Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, presents a fascinating stress test for the pairing of the Intel Core i5-13400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D. The benchmark data reveals a system capable of extreme frame rates, yet the scaling patterns expose a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU. This analysis examines how the measured FPS shifts across resolutions and settings, what the component specifications suggest about performance ceilings, and how this specific configuration ranks among the thousands of tested combos.

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

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a predictable, yet steep, decline as resolution increases, but the shape of that curve is revealing. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces an average of 243 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 221 FPS, a reduction of roughly 9%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 152 FPS, which is a 37% decrease from the 1440p figure. This pattern suggests that at lower resolutions, the system is not purely GPU-bound; the CPU is still feeding the GPU enough data to maintain very high frame rates, and the GPU’s workload is scaling with pixel count.

The scaling becomes more dramatic at higher settings. At Ultra settings, the 1080p average is 163 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 124 FPS (a 24% decrease), and at 4K Ultra, it plummets to 83 FPS (a 33% decrease from 1440p). This steeper falloff at Ultra settings indicates that the GPU is becoming the definitive bottleneck as its workload intensifies with both resolution and visual complexity. The RTX 5090 D, with its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 512-bit bus, has the bandwidth to handle 4K textures, but the raw shading and ray tracing demands of Ultra settings are what pull the average down to 83 FPS.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens with resolution, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario at high fidelity. At 1080p, the difference between Low (243 FPS) and Ultra (163 FPS) is 80 FPS. At 4K, that gap shrinks to 69 FPS (152 vs. 83). This compression of the settings gap at 4K suggests that the GPU’s absolute limits are being approached, leaving less headroom for settings to make a large relative difference. The data implies that for this game, the RTX 5090 D is the primary limiter at 4K Ultra, while the Core i5-13400F’s performance is more relevant at 1080p Low, where the CPU’s 10 cores and 16 threads must keep up with the GPU’s massive output.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a monstrous piece of silicon, and its specifications directly explain the high FPS figures observed. With a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, it sustains high throughput. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s, which is crucial for a game like Control that features heavy use of textures and particle effects. This bandwidth likely prevents any memory-related stuttering, even at 4K, where the data shows a solid 96 FPS average on High settings.

The GPU’s architecture, Blackwell 2.0, includes 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. While Control does support real-time ray tracing, the measured data does not specify whether ray tracing was enabled. However, the presence of these cores means the GPU has the dedicated hardware to handle such effects without falling back on compute shaders. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance provides immense raw compute power for the game’s physics and rendering equations. The pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are high enough to fill the screen with detail at 4K, which is reflected in the 152 FPS average at 4K Low settings.

The GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its top-tier status. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.6% lower score) and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (2.4% lower), but those are outlier comparisons. The key takeaway is that the RTX 5090 D is not the bottleneck in most scenarios, except for the highest settings at 4K. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the 83 FPS average is still highly playable, but the scaling indicates that the game’s most demanding preset is finally pushing the GPU to its limits, whereas at lower settings, the CPU becomes more of a factor.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Within the extensive database of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-13400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 35 out of 2888 combos. This places it in the top 1.2% of all tested systems for Control, which is an exceptional result. The ranking reflects the raw power of the GPU combined with a capable CPU that does not hold it back significantly.

However, the rank is not #1, which suggests that other combinations, likely with higher-end CPUs, can extract even more performance from the RTX 5090 D. The data implies that the i5-13400F, while strong, may be a slight limiting factor in CPU-bound scenarios, such as the 1080p Low preset where the average FPS is 243. In that specific case, a more powerful processor with higher single-thread performance could potentially push the frame rate even higher, as the GPU is not fully saturated.

The combo’s rank is a holistic measure across all tested settings and resolutions. The fact that it sits at 35th place, rather than higher, suggests that the CPU’s 77th percentile ranking compared to all CPUs is the weaker link in the chain. The GPU is in the 92nd percentile, but the CPU is only in the 77th, creating an imbalance. This is not to say the combo is poor—far from it—but it indicates that for a game like Control, which can be CPU-intensive at high frame rates, the processor is the component that prevents this system from reaching the absolute top of the leaderboard.

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

Analyzing the measured FPS rows, the "sweet spot" for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution and desired refresh rate. At 1080p, every preset exceeds 160 FPS, making even the Ultra setting (163 FPS) suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors, specifically those in the 144Hz to 165Hz range. For the smoothest experience, the Low preset at 243 FPS is overkill for most displays, but it shows the system’s headroom. The Medium preset at 211 FPS offers a balance, though the visual fidelity jump from Medium to High (188 FPS) is often worth the 23 FPS cost in a game like Control, which has detailed environments.

