Control

# Control with Intel Core i5-9400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER

The pairing of Intel's six-core Coffee Lake CPU with NVIDIA's Turing-based RTX 2060 SUPER produces a system that sits near the middle of the pack for Control, ranked 2,650th out of 3,720 tested combinations. This placement suggests a config that can handle the game at 1080p and 1440p with ease, but one that begins to show its limits when pushed to 4K Ultra settings. The data reveals a system where the GPU is the primary driver of performance, yet the CPU's six threads and modest clock speeds still matter at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance erosion as resolution increases, with the drop from 1080p to 4K revealing a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher pixel counts. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 74 FPS at 1920x1080 to 56 FPS at 2560x1440, then to 38 FPS at 3840x2160 — a 24% reduction going from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 32% drop from 1440p to 4K. This scaling behavior indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER's rendering throughput, not the CPU, becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises.

The Low settings row provides even starker evidence of the GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system delivers 118 FPS, which drops to 89 FPS at 1440p and 60 FPS at 4K. Notably, the 4K Low result of 60 FPS is exactly half the 1080p Low figure, a scaling pattern that aligns with the fourfold increase in pixel count from 1080p to 4K — though the actual drop is less than the theoretical 75% reduction, suggesting some headroom remains in the GPU's pixel pipeline.

Medium settings tell a similar story, with averages of 84 FPS at 1080p, 63 FPS at 1440p, and 43 FPS at 4K. The frame-time consistency also degrades with resolution: at 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 71 and maximum is 96, a spread of 25 FPS; at 1440p Medium, the range tightens to 54–73 (19 FPS spread); and at 4K Medium, the range narrows further to 36–49 (13 FPS spread). This compression of the frame-time envelope at higher resolutions suggests the GPU is working closer to its sustained limit, with less variance in individual frame delivery times.

Ultra settings amplify the resolution penalty, with averages of 65 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure of 33 FPS falls below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for playable action, and the gap between 1440p and 4K Ultra (49 to 33 FPS) represents a 33% performance loss. Across all four settings presets, the resolution scaling curve is steepest between 1440p and 4K, indicating that the RTX 2060 SUPER has sufficient bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) and memory (8 GB GDDR6) for 1440p gaming but begins to struggle with the pixel workload at 2160p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 brings six cores and six threads to the table, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This is a CPU without Hyper-Threading, so it relies on raw core count and frequency rather than simultaneous multithreading to keep up with game workloads. In Control, an action-adventure title that typically uses multiple threads for physics, AI, and streaming, the six physical cores provide adequate parallel throughput, but the lack of additional threads could become a factor in scenes with heavy NPC counts or complex destructible environments.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 47th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 2,254. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (avg score 2,259, delta -0.2%), the Intel Core i7-10710U (avg score 2,248, delta 0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (avg score 2,246, delta 0.4%). These deltas are all within 0.5% of the i5-9400's score, indicating that the CPU sits in a tightly clustered performance band where no single processor has a decisive advantage.

The single-core performance, as measured by Cinebench R23, is 935 points, while the multi-core score is 6,629. The ratio between these scores (approximately 7:1) reflects the scaling efficiency of the six-core design, but in gaming scenarios, the single-core result often matters more for frame pacing and minimum FPS. With a boost clock of 4.10 GHz across six cores, the i5-9400 can maintain respectable single-thread performance, though it lacks the higher turbo frequencies of newer or higher-tier parts.

At 1080p Low settings, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU's role becomes more prominent. The 118 FPS result at 1080p Low suggests the i5-9400 can feed the RTX 2060 SUPER enough draw calls to sustain high frame rates, but the six-thread limit may cap performance in CPU-heavy sequences. The measured FPS at 1080p Medium (84 FPS) and 1080p High (74 FPS) show a progressive decline that tracks with increased GPU workload, but the gap between Low and Medium (118 to 84 FPS, a 29% drop) is larger than the gap between Medium and High (84 to 74 FPS, a 12% drop), hinting that the CPU handles the shift from low to medium settings with less headroom than the GPU does.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 2,650 out of 3,720 tested combinations in Control, this system places in the 71st percentile of all CPU-GPU pairings — meaning roughly 71% of tested combos outperform it, and 29% fall below. This ranking reflects the balance between the i5-9400's mid-range CPU performance (47th percentile among CPUs) and the RTX 2060 SUPER's upper-midrange GPU standing (62nd percentile among GPUs). The discrepancy between the CPU's lower percentile and the GPU's higher percentile suggests that the processor is the weaker link in this pairing, potentially holding back the GPU in CPU-bound scenarios.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (avg score 18,159, delta -0.4%), the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (avg score 18,189, delta -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon RX 460 (avg score 18,373, delta -1.5%). These deltas are all within 1.6% of the RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 18,093, placing it in a dense competitive field. The fact that the RX 460, a much lower-tier card, appears in this list with a higher average score (-1.5% delta) is noteworthy — it suggests that synthetic benchmarks may not fully capture real-world gaming performance differences.

