Control

# Control with Intel Core i5-13400F + AMD Radeon RX 6600

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 produces a mid-range gaming combination that delivers playable frame rates in Control at 1080p, with the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. The CPU's 10-core, 16-thread configuration with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz provides ample processing headroom for this 2019 action-adventure title, while the Radeon RX 6600's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth dictate performance boundaries at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F belongs to the Core 13th Gen family, built on Raptor Lake architecture with a 10 nm process node. Its configuration includes 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The cache hierarchy features 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. This processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus, and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes available from the CPU.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-13400F demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance with a 3DMark max threads score of 7307 and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22604. Single-thread performance is equally respectable, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 960 and a Cinebench R23 singlecore score of 3191. The processor's PassMark multithread score of 25032 and PassMark single-thread score of 3634 place it in the 77th percentile among all CPUs, indicating solid general-purpose performance.

For Control specifically, the CPU's high boost clock and efficient single-thread performance matter most, as the game's physics and AI calculations benefit from strong per-core throughput. The i5-13400F's nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS with a deltaPct of 0, the Intel Core 5 120 at -0.3, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D at -0.3, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H at 0.4. These narrow deltaPct values—all within 0.4 percent—show that the i5-13400F sits in a tightly contested performance tier, with no meaningful advantage or disadvantage against these comparable processors.

The measured frame rates in Control suggest the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 108 FPS average, which indicates the processor can feed frames well above typical display refresh rates. Even at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 30 FPS, the CPU's contribution remains consistent—the performance ceiling is determined by the GPU rather than processor limitations.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture using the Navi 23 chip, manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC with 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1626 MHz, a boost clock of 2491 MHz, and a game clock of 2044 MHz. Memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) across a 128-bit bus, providing 8 GB of GDDR6 with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth.

The compute configuration includes 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, 64 raster operation units, and 28 ray tracing cores. The GPU achieves a pixel rate of 159.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 279.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance rated at 8.928 TFLOPS. With a TDP of 132 W and a dual-slot design requiring a single 8-pin power connector and 300 W suggested PSU, the RX 6600 presents a modest power profile. The PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface and 190 mm length make it adaptable to various system configurations.

In GPU benchmarks, the RX 6600 scores 15096 in PassMark G3D and 6554 in PassMark GPU Compute. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1492 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 67623 provide additional context. The GPU sits in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 at 0 deltaPct, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile at -0.1, the NVIDIA Tesla K20m at -0.3, and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation at 0.4. These comparison points show the RX 6600 performing in line with its expected mid-range tier.

For Control, the RX 6600's 8 GB VRAM allocation proves sufficient across all tested settings, though the GPU's raw compute capacity limits performance at higher resolutions. The ray tracing hardware—28 dedicated cores—supports the game's visual effects, though the measured data suggests that enabling Ultra settings at 4K pushes the GPU to its limits with a 30 FPS average. The 128-bit memory bus and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth become increasingly restrictive as resolution scales, directly impacting frame delivery.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 108 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 82 FPS, a reduction of 26 FPS or approximately 24 percent. At 4K Low, the average falls to 55 FPS, representing a 49 percent decrease from the 1080p Low figure. This scaling pattern indicates GPU-bound behavior, where pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor.

The Medium settings show similar proportional scaling: 77 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p Medium is 19 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K Medium is also 19 FPS, suggesting a consistent per-resolution cost. High settings follow the same trend with 68 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce the steepest curve: 59 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 30 FPS at 4K.

The minimum and maximum FPS data points, available only for Medium settings, show frame pacing characteristics. At 1080p Medium, the range spans 65 to 88 FPS, a 23 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 49 to 67 FPS, an 18 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range tightens further to 33 to 45 FPS, a 12 FPS spread. This compression of frame variability at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is working consistently at its limit, with less headroom for frame spikes.

The resolution scaling analysis points clearly to the GPU as the limiting component. The CPU's performance headroom, evidenced by 1080p Low achieving 108 FPS, means that resolution increases primarily stress the RX 6600. At 4K Ultra, the 30 FPS average matches the GPU's compute ceiling, while the CPU continues to provide frames without becoming a bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination ranks 2904 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the lower portion of the overall distribution. This rank of 2904 with 3720 total combos means approximately 78 percent of tested configurations outperform this pairing in this specific game. The ranking reflects the mid-range nature of both components, with the GPU's performance tier being the primary determinant in a game that scales heavily with graphics hardware.

