Control

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a high-end combination that delivers a definitive 4K gaming experience in Control, but the data reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound, producing frame rates as high as 246.5 FPS on Low settings, while at 4K Ultra, the GPU takes over, dropping performance to 66.7 FPS. This indicates that while the CPU has ample headroom to drive massive frame rates at lower resolutions, the graphical demands of 4K and higher presets are what ultimately limit this pairing in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K in Control shows a classic pattern of GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions, with the CPU's influence becoming more pronounced at lower ones. The most significant drop occurs between 1080p and 1440p, where the average frame rate at High settings falls from 156.8 FPS to 116.5 FPS, a reduction of 40.3 FPS. This substantial decrease indicates that even at 1440p, the graphical workload is already starting to strain the GPU, though the CPU is still keeping pace to deliver a high refresh rate experience.

Moving from 1440p to 4K results in a further drop, with High settings falling from 116.5 FPS to 80.7 FPS. This scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets, with the Ultra preset seeing the most dramatic decline. At Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 133.6 FPS at 1080p, to 100.3 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 66.7 FPS at 4K. The fact that the 1080p Ultra score (133.6 FPS) is nearly identical to the 1440p Medium score (133.6 FPS) suggests that the CPU is capable of sustaining high frame rates, but the GPU's rendering load at higher resolutions and settings becomes the primary limiting factor.

The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is particularly telling. The 4K Low average of 124.3 FPS is nearly double the 4K Ultra average of 66.7 FPS, highlighting that the game's graphical settings have a massive impact on GPU load at high resolutions. The data suggests that the RTX 4080 SUPER has enough raw power to handle 4K at lower presets, but the transition to Ultra settings introduces a rendering cost that the GPU cannot fully mitigate, resulting in a frame rate that is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing for Control, particularly at 4K resolution where its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are fully utilized. The GPU's boost clock of 2550 MHz, combined with its 10240 shading units, allows it to process the complex visual effects and particle systems that Control is known for. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, with the average frame rate dropping to 66.7 FPS, which is only 26.9% higher than the 4K Medium score of 90.4 FPS.

The GPU's performance in this game is also reflected in its benchmark scores, with a Passmark G3D score of 34245 placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. This places it slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, which has a similar average benchmark score, with a deltaPct of 0.2%. The RTX 4080 SUPER's 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is evidently sufficient to drive high frame rates at 1440p, as seen in the 1440p High average of 116.5 FPS, but the 4K Ultra results show where the limits of the GPU's raw compute power are reached.

The memory subsystem of the RTX 4080 SUPER plays a critical role in Control's performance. The 16 GB VRAM capacity ensures that the game's textures and effects are not constrained by memory limitations, allowing the GPU to focus on compute tasks. The 256-bit memory bus and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth provide the necessary data throughput to feed the GPU's cores, which is essential for maintaining consistent frame rates at 4K. The shift from 1440p High (116.5 FPS) to 4K High (80.7 FPS) demonstrates the GPU's ability to handle increased resolution, but also shows that the scaling is not linear, with a 30.7% performance hit for a 2.25x increase in pixel count.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K provides ample processing power for Control, ensuring that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor except at the lowest resolutions and settings. With 16 cores and 24 threads, the CPU can handle the game's physics and AI calculations with ease, as evidenced by the 1080p Low average of 246.5 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than it can render at 1080p, showing a significant headroom that is only fully utilized at lower graphical settings.

The CPU's 3.40 GHz base clock and 5.40 GHz boost clock ensure that single-threaded performance is strong, which is crucial for games like Control that rely heavily on a few primary threads. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5505 confirm this strong single-threaded capability. However, the data shows that even with this powerful CPU, the 1080p Ultra average of 133.6 FPS is identical to the 1440p Medium average, suggesting that the CPU is not the bottleneck at these settings, but rather the GPU's rendering workload is the determining factor.

