Control

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers a top-tier experience in Control, ranking in the 79.8th percentile among all tested combos. This places the system at position 331 out of 1636 combinations, indicating that while it is not the absolute fastest configuration available, it sits firmly in the upper quintile of performance. The data shows a system capable of handling the game’s demanding physics and particle effects without compromise, making it a strong reference point for high-refresh-rate 1440p and capable 4K gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 331 out of 1636 tested configurations puts it in the top 20% of all systems measured for Control. This is a strong result, but the data reveals that there is a significant gap between this pairing and the absolute top-tier setups, which likely feature more recent flagship GPUs. The ranking reflects a balanced system where neither component is a severe bottleneck, but it also shows that the RX 7900 XT, while powerful, is not the ultimate card for this title.

Benchmark results indicate that this combination excels at 1440p, where it delivers frame rates that easily exceed the 144Hz threshold for competitive play. At 4K, the system remains playable but requires settings management to maintain smooth performance. The ranking is heavily influenced by GPU-bound scenarios at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures that lower-resolution frame rates are not artificially capped. Overall, this is a high-end pairing that will satisfy most users, but those seeking the absolute maximum frame rates in Control would need to look at more powerful GPUs.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the primary driver of performance in Control, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus provides 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the game’s textures and effects at 4K. The GPU’s boost clock of 2394 MHz and game clock of 2025 MHz allow it to maintain high utilization, as evidenced by the measured frame rates.

The GPU’s 5376 shading units and 84 ray tracing cores are directly relevant to Control’s visual features, though the game’s implementation of ray tracing is not the primary driver of the FPS numbers shown. The data shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1080p Low, the GPU produces 205.8 FPS, while at 4K Ultra, it drops to 57.1 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher settings, as the CPU has ample headroom. The GPU’s percentile rank of 82% versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 38358, places it in a competitive position, though it trails slightly behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile in raw score.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve over 100 FPS consistently?

A: At 1080p, all settings except Ultra (113.1 FPS) exceed 130 FPS, with Low hitting 205.8 FPS. At 1440p, Low (159.3 FPS) and High (96.5 FPS) are the only presets that come close to or exceed 100 FPS, while Medium (114.8 FPS) also breaks that barrier.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i7-13700KF (47334) and 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 4364P (47131). This indicates near-identical performance within a 0.4% margin.

*Q: Can this GPU handle 4K Ultra settings in Control?*

A: At 4K Ultra, the combo achieves an average of 57.1 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. Dropping to High settings raises the average to 65.4 FPS, while Medium hits 74.2 FPS.

Q: Is the i7-13700K a bottleneck for the RX 7900 XT at 1080p?

A: The data suggests not. At 1080p Low, the system produces 205.8 FPS, which is only slightly lower than the 1440p Low score of 159.3 FPS. This indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to avoid a significant bottleneck at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and how does it affect performance?

A: The RX 7900 XT has a memory bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s across a 320-bit bus. This high bandwidth supports the 20 GB frame buffer, allowing for smooth texture streaming at 4K, as seen in the 65.4 FPS High preset result.

Q: How does the combo’s 4K performance compare to its 1080p performance?

A: At 1080p High, the average is 135 FPS, while at 4K High, it drops to 65.4 FPS. This represents a 51.6% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset (147.4 FPS) offers a balanced experience, but High (135 FPS) is nearly as fast and provides better visual fidelity. For users with 144Hz monitors, the High preset is the best choice, as it delivers a smooth 135 FPS without the visual downgrade of Medium.

At 1440p, the High preset (96.5 FPS) is the sweet spot, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium (114.8 FPS) while still staying above 90 FPS. For those prioritizing frame rate, Low (159.3 FPS) is viable, but the visual compromise is substantial. At 4K, the High preset (65.4 FPS) is the recommended setting, as it provides the best balance between visual quality and playability. The Ultra preset (57.1 FPS) is playable but may feel less responsive on high-refresh-rate displays.

The data shows that the Medium preset at any resolution offers diminishing returns compared to High, as the FPS difference is often small (e.g., 114.8 vs 96.5 at 1440p) but the visual quality gap is noticeable. Therefore, the High preset is the recommended default for most users.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 205.8 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor. Medium (147.4 FPS) and High (135 FPS) are both excellent for competitive play, while Ultra (113.1 FPS) remains smooth on standard 60Hz displays.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down predictably. Low (159.3 FPS) still exceeds 144Hz, making it ideal for esports. Medium (114.8 FPS) and High (96.5 FPS) are both suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming, with High offering a better visual experience. Ultra (88 FPS) is the first preset to dip below 90 FPS, signaling the GPU’s limits at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low (107.4 FPS) is the only preset to break 100 FPS, while Medium (74.2 FPS) and High (65.4 FPS) are playable but not ideal for 120Hz displays. Ultra (57.1 FPS) is the most demanding setting, and while it is playable, the frame rate is noticeably lower than the other presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K plays a supporting role in Control, providing the computational headroom needed to avoid bottlenecks. With 16 cores and 24 threads, the CPU has ample multi-threaded capability, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39000. Its single-thread performance, measured at 5505 in Cinebench R23, is crucial for the game’s physics and AI calculations.

The CPU’s boost clock of 5.40 GHz and base clock of 3.40 GHz ensure high responsiveness in CPU-bound scenarios. Its 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per core L2 cache help reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for a game like Control that relies on frequent data access. The CPU’s percentile rank of 93% versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 47282, places it near the top of the performance hierarchy, just 0.1% behind the i7-13700KF.

In practice, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p Low, where the GPU produces 205.8 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU can handle the game’s logic without limiting the GPU. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU’s performance is less critical to the overall FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and consistent drop in frame rates as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 135 at 1080p to 96.5 at 1440p (a 28.5% reduction) and then to 65.4 at 4K (a 51.6% reduction from 1080p). This pattern indicates that the RX 7900 XT is the primary component limiting performance at higher resolutions.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 205.8 FPS at 1080p drops to 159.3 at 1440p (22.6% reduction) and 107.4 at 4K (47.8% reduction). The fact that the 4K Low score is still above 100 FPS suggests that the GPU has enough raw power to handle the resolution, but the settings have a significant impact on the frame rate.

The resolution scaling data confirms that this combo is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates across all settings. At 4K, the system is capable but requires lower settings to achieve smooth performance. The 1080p results are excellent but may be unnecessary for most users, as the GPU has enough headroom to drive higher resolutions. This analysis indicates that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p to the GPU at 4K, with the crossover point occurring around 1440p High.