Control

Control on the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination demonstrates a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, yet shows a balanced profile at 1080p where the six-core processor can still keep pace. The measured frame rates across the three resolutions and four settings presets reveal a predictable scaling pattern, with the largest performance deltas occurring between the Low and Ultra settings. As a pairing, this configuration sits in the lower-mid range of the database’s tested combos, indicating that while it delivers playable results at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, it is not positioned for high-refresh-rate or maximum-fidelity 4K gaming.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, pointing directly to the GPU as the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At the Low preset, the average FPS falls from 115 at 1920x1080 to 87 at 2560x1440 and then to 59 at 3840x2160, representing a 24% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a further 32% reduction from 1440p to 4K. This scaling pattern is typical for a graphics-bound scenario, where the pixel count increase from roughly 2 million to over 8 million pixels quadruples the rasterization workload, overwhelming the Radeon RX 5700 XT’s 64 ROPs and 256-bit memory interface.

The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory, with average FPS dropping from 82 at 1080p to 62 at 1440p and then to 42 at 4K. The High preset follows suit, falling from 73 to 55 to 37 across the same resolution ladder. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, starts at 63 FPS at 1080p and degrades to 48 at 1440p, finally reaching 32 at 4K. The consistent proportional drops—roughly 25-30% each time resolution doubles—indicate that the CPU is not throttling performance at higher resolutions; instead, the GPU’s raw throughput is the limiting factor, as the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become saturated.

Notably, the gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 52 FPS (115 vs 63), while at 4K, the gap narrows to 27 FPS (59 vs 32). This compression at 4K suggests that even the Low preset is pushing the GPU to its limits, leaving less headroom for settings scaling. The data shows that for 4K gaming, users would need to accept either the Low preset for near-60 FPS performance or drop to lower resolutions for higher fidelity, as the Ultra preset at 4K falls well below the playable threshold.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 10 chip, is the dominant component in this pairing for Control. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the game’s textures at 1080p and 1440p, but becomes a constraint at 4K where the higher resolution demands more memory throughput. The GPU’s base clock of 1605 MHz, game clock of 1755 MHz, and boost clock of 1905 MHz show a modest overclocking headroom, though the measured FPS data suggests the card operates near its effective limits under load.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 59th percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16361. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, scores 16351, a delta of 0.1%, while the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell is 0.3% ahead with a score of 16408. This tight clustering indicates that the RX 5700 XT is competitively positioned within its performance tier, though the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2134 suggests it is not designed for next-generation API workloads. The 9.754 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 304.8 GTexel/s texture rate explain why the card handles 1080p Medium and High settings well, but struggle with 4K Ultra, where the 32 FPS average reflects the GPU’s inability to maintain fluid motion.

The memory configuration is particularly relevant to Control’s results. With 8 GB of VRAM, the card avoids capacity stuttering at lower settings, but the 42 FPS average at 4K Medium and 37 FPS at 4K High indicate that bandwidth, not capacity, is the limiting factor. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is taxed heavily at 4K, where the higher resolution requires more frequent texture fetches and frame buffer updates. The GPU’s 64 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s, which is adequate for 1080p but insufficient for 4K at high settings, as evidenced by the sub-40 FPS results.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400, a Coffee Lake Refresh processor with 6 cores and 6 threads, plays a secondary role in Control’s performance, but its influence is still visible in the 1080p results. The CPU’s base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz provide sufficient single-thread performance for the game’s logic, as evidenced by the 115 FPS average at 1080p Low, which suggests the processor is not bottlenecking at that resolution. The 9 MB shared L3 cache and 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth are adequate for feeding the GPU, though the lack of Hyper-Threading means the 6 threads must handle all game tasks.

