Control

Control is an Action Adventure title from 2019 that stresses both CPU and GPU in different ways depending on the resolution and settings. This analysis covers the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT, using measured frame data to show where each component does its share of the work. The i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread part with a 2.90 GHz base clock and a 4.10 GHz boost clock, built on the Coffee Lake architecture with a 14 nm process. The RX 7800 XT is a RDNA 3.0 part with a 1295 MHz base clock and a 2430 MHz boost clock, carrying 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. The benchmark results show a system that can handle 1080p and 1440p very well, but begins to strain at 4K where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck.

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

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides six physical cores with six threads, which is a fixed workload configuration for this game. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz are the key operating points, with the boost clock being the more relevant figure for gaming workloads that do not utilize all cores heavily. The CPU has a 9 MB shared L3 cache and a 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth, which are modest by modern standards but sufficient for a 2019 title like Control.

In the CPU benchmark data, this processor scores 7969 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1125 in single-core. Its average benchmark score is 2305, placing it at the 50th percentile among all CPUs. The nearest rivals show a tight cluster: the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2300 (0.2% ahead), the Intel Core i3-1125G4 scores 2299 (0.2% ahead), and the Intel Xeon E-2134 scores 2295 (0.4% ahead). The Intel Core i7-8809G is slightly behind at 2319, which is a 0.6% delta in the i5-9400's favor. This means the i5-9400 sits in the middle of a performance band where no rival is more than a fraction of a percent different, indicating that CPU performance is not a distinguishing factor among these parts.

For Control, the six cores and six threads are adequate for the game's logic and physics calculations. The lack of hyper-threading means the CPU cannot handle as many concurrent threads as a part with more threads, but the game's core usage patterns do not appear to demand more than this configuration offers. At lower resolutions, the CPU has more influence on frame rates because the GPU can render frames faster, but the data suggests this CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution tested.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is the dominant component in this pairing. It has a boost clock of 2430 MHz and a game clock of 2124 MHz, with a base clock of 1295 MHz. The memory runs at 2438 MHz with 19.5 Gbps effective speed, delivering 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth across a 256-bit bus. The 16 GB of GDDR6 VRAM is a significant asset for Control, which can use high-resolution textures and effects without hitting memory capacity limits.

The GPU's compute specifications include 3840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units. It achieves 37.32 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and has a texture rate of 583.2 GTexel/s. In terms of benchmark scores, the RX 7800 XT posts a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4157, a Geekbench Vulkan score of 143060, and a Passmark G3D score of 24176. Its average benchmark score is 32619, placing it at the 76th percentile among all GPUs. The nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 at 32540 (0.2% ahead), the NVIDIA P104-100 at 32747 (0.4% behind), the NVIDIA T600 Mobile at 32849 (0.7% behind), and the AMD FirePro S10000 at 32388 (0.7% ahead).

For Control, the GPU's VRAM capacity and bandwidth are the critical factors. The 16 GB VRAM ensures that even at Ultra settings with high-resolution assets, the GPU does not need to swap textures to system memory. The 624.1 GB/s memory bandwidth supports the game's data throughput demands, which scale with resolution. At 4K, the GPU's compute capabilities are the primary determinant of frame rates, and the data confirms this by showing the largest performance differences between settings at that resolution.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At 1080p High settings, the system achieves 108.7 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 84.9 FPS, and at 4K High it falls to 58.9 FPS. The progression from 1080p to 4K represents a 45.8% reduction in average frame rate at High settings. For Low settings, the drop is from 162 FPS at 1080p to 128.7 FPS at 1440p and 85.5 FPS at 4K, a 47.2% reduction from the starting point.

The scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU has more headroom, allowing the GPU to push frame rates above 160 FPS at Low settings. The fact that 1080p Low reaches 162 FPS while 4K Ultra only manages 50.9 FPS shows the GPU's workload scaling with pixel count. The CPU's influence is most apparent at 1080p Low where the frame rate is highest, but even there, the i5-9400 does not appear to cap performance below what the GPU can deliver.

