Control

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a playable Control experience at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K remains out of reach. The data shows a clear progression where the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, while the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance ensures high framerates at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data provides average framerates across three resolutions and four quality presets. Minimum and maximum values are not available in the database, so this analysis relies solely on average FPS.

At 3840x2160, the combination struggles to maintain smooth gameplay. The Low preset averages 58.6 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium drops to 44.8 FPS, High falls to 40.6 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 31.2 FPS. None of these settings reach the playable threshold, making 4K a non-viable option for this pairing.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves significantly. The Low preset averages 90.5 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. Medium averages exactly 62 FPS, just clearing the threshold. High averages 58.1 FPS, narrowly missing playable status, while Ultra averages 48.7 FPS, leaving a noticeable gap. The database lists Low and Medium as playable settings at this resolution, with Medium being the best playable option.

At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold. Low averages 119.5 FPS, Medium averages 86.4 FPS, High averages 75.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 63.7 FPS. Even the most demanding preset remains above the playable line, making 1080p the only resolution where the full visual experience is available without compromise.

The scaling pattern is consistent: moving from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 20 to 30 FPS depending on the preset, and moving from 1440p to 4K costs another 15 to 30 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases, from a 55.8 FPS difference at 1080p to a 27.4 FPS difference at 4K, indicating that the GPU is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals in the database provide context for where this combination sits relative to other hardware.

For the Intel Core i5-14600K, the closest matches are the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H with an average benchmark score of 48698 (0.2% lower than the i5-14600K), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with a score of 48995 (0.8% lower), the AMD EPYC 4345P with a score of 48470 (0.3% higher), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX with a score of 48287 (0.7% higher). These deltas are all within a single percentage point, meaning in CPU-bound scenarios the i5-14600K would deliver near-identical framerates to any of these alternatives. The practical impact on Control is minimal, as the game’s framerate at higher resolutions is dictated by the GPU, not the processor.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile with an average score of 18159 (0.4% lower), the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 with a score of 18189 (0.5% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 460 with a score of 18373 (1.5% lower), and the Intel Arc A770M with a score of 18383 (1.6% lower). The RTX 2060 SUPER sits at a 62nd percentile among all GPUs, and these rivals represent the narrow performance band around it. A system with any of these GPUs paired with a comparable CPU would produce almost the same measured FPS in Control, assuming no other bottlenecks.

The similarity between the RTX 2060 SUPER and the RTX 3060 Mobile is particularly relevant for laptop users, as the mobile part delivers nearly identical average scores. The RX 460 and Arc A770M are less common in desktop builds, but the benchmark data indicates they would behave similarly in this title.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-14600K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER shifts depending on resolution and preset.

At 1920x1080, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU efficiently. The i5-14600K’s benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 24491 and a single-core score of 2064, place it well above the demands of Control at this resolution. The GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 55.8 FPS spread between Low and Ultra presets at 1080p. The CPU is capable of pushing well beyond 119.5 FPS, but the RTX 2060 SUPER caps the output at each preset.

At 2560x1440, the GPU’s workload increases, and the framerate drops accordingly. The Low preset still reaches 90.5 FPS, but Medium drops to 62 FPS and High falls to 58.1 FPS. This pattern shows the GPU struggling to maintain the same output as pixel count rises. The CPU remains underutilized, as the 14-core, 20-thread processor has far more capacity than Control requires at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is almost entirely responsible for the framerate. The difference between Low at 58.6 FPS and Ultra at 31.2 FPS is 27.4 FPS, a smaller absolute gap than at 1080p but a larger relative one. The CPU’s role diminishes further, and the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become the primary constraints. The GPU’s 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply insufficient for 4K Ultra in this title.

The scaling between resolutions confirms this analysis. At Low settings, the framerate drops from 119.5 FPS at 1080p to 90.5 FPS at 1440p, a 24.3% reduction, then to 58.6 FPS at 4K, a further 35.2% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop from 63.7 FPS at 1080p to 48.7 FPS at 1440p is 23.5%, and then to 31.2 FPS at 4K is 35.9%. The consistent percentage drops across presets indicate that the GPU is the bottleneck in all scenarios, with the CPU never becoming the limiting factor in this game.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Control at 4K?

A: No. The database shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The best result is Low at 58.6 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all average below 45 FPS.

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

A: Medium is the best playable setting at 2560x1440, averaging 62 FPS. Low also qualifies at 90.5 FPS, but Medium provides higher visual quality while staying just above the 60 FPS threshold. High at 58.1 FPS and Ultra at 48.7 FPS are not playable.

Q: Is Ultra playable at 1080p?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 63.7 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the only resolution where Ultra is playable for this combination.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At the same preset, the framerate drops by roughly 20 to 30 FPS. Low goes from 119.5 FPS to 90.5 FPS, Medium from 86.4 FPS to 62 FPS, High from 75.8 FPS to 58.1 FPS, and Ultra from 63.7 FPS to 48.7 FPS.

Q: Which component limits performance in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 18093 places it at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, and the framerate scaling between resolutions and presets follows the GPU’s capability curve. The i5-14600K, with a 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs, provides ample headroom.

Q: How does this combo rank among tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 2555 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the lower half of the database. This reflects the GPU’s mid-range position rather than any CPU deficiency.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves the 60 FPS playable threshold. The database records no playable settings at this resolution, with the closest result being Low at 58.6 FPS. Users targeting 4K would need to accept a framerate below 60 FPS or consider different hardware.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Medium, which averages 62 FPS. Low also remains playable at 90.5 FPS, but Medium offers a better balance of visual quality and performance. High at 58.1 FPS and Ultra at 48.7 FPS fall short of the threshold.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Ultra, averaging 63.7 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, and it provides the full visual experience. High at 75.8 FPS, Medium at 86.4 FPS, and Low at 119.5 FPS are also playable, but Ultra is the recommended choice for maximum quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination ranks 2555 out of 3720 tested configurations in Control. This places it in the lower third of the database, with roughly 68.7% of tested combos performing better.

The ranking reflects the GPU’s position in the performance hierarchy. The RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all within a 1.6% performance band. The i5-14600K, by contrast, ranks at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with nearest rivals within a 0.8% band. The CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

In practical terms, this rank means the combination delivers a solid 1080p experience with Ultra settings at 63.7 FPS and a passable 1440p experience with Medium settings at 62 FPS. The 4K resolution is entirely out of reach, with the best preset falling just short of 60 FPS. Users with higher refresh rate monitors at 1080p will find the Low preset at 119.5 FPS useful, but those seeking 1440p Ultra or any 4K playability would need a more powerful GPU.