Control

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 presents a balanced mid-range setup for playing Control, a 2019 action-adventure title. Benchmark data indicates that this combination delivers playable frame rates across most common resolutions, though the demands of 4K Ultra settings will exceed what this hardware can sustain at a smooth 60 FPS. The measured performance shows a clear scaling pattern: as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, while at 1080p the CPU's strong single-thread performance helps push frame rates well above the playability threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

For a consistent 60+ FPS experience, the data suggests specific settings ceilings at each resolution. At 3840x2160 (4K), the only setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS is Low, which delivers an average of 66 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 47 FPS average, and High falls to 42 FPS, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay. Ultra at this resolution is the most demanding, averaging only 36 FPS.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the playable settings include High, Low, and Medium, but the High preset is the best choice, achieving an average of 62 FPS. This is the most visually demanding option that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at this resolution averages 70 FPS, providing a small headroom buffer, while Low reaches 98 FPS for maximum responsiveness. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 54 FPS, falling short of the target.

The most flexible scenario is 1920x1080 (1080p), where all four tested presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable. The Ultra preset is the best here, averaging 71 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the playability threshold while providing the highest visual fidelity. For those prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Low preset averages 130 FPS, and Medium sits at 92 FPS, but Ultra remains the recommended setting for a balanced experience.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested CPU and GPU combinations in this database, the i5-14600K and RX 9060 pairing ranks 2152nd out of 3720 combos for Control. This places it in the upper half of tested configurations, roughly the 58th percentile. The rank reflects that while this setup is capable of handling the game at high settings on lower resolutions, it is not a top-tier performer for demanding 4K scenarios. The data shows that many other combinations, likely with more powerful GPUs, achieve higher frame rates at 4K Ultra. However, the combination is well above the bottom quartile, indicating it is a competent choice for mainstream gaming at 1080p and 1440p. The percentile ranking of the GPU alone is 59th among all GPUs, which aligns with the combo's overall position; the CPU ranks much higher at the 90th percentile, suggesting the GPU is the primary constraint in this pairing for graphically intense scenes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across all resolution and setting combinations. At 1920x1080, the Low setting averages 130 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium averages 92 FPS, with a minimum of 78 and a maximum of 106. High averages 82 FPS. Ultra averages 71 FPS. The frame time consistency appears solid, as the only recorded range (Medium) shows a 28 FPS spread between minimum and maximum.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low setting averages 98 FPS. Medium averages 70 FPS, with a range between 59 and 80 FPS. High averages 62 FPS. Ultra averages 54 FPS. The minimum FPS of 59 on Medium is notable because it sits just below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating occasional dips even at that setting. At 3840x2160, performance drops significantly. Low averages 66 FPS. Medium averages 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 54. High averages 42 FPS. Ultra averages 36 FPS. The 4K Medium data shows the widest relative variance, with the minimum being 15% lower than the average, suggesting potential stutter in busy scenes.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rival hardware for both the CPU and GPU, several alternative combinations would behave similarly in Control. The GPU's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which has an average benchmark score 0.7% lower than the RX 9060. In practice, this means an i5-14600K paired with an RTX 3060 Ti would likely produce nearly identical frame rates, within a margin of 1-2 FPS at most settings. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is another close match, scoring 1% higher, while the AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 1% lower. For the CPU, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 0.2% lower and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 0.8% lower, making them functionally equivalent for gaming purposes. The AMD EPYC 4345P (0.3% higher) and Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (0.7% higher) are also within the same performance band. Therefore, swapping the i5-14600K for any of these CPUs while keeping the RX 9060 would yield no perceptible difference in Control's frame rates, as the game's performance at higher resolutions is governed by the GPU.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component responsibility depending on resolution. At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a more significant role. The i5-14600K's high single-core performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064, helps sustain high frame rates even at Low settings (130 FPS). The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a 45% drop in FPS (from 130 to 71), which is substantial but still leaves Ultra playable. This indicates the GPU has enough headroom at 1080p to handle the increased load, and the CPU is not bottlenecking.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's influence grows. The FPS drop from Low to Ultra is 45% (98 to 54), similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower. The fact that Ultra dips below 60 FPS while High stays above it suggests the GPU's raw throughput is becoming the limiting factor at this resolution. The RX 9060 has 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs, which are sufficient for 1440p High but stretched at Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The FPS drop from Low to Ultra is 45% (66 to 36), and even the Low preset only barely clears 60 FPS. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth is likely insufficient for the memory demands of 4K textures, causing the significant performance hit. The CPU's role at 4K is minimal, as the frame rates are governed entirely by the GPU's pixel and texture throughput. The data shows that resolution scaling has a more pronounced effect on FPS than settings scaling, confirming that the RX 9060 is the primary determinant of playability at 4K.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 42, which is well below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The only playable setting at 4K is Low, which averages 66 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming?

A: The High preset is the best choice at 2560x1440, averaging 62 FPS. While Medium averages 70 FPS and Low averages 98 FPS, High provides the best visual quality while staying above the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 2152nd out of 3720 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the upper half of all configurations. The GPU's individual percentile is 59th, while the CPU is in the 90th percentile.

Q: Is the i5-14600K or the RX 9060 more important for this game?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is more influential, helping achieve 130 FPS on Low. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops at higher resolutions and the inability to maintain 60 FPS on Ultra at 1440p.

Q: What GPU would perform similarly to the RX 9060?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the closest match, with a benchmark score 0.7% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 scores 1% higher, and the AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 1% lower.

Q: What is the lowest recorded FPS for this combo?

A: The lowest recorded average FPS is 36, observed at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 40, at 4K Medium settings.