Control

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti in Control presents a fascinating study in component bottlenecking. The data reveals a system where a modern, high-end GPU is paired with a significantly older, six-core processor, leading to performance characteristics that shift dramatically depending on resolution and settings. This analysis will break down the measured FPS figures to determine which component is the limiting factor at each configuration, and what that means for the overall experience.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking observation from the measured data is how the frame rate scales with resolution. Moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 at High settings, the average FPS drops from 137 to 75, a reduction of 62 frames per second or about 45%. This is a substantial decline, but the pattern across all settings tells a more nuanced story about where the bottleneck lies.

At Low settings, the scaling is less severe. The 1080p average is 162 FPS, which falls to 147 at 1440p and then to 119 at 4K. This indicates that at lower graphical presets, the CPU is able to feed frames quickly enough at 1080p, but the GPU still has headroom. The drop from 1440p to 4K (147 to 119 FPS) is a 19% reduction, which is more attributable to the GPU's workload increasing with pixel count.

The Ultra preset shows a different trend. The 1080p average is 127 FPS, which drops to 96 at 1440p and then to 65 at 4K. This is a more aggressive scaling curve, with the 4K figure representing a 49% reduction from the 1080p score. The data suggests that at Ultra settings, the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution increases, because the higher quality effects and textures demand more from the RTX 5070 Ti's processing power.

The Medium preset offers the most complete dataset, with min and max FPS recorded. At 1080p, the average is 142 FPS with a minimum of 121 and a maximum of 164. At 1440p, the average drops to 125 FPS (min 106, max 143), and at 4K it falls to 84 FPS (min 72, max 97). The consistency of the minimum FPS values relative to the average suggests that frame pacing remains stable even as resolution increases, but the overall performance ceiling is clearly being lowered by the GPU's workload. The data implies that the RTX 5070 Ti is the limiting component at 4K across all settings, while the i5-9400's six threads are more likely to be the constraint at 1080p, particularly on lower presets where the GPU has less work to do.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, indicating a mid-range standing relative to modern processors. Its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Core i7-10710U and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, with scores differing by less than 1%. This context is crucial: the CPU is not a top-tier part, and its performance in Control will reflect that.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 162 FPS, which is the highest average across all configurations. This suggests that the i5-9400 is capable of delivering a high frame rate when the GPU is not heavily burdened. However, the gap between 1080p Low (162 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (127 FPS) is only 35 FPS, which is smaller than the gap seen in the GPU's raw compute benchmarks. This indicates that the CPU's six threads are starting to become a limiting factor at higher settings, as the game's logic and draw calls require more processing power that the CPU cannot provide.

When comparing the 1440p Low (147 FPS) to the 1080p Low (162 FPS), there is a 15 FPS drop, which is relatively modest. This implies that the CPU is still keeping up at 1440p. However, at 4K Low (119 FPS), the drop is more pronounced, suggesting that while the GPU is working harder, the CPU's performance ceiling is also being approached. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and single-core score of 935 provide a reference point, but they do not directly translate to gaming performance. The data indicates that the i5-9400 provides a sufficient foundation for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p, but its age and lack of multi-threading (6 threads vs. modern 12+ thread parts) will cause it to be a bottleneck in CPU-intensive scenes, especially when trying to maintain very high frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is a powerhouse on paper, with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory, a 256-bit bus, and 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its architecture, Blackwell 2.0, is built on a 5 nm process, and it features 8960 shading units. The GPU's benchmark scores are impressive, with a PassMark G3D score of 32974 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 225122, placing it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT and RX 6800 XT, from which it is within 3.1% in average benchmark score. The launch MSRP for this card is 749 USD.

Given this GPU's capabilities, the measured FPS in Control are telling. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 65 FPS, which is below the 75 FPS at 4K High. This shows that the GPU is being pushed to its limits at the highest resolution and settings. The difference between 4K Medium (84 FPS) and 4K High (75 FPS) is a 9 FPS drop, while the difference between 4K High and 4K Ultra is a 10 FPS drop. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are particularly demanding on the GPU's compute and memory resources.

Conversely, at 1080p Low, the GPU is clearly not the limiting factor, as the 162 FPS average is likely constrained by the CPU. The RTX 5070 Ti's massive bandwidth and processing power are being underutilized at lower resolutions. The data suggests that the GPU can handle Control at 4K with playable frame rates on Medium and High settings, and even at Ultra, it stays above 60 FPS, which confirms its raw power. The 16 GB of VRAM is also a significant asset, as it prevents any memory-related stuttering at 4K, even with high-resolution textures. The GPU's role is clear: it is the dominant factor in determining performance at 1440p and 4K, while its potential is capped by the CPU at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combination of hardware depend heavily on the target resolution and the user's preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity.

