Control

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 delivers a highly playable experience in Control, but the data reveals a system that is fundamentally constrained by its graphics card. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and settings paint a clear picture: this is a 1080p-focused combination that can push into 1440p territory with adjusted settings, while 4K remains largely out of reach. The benchmark results indicate a GPU that is working near its limits, while the 10-core, 16-thread processor has ample headroom to spare.

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

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 exposes a steep performance cliff that is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 61.7 at 1080p to 45.0 at 2560x1440, a drop of 27.1%. Moving further to 4K, the average plummets to 29.5 FPS, which is 52.2% lower than the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is a textbook indicator that the GTX 1070, with its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus, is the primary bottleneck.

The data becomes even more telling when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the combination achieves 96.4 FPS, but this falls to 72.9 FPS at 1440p and then to 48.7 FPS at 4K. While the percentage drops are significant, the absolute values suggest that even at the lowest fidelity, the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions. The fact that reducing settings from High to Low at 4K only recovers 19.2 FPS (from 29.5 to 48.7) indicates that the raw pixel count is overwhelming the GPU’s fillrate and memory bandwidth, regardless of the graphical complexity. The processor’s performance, as measured by its 3dmark single-thread score of 960, is unlikely to be the limiting factor in these scenarios.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The GTX 1070’s specifications directly correlate with the observed performance caps. Its base clock of 1506 MHz and boost clock of 1683 MHz, combined with a memory clock of 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective), provide a theoretical bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. In Control, a game known for its dense environments and physics effects, this bandwidth is crucial. The 256-bit bus and 8 GB VRAM capacity are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests they are strained at 4K.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its position in the market. With a percentile rank of 51 among all GPUs, it sits in the middle of the pack. It is notably close to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER, which has an average benchmark score of 12504, a delta of -1.4% from the GTX 1070’s 12331 average. This near-parity in synthetic tests translates to the measured FPS, where the GTX 1070 cannot overcome the raw resolution demands of 4K. The 1920 shading units and 64 ROPs are simply not enough to sustain high frame rates at 3840x2160, as evidenced by the 26 FPS average at Ultra settings.

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

For a smooth experience, the data points decisively toward the High preset at 1920x1080. The 61.7 FPS average is above the standard 60 FPS threshold, and it offers a substantial visual upgrade over Low without the performance cost of Ultra. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 54.8 FPS, which is playable but sacrifices the frame rate cushion that prevents dips during intense combat scenarios.

At 2560x1440, the situation requires compromise. The Low preset achieves a fluid 72.9 FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 51.9 FPS, and High falls to 45.0 FPS. For users with a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the only option that consistently clears the 60 FPS mark. However, the Medium preset at 51.9 FPS might be acceptable for those prioritizing visual fidelity over a perfect frame rate. At 3840x2160, the data shows no ideal setting for competitive play, as even the Low preset only reaches 48.7 FPS, and the Ultra preset struggles at 26 FPS. For 4K, the recommendation is to lower the resolution or accept a sub-30 FPS experience.

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

*Q: Can this combination run Control at 60 FPS in 4K?*

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 48.7 FPS on the Low preset. All other presets (Medium at 35.0, High at 29.5, and Ultra at 26.0) fall below the 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best preset for a 1440p monitor if I want over 60 FPS?

A: The Low preset at 2560x1440 is the only one that achieves over 60 FPS, with an average of 72.9 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 51.9 FPS, and the High preset to 45.0 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest rival, the GTX 1650 SUPER, in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 12331, which is 1.4% lower than the GTX 1650 SUPER’s score of 12504. This indicates they are performance equivalents in general compute tasks.

Q: Is the CPU a limiting factor at 1080p High settings?

A: Given the GPU’s 51st percentile ranking and the CPU’s 82nd percentile ranking among all processors, the data suggests the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU’s 3dmark single-thread score of 960 is sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p.

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

A: The average FPS drops from 96.4 on Low to 54.8 on Ultra, a difference of 41.6 FPS. This shows the significant cost of high-fidelity rendering on this GPU.

*Q: Does the GTX 1070 have enough VRAM for a game like Control at high resolutions?*

A: The 8 GB of GDDR5 memory is sufficient for the tested presets, but the drastic FPS drops at 4K (down to 26 FPS on Ultra) indicate that memory bandwidth and processing power, rather than capacity alone, are the limiting constraints.

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

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its substantial 20 MB of shared L3 cache and high multi-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21279) suggest it is more than capable of handling the game’s logic and physics simulations. The processor’s 82nd percentile ranking versus all CPUs indicates that it is a high-performing part, particularly for its class.

In this specific pairing, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game state. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 96.4 FPS, which is likely near the practical limit for the CPU-GPU combination at that setting. However, the FPS scales almost linearly with resolution decreases, which is the signature of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the GPU would be waiting for the processor. The fact that FPS drops from 96.4 at 1080p to 48.7 at 4K on Low settings confirms that the GTX 1070 is the primary constraint. The CPU’s high boost clock of 4.60 GHz and strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3004) ensure it does not hold the GPU back in this title.

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

The complete dataset provides a clear matrix of performance. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 96.4 on Low to 54.8 on Ultra, with Medium at 70.2 and High at 61.7. This resolution offers the most flexibility, with three presets (Low, Medium, and High) all exceeding 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop across the board. Low yields 72.9 FPS, Medium yields 51.9 FPS, High yields 45.0 FPS, and Ultra yields 41.6 FPS. Only the Low preset maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS, indicating that this resolution is playable but requires significant graphical compromises.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes challenging. Low produces 48.7 FPS, Medium drops to 35.0 FPS, High to 29.5 FPS, and Ultra to 26.0 FPS. None of these averages are suitable for smooth, fast-paced action, as even the lowest settings fail to reach 60 FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern: each reduction in resolution from 4K to 1080p provides a substantial FPS increase, reinforcing the GPU’s role as the performance ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific configuration ranks 1391 out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the bottom 15% of all systems benchmarked. This low ranking is directly attributable to the GTX 1070, which is an older generation card (released in 2016) and has since been superseded. The CPU, by contrast, is a modern part (released in 2023) and contributes a high level of compute capability.

The rank suggests that while this combo is perfectly functional for 1080p gaming, it is outclassed by the majority of other systems in the database when running this specific title. The GPU’s nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score, such as the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 (12241, +0.7% delta) and the Tesla K20Xm (12547, -1.7% delta), are all older or workstation-oriented parts that would likely perform similarly. The ranking highlights that the i5-13400F is effectively "wasted" in this pairing for Control, as it is capable of driving far more powerful GPUs. The data implies that a user with this combination would see a massive performance uplift from a GPU upgrade, as the CPU has the headroom to support it, but the current GPU caps the experience at mid-range levels.