Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title, and the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 proves to be a formidable combination for it. The benchmark data shows this setup delivers playable frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the most demanding 4K Ultra preset being the only configuration that dips below the 60 FPS threshold. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and optimal settings for each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 193 FPS, while Medium averages 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. High settings average 122 FPS, and Ultra settings still maintain a strong 106 FPS average. The data indicates that even the most demanding preset at 1080p leaves substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains very strong. Low settings average 146 FPS, Medium averages 104 FPS with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 119 FPS. High settings reach 92 FPS, and Ultra settings stay comfortably above the playable threshold at 80 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a predictable drop of roughly 25-30% across presets, but every configuration remains well above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4070 starts to feel the pressure, but results are still mostly excellent. Low settings average 98 FPS, Medium averages 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. High settings manage 62 FPS, while Ultra drops to 54 FPS. The 4K Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 59, which is just below the 60 FPS playable threshold, indicating occasional stutters in intense scenes. The 4K Ultra preset at 54 FPS is the only configuration in the entire dataset that fails to maintain consistent playability.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i5-14400F and RTX 4070 run Control at 4K?

A: Yes, at Low, Medium, and High settings. The High preset averages 62 FPS, Medium averages 70 FPS, and Low averages 98 FPS. Only the Ultra preset falls short of the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 54 FPS.

Q: What is the best quality preset at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset is fully playable at 2560x1440 with an average of 80 FPS. This means you can enable the highest visual quality without sacrificing smooth gameplay.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 106 FPS at 1080p to 80 FPS at 1440p, and then to 54 FPS at 4K. This represents a 49% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K Ultra.

Q: Are there any stuttering concerns at 4K Medium?

A: The data shows a minimum FPS of 59 at 3840x2160 Medium, which is marginally below the 60 FPS playable threshold. While the average is 70 FPS, players may notice brief dips in demanding scenes.

Q: Does the Low preset offer a significant advantage over Medium?

A: Yes, particularly at higher resolutions. At 4K, Low averages 98 FPS versus 70 FPS for Medium, a 40% increase. At 1080p, Low averages 193 FPS versus 137 FPS for Medium, a 41% increase.

Q: What is the playable threshold for this analysis?

A: The playable threshold is set at 60 FPS. Any preset with an average FPS at or above this value is considered fully playable.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals how the RTX 4070 becomes increasingly dominant as the bottleneck. At 1920x1080, the Core i5-14400F provides ample headroom, as evidenced by the 193 FPS average on Low settings. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 87 FPS, which demonstrates that the GPU is heavily loaded even at lower resolutions, but the CPU is not limiting overall performance.

At 2560x1440, the GPU load increases proportionally. The difference between Low and Ultra presets narrows to 66 FPS, indicating that the RTX 4070 is still the primary driver of performance. The 10-core, 16-thread i5-14400F maintains consistent frame delivery, as shown by the 88 FPS minimum on Medium settings, which is close to the 104 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck. The spread between Low and Ultra compresses to 44 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops below 60 FPS. This pattern confirms that the i5-14400F has sufficient compute power for Control at all resolutions, while the RTX 4070’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth determine the ceiling at 4K. The CPU’s strong single-thread performance, reflected in its 3055 Cinebench R23 single-core score, ensures that physics and AI calculations do not introduce frametime spikes at any resolution.

The Verdict

This PC configuration can absolutely run Control, and it does so with authority. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold with ease, from 122 FPS on High to 193 FPS on Low. The 2560x1440 resolution is equally impressive, with every preset including Ultra maintaining an average above 80 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is slightly more nuanced. The Low, Medium, and High presets all remain playable, with High averaging 62 FPS. However, the Ultra preset at 4K averages only 54 FPS, failing to reach the 60 FPS playable threshold. The 4K Medium preset also shows a minimum FPS of 59, suggesting occasional dips below the target. For a consistently smooth 4K experience, High settings are the recommended ceiling. Players who insist on Ultra quality at 4K will need to accept sub-60 FPS performance or consider lowering the resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3,720 tested GPU and CPU combinations in the database, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves rank 904 in Control. This places it in the top 24% of all tested configurations, which is a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The CPU itself holds the 83rd percentile among all processors, while the GPU sits in the 81st percentile among all graphics cards.

The ranking reflects that this combo outperforms the majority of systems, but it is not at the absolute top tier. The RTX 4070’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, which scores within 0.4%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, which is 1.3% faster. These close margins in raw compute translate to similar gaming performance, though the measured FPS data here shows the desktop RTX 4070 delivering excellent real-world results in Control specifically.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 106 FPS. This is the clear recommendation for 1080p gaming, as it provides the maximum visual fidelity while still offering nearly double the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is again the best choice, averaging 80 FPS. This allows players to enable all visual features at 1440p without any performance concerns. The 80 FPS average provides a comfortable buffer above the 60 FPS minimum.

At 3840x2160, the best quality preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 62 FPS. This is the optimal balance for 4K, delivering near-maximum visual quality while maintaining playability. The Medium preset offers a higher average of 70 FPS, but its 59 FPS minimum makes High the safer choice for consistent performance. The Ultra preset falls short at 54 FPS and should be avoided at 4K.