Control

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, but 4K requires careful settings management. The data shows this pairing is well-balanced for a game that heavily favors GPU throughput at higher resolutions, though the CPU still provides a strong foundation.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Benchmark results place the Intel Core i5-14400F in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279. The nearest rivals in synthetic testing are extremely close, with performance deltas under one percent. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U scores 32233, a mere 0.1% behind, while the Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226, also 0.2% behind. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 32354, which is 0.2% ahead, and the Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32121, trailing by 0.5%. In practical terms, these differences are negligible; any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame pacing in Control when paired with the same GPU.

For the GPU side, the RTX 5060 sits in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 26331. Its nearest rivals show a similar clustering of results. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401, which is 0.3% ahead, and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421, also 0.3% ahead. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553, leading by 0.8%. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, trailing by 1.2%. These deltas are small enough that in a game like Control, the differences would manifest as a few frames per second at most, often within run-to-run variance. If you were considering any of these GPUs as a substitute, expect broadly similar performance characteristics, though the RTX 5060's modern feature set and driver optimizations may handle specific scenes differently.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data across resolutions and presets reveals a clear pattern: Control becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution rises, but the CPU still matters at lower settings. At 1920x1080, the game shows a wide spread between presets. Low settings produce 148.5 FPS, Medium drops to 105 FPS, High yields 93.3 FPS, and Ultra still manages 80.5 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 45.8% performance hit, which indicates the GPU is doing substantial work even at 1080p, but the headroom at Low suggests the i5-14400F is not the limiting factor there.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates compress downward. Low settings deliver 110.9 FPS, Medium 82.6 FPS, High 68.8 FPS, and Ultra 59.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 46.5%, slightly more than at 1080p, showing the GPU is taking on a larger share of the load. At 3840x2160, the pattern becomes pronounced. Low settings produce 76.4 FPS, Medium 53.5 FPS, High 50.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 38.7 FPS. The delta from Low to Ultra is now 49.4%, and even the jump from Low to Medium costs 30% of the frame rate. This is classic GPU-bound behavior; the CPU has plenty of headroom at 4K, and the RTX 5060's 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are the primary constraints.

At 1080p with Low settings, the 148.5 FPS result suggests the i5-14400F can feed the GPU adequately. The CPU's 10 cores, 16 threads, and 4.70 GHz boost clock provide strong single-thread performance, as reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055. However, the data does not show a scenario where the CPU bottlenecks the GPU; even at 1080p Ultra, the 80.5 FPS result is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The i5-14400F's role is to maintain consistent frame delivery, and its 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is more than capable for this title.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which produce an average of 76.4 FPS. Medium drops to 53.5 FPS, High to 50.7 FPS, and Ultra to 38.7 FPS, so you must sacrifice visual fidelity to stay above 60 FPS at 3840x2160.

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

A: High settings at 2560x1440 yield 68.8 FPS, which is the highest preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium runs at 82.6 FPS and Low at 110.9 FPS, but High offers the best balance of quality and performance. Ultra falls short at 59.3 FPS.

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 80.5 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold, making it a fully playable configuration for high-refresh monitors.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for Control at high resolutions?*

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. Frame rates drop by 49.4% from Low to Ultra settings, while the CPU's performance remains consistent. At 1080p, the GPU still matters, but the 148.5 FPS result at Low settings shows the CPU can handle high frame rates without issue.

Q: What is the weakest point of this hardware combo for this game?

A: The RTX 5060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are likely limiting factors at 4K. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the steep performance drop at 3840x2160 suggests memory bandwidth constraints when pushing higher resolutions.

Q: How does this system compare to other tested combinations?

A: Out of 3720 tested combos, this pairing ranks 1824th in Control. This places it in the middle of the pack, reflecting solid but not top-tier performance. The 72nd percentile GPU and 83rd percentile CPU indicate a balanced system that handles mainstream resolutions well.

The Verdict

The data confirms this PC can run Control effectively, but the experience varies significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra delivering 80.5 FPS. This is the sweet spot for this combination, offering full visual fidelity without compromise. At 2560x1440, High settings are the limit for 60+ FPS, achieving 68.8 FPS, while Ultra falls just short at 59.3 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low settings are playable, producing 76.4 FPS; Medium, High, and Ultra all drop below 60 FPS, with Ultra dipping to 38.7 FPS.

For a 1080p gamer, this is a straightforward recommendation. The i5-14400F and RTX 5060 pair delivers excellent frame rates with headroom for future titles. For 1440p users, it is still a strong choice, but you will need to accept High settings as the ceiling for smooth gameplay. 4K is possible but only with significant visual compromises, making it a last resort for this hardware.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 76.4 FPS. Medium drops to 53.5 FPS, so there is no room for higher quality at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, High settings achieve 68.8 FPS, making it the best visual preset that stays above 60 FPS. Ultra is nearly playable at 59.3 FPS, but it falls short of the threshold.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver 80.5 FPS, which is the most demanding preset that clears 60 FPS. This is the recommended configuration for the best visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1824th out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 49th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly half of the tested configurations perform better and half perform worse. Given that the CPU sits in the 83rd percentile and the GPU in the 72nd percentile, the middling overall rank suggests that Control is demanding enough on the GPU that the RTX 5060 holds the system back relative to higher-end graphics cards. However, the measured FPS data shows this rank does not tell the whole story; at 1080p and 1440p, the system delivers a consistently playable experience, and only at 4K does it struggle. For the price point and target resolutions, this is a competent pairing that handles the game well without requiring extreme settings compromises at mainstream resolutions.