Compared to the CPU's own percentile ranking of 77 among all processors, the combo's in-game rank is substantially lower, reinforcing that the RX 6600 limits overall performance in Control. The GPU's 63rd percentile standing among all GPUs aligns more closely with the combo's game rank, though the combination of a strong CPU and mid-range GPU still results in a below-average position in the 3720-combo field.

The deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals—all within 0.4 percent of the i5-13400F's aggregate score—suggest that swapping to any of these processors would produce negligible changes in Control performance. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals show deltas within 0.4 percent, indicating that the RX 6600's performance tier is well-established. The combo's rank therefore reflects the inherent capabilities of its components rather than any pairing inefficiency.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 108 FPS average, which exceeds the refresh rate of most standard monitors. Medium settings at 1080p produce 77 FPS average with a 65 to 88 FPS range, offering a balanced compromise between visual quality and smoothness. High settings at 1080p achieve 68 FPS average, still comfortably above 60 FPS for most displays. Ultra settings at 1080p drop to 59 FPS average, which may cause occasional dips below 60 FPS but remains playable.

At 1440p, the Low preset provides 82 FPS average, while Medium delivers 58 FPS with a 49 to 67 FPS range. High settings at 1440p yield 52 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 45 FPS. For 1440p gaming, Medium settings offer the best balance, maintaining frame rates near 60 FPS while providing reasonable visual fidelity. The 49 FPS minimum at 1440p Medium indicates acceptable frame pacing for most titles.

At 4K, all settings struggle to maintain high frame rates. Low achieves 55 FPS average, Medium produces 39 FPS with a 33 to 45 FPS range, High drops to 35 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 30 FPS. For 4K play, Low settings are the only viable option for smooth gameplay, while Medium may be acceptable for slower-paced sections. The 30 FPS average at 4K Ultra represents the absolute limit of this hardware combination.

The data suggests that 1080p Medium or High provides the best overall experience, balancing visual quality with frame rates well above 60 FPS. At 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset. At 4K, users should accept Low settings or consider reducing resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080 resolution, the measured average frame rates span from 59 to 108 FPS depending on settings. Low settings deliver 108 FPS average, the highest observed in any configuration. Medium settings produce 77 FPS average with a measured range of 65 to 88 FPS. High settings achieve 68 FPS average, while Ultra settings yield 59 FPS average. The 49 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p demonstrates the significant performance cost of higher visual quality presets.

At 2560x1440 resolution, the average frame rates range from 45 to 82 FPS. Low settings achieve 82 FPS average, representing the only 1440p configuration above 60 FPS. Medium settings deliver 58 FPS average with a 49 to 67 FPS range, placing it just below the 60 FPS threshold. High settings produce 52 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 45 FPS average. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs approximately 24 percent performance at Low settings, with similar proportional reductions across other presets.

At 3840x2160 resolution, the average frame rates range from 30 to 55 FPS. Low settings achieve 55 FPS average, the only 4K configuration approaching playable frame rates. Medium settings deliver 39 FPS average with a 33 to 45 FPS range, while High settings produce 35 FPS average. Ultra settings bottom out at 30 FPS average, representing the minimum performance observed in this dataset. The 4K Ultra configuration requires the most from the RX 6600, pushing it to its absolute limits.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1080p Medium delivering 77 FPS average, while 1080p High achieves 68 FPS. For the smoothest experience, 1080p Low provides 108 FPS average, but Medium or High offer better visual quality while maintaining frame rates above 60 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: At 4K, only Low settings achieve a playable 55 FPS average. Medium produces 39 FPS, High drops to 35 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 30 FPS. 4K gaming is possible only with significant visual quality compromises.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The GPU is the primary limiter. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 108 FPS, showing the CPU can feed frames well above typical display rates. Performance drops with resolution scaling follow GPU-bound patterns, with the RX 6600's 8 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth constraining higher resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: This pairing ranks 2904 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the lower 22 percent of all configurations tested. The CPU ranks in the 77th percentile among all processors, while the GPU sits in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs.

Q: What are the frame rate ranges for Medium settings across resolutions?

A: At 1080p Medium, the range is 65 to 88 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 49 to 67 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range tightens to 33 to 45 FPS. The compression of frame variability at higher resolutions indicates consistent GPU utilization.

Q: How does the i5-13400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-13400F's aggregate benchmark score of 25292 is within 0.4 percent of the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, Intel Core 5 120, AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, and AMD Ryzen 7 6800H. These negligible differences suggest no practical performance distinction between these processors in Control.