Control

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti produces a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, but the data reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates across all settings presets are remarkably close, with only a 38 FPS difference between the Low and Ultra presets. The gap between Low (162 FPS) and High (137 FPS) is 25 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra costs just 13 FPS, indicating that the CPU is keeping pace with the GPU even at lower settings where the graphics card has more headroom. This tight grouping suggests that the six-core i5-9400 is doing its part to feed the RTX 4070 Ti at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scaling pattern changes. The Low preset delivers 147 FPS, which is a 15 FPS drop from 1080p Low, but the High preset only falls from 137 FPS to 108 FPS, a 29 FPS reduction. The Medium preset shows a similar trend, dropping from 142 FPS to 121 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 94 FPS, which is 30 FPS below its 1080p counterpart. This indicates that the GPU is beginning to assert itself as the primary limiting factor at 1440p, but the CPU is still capable of maintaining high frame rates. The 4K results confirm this trend, with the Low preset at 3840x2160 producing 115 FPS, a substantial 47 FPS drop from 1080p Low, while the High preset falls to 73 FPS, a 64 FPS decline.

The resolution scaling data points to a system where the RTX 4070 Ti is the dominant component for 4K performance, while the i5-9400 remains relevant at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, the difference between Low (115 FPS) and Ultra (63 FPS) is 52 FPS, showing that the GPU’s workload is the main variable. The CPU’s role is more pronounced at 1080p, where even the Ultra preset achieves 124 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 162 FPS, suggesting that the processor is not the bottleneck in this scenario. The benchmark results indicate that users targeting 4K should focus on GPU settings, while those at 1080p can expect consistently high performance across all presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti achieves a rank of 708 out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This places the pairing in the top 19% of all configurations, which is a strong showing given the CPU’s age and market position. The data shows that the RTX 4070 Ti is a high-end graphics card, sitting in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, while the i5-9400 only reaches the 47th percentile of all CPUs. This disparity in percentile rankings explains why the combo’s overall rank is respectable but not elite: the GPU is carrying most of the performance weight.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing outperforms 81% of tested configurations, but it is not near the top due to the CPU’s limitations in certain scenarios. The i5-9400’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 0.2% higher, and the Intel Core i7-10710U, which scores 0.3% lower. These close margins indicate that the CPU is competitive with other mid-range parts from its era, but it lacks the multi-threading headroom of more modern processors. The RTX 4070 Ti, by contrast, has nearest rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile (0.8% higher) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT (1.3% higher), showing that the GPU is firmly in the upper tier of graphics hardware.

The combo’s rank of 708 suggests that while the GPU is capable of delivering high frame rates, the CPU may hold back performance in CPU-bound scenarios, particularly at lower resolutions. The benchmark results support this: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 162 FPS, but this is the highest score across all resolutions and settings, indicating that the CPU is not a hard limit. However, at 4K Ultra, the score drops to 63 FPS, which is more indicative of the GPU’s limits. The data shows that this combo is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p or 1440p gaming, where the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 yields the highest frame rates, with the Low preset hitting 162 FPS and the Ultra preset at 124 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Low preset still delivers 147 FPS, making it a strong choice for high-refresh-rate monitors. The 3840x2160 results are playable but less impressive, with the High preset at 73 FPS and Ultra at 63 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at different settings?

A: The i5-9400 has 6 cores and 6 threads with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. At 1080p, the frame rates across presets are closely grouped (162 FPS Low to 124 FPS Ultra), suggesting the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 4K, the gap widens (115 FPS Low to 63 FPS Ultra), indicating the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti overkill for this CPU?

A: The benchmark results show that the combo ranks 708th out of 3720 combinations, which is in the top 19%. The GPU’s percentile is 84, while the CPU’s is 47, so the GPU is clearly the stronger component. At 1080p, the CPU can still push high frame rates, but at 4K, the GPU’s power is fully utilized, making the pairing balanced for 1440p and 4K gaming.

Q: What is the difference between the Medium and High presets?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 142 FPS with a minimum of 121 FPS and a maximum of 164 FPS, while High averages 137 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 121 FPS (min 103, max 140) and High averages 108 FPS. At 3840x2160, Medium averages 82 FPS (min 70, max 94) and High averages 73 FPS. The Medium preset consistently offers a small performance advantage over High.