At 1440p, the recommendations become more nuanced. The High preset delivers 142 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 124 FPS is also viable, but it sacrifices 18 FPS compared to High. The Low preset at 221 FPS is exceptionally fast, but the visual downgrade is likely too severe for a game known for its atmosphere. The Medium preset at 160 FPS is a strong middle ground, but High seems to be the best balance of visual quality and performance, staying above the 140 FPS threshold.

At 4K, the data suggests that the Ultra preset (83 FPS) is borderline for 60Hz displays but not ideal for high refresh rates. The High preset at 96 FPS is more comfortable, providing a solid margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 108 FPS is the best option for those seeking a higher frame rate at 4K without dropping to Low settings (152 FPS), which would severely compromise the visual experience. The recommendation is clear: for 4K gaming, High or Medium settings provide the best experience, as they keep the frame rate well above 60 FPS while preserving the game’s graphical fidelity.

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

At 1920x1080, the measured averages are: Low at 243 FPS, Medium at 211 FPS (with a minimum of 180 and maximum of 243), High at 188 FPS, and Ultra at 163 FPS. The spread between the lowest and highest settings is 80 FPS, showing that the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 221 FPS, Medium at 160 FPS (with a minimum of 136 and maximum of 184), High at 142 FPS, and Ultra at 124 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most pronounced at Low settings (a 22 FPS decrease), while the higher settings see a more consistent reduction of around 20-30 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 152 FPS, Medium at 108 FPS (with a minimum of 92 and maximum of 124), High at 96 FPS, and Ultra at 83 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is severe, with the High preset dropping from 142 FPS to 96 FPS, a 32% reduction. The data shows that this combo is most comfortable at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring a reduction in settings to maintain high frame rates.

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 from the Raptor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz and it boosts up to 4.60 GHz. For a game like Control, which is not known for being heavily multi-threaded, the single-thread performance is critical. The CPU’s benchmark scores show a 3dmark_single_thread score of 960 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3191, indicating strong per-core performance. This is essential for maintaining high frame rates, as the game’s main logic and draw call submission typically rely on one or two cores.

The data suggests that the CPU is sufficient to drive the RTX 5090 D to very high frame rates at 1080p, as evidenced by the 243 FPS average at Low settings. However, the CPU’s 77th percentile ranking compared to all CPUs, while respectable, is lower than the GPU’s 92nd percentile. This implies that in scenarios where the FPS is extremely high (above 200), the CPU may be nearing its limits. The 16 threads help with background tasks and the game’s physics, but the boost clock of 4.60 GHz is the key factor for the primary game thread.

The CPU’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache is ample for the game’s data, and its support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory allows for flexible system configurations. The nearest rival CPUs in benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (-0.3% delta), which are comparable in overall performance. However, in a game like Control, the i5-13400F’s higher boost clock compared to the Ryzen 9 6900HS’s typical 4.6 GHz (though not specified) may give it an edge in single-threaded tasks. The data ultimately shows that the CPU is a strong partner for the GPU, but it is the component that anchors the combo’s rank at 35th rather than higher, particularly when pushing for triple-digit frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K with high refresh rates?

A: The data shows an average of 96 FPS at 4K High settings and 83 FPS at 4K Ultra. This is sufficient for a 60Hz display but not for 144Hz monitors. For higher refresh rates, the Medium preset at 108 FPS is the better choice.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming?

A: The High preset at 1440p delivers an average of 142 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 124 FPS is also playable, but High offers a better balance of visual quality and performance.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-13400F a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 D?

A: The data implies a slight bottleneck at very high frame rates. At 1080p Low, the average is 243 FPS, but the combo ranks 35th out of 2888, suggesting that a more powerful CPU could push frame rates even higher. The CPU’s 77th percentile score is lower than the GPU’s 92nd percentile.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 188 at 1080p to 142 at 1440p and finally to 96 at 4K. This is a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GPU workload scales significantly with resolution.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only minimum FPS values in the data are for the Medium preset: 180 FPS at 1080p, 136 FPS at 1440p, and 92 FPS at 4K. These are the only measured minimums provided.

Q: Does the GPU’s large VRAM capacity matter for this game?

A: The RTX 5090 D has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory. While Control’s memory usage is not specified in the data, the high bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s and large capacity ensure that memory is not a limiting factor, allowing for smooth texture streaming and high-resolution rendering.