Control

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers a robust 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, but the data reveals that 4K Ultra is the only configuration that pushes this combination to its limits. The benchmark results show a clear scaling pattern where the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck as resolution increases, while the CPU maintains sufficient headroom to keep frame rates high at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data illustrates a predictable yet steep performance curve as resolution climbs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 189.7 FPS at 1080p to 142.9 FPS at 1440p, then further to 98.4 FPS at 4K. This represents a 48% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that even at the lowest graphical preset, the GPU is still the primary limiter at higher resolutions.

The scaling becomes more dramatic at Ultra settings. The 1080p Ultra average of 108.2 FPS falls to 82.4 FPS at 1440p, and then to 52.1 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is critically close to the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that this combination cannot consistently maintain smooth gameplay at maximum settings in 4K. The gap between 1080p Ultra and 4K Ultra is a 52% performance drop, which aligns with the increased pixel count demanding more from the GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth.

At Medium settings, the pattern continues: 137.1 FPS at 1080p, 105.8 FPS at 1440p, and 71.8 FPS at 4K. The High preset shows 119.5 FPS at 1080p, 94.1 FPS at 1440p, and 61.4 FPS at 4K. Notably, the 4K High result of 61.4 FPS is just above the 60 FPS target, making it the highest-quality setting that remains playable at 4K. The data suggests that the transition from 1440p to 4K carries a heavier penalty than 1080p to 1440p, reinforcing that the RX 9070 XT's compute resources—48.66 TFLOPS FP32 and 380.2 GPixel/s pixel rate—are fully saturated at 4K.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the dominant factor in these results, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 VRAM on a 256-bit bus with 644.6 GB/s bandwidth provides ample memory capacity for Control's demanding environments. The GPU's boost clock of 2970 MHz and game clock of 2400 MHz enable strong raw throughput, as evidenced by the 48.66 TFLOPS FP32 performance.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its position. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 7260 and PassMark G3D score of 26795 place it in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs. However, the nearestRivals data shows a tight cluster: the AMD Radeon Pro 575 scores 39703 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile scores 39568 (0.2% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro 575X scores 39836 (0.5% higher). This indicates that while the RX 9070 XT is competitive, it is not decisively ahead of its closest peers in synthetic benchmarks.

In Control specifically, the GPU's role becomes clear when comparing Low to Ultra settings at the same resolution. At 1080p, the jump from Low (189.7 FPS) to Ultra (108.2 FPS) represents a 43% performance cost for maximum visual fidelity. At 4K, the same settings comparison shows 98.4 FPS down to 52.1 FPS—a 47% reduction. This consistency suggests that the GPU's shading units (4096) and texture mapping units (256) are being fully utilized, with the 128 ROPs handling pixel output efficiently but ultimately limited by the sheer pixel count at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F plays a supporting role in these results, providing sufficient processing power to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at most settings. With 10 cores and 16 threads, this Raptor Lake-S processor has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) ensure adequate data delivery to the GPU.

CPU benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 21279, while Geekbench multicore reaches 10971. The single-thread scores are also solid—Cinebench R23 singlecore at 3004 and Geekbench singlecore at 2301. The CPU's 82nd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25236, places it close to the Intel Core i7-13620H (25201, 0.1% higher) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25365, 0.5% higher).

The evidence that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck comes from the scaling behavior. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 189.7 FPS, which is well above typical CPU-bound thresholds for this class of processor. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7314 and PassMark multithread score of 25032 indicate that the CPU can handle high frame rates without becoming a limiting factor. The fact that 4K Ultra still delivers 52.1 FPS—while clearly GPU-limited—confirms that the CPU has headroom remaining, as the frame rate drops are proportional to resolution increases rather than CPU stalls.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ranks 435th out of 1636 combos for Control. This places it in the top 27% of all tested configurations, indicating a solidly above-average pairing for this game.

The rank reflects the balanced nature of this combo. The GPU's 82nd percentile standing and CPU's 82nd percentile standing suggest that both components are well-matched in performance tier. However, the GPU's nearestRivals data—showing the RX 9070 XT within 0.6% of the AMD Radeon Pro 575X and RX Vega 64—indicates that this is not a class-leading GPU. Similarly, the CPU sits within 0.5% of its nearest rivals, making this a mid-to-upper-tier combination rather than an extreme performance outlier.

The 435th rank out of 1636 combos means there are 434 configurations that perform better in Control, likely featuring higher-end GPUs or CPUs. But the data also shows that this combo outperforms the majority of tested systems, making it a reliable choice for this game at 1080p and 1440p, with playable 4K performance on High settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent frame rates across all settings. Low averages 189.7 FPS, Medium reaches 137.1 FPS, High achieves 119.5 FPS, and Ultra maintains 108.2 FPS. All of these results are well above the 60 FPS threshold, and even the Ultra preset provides a comfortable margin for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows expected declines. Low averages 142.9 FPS, Medium hits 105.8 FPS, High reaches 94.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 82.4 FPS. The 1440p results indicate that this resolution is the sweet spot for this combo—even Ultra settings stay above 80 FPS, providing smooth gameplay with maximum visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle with the highest settings. Low still impresses at 98.4 FPS, and Medium manages 71.8 FPS. High dips to 61.4 FPS, which is just barely playable, while Ultra falls to 52.1 FPS—below the 60 FPS target and likely to cause noticeable stutter in fast-paced action sequences. The 4K data clearly shows that this combo is best suited for Low to Medium settings at this resolution if a consistent 60+ FPS experience is required.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 is the optimal resolution, as even Ultra settings achieve 82.4 FPS, while 4K Ultra drops to 52.1 FPS.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?*

A: Yes, but with caveats. The 4K High preset averages 61.4 FPS, which is playable, but 4K Ultra at 52.1 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25236, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-13620H (25201, 0.1% higher) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25365, 0.5% higher).

Q: What is the GPU's performance ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ranks in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 39647, placing it close to the AMD Radeon Pro 575 (39703) and RX Vega 64 (39879).

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

A: At 1080p Low, the system achieves 189.7 FPS, indicating the GPU is the primary limiter. The CPU's strong multi-threaded scores (Cinebench R23 multicore of 21279) provide ample headroom.

Q: What settings should be used for a 60 FPS target at 4K?

A: The data shows that High settings at 4K average 61.4 FPS, which is the highest quality preset that maintains a 60+ FPS average. Medium settings provide more headroom at 71.8 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

For a 1920x1080 display, the Ultra preset at 108.2 FPS is the clear recommendation. The performance margin is sufficient to enable maximum visual quality without compromising smoothness, and the 16 GB VRAM ensures no memory-related stuttering at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings at 82.4 FPS provide the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. This configuration delivers an immersive experience with all graphical features enabled while maintaining frame rates well above the 60 FPS target. Players seeking higher refresh rates can drop to High at 94.1 FPS with minimal visual difference.

For 3840x2160 displays, the High preset at 61.4 FPS is the recommended choice. It delivers a playable experience with good visual quality, though it sits close to the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 71.8 FPS offers a safer margin for demanding scenes, while Ultra at 52.1 FPS should be avoided unless players accept sub-60 FPS performance. The Low preset at 98.4 FPS is unnecessary at 4K, as the visual compromise outweighs the performance benefit.