The CPU's overall performance in the benchmark database places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 47282. This puts it in close competition with its nearest rivals, the Intel Core i7-13700KF and the AMD EPYC 4364P, with deltaPct values of -0.1% and 0.3% respectively. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide fast access to frequently used data, reducing latency and improving frame pacing. In Control, this translates to consistent frame delivery at 1440p and 4K, where the CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame rate without introducing stutters, a task the data suggests it handles effectively.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 108th out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 6.6% of all systems tested in the database. This high ranking confirms the balanced nature of this pairing, where both components are powerful enough to avoid creating a significant bottleneck in either direction for most of the tested scenarios. The rank reflects the overall performance across all resolutions and settings, and the data suggests that the combo excels particularly at 1440p, where it achieves an average of 116.5 FPS at High settings.

The ranking is supported by the individual component performance, with the CPU being in the 93rd percentile and the GPU in the 88th percentile. This alignment of high-performing components ensures that the system does not have a weak link that would drag down the overall ranking. When compared to other potential pairings, this combo's strength lies in its ability to maintain high frame rates across the board, rather than excelling at a specific resolution or setting. The measured data shows that even at 4K Ultra, which is the most demanding scenario, the system maintains a playable 66.7 FPS, which is a solid result for a game with the visual complexity of Control.

The fact that the combo ranks 108th out of 1636 suggests that while there are 107 other combinations that perform better, this pairing is still well above average. The combination's performance is particularly impressive when considering that the RTX 4080 SUPER is an "End-of-life" product, yet it still delivers competitive results in this title. The data indicates that the system is well-balanced, with no single component holding back the other, making it a reliable choice for achieving high frame rates in Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 246.5 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset produces 176.8 FPS, while the High preset yields 156.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces 133.6 FPS, which is identical to the 1440p Medium score, indicating a performance crossover point where resolution and settings trade off equally.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear decline from 1080p. The Low preset averages 184.4 FPS, which is still very high. The Medium preset drops to 133.6 FPS, and the High preset produces 116.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the most demanding, with an average of 100.3 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system's performance is more constrained. The Low preset averages 124.3 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K. The Medium preset produces 90.4 FPS, and the High preset yields 80.7 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding configuration tested, with an average of 66.7 FPS. This is the only configuration that falls below the 100 FPS mark, but it remains playable.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience at 4K, the High settings preset offers the optimal balance between visual quality and performance. The 80.7 FPS average at 4K High provides a smooth experience while maintaining a high level of graphical fidelity. While the Ultra preset at 4K produces 66.7 FPS, the 14 FPS gain from dropping to High is a worthwhile trade-off for the visual difference in this game, which is known for its atmospheric effects and destructible environments.

For users with high refresh rate 1440p monitors, the High preset at 1440p is the recommended choice. It delivers 116.5 FPS, which is well-suited for a 120Hz or 144Hz display. However, for those who prioritize maximum visual quality over frame rate, the Ultra preset at 1440p still provides 100.3 FPS, which is also a viable option. The data does not show a significant benefit to using the Medium preset, as the jump from Medium to High only costs 16.8 FPS at 1440p but likely provides a substantial visual improvement.

At 1080p, the High preset is the recommended choice due to its 156.8 FPS average, which is more than enough for even the fastest gaming monitors. The Ultra preset at 1080p is a good alternative for those who want maximum detail without sacrificing too much performance, as it still produces 133.6 FPS. It is importantly the Low preset at 1080p produces 246.5 FPS, which is the only configuration that breaks the 240 FPS barrier, but the visual compromises are likely too severe for most players.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this combo in Control?*

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 246.5 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average frame rate of 66.7 FPS, which is the lowest score in the measured dataset but remains playable.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiting factor, as evidenced by the high frame rates ranging from 133.6 FPS to 246.5 FPS, which are largely dependent on the CPU's processing capability.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested combinations?

A: This pairing ranks 108th out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 6.6% of all systems.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to its nearest rival in benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has a Passmark G3D score of 34245, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT's score of 53489, making them nearly identical in performance.

Q: Which settings preset provides the best balance of performance and quality at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 is recommended, as it delivers 116.5 FPS, which is a good balance between the Medium preset's 133.6 FPS and the Ultra preset's 100.3 FPS.