Control

Control with the Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT presents a clear case of GPU-bound performance scaling as resolution increases. The data indicates a system that delivers exceptional frame rates at 1080p, solid high-refresh gameplay at 1440p, and remains comfortably playable at 4K, though the gap between settings narrows as the resolution climbs.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable and steep decline as resolution increases, confirming that the Radeon RX 7900 XT is the primary performance limiter in this pairing. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 210.7 FPS, which drops to 160 FPS at 1440p and further to 105.5 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 34% reduction from 1440p to 4K, highlighting how pixel throughput demands scale with resolution.

Moving to High settings, the pattern continues but with different absolute values. At 1080p the combo achieves 131.5 FPS, at 1440p it falls to 98.1 FPS, and at 4K it reaches 65.5 FPS. The percentage drops are more pronounced here: 25% from 1080p to 1440p and 33% from 1440p to 4K. This suggests that even with increased graphical load, the GPU remains the bottleneck throughout the resolution range.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling curve. At 1080p the combo hits 115.3 FPS, at 1440p it drops to 83.5 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 59 FPS. The 4K result is notable because it sits just below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the most demanding settings at maximum resolution will require some compromise. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is 28%, while from 1440p to 4K it is 29%, showing a consistent degradation pattern.

The data reveals that the CPU, a Core i5-13400F with 10 cores and 16 threads, is not limiting performance at any resolution. The consistent frame rate drops across all settings presets point directly to the GPU's rendering capabilities. This is expected behavior for a game like Control, which is known for its demanding visual effects and physics simulations that heavily tax the graphics processor.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT features 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This substantial memory pool ensures that even at 4K Ultra settings, the card does not run into VRAM capacity issues. The 20 GB allocation is far beyond what this game requires at any resolution, eliminating memory pressure as a potential performance factor.

The GPU's clock behavior shows a base clock of 1387 MHz and a boost clock of 2394 MHz, with a game clock rated at 2025 MHz. These clocks, combined with 5376 shading units and 192 ROPs, deliver the raw compute throughput needed for Control's particle effects and physics interactions. The card's 51.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is heavily utilized at 4K, where the measured FPS drops to 59 at Ultra settings.

The RX 7900 XT's memory bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s becomes increasingly important at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU can rely on its 51.48 TFLOPS of compute power to push frame rates above 200 FPS at Low settings. However, at 4K, the demand on memory bandwidth and pixel fill rate increases, explaining why the frame rate drops to 105.5 FPS at Low and 59 FPS at Ultra.

The GPU's 84 ray tracing cores are relevant for Control's implementation of ray-traced reflections and indirect lighting. While the measured FPS data does not specify whether ray tracing is enabled, the performance at 4K Ultra suggests that the card's ray tracing capabilities are being taxed. The 459.6 GPixel/s pixel rate and 804.4 GTexel/s texture rate provide the fundamental throughput for these effects.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K with the highest settings?

A: At 4K Ultra, the measured average FPS is 59, which falls just short of a locked 60 FPS. Dropping to High settings at 4K yields 65.5 FPS, providing a small margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU perform in synthetic benchmarks compared to its rivals?

A: The Core i5-13400F scores 25236 in the average benchmark, placing it 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13620H and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D. It also sits 0.5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9474F.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate gaming?

A: At 1080p, the combo achieves 210.7 FPS on Low and 131.5 FPS on High, making it suitable for 144Hz or even 240Hz displays. At 1440p, High settings deliver 98.1 FPS, which still supports 144Hz monitors when settings are adjusted.

Q: Is the GPU memory capacity sufficient for this game?

A: The RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory with 800.0 GB/s bandwidth. This is more than adequate for Control at any resolution and settings combination, with no indication of memory-related performance drops.

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

A: This pairing ranks 333 out of 1636 tested combos for Control, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations in the database.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings produce 210.7 FPS while Ultra produces 115.3 FPS, representing a 45% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination ranks 333 out of 1636 tested combos for Control, placing it in the 80th percentile of all configurations. This is a strong showing that puts the combo in the upper tier of tested systems, though it is not at the very top of the rankings.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 25236 places it in the 82nd percentile of all processors, while the GPU's average score of 38358 puts it in the 82nd percentile of all graphics cards. Both components perform above average relative to their respective categories, and their combination in this game produces results consistent with their individual standings.

The rank of 333 suggests that there are 332 combos that perform better in Control, likely featuring higher-end GPUs such as the RX 7900 XTX or RTX 4090, or CPUs with higher single-thread performance. However, the 4K Ultra result of 59 FPS shows that this combo is capable of handling the game at its most demanding settings, even if it cannot maintain a locked 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce 210.7 FPS, Medium drops to 150.5 FPS, High achieves 131.5 FPS, and Ultra settles at 115.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 95.4 FPS, representing a 45% reduction. The gap between Medium and High is 19 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 16.2 FPS, showing diminishing returns as settings increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected reduction. Low produces 160 FPS, Medium hits 110.4 FPS, High achieves 98.1 FPS, and Ultra delivers 83.5 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, averaging around 25%. At this resolution, even Ultra settings remain above 60 FPS, providing headroom for high refresh rate displays.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more constrained. Low settings produce 105.5 FPS, Medium drops to 73.2 FPS, High achieves 65.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 59 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 46.5 FPS, which is a 44% reduction. Notably, the difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 6.5 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional effects have a relatively small impact at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K gaming, the data clearly supports using High settings as the optimal choice. At 4K High, the combo produces 65.5 FPS, which provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and maintains smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 59 FPS, which is borderline for maintaining a consistent frame rate on standard 60Hz displays. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 6.5 FPS, making High the better trade-off for visual fidelity and performance.

At 1440p, High settings at 98.1 FPS represent the sweet spot for most users, offering high visual quality while supporting 100Hz displays. For those with 144Hz monitors, Medium settings at 110.4 FPS provide a better chance of staying within the refresh rate window, while Ultra at 83.5 FPS still offers a playable experience above 60 FPS.

At 1080p, all settings presets deliver playable frame rates. Ultra at 115.3 FPS is the best choice for maximum visual quality while still supporting high refresh rates. For competitive play, Low at 210.7 FPS provides the highest frame rate possible, though this sacrifices visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 150.5 FPS offers a balanced option that maintains good visuals while keeping frame rates high enough for 144Hz displays.