Control

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER produces a specific performance profile in Control that is defined by the CPU’s immense processing headroom and the GPU’s Turing-era limitations. The i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on Raptor Lake, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This configuration, alongside a 30 MB shared L3 cache, positions the CPU as a high-end part in the database, holding a 93rd percentile ranking against all CPUs. Its multi-threaded capability is substantial, as shown by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39000 and a 3DMark max-thread score of 12412. However, in Control, these CPU resources are largely underutilized because the game’s frame rate is heavily dictated by the graphics card.

The GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, built on the Turing architecture with a TU104 chip, is the limiting factor in this pairing. It features 2560 shading units and 40 RT cores, but its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. While this GPU is competent, its performance is constrained by its 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. In the context of Control, a game known for its physics-heavy environments and visual effects, the RTX 2070 SUPER operates near its ceiling across all tested resolutions. The benchmark data shows that the CPU is never the bottleneck; even at 1080p with Low settings, where the i7-13700K could theoretically push hundreds of frames, the measured average is 128.8 FPS, indicating the GPU is the primary driver of performance.

The CPU’s single-thread strength is also relevant here. With a 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2850, the i7-13700K ensures that the game’s main thread and physics calculations do not introduce stutter or frame pacing issues. This is particularly important for a title like Control, which uses complex real-time destruction and object interactions. The data suggests that the CPU’s job is to feed the GPU efficiently, and it does so without creating a bottleneck at any settings level, from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K a bottleneck for the RTX 2070 SUPER in Control?

A: No. The benchmark results show that the GPU is the limiting component across all resolutions. For instance, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 128.8, which is far below what the i7-13700K could theoretically achieve given its 3DMark max-thread score of 12412 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39000. The CPU’s high single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1136) ensures the GPU is fed without delay.

Q: How does the i7-13700K compare to its nearest CPU rivals in raw computing power?

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, placing it slightly behind the Intel Core i7-13700KF, which scores 47334 (a delta of -0.1%). It is also marginally ahead of the AMD EPYC 4364P (47131, +0.3%) and the Intel Core i9-12900F (47081, +0.4%). These deltas are within 0.5%, meaning the CPU is effectively tied with its closest competitors for this workload.

Q: What is the RTX 2070 SUPER’s standing relative to other GPUs in the database?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER holds a 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs and has an average benchmark score of 22206. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A400, scores 22307, which is 0.5% higher. The RTX 2070 SUPER outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (21670) by 2.5%, but it trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22729) by 2.3%.

Q: Why does the FPS drop so significantly when moving from Low to Ultra settings at the same resolution?

A: The FPS drop is due to the GPU’s rendering load increasing with graphical fidelity. At 1080p, the average FPS falls from 128.8 on Low to 71.0 on Ultra, a reduction of 57.8 FPS. This pattern demonstrates that the RTX 2070 SUPER’s compute resources are being saturated by the higher settings, particularly the 40 RT cores and 8 GB of VRAM, which are stressed by Control’s advanced lighting and particle effects.

Q: Does the CPU’s 125W TDP affect its performance in this game?

A: The TDP is a power specification, not a performance metric. The benchmark data shows no thermal throttling or performance degradation indicative of power limits. The CPU’s scores, such as the Cinebench R15 multi-core result of 3931, remain consistent with its class. In Control, the CPU is not the limiting factor, so the TDP has no observable impact on frame rates.

Q: What does the combo rank of 995 out of 1636 indicate for this pairing?

A: The combo rank of 995 out of 1636 places this CPU-GPU pairing in the lower 40% of all tested combinations in Control. This rank reflects the GPU’s mid-tier status (65th percentile) rather than the CPU’s high-tier status (93rd percentile). In other words, while the CPU is powerful, the GPU holds the combo back from a higher ranking.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound rendering. At 1080p, the RTX 2070 SUPER is able to maintain high frame rates, with an average of 128.8 FPS on Low settings and 79.5 FPS on High. Moving to 1440p, these numbers drop to 100.2 FPS and 63.5 FPS respectively. At 4K, the strain on the GPU becomes severe, with the average FPS falling to 64.6 on Low and 42.7 on High.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear, but it is steep. For Low settings, the FPS drops from 128.8 to 64.6, a reduction of 49.8% when going from 1080p to 4K. For High settings, the drop is from 79.5 to 42.7, a reduction of 46.3%. This indicates that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the primary constraint. The RTX 2070 SUPER has a pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s, which are modest figures for 4K resolution.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (128.8 FPS) and Ultra (71.0 FPS) is 57.8 FPS. At 4K, the difference between Low (64.6 FPS) and Ultra (39.0 FPS) is 25.6 FPS. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even lowering settings cannot fully compensate for the resolution’s pixel count. The limiting component is unequivocally the GPU, as the i7-13700K’s processing power remains constant and untaxed across all these scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i7-13700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 995th out of 1636 tested combinations in Control. This position places the pairing in the lower-middle tier of the database. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU’s performance class; the RTX 2070 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 22206 and 65th percentile ranking are the determining factors. In contrast, the CPU’s 93rd percentile ranking and average score of 47282 are far above the combo’s overall position.

When compared to other plausible pairings, this combo’s weakness is the GPU. For instance, the CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13700KF, would likely perform similarly in Control because the delta in CPU scores is negligible (-0.1%). However, the GPU’s nearest rivals, like the NVIDIA RTX A400 (0.5% higher score), could potentially shift the combo’s rank slightly. The data suggests that to improve this combo’s rank in Control, the user would need a more powerful GPU, as the CPU is already performing at a level that exceeds the game’s demands.

The rank also reflects the game’s release date and hardware era. Control launched in August 2019, and the RTX 2070 SUPER was released in July 2019. This pairing is therefore representative of a contemporary high-end system from that period. The benchmark results show that this hardware can run the game, but not at the highest frame rates expected of modern top-tier combos. The 995th rank out of 1636 is a fair assessment of its capabilities, with the GPU being the clear limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in Control is as follows:

• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• Low: 128.8 FPS
• Medium: 95.1 FPS
• High: 79.5 FPS
• Ultra: 71.0 FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• Low: 100.2 FPS
• Medium: 72.2 FPS
• High: 63.5 FPS
• Ultra: 52.7 FPS

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• Low: 64.6 FPS
• Medium: 45.3 FPS
• High: 42.7 FPS
• Ultra: 39.0 FPS

At 1080p, the combo achieves playable frame rates across all settings. The Low setting’s 128.8 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while Ultra’s 71.0 FPS remains smooth for most players. The scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution shows a 44.8% reduction in FPS, which is expected given the GPU’s workload. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for 1080p, as the highest setting does not cause a catastrophic drop.

At 1440p, the performance becomes more demanding. The Low setting still provides 100.2 FPS, but Ultra drops to 52.7 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutter on high-refresh-rate displays. The gap between Medium (72.2 FPS) and High (63.5 FPS) is 8.7 FPS, indicating a moderate performance hit as settings increase. This resolution is where the GPU’s 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth starts to become a limiting factor.

At 4K, the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates. The Low setting’s 64.6 FPS is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, while Ultra falls to 39.0 FPS, which is below the standard for comfortable gameplay. The difference between High (42.7 FPS) and Ultra (39.0 FPS) is minimal, suggesting the GPU is nearing its absolute limit. The 256-bit memory bus and 8 GB capacity are insufficient for 4K Ultra settings in a game as visually intensive as Control. The data clearly shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for Low or Medium settings if a steady frame rate is desired.