Control

Can Intel Core i5-14400F + AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT run Control? Yes, but the experience depends entirely on resolution. At 1920x1080, this combo delivers a smooth 65.5 FPS at Ultra settings, making it fully playable at maximum fidelity. Moving to 2560x1440, the best playable setting drops to High, which still hits 60.6 FPS. At 3840x2160, the hardware is stretched to its limit, with only Low settings reaching a playable 61.6 FPS. The data indicates a clear pattern: this pairing is a 1080p Ultra and 1440p High machine for Control, while 4K requires significant graphical compromises to maintain the 60 FPS threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark data for this Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination shows a consistent 60 FPS floor, but the visual quality you can sustain varies sharply across resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the verdict is unambiguous: Ultra settings are fully playable, achieving an average of 65.5 FPS. This is the most demanding preset tested, and it clears the 60 FPS playability threshold with a comfortable margin. The data also shows High at 77 FPS, Medium at 89 FPS, and Low at 124.2 FPS, but since Ultra is already above the threshold, there is no need to dial down for performance reasons.

At 2560x1440, the equation changes. The playable settings are High, Medium, and Low. The best playable setting is High, which produces an average of 60.6 FPS. This is a razor-thin margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings at this resolution drop to 54.1 FPS, which is below the playable line, so you must choose High to stay smooth. Medium runs at 68.6 FPS, and Low at 95.6 FPS, offering headroom if you prefer higher frame rates over visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the situation is much more restrictive. The only playable setting is Low, which delivers an average of 61.6 FPS. Every other preset fails the 60 FPS test: Medium runs at 42.5 FPS, High at 39.4 FPS, and Ultra at 35 FPS. Low is the sole option for a playable 4K experience, and even then, the margin above 60 FPS is slim. For users prioritizing higher settings at 4K, the data suggests this hardware is not sufficient without frame generation or other technologies.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS scaling across resolutions reveals how the workload shifts between the Intel Core i5-14400F and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT. At lower resolutions, the CPU has more influence, while at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck.

Starting at 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 58.7 FPS (124.2 vs. 65.5). This wide gap indicates that the GPU is doing most of the heavy lifting, as increasing graphical load directly reduces frame rates. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, has plenty of headroom here. The i5-14400F scores 21645 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3055 in single-core, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, so it is unlikely to be the limiting factor at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 41.5 FPS (95.6 vs. 54.1). The GPU is still the primary constraint, but the CPU's influence diminishes as pixel count rises. The RX 7600 XT, with 2048 shading units and a 128-bit memory bus, is working harder to fill the additional pixels. The GPU's passmark G3D score of 17132 places it in the 60th percentile, which is modest compared to the CPU's 83rd percentile, confirming the GPU is the weaker link.

At 3840x2160, the Low-to-Ultra gap compresses to 26.6 FPS (61.6 vs. 35). This is a classic sign of a severe GPU bottleneck. The RX 7600 XT's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K, regardless of CPU performance. The CPU's role becomes almost irrelevant at this resolution; even a faster processor would not meaningfully improve these numbers because the GPU is saturated. Benchmark results indicate that the Radeon RX 7600 XT is the deciding factor for 4K playability, while the Core i5-14400F provides ample support at 1080p and 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combination is presented below, showing average frame rates for every tested resolution and settings preset. No min or max FPS values were recorded in the dataset, so the analysis relies on average performance.

1920x1080:

• Low: 124.2 FPS — the highest frame rate recorded across all tests.
• Medium: 89 FPS — a substantial drop from Low, indicating heavy GPU load.
• High: 77 FPS — still well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.
• Ultra: 65.5 FPS — the most demanding preset, yet still playable.

2560x1440:

• Low: 95.6 FPS — excellent performance, showing the GPU can handle lighter loads at this resolution.
• Medium: 68.6 FPS — a comfortable margin above the threshold.
• High: 60.6 FPS — the best playable setting, but just barely above 60.
• Ultra: 54.1 FPS — falls below the playable threshold, requiring a settings reduction.

3840x2160:

• Low: 61.6 FPS — the only playable setting at this resolution.
• Medium: 42.5 FPS — a significant drop, indicating the GPU is overwhelmed.
• High: 39.4 FPS — similar to Medium, showing diminishing returns.
• Ultra: 35 FPS — the lowest score, confirming 4K Ultra is not viable.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution increase reduces the top-end frame rate by roughly half, and the gap between Low and Ultra narrows as the GPU bottleneck intensifies. For the best experience, users should prioritize 1080p Ultra or 1440p High, where the hardware operates within its comfort zone.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users considering this Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combo, the nearest rivals provide context on what similar hardware would deliver. These comparisons are based on average benchmark scores, not direct game tests, so real-world Control performance may vary slightly.

CPU alternatives: The Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, which scores 32233, a negligible 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226, also within 0.2%. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 32354, which is 0.2% higher, and the Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32121, 0.5% lower. These deltas are all under 1%, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control when paired with the same GPU. The i5-14400F's 10 cores and 16 threads are well-matched to this class of processor, and none of the rivals would shift the bottleneck characteristics meaningfully.

GPU alternatives: The Radeon RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score of 17083. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, which scores 17037, just 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, 0.4% lower, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 scores 17208, which is 0.7% higher. The NVIDIA Tesla M4 scores 16932, 0.9% lower. These differences are all within 1%, so in terms of raw benchmark performance, any of these GPUs would behave similarly. However, the RX 7600 XT's 16 GB of VRAM is a notable advantage over older rivals like the GTX 690, which could matter for texture-heavy scenes in Control, even if the average FPS is comparable.

In practice, this means users with any of these rival CPUs or GPUs would see nearly identical results in Control at the same settings. The i5-14400F and RX 7600 XT combination sits in a tight performance cluster, and the data does not indicate that any single rival would push the frame rates above or below the 60 FPS thresholds established here.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. Benchmark data shows Ultra settings at 1080p produce an average of 65.5 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the highest preset tested, so no compromises are needed.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: The best playable setting is High, which averages 60.6 FPS. Ultra at 1440p drops to 54.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, so High is the maximum viable preset.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which average 61.6 FPS at 3840x2160. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below playable levels, with scores of 42.5, 39.4, and 35 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, scores 32233 (0.1% lower), and the Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226 (0.2% lower). The AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS is 0.2% faster at 32354, but none of these differences exceed 0.5%.

Q: What GPU is closest in performance to the RX 7600 XT?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 is the nearest rival, with a score of 17037 versus the RX 7600 XT's 17083, a 0.3% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is 0.7% faster at 17208, while the AMD Radeon HD 7970M is 0.4% slower.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings run at 124.2 FPS while Ultra runs at 65.5 FPS, a difference of 58.7 FPS. This indicates the GPU is heavily taxed by higher presets, but even the largest drop remains above the playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination ranks 2295 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places it in the 38th percentile of all hardware pairings in the database, meaning roughly 38% of tested combos perform worse and 62% perform better.

This ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data. The combo is fully playable at 1080p and 1440p, which covers the majority of gaming displays, but it struggles at 4K. The mid-pack ranking reflects that while this hardware is competent for mainstream gaming, it is not a high-end performer. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all processors is stronger than the GPU's 60th percentile, confirming that the Radeon RX 7600 XT is the limiting factor in this pairing.

For Control specifically, the ranking suggests that users seeking higher 4K performance or higher refresh rates at 1440p would need to look at more powerful GPUs. However, for those targeting the common 1080p or 1440p monitors, this combo delivers a solid, playable experience with room to spare. The 2295th rank out of 3720 indicates a balanced but not exceptional setup, well-suited for mainstream gaming rather than enthusiast-level performance.