Control

The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Control. The data shows a clear GPU bottleneck emerging at higher resolutions, with the CPU's substantial headroom becoming irrelevant as pixel count increases. This pairing ranks in the bottom 20% of tested combos, indicating that while the processor is a top-tier performer, the graphics card limits the overall experience in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance curve as resolution increases, confirming that the RTX 2060 is the primary limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 109.8 FPS, but this drops to 79.9 FPS at 1440p and further to 55.4 FPS at 4K—a 49.6% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload grows faster than the GPU's fill rate can accommodate.

The gap between settings widens at higher resolutions, which further underscores the GPU limitation. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 49.1 FPS (109.8 vs 60.7), but at 4K, that same gap narrows to 24.9 FPS (55.4 vs 30.5). This compression of performance differences at 4K indicates that the GPU is saturated even at Low settings, leaving little room for additional graphical headroom. The 1440p results show a middle ground: Low hits 79.9 FPS while Ultra manages 45.9 FPS, suggesting that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo if aiming for smooth gameplay across all presets.

Notably, the scaling from 1440p to 4K is more punishing than from 1080p to 1440p. At High settings, moving from 1080p (69.1 FPS) to 1440p (53.2 FPS) costs 23% performance, while the jump from 1440p to 4K (35.1 FPS) costs 34% more. This accelerating drop-off is a textbook sign of the GPU hitting its memory bandwidth and shading limits, as the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth struggle with 4K workloads.

GPU Role

The RTX 2060's specifications directly explain the measured results. With 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, this Turing-based GPU operates at a base clock of 1365 MHz and boost clock of 1680 MHz. The 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but becomes strained at 4K. The GPU's 12 nm process node and 160 W TDP reflect its 2019-era design, and its 58th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier.

The benchmark data shows that the GPU's compute capabilities (6.451 TFLOPS FP32) are sufficient for 1080p gaming, where it achieves 69.1 FPS at High settings. However, the 4K Ultra result of 30.5 FPS reveals that the RTX 2060 cannot sustain the pixel throughput required for 4K gaming. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 14111 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1242 place it well below the performance threshold needed for high-refresh 4K experiences.

The RTX 2060's nearest rivals—the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (0.5% higher average score) and Radeon Pro 5700 (1.7% higher)—show that this GPU sits in a competitive mid-range bracket. Its 58th percentile ranking means it outperforms roughly 58% of all GPUs, which explains why it delivers playable frame rates at 1080p but falls short at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination ranks 1317th out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the bottom 20% of all configurations. This low ranking is surprising given the CPU's strength, but it reflects the GPU's limitations in this title. The i7-13700K is a top-tier processor—its 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs and average benchmark score of 47282 put it near the top of the charts—yet the RTX 2060's 58th percentile GPU ranking drags the overall combo performance down.

The data suggests that this combo's rank is almost entirely determined by the GPU. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13700KF (0.1% lower average score) and AMD EPYC 4364P (0.3% higher), show that the processor is essentially at parity with the best available options. However, the GPU's nearest rivals—the RX 7600S (0.5% higher) and Radeon Pro W5500 (1.8% lower)—indicate that swapping the GPU would have a far greater impact on Control performance than any CPU change.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce 109.8 FPS, which drops to 76.8 FPS at Medium, 69.1 FPS at High, and 60.7 FPS at Ultra. These numbers indicate that 1080p is well within the GPU's comfort zone, even at maximum quality. The 49.1 FPS spread between Low and Ultra shows that the GPU has enough headroom to accommodate significant graphical improvements without sacrificing smoothness.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains respectable but begins to show strain. Low settings achieve 79.9 FPS, Medium drops to 60.3 FPS, High to 53.2 FPS, and Ultra to 45.9 FPS. The 34 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is narrower than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is starting to become the limiting factor. For 60 FPS gameplay, only Low settings clear the threshold at 1440p, while Medium falls just short at 60.3 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings produce 55.4 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay, but Medium (37.1 FPS), High (35.1 FPS), and Ultra (30.5 FPS) all fall below the 60 FPS target. Even the best 4K result—Low at 55.4 FPS—is barely above 30 FPS, making 4K gaming a marginal experience with this hardware.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process node. It operates at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boosts to 5.40 GHz, with 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores are exceptional: Cinebench R23 multi-core reaches 39000, single-core hits 5505, and 3DMark max-thread score is 12412. Its 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that this processor is not a bottleneck in Control.

The CPU's nearest rivals—the i7-13700KF (0.1% lower average score), AMD EPYC 4364P (0.3% higher), and i9-12900F (0.4% higher)—demonstrate that this chip is at the top of consumer performance. In Control, which is a GPU-heavy title, the CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads provide ample processing power for physics, AI, and game logic. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10717 and PassMark multithread score of 45887 indicate that the CPU can handle even the most demanding CPU-bound scenarios, but this headroom goes unused because the GPU saturates first.

The CPU's high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5505) is particularly relevant for Control, as the game's engine benefits from strong per-core performance. However, the fact that 1080p Low yields 109.8 FPS while 1080p Ultra yields 60.7 FPS—a 44.7% drop—shows that the GPU, not the CPU, is determining the frame rate ceiling.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution. For 1080p, Ultra settings provide 60.7 FPS, which is smooth enough for most players and delivers the best visual quality. The GPU has enough headroom at 1080p to handle maximum settings without dropping below 60 FPS, making Ultra the recommended preset for this resolution.

At 1440p, Medium settings (60.3 FPS) offer the best balance between visual fidelity and performance. High settings drop to 53.2 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action, while Low (79.9 FPS) sacrifices too much visual quality. Medium settings maintain a smooth 60 FPS experience while preserving a reasonable level of graphical detail.

For 4K, the data suggests that this combo is not well-suited for high-quality gaming. Low settings (55.4 FPS) are the only preset that approaches playable frame rates, but even this falls short of 60 FPS. Players targeting 4K should consider reducing to 1440p or accepting Low settings, as Medium (37.1 FPS) and High (35.1 FPS) are too choppy for a responsive experience.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Control at 60 FPS at 1080p?*

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings or lower. The measured data shows 76.8 FPS at Medium, 69.1 FPS at High, and 60.7 FPS at Ultra, with Low reaching 109.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware?

A: 1080p is the recommended resolution. Ultra settings achieve 60.7 FPS, while 1440p requires Medium settings (60.3 FPS) to stay near 60 FPS. 4K performance is limited, with Low settings producing only 55.4 FPS.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Control?*

A: The GPU is the limiting component. The RTX 2060 ranks in the 58th percentile, while the i7-13700K ranks in the 93rd percentile. The FPS drops from 109.8 at 1080p Low to 30.5 at 4K Ultra confirm GPU saturation.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 1317th out of 1636 combos, placing it in the bottom 20% of all tested configurations. This low ranking is driven by the GPU's mid-range performance.

Q: What settings should I use for 4K gaming?

A: Low settings (55.4 FPS) are the only viable option at 4K. Medium (37.1 FPS), High (35.1 FPS), and Ultra (30.5 FPS) all fall below smooth gameplay thresholds.

*Q: Is the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM sufficient for Control?*

A: It is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, where the GPU delivers 60.7 and 45.9 FPS at Ultra respectively. However, 4K performance suffers, likely due to both VRAM capacity and bandwidth limitations, as evidenced by the steep frame rate drops.