Control

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 produces a control-focused performance profile in Control. The data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution, with the GPU acting as the primary constraint at higher settings, while the six-core CPU maintains a stable baseline across all tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS deltas between 1080p and 4K reveal a classic GPU-bound scenario, particularly at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 88.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 68.3 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 20.2 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average falls further to 43.6 FPS, which is roughly half the 1080p figure. This steep decline across the 1440p to 4K transition indicates the RTX 4060’s 128-bit memory interface and 8 GB VRAM become limiting factors as pixel count increases.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern shifts. The 1080p result of 138.7 FPS drops to 108.6 FPS at 1440p, then to 73.7 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low score is still playable, but the relative drop from 1440p is about 32%, showing that even with reduced shading complexity, the GPU’s bandwidth ceiling is reached. Medium settings show a similar trend: 102 FPS at 1080p, 76.9 FPS at 1440p, and 53.4 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with 79 FPS at 1080p falling to 60.5 FPS at 1440p and then to 36.9 FPS at 4K, a sub-40 FPS result that suggests the game’s advanced effects tax the RTX 4060 heavily at that resolution.

The data indicates that resolution scaling is smooth and consistent, with no sudden collapses. The gap between 1440p and 4K grows as settings increase, which is typical for a GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. At 1080p, the CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the 138.7 FPS Low result, which is well above typical refresh rates. The limiting component at 4K is clearly the GPU, given the 43.6 FPS High result versus the 108.6 FPS at 1440p Low.

GPU Role

The RTX 4060’s specifications directly explain its behavior in Control. The GPU has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, with 3072 shading units. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This configuration yields a pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 15.11 TFLOPS.

In this game, the 4K Ultra result of 36.9 FPS shows the GPU’s limits with ray tracing and high-resolution textures enabled. The 72.7 FPS difference between 4K Low (73.7 FPS) and 4K Ultra (36.9 FPS) is substantial, indicating that the game’s visual effects scale heavily with GPU compute. The RTX 4060’s 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are engaged at Ultra, but the 8 GB VRAM may cause texture swapping at 4K, as suggested by the non-linear scaling from Medium (53.4 FPS) to High (43.6 FPS) to Ultra (36.9 FPS).

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it at the 66th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23181. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, scores 23321, a delta of -0.6%, meaning the RTX 4060 is slightly slower in general benchmarks but still competitive. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti scores 23338 (-0.7%), and the Intel Arc B580 scores 23021 (+0.7%). These rivals are within 1% of the RTX 4060’s average score, so the performance differences in Control are likely due to driver optimizations and specific feature support rather than raw compute.

The GPU’s 5 nm process node from TSMC, with 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die, allows for a 115 W TDP. This efficiency means the card can maintain boost clocks under sustained load, which is evident in the 4K Medium result of 53.4 FPS, a playable frame rate for a demanding title. The 12-pin power connector and 300 W suggested PSU are relevant for system builders, but the data shows the GPU performs consistently across all tested resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake Refresh generation, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with 9 MB of shared L3 cache. Its memory support is dual-channel DDR4 with 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth, which is modest by modern standards but sufficient for this game.

The CPU’s benchmark results show a 50th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2305. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, scores 2300 (deltaPct 0.2%), and the Intel Xeon E-2134 scores 2295 (0.4%). The Intel Core i7-8809G scores 2319 (-0.6%), meaning the i5-9400 is essentially tied with its closest competitors in synthetic tests.

In Control, the CPU’s role is to maintain a stable frame rate floor, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed. The 1080p Low result of 138.7 FPS suggests the CPU can feed the GPU well above 100 FPS, but the 6 threads may become a bottleneck in CPU-intensive scenes. The data shows no sudden FPS drops, which indicates the CPU’s 4.10 GHz boost clock is adequate for the game’s physics and AI workloads.

The CPU’s 65 W TDP and lack of hyper-threading mean it draws less power but also has less headroom for multi-threaded tasks. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 7969 shows moderate multi-threading capability, while the single-core score of 1125 is more relevant for gaming. The 2.90 GHz base clock is low, but the boost to 4.10 GHz on a single core is sufficient for Control’s primary game thread.

Comparing to the GPU’s role, the CPU is not the limiting component at 4K, as the GPU’s frame times dominate. However, at 1080p Low, the CPU’s performance ceiling is tested, and the 138.7 FPS result indicates it can keep up with the RTX 4060’s output. The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s is lower than the GPU’s 272.0 GB/s, but this is expected as they serve different functions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 895th out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places the combo in the middle of the database, which is reasonable given the CPU’s 50th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 66th percentile ranking. The combo’s rank suggests that while the GPU is above average, the CPU holds the system back from reaching higher positions.

The data indicates that the combo is more GPU-bound than CPU-bound, as the RTX 4060’s performance is closer to its rivals than the i5-9400’s. The GPU’s nearest rivals are within 1% of its score, while the CPU’s nearest rivals are also within 1%, but the CPU’s absolute performance is lower relative to its generation. This means the combo’s rank is pulled down by the CPU, which is an older design with fewer threads.

In practical terms, the combo delivers 88.5 FPS at 1080p High and 68.3 FPS at 1440p High, which are solid results for a 2019 game. The 4K High result of 43.6 FPS is playable but not ideal. The combo’s rank of 895 out of 1636 indicates that many other pairings offer higher frame rates, likely those with newer CPUs that have more cores and higher clock speeds.

The measured FPS data is marked as "dataIsMeasured": true, which means these are real-world results rather than estimates. This adds credibility to the rank, as the combo’s performance is verified. The rank also reflects the balance of the system: the GPU is capable, but the CPU’s 6 threads limit the system in scenarios where the game is CPU-bound, such as at 1080p with Low settings.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 138.7 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4060’s average benchmark score is 23181, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23321, a delta of -0.6%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the combo achieves 36.9 FPS, and given the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus, the GPU is the clear limiting factor.

*Q: What is the combo’s rank in the database for Control?*

A: The combo ranks 895th out of 1636 tested combinations.

Q: Does the CPU’s boost clock affect the 1440p High result?

A: The CPU’s 4.10 GHz boost clock contributes to the 68.3 FPS at 2560x1440 High, but the GPU’s bandwidth is more critical at this resolution.

Q: What is the RTX 4060’s launch MSRP?

A: The RTX 4060 has a launch MSRP of 299 USD.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 88.5 FPS, which is smooth for most displays, while Medium offers 102 FPS and Low reaches 138.7 FPS. The Ultra preset at 79 FPS is also playable, but the jump from Medium to Ultra costs 23 FPS for marginal visual gains. For 1080p, Medium is the best balance, as it exceeds 100 FPS and preserves visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the High preset yields 68.3 FPS, which is adequate for 60 Hz monitors. Medium provides 76.9 FPS, offering a safer margin above 60 FPS. Low gives 108.6 FPS for competitive play, while Ultra drops to 60.5 FPS, right at the threshold. The recommendation for 1440p is High, as it maintains visual fidelity without falling below the 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. Low achieves 73.7 FPS, making it the only preset above 60 FPS. Medium delivers 53.4 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. High yields 43.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 36.9 FPS. For 4K, Low is the recommended preset for a smooth experience, while Medium is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay.

The data shows that the best experience per the measured rows is at 1080p Medium (102 FPS) or 1440p High (68.3 FPS), depending on the display’s native resolution. The 4K Low preset (73.7 FPS) is the only 4K option that maintains a high frame rate. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p, where the 79 FPS result is still above 60 FPS. For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, the Low preset at any resolution provides the highest FPS, but the Medium preset at 1080p offers the best combination of smoothness and image quality.