Control

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a playable experience in Control, but the margin of playability depends heavily on the resolution you target. At 1080p, this combo is comfortably in the clear, while 1440p requires a settings compromise, and 4K is only viable on the lowest preset. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data to show exactly where this system stands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination covers three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a complete picture of performance scaling.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the RTX 5050 is clearly under heavy load. The Ultra preset yields an average of 35 FPS, which is the lowest recorded result in the entire dataset. Dropping to High improves the average to 40 FPS, while the Medium preset lands at 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. The Low preset is the only setting that breaks above the critical 60 FPS threshold, delivering an average of 63 FPS. The jump from Medium to Low is substantial, representing an 18 FPS average increase, which indicates the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading capacity are the limiting factors at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440 (QHD), the performance picture improves significantly. The Ultra preset averages 52 FPS, which is still below the 60 FPS target but much closer than at 4K. High settings push the average to 59 FPS, just one frame shy of the threshold. The Medium preset clears 60 FPS with an average of 67 FPS, accompanied by a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS. The Low preset delivers a strong 94 FPS average, making it the most fluid option for high-refresh-rate displays. The difference between Ultra and Low here is 42 FPS, showing that the graphical settings have a profound impact on the frame rate at this resolution.

At 1920x1080 (Full HD), this combo demonstrates its strength. The Ultra preset produces an average of 68 FPS, which is above the playable threshold. High settings reach 78 FPS, while the Medium preset hits 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS. The Low preset achieves an impressive 124 FPS average, indicating that this configuration is well-suited for competitive or fast-paced play. The scaling from Ultra to Low is consistent, with each step down in quality yielding roughly 10 FPS on average.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data reveals which preset provides the highest visual quality while maintaining at least 60 FPS average at each resolution.

At 3840x2160, the only playable option is the Low preset, which averages 63 FPS. The Medium preset falls short at 45 FPS, so there is no room for compromise; users must accept the lowest visual fidelity to achieve smooth gameplay at 4K.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 67 FPS. This is a significant improvement over the High preset's 59 FPS, which just misses the mark. The Medium setting provides a balance between visual quality and performance, and the 57 FPS minimum suggests that even demanding scenes will mostly stay within a playable range.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the most demanding option that still clears 60 FPS, averaging 68 FPS. This allows users to experience the game's full visual features, including ray-traced reflections and advanced particle effects, without dropping below the playable threshold. The High preset at 78 FPS is also viable, but Ultra is the clear winner for maximum fidelity.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary bottleneck for this combination, especially at higher resolutions. The evidence lies in the performance scaling across resolutions. At 1080p on the Low preset, the CPU is likely doing more of the heavy lifting, as the frame rate reaches 124 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the Core i5-14400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU efficiently at lower graphical loads.

As resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, and the frame rates drop proportionally. The RTX 5050's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus width are likely limiting factors at 4K, where the data shows a 28 FPS difference between Low and Ultra presets (63 vs 35 FPS). In contrast, at 1080p, the same preset difference results in a 56 FPS swing (124 vs 68 FPS), which suggests that the CPU is able to maintain higher frame rates when the GPU is not saturated.

The scaling between resolutions on the same preset is also telling. For the Medium preset, the average FPS drops from 88 at 1080p to 67 at 1440p, a 24% reduction, and then to 45 at 4K, a further 33% reduction. This steep decline points to the GPU being the dominant constraint, as a CPU-bound scenario would show less variation when the pixel count increases. At 1440p, the gap between High (59 FPS) and Medium (67 FPS) is 8 FPS, while at 1080p that same gap is 10 FPS, indicating that the GPU's performance ceiling is being approached at both resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks at #2296 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places the system in the upper third of all configurations tested, which is a respectable position given the GPU's mid-range positioning.

The percentile data for the individual components helps contextualize this ranking. The CPU sits in the 83rd percentile among all tested processors, meaning it outperforms 83% of the CPUs in the database. The GPU, however, is in the 66th percentile among all GPUs, which is lower and confirms that the graphics card is the weaker link. The combo's overall rank reflects this imbalance, landing between what would be expected from a top-tier CPU paired with a mid-range GPU.

The average benchmark score for this pair is 32,279 for the CPU and 21,035 for the GPU, but the actual in-game performance is what matters. The ranking of 2296 out of 3720 suggests that there are many faster configurations, but also a significant number of slower ones. For a 1080p gaming setup, this rank is solid, but for 4K enthusiasts, it indicates that the system is below the median for high-end play.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide insight into what other hardware would behave similarly in this game.

For the Intel Core i5-14400F, the closest alternatives in terms of average benchmark score are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% faster), the Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% faster), and the Intel Core i7-12800H (0.5% faster). The AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS is 0.2% slower. These processors all have similar multi-threaded performance, so swapping the i5-14400F for any of these would yield near-identical frame rates in Control, assuming the GPU remains constant. The differences are within the margin of error for benchmark testing, so users would not notice a real-world change.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, the nearest rivals show a wider variance. The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL is 0.6% slower, while the AMD Radeon HD 8970M is 1% slower. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT is 1.6% faster, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile is 1.6% slower. These deltas are small, meaning that any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates. However, it is important to note that the RX 5600 XT and the RTX 5050 are from different generations, but their average scores are close enough that the gaming experience would be similar.

The Verdict

Based on the measured data, this PC can run Control, but the playable settings vary by resolution.

At 1920x1080, the system handles all presets above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset averages 68 FPS, providing the best visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. This is the sweet spot for this configuration.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the highest playable option, averaging 67 FPS. The High preset falls short at 59 FPS, so users must choose between slightly reduced visual quality and a stable frame rate. The Low preset at 94 FPS is also an option for those seeking higher refresh rates.

At 3840x2160, the system is only playable on the Low preset, which averages 63 FPS. The Medium preset at 45 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay, as it will likely feel stuttery in action-packed scenes. The RTX 5050's 8 GB of memory is likely the limiting factor here, as the higher presets demand more VRAM than the card can provide.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K with high settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 40 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Low preset is the only option that clears 60 FPS, averaging 63 FPS.

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

A: The Medium preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS. The High preset is just below the target at 59 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to the RX 5600 XT in this game?

A: The RX 5600 XT has an average benchmark score that is 1.6% higher than the RTX 5050. In practice, this would translate to a negligible FPS difference in Control, likely one or two frames per second.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU becomes more relevant, as evidenced by the 124 FPS on Low settings. However, the GPU still limits the Ultra preset to 68 FPS, indicating that both components matter, but the GPU is the primary constraint at higher presets.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 2296 out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the upper third of all configurations.

Q: Does the 1440p Medium preset stay above 60 FPS at all times?

A: No. The average is 67 FPS, but the minimum recorded is 57 FPS. This means some scenes may dip below the threshold, though the overall experience remains mostly smooth.