For 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance. The average FPS is 142, with a minimum of 121 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 137 FPS is nearly identical, but the Ultra preset at 127 FPS shows a diminishing return in performance for the extra visual quality. Given that the CPU is likely the bottleneck at this resolution, the difference between Medium and Ultra is more about GPU load than CPU headroom, and the Medium preset provides a safer frame time buffer.

For 2560x1440, the High preset stands out as the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 111 FPS, which is a solid frame rate for competitive and immersive play. The Medium preset at 125 FPS is also viable, but the High preset's visual improvements come at a relatively small cost of 14 FPS. The Ultra preset at 96 FPS is still playable, but it approaches the threshold where frame drops become more noticeable, and the data shows the GPU is working harder to maintain that score.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the best option for a consistent experience. The average of 84 FPS with a minimum of 72 FPS ensures that the game remains fluid, even in demanding scenes. The High preset at 75 FPS is acceptable, but the lower minimum FPS (not recorded, but implied by the average) makes it riskier. The Ultra preset at 65 FPS is the most visually impressive but dips below the 70 FPS threshold, which some users might find less smooth. The data suggests that Medium at 4K is the sweet spot for this GPU, providing a high-fidelity experience without sacrificing playability.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RTX 5070 Ti in Control?

A: Yes, the data indicates the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p, especially on lower settings. The 162 FPS at 1080p Low is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery, as the GPU has ample headroom to render more frames if the CPU could provide them.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1440p to 4K?

A: The loss depends on settings. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 111 to 75, a 36 FPS reduction. At Medium, it drops from 125 to 84, a 41 FPS reduction. This shows the GPU's workload scaling with pixel count.

Q: What is the best setting for a 1440p monitor with this hardware?

A: The High preset is recommended, as it delivers an average of 111 FPS. This provides a high level of visual detail while maintaining a frame rate that is well above 60 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience.

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

A: Yes, it can handle 4K. The Medium preset averages 84 FPS, which is very playable. The High preset also works at 75 FPS, but the Ultra preset at 65 FPS is the threshold where performance becomes less stable.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 49957, which is 2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (score 50951) and 3.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (score 48477). Its performance is very close to the Radeon RX Vega 64, which has a score of 50001.

Q: Does the CPU's 6-core/6-thread configuration impact the minimum FPS?

A: The data shows that at 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 121, which is 85% of the average. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 72, which is 86% of the average. This suggests that the CPU does not cause severe frame drops, but it may limit the maximum frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|:--------- |:------- |:------ |:------ |:------ |

| 3840x2160 | High | 75 | -- | -- |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 119 | -- | -- |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 84 | 72 | 97 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 65 | -- | -- |

| 2560x1440 | High | 111 | -- | -- |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 147 | -- | -- |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 125 | 106 | 143 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 96 | -- | -- |

| 1920x1080 | High | 137 | -- | -- |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 162 | -- | -- |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 142 | 121 | 164 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 127 | -- | -- |

The data reveals a consistent hierarchy: performance scales down as resolution and settings increase. The Low preset at 1080p is the absolute peak at 162 FPS, while the Ultra preset at 4K is the lowest at 65 FPS. The Medium preset provides the most consistent frame times, as evidenced by the min and max values being closest to the average.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Control, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is ranked 679 out of 3720 total combos. This places it in the top 18.3% of all tested systems. This ranking is noteworthy given the CPU's age and lower benchmark percentile (47th), suggesting that the GPU's raw power is able to compensate for the CPU's limitations in this specific title.

The ranking indicates that while the i5-9400 is a mid-range processor by modern standards, the RTX 5070 Ti's strength ensures that this combination outperforms the vast majority of systems in the database. The fact that it ranks so highly despite the potential CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions reflects the GPU's dominance in higher-resolution scenarios, where most users are likely to play. The data implies that for a game like Control, a powerful GPU can boost an older CPU to a performance tier that is far above the sum of its parts, making this a surprisingly effective pairing for 1440p and 4K gaming. The rank of 679 out of 3720 suggests that users with this setup should be satisfied with its overall capabilities, particularly when pushing higher resolutions.