*Q: Does the combo support ray tracing in Control?*

A: The RTX 4070 Ti has 60 RT cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which includes ray tracing capabilities. However, the measured FPS data does not include any ray tracing-specific benchmarks, so the performance impact cannot be quantified from this data.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to its rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, with its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scoring 2259 (0.2% higher). The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower). These differences are negligible, indicating the CPU performs similarly to other mid-range parts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this combo performs across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average frame rate at 162 FPS, followed by Medium at 142 FPS, High at 137 FPS, and Ultra at 124 FPS. The Medium preset has a recorded minimum of 121 FPS and a maximum of 164 FPS, which shows a tight range that indicates stable performance. The High and Ultra presets do not have min/max values recorded, but their averages suggest they are well within playable territory for most monitors.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset again leads with 147 FPS, while Medium averages 121 FPS with a min of 103 FPS and max of 140 FPS. High averages 108 FPS, and Ultra drops to 94 FPS. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets, with the Low preset losing 15 FPS, Medium losing 21 FPS, High losing 29 FPS, and Ultra losing 30 FPS. This scaling suggests that the GPU is handling the increased pixel count without a disproportionate penalty in the lower settings.

The 4K results show a more significant performance hit. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 115 FPS, which is still high for 4K, but the Medium preset falls to 82 FPS (min 70, max 94), High to 73 FPS, and Ultra to 63 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is substantial: Low loses 32 FPS, Medium loses 39 FPS, High loses 35 FPS, and Ultra loses 31 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 4070 Ti is being pushed hard at 4K, and the CPU is no longer the limiting factor. The data shows that for 4K gaming, the Low or Medium presets are the most viable options, as they maintain frame rates above 80 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently provides a balanced experience, with the highest recorded min FPS values (121 FPS at 1080p, 103 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K). The Ultra preset, while visually demanding, still delivers playable frame rates at 1080p (124 FPS) and 1440p (94 FPS), but it dips to 63 FPS at 4K, which may be below the threshold for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate displays. The benchmark results indicate that users should prioritize the Medium preset for a stable experience at any resolution, while the Low preset is best for maximizing frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset emerges as the most balanced choice for this combo across all three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 142 FPS average with a minimum of 121 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 137 FPS is nearly identical, but the Medium preset’s recorded min FPS of 121 FPS provides a better guarantee of stability during intense scenes. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 121 FPS with a min of 103 FPS, making it the only preset at this resolution that stays above 100 FPS on average. The High preset at 108 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset offers headroom for occasional dips without dropping below 100 FPS.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, with an average of 82 FPS and a minimum of 70 FPS. This is the only 4K preset with recorded min/max values, and the 70 FPS minimum ensures that the experience remains fluid. The Low preset at 4K averages 115 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, but it sacrifices visual quality. The High preset at 73 FPS is playable but leaves less margin for error, and the Ultra preset at 63 FPS may result in noticeable stuttering on displays with variable refresh rates. The data shows that the Medium preset offers the best compromise between visual fidelity and performance at 4K.

At 1080p and 1440p, users with high-refresh-rate monitors (144Hz or higher) should consider the Low preset to maximize frame rates. The Low preset at 1080p hits 162 FPS, and at 1440p it reaches 147 FPS, both of which are sufficient for competitive play. However, for a more immersive experience, the High preset at 1080p (137 FPS) and 1440p (108 FPS) is still fast enough for most displays. The Ultra preset is not recommended for 4K due to its 63 FPS average, but it is perfectly playable at 1080p (124 FPS) and 1440p (94 FPS) for users who prioritize visual quality over raw speed.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It has 9 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The CPU is built on Intel’s 14 nm process node and has a TDP of 65 W. In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-9400 scores 6629 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 in single-core, which places it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. These scores are competitive with its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% higher) and the Intel Core i7-10710U (0.3% lower).

In Control, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p, where the frame rates across presets are closely grouped. The difference between the Low preset (162 FPS) and the Ultra preset (124 FPS) is 38 FPS, which is relatively small compared to the 52 FPS difference at 4K. This suggests that the i5-9400 is capable of feeding the RTX 4070 Ti with enough data at 1080p, even at higher settings. The CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient for Control, which is a game that does not heavily utilize multi-threading, but the lack of Hyper-Threading could be a limitation in more CPU-intensive titles.

At 1440p, the CPU’s influence diminishes slightly, as the GPU takes on more of the workload. The frame rates at 1440p are 147 FPS for Low, 121 FPS for Medium, 108 FPS for High, and 94 FPS for Ultra. These numbers are still high, indicating that the i5-9400 can maintain solid performance at this resolution. At 4K, the CPU is no longer the bottleneck, as the GPU’s rendering demands dominate. The 4K results show a clear scaling pattern that is consistent with GPU-bound performance, with the Low preset at 115 FPS and the Ultra preset at 63 FPS. The benchmark results indicate that the i5-9400 is a capable partner for the RTX 4070 Ti in Control, but users should be aware that the CPU may limit performance in other, more CPU-heavy games at lower resolutions.