The combo's rank relative to its component parts tells a story of underutilization. If the GPU's 62nd percentile were the sole determinant, one might expect a higher combo rank, but the CPU's 47th percentile pulls the overall position down. In Control specifically, the measured FPS data shows the system delivering playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p across all settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 33 FPS and 4K High result of 38 FPS are below the 60 FPS target that many players prefer. This suggests the combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for Low or Medium settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance. Low settings produce an average of 118 FPS, Medium yields 84 FPS (with a range of 71 to 96 FPS), High achieves 74 FPS, and Ultra reaches 65 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 45% reduction in frame rate (118 to 65 FPS), which is a substantial hit but still leaves all presets above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The 1080p results demonstrate that this combo has headroom at the most common gaming resolution, with even Ultra settings maintaining smooth frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops become more pronounced. Low settings average 89 FPS, Medium averages 63 FPS (with a range of 54 to 73 FPS), High averages 56 FPS, and Ultra averages 49 FPS. The 1440p results show that Medium settings are the sweet spot for maintaining 60 FPS or close to it, while High and Ultra fall below that mark. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at each preset is consistent: Low drops by 29 FPS (25%), Medium by 21 FPS (25%), High by 18 FPS (24%), and Ultra by 16 FPS (25%). This uniform percentage drop across settings indicates that the GPU's scaling with resolution is consistent regardless of the quality preset.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates on higher presets. Low settings average 60 FPS, Medium averages 43 FPS (with a range of 36 to 49 FPS), High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra averages 33 FPS. The 4K Medium range of 36 to 49 FPS shows that even the minimum frame rate stays above 30 FPS, but the average of 43 FPS leaves little room for demanding scenes. The 4K Low result of exactly 60 FPS is notable — it suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER can hit the 60 FPS target at 4K only when the graphics load is minimized, and even then, the margin is razor-thin with no headroom for frame-time spikes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with the TU106 chip, fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It carries 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die, with 2,176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. The GPU also includes 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, which enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing and DLSS — features that Control supports, though the measured FPS data does not specify whether ray tracing was enabled in the tested scenarios.

Memory specifications are substantial for this class of GPU: 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock is listed at 1750 MHz, with 14 Gbps effective data rate. This bandwidth is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, and the 8 GB capacity is sufficient for Control's textures at those resolutions, but 4K Ultra settings may approach the memory limit in texture-heavy scenes, potentially causing stutter or reduced frame rates.

The GPU's clock behavior shows a base of 1470 MHz and a boost of 1650 MHz, with a pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 7.181 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 14.36 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio). These compute figures place the RTX 2060 SUPER in a competitive position, but the measured FPS data suggests that the GPU's rasterization throughput is the limiting factor at 4K, where the pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s is insufficient to maintain high frame rates on demanding presets.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 18,093, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 3060 Mobile (-0.4% delta), Radeon Pro 5700 (-0.5% delta), and RX 460 (-1.5% delta), all of which are within a narrow margin. The PassMark G3D score of 16,462 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,011 provide additional reference points, though the Geekbench Vulkan score of 77,402 and OpenCL score of 76,957 suggest strong compute capabilities that may benefit games with GPU-accelerated physics or post-processing effects.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and the user's frame rate preferences. At 1080p, all four presets — Low (118 FPS), Medium (84 FPS), High (74 FPS), and Ultra (65 FPS) — exceed the 60 FPS threshold, so users can choose Ultra for maximum visual quality or High for a balance of quality and frame rate headroom. The Ultra preset's 65 FPS average provides 5 FPS of headroom above 60, which may not be enough for monitors with higher refresh rates, but is perfectly smooth on standard 60 Hz displays.

At 1440p, the recommendation becomes more nuanced. Medium settings deliver 63 FPS, just above the 60 FPS target, while High drops to 56 FPS and Ultra to 49 FPS. The Medium preset also shows a minimum FPS of 54, which stays above 50 FPS even in demanding scenes. Users with 1440p monitors should choose Medium for a consistent 60 FPS experience, or High if they can tolerate occasional dips below 60 FPS in exchange for improved visual fidelity. Low settings at 1440p (89 FPS) are an option for competitive play or high refresh rate displays, but the visual compromise may not be worth the performance gain for most players.

At 4K, the choices are limited. Low settings achieve exactly 60 FPS, making it the only preset that hits the standard target. Medium averages 43 FPS, which is playable but noticeably less smooth, and High (38 FPS) and Ultra (33 FPS) fall below the 40 FPS threshold that many players find acceptable for action games. The 4K Low setting is the recommended choice for users with 2160p displays, as it maintains the 60 FPS target while sacrificing most graphical enhancements. Those who prefer visual quality over frame rate might select Medium, but should be prepared for frame rates in the 36–49 FPS range.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Control?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the optimal resolution, where all presets from Low (118 FPS) to Ultra (65 FPS) stay above 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low (89 FPS) and Medium (63 FPS) exceed 60 FPS, while 3840x2160 requires Low settings (60 FPS) to hit that target.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 18,093, placing it in the 62nd percentile. Its nearest rivals are the RTX 3060 Mobile (18,159, -0.4% delta), Radeon Pro 5700 (18,189, -0.5% delta), and RX 460 (18,373, -1.5% delta), all within 1.6% of its score.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, where FPS drops align with pixel count increases. At 1080p Low settings (118 FPS), the CPU's six threads and 4.10 GHz boost clock appear sufficient, but the CPU's 47th percentile ranking suggests it may cap performance in CPU-intensive scenes.

Q: What frame rates can users expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 63 FPS at 2560x1440 Medium, with a minimum of 54 FPS and maximum of 73 FPS. This preset provides the closest match to the 60 FPS target at 1440p without dropping to Low settings.

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which achieve exactly 60 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 43 FPS, High to 38 FPS, and Ultra to 33 FPS, meaning 4K gaming requires significant visual compromises for playable frame rates.

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

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 2,254, with nearest rivals including the i7-1068NG7 (2,259, -0.2% delta), i7-10710U (2,248, 0.3% delta), and Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2,246, 0.4% delta). All rivals are within 0.5% of the i5-9400's score, indicating a tightly grouped performance tier.