Control

The Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 9060 pairing delivers a solid, if not spectacular, experience in Control, with the data indicating a system that is clearly capable of high refresh rate play at 1080p but begins to show its limitations as resolution climbs. The combination lands at rank 1632 out of 2888 tested configurations, placing it in the 56th percentile of all combos—a middle-of-the-road result that reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is a clear bottleneck at standard resolutions, but the GPU’s 8 GB memory buffer and mid-range compute power become the primary constraint at 4K.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, boosting up to 5.40 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. This is a high-end desktop part that sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46881. For a game like Control, which is an action-adventure title released in 2019, the CPU's raw multi-threaded performance is far beyond what is necessary. The benchmark data shows a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and a single-core score of 2116, indicating that the processor has immense headroom for both heavily threaded workloads and the lighter single-threaded tasks that games often rely on.

In the context of this specific combo, the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor at any resolution. The data supports this: at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 130 FPS average, while at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 71 FPS. This 45% performance delta across settings is far more indicative of a GPU bottleneck than a CPU one. The i7-13700K’s 30 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) provide ample bandwidth for feeding the GPU. When comparing to its nearest rivals, the i7-13700K is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (deltaPct of -0.2), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (-0.3), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (0.5). This means that swapping the CPU for any of these would produce virtually identical frame rates in this scenario, reinforcing that the CPU is not the component driving the FPS differences we see in the measured results. The processor’s PassMark single-thread score of 4333 and 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 further highlight its strength in the lightly threaded tasks that games typically use, ensuring that it can easily keep up with the Radeon RX 9060's frame output.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p compared to 4K?

A: The average frame rate at 1080p High is 82 FPS, which drops to 62 FPS at 1440p High, and further down to 42 FPS at 4K High. This represents a 49% performance loss from 1080p to 4K at the High preset, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system for Control?*

A: The data strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system hits 130 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 36 FPS. The CPU's benchmark score (46881 average) and high percentile ranking (89th) indicate it has ample headroom, while the GPU's percentile (59th) and the sharp FPS drop with resolution point to the Radeon RX 9060 being the constraint.

Q: What are the best settings to use for a high refresh rate 1080p monitor?

A: For a target of 100+ FPS, the Low preset at 1080p yields 130 FPS. If you want higher visual quality, the High preset provides 82 FPS, which is still quite smooth. The Ultra preset drops to 71 FPS, which is playable but may not saturate a 144Hz monitor.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its direct rivals in terms of raw GPU score?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014. It is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which has a deltaPct of -0.7, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700, which has a deltaPct of 1. The Radeon R9 370X is also close with a deltaPct of 1, and the Pro W5500 is 2.1% behind.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RX 9060 cause issues at 4K?

A: The data shows a significant drop in performance at 4K. The average FPS at 4K Medium is 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS, while 4K High is 42 FPS. While not definitive proof of a VRAM overflow, the 8 GB buffer is likely a contributing factor to the steep performance cliff compared to lower resolutions, where the system performs much more strongly.

Q: What is the combo's overall standing in the benchmark database?

A: This specific configuration of the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1632 out of 2888 tested combos. This puts it in the middle of the pack, indicating that while it is a competent setup, many other combinations offer higher performance in this game.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combined performance of the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 9060 places this configuration at rank 1632 out of 2888 tested combos. This is a percentile ranking of roughly 56.5%, meaning that 43.5% of all tested systems perform better in Control. This is a clear signal that while the build is capable, it is not at the top tier of performance. The rank suggests a balance between the CPU and GPU, but one that ultimately lands in the mid-range of possibilities.