The CPU’s benchmark scores show it is a mid-range part, sitting in the 47th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, a delta of -0.2%, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is 0.4% behind with a score of 2246. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and single-core score of 935 indicate that the i5-9400 offers balanced performance, though it is not a high-end processor. In Control, this translates to a CPU that can maintain frame rates above 60 FPS at 1080p with the appropriate GPU settings, but does not have the headroom to push beyond that threshold.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The 87 FPS at 1440p Low and 59 FPS at 4K Low show that the processor can still deliver frames when the GPU is not saturated, but the fact that these numbers are lower than the 1080p results confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient for Control’s multi-threaded workload, but the lack of additional threads means there is no spare capacity for background tasks or future game updates. The 65 W TDP and 14 nm process node are modest by modern standards, but they do not directly impact gaming performance in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination ranks 2767 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the lower-mid tier of the database. This position reflects the GPU’s 59th percentile ranking and the CPU’s 47th percentile ranking, which together produce a system that is adequate for 1080p gaming but not competitive for higher resolutions or high refresh rates. The combo rank of 2767 means that roughly 74% of tested configurations outperform this pairing, which is expected given the age and mid-range positioning of both components.

The rank is driven primarily by the GPU’s performance ceiling, as the RX 5700 XT’s average benchmark score of 16361 is only slightly above the median. The CPU’s contribution is less significant, as the i5-9400’s 2254 average benchmark score is close to its nearest rivals, with the i7-1068NG7 just 0.2% ahead. This suggests that upgrading the CPU alone would yield minimal gains in Control, while upgrading the GPU would provide a more substantial improvement. The combo’s rank also implies that there are many configurations with better balance, such as newer GPUs with similar CPU pairing, that would achieve higher frame rates in this title.

In practical terms, the 2767 rank means that users of this combo should expect to play Control at 1080p with Medium or High settings for a smooth experience, or at 1440p with Low settings for acceptable performance. The 4K results, which max out at 59 FPS on Low, are borderline playable but not ideal. The rank does not account for the specific game’s optimization, and the measured FPS data provides a more accurate picture of real-world performance, but it does indicate that this pairing is not a top-tier choice for demanding titles.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results, with the Low preset averaging 115 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset averages 82 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 94 FPS, showing good consistency. The High preset averages 73 FPS, still playable, while the Ultra preset drops to 63 FPS, which is borderline but acceptable for most users. These numbers indicate that the CPU and GPU are well-matched at this resolution, with the GPU able to push high frame rates when settings are lowered.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. The Low preset averages 87 FPS, which is still smooth, but the Medium preset falls to 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. The High preset averages 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, and the Ultra preset averages 48 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced action sequences. The 1440p results suggest that users should stick to Low or Medium settings for a consistent experience, as the High and Ultra presets push the GPU too hard.

At 3840x2160, the performance is limited. The Low preset averages 59 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS target, while the Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. The High preset averages 37 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS, both of which are below playable thresholds for most gamers. The 4K results show that the RX 5700 XT is not capable of handling Control at this resolution with any preset above Low, and even Low is borderline.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset provides a good balance between visual quality and performance, with an average of 73 FPS that is smooth and responsive. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is also viable for users who prioritize visual fidelity, but the 10 FPS difference from High may not justify the additional graphical load. The Medium preset at 82 FPS offers the best margin for avoiding frame drops, but High is recommended for most users seeking a better visual experience.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the safest choice, with an average of 87 FPS that ensures smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 62 FPS is also acceptable, but the minimum of 53 FPS indicates that there may be occasional dips below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 55 FPS is not recommended, as the average is below 60 FPS and the visual gains over Medium are marginal. For 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides the best compromise between quality and performance, with the Low preset serving as a fallback for users who prioritize frame rate.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is recommended, with an average of 59 FPS that is just below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 42 FPS is not playable for most users, and the High and Ultra presets are far too demanding. Users with 4K displays should either accept the Low preset or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p as a secondary option, and 4K only viable at the lowest settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS is 73 at 1920x1080 with High settings, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset achieves a playable average of 59 FPS, while Medium, High, and Ultra average 42, 37, and 32 FPS respectively, which are below acceptable thresholds.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-1068NG7’s score of 2259, and 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-10710U’s score of 2248.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks in the 59th percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16361.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 averages 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS, making it the recommended choice for a balance of quality and performance.

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

A: This combo ranks 2767 out of 3720 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the lower-mid tier of the database.