Control

# Control: Intel Core i5-13400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

The measured performance of this Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination in Control demonstrates a system that is consistently capable across all tested resolutions, with the data showing a clear progression of frame rates as resolution decreases. The RTX 4070 SUPER, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process and 35,800 million transistors, delivers 69 average FPS at 4K High settings, which scales to 135 average FPS at 1080p High, indicating a GPU that remains the dominant factor throughout the tested range. The Core i5-13400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads based on Raptor Lake architecture, appears to provide sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck in this Action Adventure title, as evidenced by the smooth scaling of frame rates from 4K down to 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 4K to 1080p reveals a GPU-bound workload that responds predictably to changes in resolution. At Ultra settings, the system produces 60 average FPS at 3840x2160, which rises to 89 average FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 118 average FPS at 1920x1080. This represents a 47% increase from 4K to 1440p and a 97% increase from 4K to 1080p at the highest preset. The scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU that has ample compute resources but is ultimately limited by the 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and 192-bit bus width when pushing 8.3 million pixels at 4K.

At High settings, the same trend emerges with 69 average FPS at 4K, 102 average FPS at 1440p, and 135 average FPS at 1080p. The jump from 4K to 1440p yields a 48% improvement, while moving to 1080p adds another 32% on top of the 1440p result. This consistent scaling suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient even at 4K, as the frame rate drop from 1440p to 4K is proportional to the pixel count increase rather than indicating a memory capacity limitation.

Medium settings provide the only rows with minimum and maximum FPS data, showing 66/90 at 4K, 98/133 at 1440p, and 130/175 at 1080p. The average FPS at Medium settings—78 at 4K, 115 at 1440p, and 152 at 1080p—maintains the same scaling ratio as High and Ultra. Low settings produce the highest frame rates, with 110 average FPS at 4K, 162 at 1440p, and 214 at 1080p, representing the only configuration where the system exceeds 200 FPS in this game.

The limiting component at lower resolutions becomes increasingly ambiguous; at 1080p Low, the 214 average FPS approaches the ceiling where CPU performance could start to matter, but no data suggests a hard cap. The Core i5-13400F's 3dmark single-thread score of 960 and 3dmark 2-thread score of 1880 indicate robust single-core performance that likely sustains these frame rates without issue.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER operates with a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, paired with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit interface. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz, yielding 21 Gbps effective throughput and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration appears well-suited to Control's demands, as the 12 GB capacity prevents any capacity-related stuttering that could manifest at 4K with High or Ultra textures.

The GPU's 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs provide the raw compute necessary to handle the game's particle effects and physics simulations. The 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores are present but not directly exercised in the measured data, as the benchmark rows do not specify ray tracing settings. The pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s translate to 69 average FPS at 4K High, which is precisely the kind of result one would expect from a GPU ranked at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs.

Comparing to its nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark database, the RTX 4070 SUPER's average benchmark score of 43223 sits marginally below the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (43262, -0.1% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (43268, -0.1% delta). The RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43667, a 1% advantage. This tight grouping indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is positioned at a performance plateau where small architectural differences produce negligible benchmark deltas, yet in Control specifically, the 4070 SUPER demonstrates strong 4K capability with 60 average FPS at Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

Examining the measured rows, the most balanced experience appears to be High settings across all resolutions. At 4K, High delivers 69 average FPS, which is 15% faster than Ultra's 60 FPS while providing a substantial visual uplift over Medium's 78 FPS. The 9 FPS difference between High and Medium at 4K is comparatively small, suggesting that High captures most of the visual quality benefits without the performance penalty associated with Ultra.

At 1440p, High produces 102 average FPS, which is 13 FPS faster than Medium's 115 FPS difference—wait, the data shows High at 102, Medium at 115, meaning Medium is actually 13 FPS faster than High, but High still delivers a smooth experience above 100 FPS. For players prioritizing frame rate, Medium at 1440p yields 115 average FPS with a minimum of 98 FPS, ensuring consistent performance even in demanding scenes. Ultra at 1440p drops to 89 average FPS, which remains playable but offers diminishing returns for the performance cost.

At 1080p, the choice becomes less critical. High delivers 135 average FPS, Medium 152 average FPS, and Ultra 118 average FPS. The recommended preset for maximum visual fidelity with acceptable performance is High at 1080p, as the 135 FPS average provides ample headroom above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining the visual enhancements over Medium. Low settings at any resolution are unnecessary given the system's capability, as even 4K Low produces 110 average FPS.

For players with high refresh rate displays at 1440p, Medium settings offer the best combination of visual quality and performance, with the 98 FPS minimum ensuring no drops below 60 FPS. At 4K, High is the recommended preset, as it balances the 69 average FPS with the visual improvements over Medium, while Ultra's 60 average FPS leaves no margin for frame time spikes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings yield 214 average FPS, followed by Medium at 152 average FPS with a minimum of 130 and maximum of 175. High settings deliver 135 average FPS, while Ultra drops to 118 average FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 96 FPS, indicating that the GPU's performance headroom at 1080p is substantial enough that even the most demanding preset maintains a high frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low produces 162 average FPS, Medium 115 average FPS (with 98 minimum and 133 maximum), High 102 average FPS, and Ultra 89 average FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 73 FPS, slightly smaller than at 1080p, as the increased pixel count begins to load the GPU more heavily.

