yields 40.3 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, while High drops to 37.6 FPS. Ultra at 1080p yields a 28.5 FPS average, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. At 2560x1440, the performance degrades further: Low settings produce 42.1 FPS, but Medium falls to 28.9 FPS, High to 25.9 FPS, and Ultra to 23.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 1440p (42.1 vs 28.9) is a 31% reduction, mirroring the trend seen at 1080p. At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmed, with all settings producing averages below 27.1 FPS: Low achieves 27.1, Medium 21.5, High 21.1, and Ultra 16.6. The resolution scaling is not linear; moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings reduces FPS from 37.6 to 25.9 (a 31% drop), while moving from 1440p to 2160p at High reduces FPS from 25.9 to 21.1 (an 18.5% drop). This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is already saturated at lower settings, and the additional pixels have diminishing returns on the frame rate penalty. The data indicates that the GPU's 4 GB VRAM is a hard limit, particularly at 3840x2160 where even Low settings cannot reach 30 FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is a Polaris 20 chip built on a 14 nm process, with a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. Its memory runs at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The GPU has 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units, which are reflected in its pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s. For Control, a game that emphasizes particle effects and physics, the GPU's raw throughput is the determining factor. The measured FPS at 1920x1080 Low (59.4) versus Medium (40.3) shows a 32% penalty for what is likely a modest increase in texture detail and shadow quality. This is consistent with the GPU's 4 GB memory capacity: at Medium settings, the game may be exceeding the VRAM buffer, causing the GPU to spill into system memory, which drastically reduces performance. The GPU's 3dmark Steel Nomad score of 880 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 32084 are low compared to modern parts, and its nearest rivals (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT) have average scores that are 0.2% higher, which in real-world terms means they are in a completely different performance class. The RX 570's 5.095 TFLOPS FP32 performance is insufficient for high-refresh gaming at 1080p in Control, but it can handle 60 FPS at Low settings. The GPU's 150 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU are modest, but the performance ceiling is clear: the data shows it is a 1080p Low/Medium card for this title, with 1440p and 4K requiring significant compromises.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields 59.4 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches a smooth 60 FPS target. Choosing Medium at 1080p drops the average to 40.3 FPS, which is still playable but noticeably less fluid, and High at 37.6 FPS offers a marginal visual improvement over Medium for a 7% performance loss. Ultra at 1080p (28.5 FPS) is not recommended, as the frame rate drops below 30, which is a common threshold for playability. At 2560x1440, the best option is Low settings with 42.1 FPS, but this is still below the 1080p Low experience; Medium at 1440p (28.9 FPS) is borderline, and High/Ultra are not viable. For 3840x2160, no settings provide a playable experience, as the highest average is 27.1 FPS at Low. The data suggests that users should prioritize 1080p and accept Low settings as the baseline. If visual fidelity is paramount, Medium at 1080p is the highest setting that maintains an average above 40 FPS. The performance gap between Low and Medium at 1080p (59.4 to 40.3) indicates that the GPU's 4 GB VRAM is the primary constraint, so lowering texture quality is the most effective way to maintain framerate. Overall, the combination of this CPU and GPU is best suited for 1080p gaming with reduced detail settings, as any higher resolution or settings preset results in average FPS below 30, which is generally considered unplayable for a fast-paced action game like Control.