Control

Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT prove a capable pairing for Control, but the playable envelope is strictly resolution-dependent. At 1080p, the combo delivers a locked-feeling 67.5 FPS on Ultra settings, making it a definitive success. Stepping up to 1440p requires a compromise to High settings for a 60.1 FPS average, while 4K demands a drop to Low just to cross the 60 FPS threshold at 61.7 FPS. The data indicates this is a solid 1080p and decent 1440p machine, with 4K only viable on minimal presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data for Control reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination starts strong with a 123.8 FPS average on Low settings. Moving to Medium sees a drop to 86.4 FPS, a 30% reduction from Low. High settings further reduce the average to 77.9 FPS, and the most demanding Ultra preset still maintains a playable 67.5 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a 45% performance cost, which is substantial but leaves headroom for high refresh rate monitors on lower presets.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates begin to tighten. Low settings produce a 93.1 FPS average, which is still excellent for competitive play. Medium settings yield 65.8 FPS, a 29% decrease from Low. High settings remain above the 60 FPS playability threshold at 60.1 FPS, but this is marginal. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls below the threshold with a 49.4 FPS average, indicating a clear boundary for visual fidelity versus performance. The gap between Medium and High at this resolution is only 8%, while the jump from High to Ultra costs 18% performance.

The 3840x2160 results show the GPU's limitations most clearly. Low settings at 4K achieve 61.7 FPS, just barely clearing the 60 FPS mark. Medium settings drop to 47.9 FPS, a 22% loss from Low. High settings reduce performance further to 40.8 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 32.2 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K represents a 48% performance penalty, mirroring the 1080p scaling but from a much lower starting point. None of the 4K presets except Low provide a comfortable margin above the playability threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the best settings that maintain 60 FPS are Ultra, with an average of 67.5 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays above the threshold, offering the full visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. The 7.5 FPS headroom above 60 is modest but sufficient for consistent gameplay in most scenes.

At 2560x1440, High settings are the optimal choice, delivering a 60.1 FPS average. This is the highest preset that remains playable, but the margin is razor-thin. Ultra at 49.4 FPS is not viable, and Medium at 65.8 FPS offers more headroom but sacrifices visual quality. The data suggests High is the intended balance point for 1440p, though users sensitive to frame drops may prefer Medium.

For 3840x2160, Low settings are the only playable option, with a 61.7 FPS average. This preset barely clears the 60 FPS threshold, and any scene with heavier effects could push it below. Medium at 47.9 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The 4K result is a clear case of the GPU being the limiting factor, as even the lowest settings only provide a marginal pass.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the dominant bottleneck in this pairing. At 1080p, the CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by the 123.8 FPS on Low settings. The GPU still manages 67.5 FPS on Ultra at 1080p, showing it can handle the load when resolution is low. However, the steep drop from 1080p Ultra (67.5 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (49.4 FPS) is a 27% reduction, which is primarily a GPU-driven penalty.

The transition from 1440p to 4K further confirms the GPU's role. At 1440p Low, the combo hits 93.1 FPS, but at 4K Low it falls to 61.7 FPS, a 34% decrease. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU (Intel Core i5-14400F) is not the limiting factor. The CPU's high multi-threaded scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 21645, suggest it is more than adequate for Control's demands.

The data shows that lowering settings from High to Low at 1440p yields a 55% FPS increase (60.1 to 93.1), while the same settings change at 4K yields only a 51% increase (40.8 to 61.7). This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even reducing graphical load has diminishing returns. At 1080p, the same settings change produces a 59% increase (77.9 to 123.8), showing the CPU can push higher frames when the GPU is less stressed. The Intel Core i5-14400F's single-core performance, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2058, is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RX 6650 XT at any tested resolution.

The Verdict

The data answers clearly: this PC can run Control at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K is only marginally playable. At 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 67.5 FPS. This is the resolution where the combo is fully recommended for a high-fidelity experience. At 2560x1440, High settings average 60.1 FPS, which is playable but with minimal headroom. Medium at 65.8 FPS is a safer choice for consistent frame pacing. Ultra at 1440p is not playable, falling to 49.4 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is a conditional pass. Low settings average 61.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold, but the margin is slim. Medium (47.9 FPS), High (40.8 FPS), and Ultra (32.2 FPS) all fail to reach 60 FPS. The verdict by resolution confirms this: 1080p has four playable settings, 1440p has three (High, Low, Medium), and 4K has only one (Low). For users targeting 4K, the RX 6650 XT is the clear limiting factor, and the experience will require significant visual compromises.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-14400F, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U scores nearly identically with an average benchmark score of 32233 versus the i5's 32279, a delta of just 0.1%. This means a system with the Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U would produce almost the same frame rates in Control. The Intel Core i9-11900 is also a close match, with an average score of 32226 (0.2% delta), indicating similar CPU-bound performance. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS and Intel Core i7-12800H are slightly slower, with scores of 32354 and 32121 respectively, but the differences (-0.2% and 0.5%) are negligible in real-world gameplay.

For the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT's nearest rivals are older professional cards. The NVIDIA Tesla K40m has an average score of 19885 versus the RX 6650 XT's 19765, a delta of -0.6%, meaning the Tesla is marginally slower. The AMD FirePro D300 scores 19637 (0.7% delta) and the AMD FirePro W7000 scores 19905 (-0.7% delta), both within 1% of the RX 6650 XT. The NVIDIA Quadro K5200 at 19602 (0.8% delta) is also a close match. In practice, these alternatives would deliver nearly identical performance in Control, though the professional cards may lack the same driver optimization for gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination ranks 2421 out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 35th percentile of all configurations, meaning roughly 65% of tested hardware combos perform better. This rank reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning; the RX 6650 XT's percentile of 65 among all GPUs is solid, but the 4K results drag down the overall ranking. The CPU is not the issue — the i5-14400F's percentile of 83 shows it outperforms most CPUs in the database. The bottleneck is the GPU's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus, which limits high-resolution performance.

In context, this combo is a strong 1080p performer but a mediocre 4K option. The rank of 2421 suggests that while it handles the majority of games at 1080p and 1440p, it will struggle with demanding titles at higher resolutions. For Control specifically, the data shows the combo is well-suited for 1080p Ultra and 1440p High, which are the settings most users will likely choose. The 4K Low result is a technical pass but not a practical one for most players. If the goal is high-fidelity 4K gaming, this combo falls short, but for 1080p and 1440p, it delivers a confident, playable experience.