At 3840x2160, the system remains playable across all settings. Low yields 110 average FPS, Medium 78 average FPS (with 66 minimum and 90 maximum), High 69 average FPS, and Ultra 60 average FPS. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 66, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating stable performance even in the most demanding scenarios captured by the benchmark. The Ultra preset's 60 average FPS is exactly at the standard refresh rate, making it a borderline choice for players who demand perfect frame pacing.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p, the 175 maximum FPS versus 130 minimum FPS represents a 35% spread, which narrows to 36% at 1440p (133 vs 98) and widens to 36% at 4K (90 vs 66). This consistency in the min/max ratio suggests that the game's performance profile remains stable regardless of resolution, with the GPU handling increased pixel counts uniformly.

FAQ

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the system achieves 135 average FPS, while at 4K High it produces 69 average FPS. This represents a 49% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K, which is less than the 75% reduction in pixel count would suggest, indicating the GPU handles the increased resolution efficiently.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes, at 4K Ultra settings the average FPS is exactly 60. However, this leaves no headroom for frame drops, and the minimum FPS data for Ultra is not provided. For a safer margin, 4K High at 69 average FPS is recommended.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER's average benchmark score is 43223, which is 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (43262) and 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (43268). The RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43667, a 1% advantage over the 4070 SUPER.

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile and how does it compare to rivals?

A: The Core i5-13400F is at the 77th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25292. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS at 25284 (0% delta), followed by the Intel Core 5 120 at 25362 (-0.3%) and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D at 25365 (-0.3%). The AMD Ryzen 7 6800H scores 25201, a 0.4% delta.

Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM capacity limit performance at 4K?

A: Based on the measured data, there is no evidence of VRAM capacity limiting performance. The frame rate scaling from 1440p to 4K is proportional to pixel count, and the 4K High preset maintains 69 average FPS, suggesting the 12 GB GDDR6X memory is sufficient for this game at max settings.

Q: What is the best preset for a 1440p high refresh rate display?

A: At 1440p Medium, the system delivers 115 average FPS with a 98 FPS minimum, ensuring consistent performance above 90 FPS. High settings drop to 102 average FPS, while Ultra falls to 89. For a 144Hz display, Medium is the safest choice, while High may suffice if the display supports adaptive sync.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F provides the processing foundation for this system, with 10 cores and 16 threads operating at a 2.50 GHz base clock and 4.60 GHz boost clock. This Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process with a 215 mm² die size, includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, though the specific memory used in the benchmark is not detailed.

In CPU benchmark tests, the i5-13400F scores 22604 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 3191 in single-core, while Geekbench results show 11068 multicore and 1996 single-core. The 3dmark tests reveal scaling from 1880 (2 threads) to 7314 (16 threads), with a max-thread score of 7307 that nearly matches the 16-thread result, indicating that additional threads beyond 16 provide negligible benefit. The 3dmark single-thread score of 960, combined with the PassMark single-thread score of 3634, demonstrates strong single-core performance that is critical for game logic and draw call processing.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a mainstream option, and its benchmark performance places it at the 77th percentile among all CPUs. The nearest rival, AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, matches its average score of 25284, while the Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D both score marginally higher at 25362 and 25365, respectively. This tight grouping means that in CPU-bound scenarios, the i5-13400F is effectively equivalent to its immediate competitors.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU at all tested resolutions. The frame rate scaling from 4K to 1080p follows the expected pattern for a GPU-bound title, with no signs of CPU limitation such as a frame rate plateau at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low preset's 214 average FPS is the highest measured, and while this approaches the range where CPU performance could matter, the data does not indicate a bottleneck. The 3dmark 8-thread score of 5591 and PassMark multithread score of 25032 suggest the CPU has sufficient thread throughput to handle the game's background tasks without impacting frame delivery.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 639th out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 17.2% of all configurations in the database. This ranking reflects the system's ability to deliver playable frame rates at 4K and high refresh rates at 1440p, a balance achieved through the GPU's strong absolute performance and the CPU's adequate support.

The ranking position is notable given that the RTX 4070 SUPER's GPU percentile is 83, while the i5-13400F's CPU percentile is 77. The combo's 639th rank out of 3720 suggests that while both components are individually above average, the combination is not optimized for the absolute top tier of performance, likely due to the CPU's mid-range positioning relative to higher-core-count alternatives that could provide additional headroom in CPU-intensive scenarios.

The measured results in Control specifically show that this combo excels at 1440p, where it can maintain 102 average FPS at High settings and 115 at Medium, making it an excellent match for 1440p displays with refresh rates up to 100 Hz. At 4K, the combo is capable of 60 FPS at Ultra and 69 at High, which is sufficient for console-equivalent performance but not for high refresh rate 4K gaming. The 1080p results, with 135 average FPS at High and 214 at Low, indicate that the combo is overqualified for 1080p gaming unless paired with a very high refresh rate display.

The ranking data does not provide direct comparisons to other combos, but the measured FPS across all settings and resolutions tells a consistent story: this is a balanced system that prioritizes 1440p performance while remaining viable at 4K. The 639th rank out of 3720 combos places it in the upper echelon of tested configurations, and the data suggests that the primary limitation is the GPU's 12 GB memory and 192-bit bus at 4K, rather than any CPU deficiency. For players targeting 1440p with high settings and high frame rates, this combo delivers a compelling experience, while 4K players will need to accept either Medium settings for 78 FPS or High settings for 69 FPS.