To understand this rank, we must look at the individual components. The CPU is a top-tier performer, sitting in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU, however, sits in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. This mismatch is the core reason for the combo's middling rank. The i7-13700K is providing more than enough processing power, but the Radeon RX 9060 is holding the system back from achieving a higher position. If we were to pair this CPU with a stronger GPU, the rank would undoubtedly be much higher. Conversely, if the RX 9060 were paired with a weaker CPU, the rank might be similar, showing that the GPU is the limiting factor in this specific pairing. The data shows that the CPU’s nearest rivals—the Ryzen 9 5900, Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, and Ryzen 9 7845HX—all have near-identical average scores, and swapping between them would not change the combo rank in any meaningful way. The bottleneck is firmly the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of how this system handles Control across different resolutions and quality presets. At 1080p, the system shows its strength. At Low settings, it achieves an average of 130 FPS. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 92 FPS, with a minimum of 78 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. High settings produce an average of 82 FPS, and Ultra drops to an average of 71 FPS. This shows a clear scaling curve where each settings tier costs a noticeable amount of performance, but even at Ultra, the frame rate remains highly playable for a fast-paced action game.

At 1440p, the performance takes a step down but remains respectable. Low settings yield an average of 98 FPS. Medium settings average 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. High settings produce 62 FPS, and Ultra brings the average down to 54 FPS. The jump from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 24% of the performance at the High preset (82 to 62 FPS), which is a significant but expected penalty. The system is still capable of providing a good experience at 1440p, especially on a 60Hz or 75Hz monitor, as even the Ultra preset stays above the 50 FPS mark.

At 4K, the system begins to struggle. Low settings produce an average of 66 FPS, which is playable. However, Medium drops to 47 FPS (min 40, max 54), High to 42 FPS, and Ultra to 36 FPS. The performance at 4K is not ideal for a smooth experience, especially at higher settings. The 36 FPS average at Ultra is below the 60 FPS target most gamers prefer, and even the 42 FPS at High will be noticeable in a game that requires quick reflexes. The data clearly indicates that 4K is beyond the comfortable range for this GPU with maxed-out settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo is a textbook example of a GPU-bound scenario. Looking at the High preset, the average FPS goes from 82 at 1080p to 62 at 1440p, a drop of 24%. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average drops to 42 FPS, a further decline of 32%. The cumulative drop from 1080p to 4K is a 49% reduction in frame rate. This massive loss of performance as pixel count increases is the signature of a GPU that is running out of compute throughput and memory bandwidth.

The CPU is not the issue here. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a much flatter FPS curve across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with resolution. Instead, the FPS plummets, indicating that the Radeon RX 9060 is being overwhelmed by the increasing pixel fill rate and shading demands of Control at higher resolutions. The GPU's memory configuration—8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s—is also a likely contributor. At 4K, the larger textures and higher memory pressure can cause the GPU to hit its VRAM limit, leading to stuttering and reduced frame rates. The data shows a steep cliff between 1440p and 4K, which is often indicative of a VRAM capacity or bandwidth constraint. The contrast between the 98 FPS at 1440p Low and the 66 FPS at 4K Low (a 33% drop) further reinforces that the GPU is the primary factor limiting performance as resolution scales up.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p, the best experience balances visual fidelity and frame rate. The High preset, averaging 82 FPS, is the sweet spot for a 144Hz monitor, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a frame rate high enough to take advantage of a high refresh rate display. The Ultra preset, at 71 FPS, is also viable but offers diminishing returns for the 13% performance loss compared to High. For those with a 60Hz monitor, Ultra is entirely playable and offers the best image quality.

At 1440p, the Medium preset, averaging 70 FPS, appears to be the best recommendation for a smooth experience. It provides a solid frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the minimum of 59 FPS ensures that there won't be significant stutters. The High preset at 62 FPS is also acceptable, but the Medium preset offers a better performance buffer. The Low preset at 98 FPS is for competitive players who prioritize frame rate above all else, but the visual compromise is substantial. For a 60Hz panel, High is the recommended choice, as it hits an average of 62 FPS, ensuring a mostly smooth experience.

At 4K, the data suggests that players should make a choice between visual quality and playability. The Low preset, at 66 FPS, is the only setting that provides a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset, at 47 FPS, is playable but will feel less fluid, and the High and Ultra presets (42 and 36 FPS, respectively) are best avoided for action sequences. If you are targeting 4K, the Low preset is the only one that delivers a frame rate suitable for a standard 60Hz monitor. For the best overall experience on this system, 1440p with High settings provides a strong balance of visual quality and performance, avoiding the severe frame rate penalties seen at 4K.