Control

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a clear verdict for Control: this is a 1440p Ultra-capable machine, a 1080p powerhouse, and a 4K system that requires strict settings discipline. The data shows that while 4K is playable, it is only at the lowest preset; the real performance sweet spot lies at lower resolutions where the combo exceeds the 60 FPS threshold with headroom to spare. Benchmark results indicate a system that scales predictably, with the GPU becoming the dominant factor as resolution increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates commanding performance across all presets. The data shows an average of 148 FPS at Low settings, which drops to 105 FPS at Medium, 93 FPS at High, and 81 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data, showing a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS. This indicates that even at the most demanding preset, the system maintains an average well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, with the Low preset delivering nearly 2.5 times that baseline.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains robust but shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. Low settings produce an average of 112 FPS, Medium drops to 80 FPS, High to 71 FPS, and Ultra to 61 FPS. The Medium preset again provides the only full min/max data, with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 92 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 45% decrease in average frame rate, which is a significant but manageable scaling curve. The Ultra preset sits just barely above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the boundary case for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance picture changes dramatically. Low settings yield an average of 76 FPS, which is the only playable preset at this resolution. Medium drops to 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, High falls to 48 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 41 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium is 22 FPS, and the gap widens to 35 FPS between Low and Ultra. This stark drop-off indicates that 4K resolution overwhelms the GPU's capabilities beyond the lowest settings, with the Medium preset's minimum of 46 FPS confirming that frame pacing becomes inconsistent once the pixel load increases.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling data between resolutions and presets reveals a clear division of labor. At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i5-14400F with its 10 cores and 16 threads provides sufficient headroom that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 becomes the primary bottleneck. The evidence is in the frame rate differences: moving from Low to Ultra at 1080p reduces the average from 148 to 81 FPS, a 45% drop that tracks almost entirely with GPU workload. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and single-core score of 3055 indicate ample processing power for this 2019 title, which does not demand extreme thread counts.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced. The frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra shows a similar 45% reduction (112 to 61 FPS), but the absolute numbers are lower, confirming that the RX 7700's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed harder. The CPU's influence diminishes further at this resolution, as the GPU's pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s become the limiting factors. The fact that Ultra still averages 61 FPS suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately, but the margin is thin.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unambiguously the dominant component. The performance collapse from Low (76 FPS) to Medium (54 FPS) — a 29% drop — indicates that the RX 7700's raw compute power, measured at 25.18 TFLOPS FP32, is insufficient for the 8.3 million pixel workload at higher presets. The CPU's role recedes almost entirely; even with its strong multi-threaded performance, it cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to process the geometry and shading demands of Control at 4K Ultra. The data suggests that resolution scaling is the primary lever for this combo, with settings adjustments having a disproportionate impact at 4K compared to lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves an average of 76 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. High and Ultra presets are not viable, averaging 48 and 41 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 61 FPS, making it the highest visual quality option that maintains playable performance. This is a marginal pass over the 60 FPS threshold, so players seeking more consistent frame rates might prefer High, which averages 71 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the system averages 81 FPS. This is 21 FPS above the playable threshold and 35% higher than the 4K Ultra result, demonstrating that 1080p is where the combo has the most headroom for visual fidelity.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as evidenced by the 67 FPS difference between Low and Ultra presets. At 4K, the GPU limitation becomes severe, with the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645) unable to offset the GPU's workload constraints.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at Medium settings across all resolutions?

A: At 1080p Medium, the average is 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 80 FPS with a minimum of 68 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS. Only the 1080p and 1440p results maintain playable performance.

Q: Does the combo's performance ranking in this game indicate it is a strong choice?

A: The combo ranks 1756 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half (approximately 53rd percentile) of all tested systems for Control. This suggests it outperforms more than half of all configurations tested, though it is not among the top performers.

The Verdict

The data provides an unambiguous answer: this PC can run Control, but the experience varies dramatically by resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets — Low at 148 FPS, Medium at 105 FPS, High at 93 FPS, and Ultra at 81 FPS — clear the 60 FPS threshold with substantial margins, making this the resolution where the combo is most comfortable. The verdict for 1080p is a definitive yes across the board.

At 2560x1440, the system remains fully playable at every preset. The Ultra setting averages 61 FPS, which is a narrow but valid pass over the 60 FPS line. High at 71 FPS provides more breathing room, and the data shows that even the most demanding settings are viable. This resolution represents the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combo.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is conditional. Only the Low preset (76 FPS) meets the playable standard. Medium's average of 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS, falls short of the 60 FPS requirement, and High and Ultra are effectively unplayable at 48 and 41 FPS respectively. The system can run Control at 4K, but only with significant visual compromises.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination ranks 1756 out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the 53rd percentile of all configurations tested. This is a solid mid-tier result, indicating that while the combo is not exceptional, it comfortably outperforms the majority of systems in the database. The CPU's performance percentile of 83 versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279, places it in the top 17% of processors, while the GPU's percentile of 58 versus all GPUs, with an average score of 15852, places it in the upper half of graphics cards. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% faster), Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% faster), and AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (0.2% slower), showing that the i5-14400F is extremely competitive in its class. The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R9 370X (0.1% faster), AMD Radeon RX 9060 (1% faster), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (1.7% faster), indicating the RX 7700 sits in a tight performance band with these cards.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 81 FPS. This is the optimal choice for maximum visual fidelity at this resolution, with 21 FPS of headroom above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra also remains the best setting, averaging 61 FPS. This is a marginal pass, so players who prioritize frame rate stability over absolute visual quality might consider High at 71 FPS, but the data confirms Ultra is playable.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Low, which averages 76 FPS. This is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold at 4K, and it does so with 16 FPS of headroom. Medium at 54 FPS and above are not recommended based on the measured data, as they all fall below the playable standard.