The relative consistency of the performance drop across settings suggests that neither component is dramatically unbalanced. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the frame rates scale directly with setting levels. At 1080p, the system has enough CPU headroom to reach high frame rates, but the GPU still limits the maximum achievable FPS. This is a balanced pairing for 1440p gaming, where the frame rates remain above 72 FPS even at Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ranks 612 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 62.6th percentile of all combinations, meaning it outperforms roughly 62% of the tested systems while falling behind the top 38%. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's mid-range performance and the GPU's high-end capabilities.

The ranking is influenced by the CPU's position at the 50th percentile among all CPUs, which drags the combo down from what the GPU alone might achieve. The GPU at the 76th percentile is a stronger component, but the combo rank of 612 indicates that the CPU limits the system from reaching higher positions. In a game like Control, where the GPU is often the primary driver at higher resolutions, the CPU's mid-range standing still matters for overall combo performance.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing sits in the upper-middle range. The delta between the top combos and this one is likely determined by CPU performance, as the GPU is already a high-percentile part. For a system aiming at 1440p gaming, this rank is respectable, but for 4K enthusiasts, the CPU may hold back the system from achieving the frame rates the GPU could otherwise deliver.

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

At 1920x1080, the system delivers the following average frame rates: Low settings produce 162 FPS, Medium produces 122.4 FPS, High produces 108.7 FPS, and Ultra produces 96.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 65.3 FPS, showing that setting level has a substantial impact. The difference between Medium and High is 13.7 FPS, while High to Ultra is 12 FPS, indicating diminishing returns as settings increase.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 128.7 FPS at Low, 94.6 FPS at Medium, 84.9 FPS at High, and 72.7 FPS at Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each setting is 33.3 FPS at Low, 27.8 FPS at Medium, 23.8 FPS at High, and 24 FPS at Ultra. The 1440p Ultra frame rate of 72.7 FPS remains playable, while 1440p High at 84.9 FPS is comfortably above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 85.5 FPS at Low, 60.5 FPS at Medium, 58.9 FPS at High, and 50.9 FPS at Ultra. The 4K Low setting is the only configuration that stays above 60 FPS, while 4K Medium and High are just at the edge of playability. The 4K Ultra frame rate of 50.9 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, indicating that this setting is too demanding for this combination.

The data shows a consistent pattern where each resolution step down reduces frame rates by roughly 25-30 FPS at lower settings and 20-25 FPS at higher settings. The 4K Ultra result of 50.9 FPS is the weakest point in the entire dataset, while 1080p Low at 162 FPS is the strongest. For a smooth experience, 1440p High or 1080p Ultra are the best choices, while 4K requires lowering settings to Medium or below.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest average FPS is 162 at 1080p with Low settings. The next highest is 128.7 at 1440p Low, followed by 122.4 at 1080p Medium.

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

A: At 4K Low, the system achieves 85.5 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. At 4K Medium, it hits 60.5 FPS, just barely above the threshold. At 4K High and Ultra, the frame rates drop to 58.9 FPS and 50.9 FPS respectively, which are below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, which is within 0.2% of the Intel Core i3-10305 (2300) and Intel Core i3-1125G4 (2299), and within 0.4% of the Intel Xeon E-2134 (2295). It is 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i7-8809G (2319).

Q: What is the best setting for a 60 FPS lock at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the system achieves 72.7 FPS at Ultra, 84.9 FPS at High, 94.6 FPS at Medium, and 128.7 FPS at Low. All settings at 1440p exceed 60 FPS, so any setting can maintain a 60 FPS lock.

Q: How much VRAM does the RX 7800 XT have and what is its bandwidth?

A: The RX 7800 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This provides ample capacity for Control's textures at any resolution.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested systems?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ranks 612 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the upper-middle range, outperforming most systems but falling short of the top configurations.