Control

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a strong 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, with the GPU clearly being the dominant component. The data shows that this combination ranks in the top quarter of all tested combos for this title, and the performance scaling across resolutions indicates that while the CPU is capable, it does begin to limit frame rates at lower resolutions, allowing the GPU to stretch its legs at 4K.

FAQ

Q: How well does this combo rank for playing Control?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 366th out of 1636 tested combos for this game. This places it in the top 22% of all systems tested, indicating very solid performance for this title.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, it achieves 105 FPS, which is a significant jump from the 71.3 FPS at 4K, and it maintains high visual fidelity. While 1080p yields higher frame rates, the 1440p results offer a better balance of speed and image quality.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12GB of VRAM enough for Control?

A: Yes, the benchmark results indicate that the 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient. The GPU maintains playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings, which is typically the most demanding scenario for memory capacity. The 504.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth also supports high-resolution textures effectively.

Q: How does the Core i5-9400 perform relative to its direct competitors?

A: The Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, placing it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs. It is essentially tied with the Intel Core i3-10305, which scores 2300 (a 0.2% difference), and the Intel Core i3-1125G4, which scores 2299 (0.2% difference). It trails the Intel Core i7-8809G, which scores 2319, by 0.6%.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers 91.1 FPS, while the Low preset delivers 149.2 FPS. This represents a 63.8% increase in frame rate when dropping from Ultra to Low, showing that the game's settings have a substantial impact on performance.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this configuration?

A: The data suggests a potential CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions. From 1080p to 1440p, the frame rate drops by 21.8% at High settings, but from 1440p to 4K, the drop is 32.1%. This larger drop at higher resolutions indicates the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor, while the smaller drop at lower resolutions suggests the CPU is holding performance back.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and RTX 4070 SUPER combination ranks 366th out of 1636 tested combos for Control. This places it comfortably in the upper quartile of all systems tested, showing that it is a well-balanced pairing for this game. The CPU itself sits at the 50th percentile when compared to all other CPUs, while the GPU is far more impressive, sitting at the 84th percentile among all GPUs. This disparity in percentiles underscores that the graphics card is the primary driver of the system's strong in-game ranking.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 2305 puts it in a tight cluster with its nearest rivals. It is essentially neck-and-neck with the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i3-1125G4, both of which are within 0.2% of its score. The Intel Xeon E-2134 trails by a 0.4% margin, and the Intel Core i7-8809G leads by 0.6%. This shows that while the i5-9400 is not a top-tier processor, it is competitive with its direct peers and provides a sufficient foundation for the RTX 4070 SUPER in this particular game.

Resolution Scaling

The benchmark data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across the three tested resolutions. At 1080p, the system is likely CPU-bound, as the frame rates are very high but the scaling between settings is compressed. For instance, at 1080p, the difference between Low (160.5 FPS) and High (134.5 FPS) is 26 FPS, but the jump from High to Ultra (115.3 FPS) is only 19.2 FPS. This suggests the CPU is struggling to feed the GPU enough data to maintain the highest frame rates.

Moving to 1440p, the system shows a more balanced load. The frame rates are still high, with the High preset hitting 105 FPS, but the drop from 1080p is a significant 21.8%. This indicates that the GPU is starting to do more work, and the CPU is no longer the sole bottleneck. The scaling between presets at 1440p is also more linear, with a 30.4 FPS difference between Low and High, and a 24.3 FPS difference between High and Ultra.

At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor. The High preset drops to 71.3 FPS, a 32.1% decrease from the 1440p result. This larger percentage drop confirms that the graphics card is now fully saturated, and the CPU has ample headroom. The performance scaling at 4K is also the most pronounced, with a 43.4 FPS difference between Low and High settings, showing that the game is heavily reliant on GPU power at this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent performance across all presets. The Low preset achieves 160.5 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. Medium settings reach 139.8 FPS, High settings hit 134.5 FPS, and the Ultra preset still manages a very playable 115.3 FPS. These numbers indicate that the system is capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p without compromise.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. The Low preset yields 149.2 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. Medium settings drop to 115.4 FPS, and High settings provide 105 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers 91.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This resolution offers the best combination of visual quality and performance, as even the most demanding preset remains highly playable.

At 3840x2160, the system starts to show its limits but remains capable. The Low preset achieves 106.5 FPS, which is still a very good result for 4K. Medium settings drop to 78.2 FPS, and High settings hit 71.3 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, produces 63.1 FPS. This is just above the 60 FPS target, making it playable, but users who prefer a higher frame rate may need to dial down to High settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the clear performance leader in this pairing, sitting at the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, running on a 192-bit bus, provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is sufficient for Control at all tested settings, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at 4K Ultra. The GPU's high boost clock of 2475 MHz and 7168 shading units are the primary drivers of its strong performance.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 42576 places it in close competition with the NVIDIA RTX A6000, which scores 42653 (a 0.2% difference), and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE, which scores 42723 (a 0.3% difference). It also leads the AMD Radeon Pro 580X by 1.4% and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 by 1.6%. These results confirm that the RTX 4070 SUPER is a high-end graphics card that can handle demanding titles like Control with ease.

The performance scaling across resolutions confirms the GPU's role. The frame rate drops significantly from 1440p to 4K at all settings, which is a classic sign of GPU saturation. For example, at High settings, the frame rate falls from 105 FPS at 1440p to 71.3 FPS at 4K, a 32.1% reduction. This demonstrates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, and its capabilities directly dictate the final performance.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the recommended starting point. It delivers 105 FPS, which is smooth and responsive, while maintaining a high level of visual detail. The jump from High to Ultra at this resolution costs 13.9 FPS, bringing the total to 91.1 FPS. This is still a very good frame rate, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often subtle, making High the more efficient choice.

If a higher frame rate is the priority, the Medium preset at 1440p is an excellent option. It achieves 115.4 FPS, which is a 10% improvement over High, and the visual downgrade from High to Medium is generally less noticeable than the performance gain. This setting is ideal for gamers with high-refresh-rate monitors who want to maximize smoothness.

For 4K gaming, the High preset is the most sensible choice. It delivers 71.3 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS target, while the Ultra preset drops to 63.1 FPS. The 8.2 FPS difference between the two settings is not worth the potential for occasional dips below 60 FPS, so High is the safer and more consistent option. The Low preset at 4K, while achieving 106.5 FPS, sacrifices too much visual fidelity to be recommended for a game like Control, which has a strong atmospheric presentation.