Control

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a robust performance profile for Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. Measured data indicates that this combination handles the game with high frame rates across most settings, though the demands of 4K Ultra settings push the hardware to its limits. Benchmark results show the combo ranks 1054th out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all systems evaluated for this specific title, with a playable threshold of 60 FPS serving as the baseline for smooth gameplay.

Similar Performance Alternatives

According to aggregate benchmark scores, the Intel Core i5-14600K performs nearly identically to several other processors, making them viable alternatives for this build. The closest match is the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698 compared to the i5-14600K’s 48618 average, a negligible difference of -0.2%. Similarly, the AMD EPYC 4345P trails by just 0.3% with a score of 48470, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX is 0.7% behind at 48287. On the other side, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 leads by 0.8% with a score of 48995. For practical purposes, any of these CPUs would produce nearly indistinguishable frame rates in Control, as the processor’s 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests ample headroom for gaming workloads.

On the graphics side, the RTX 3080’s average benchmark score of 23172 places it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, based on average scores, include the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249, -0.3%), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (23250, -0.3%), AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23273, -0.4%), and AMD Radeon R9 M290X (23276, -0.4%). While these GPUs show similar aggregate scores, the RTX 3080’s architecture—featuring 8704 shading units, 68 RT cores, and 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus with 760.3 GB/s bandwidth—makes it notably more capable in ray-traced scenarios typical of Control’s visual effects. The deltaPct values are all within one percentage point, indicating that benchmark-to-benchmark variance could easily flip the ordering, but the RTX 3080’s feature set justifies its position over these alternatives for this title.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals how the balance shifts between CPU and GPU responsibilities. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 182.9 FPS average, which drops to 142.3 FPS at 2560x1440 and 96.5 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 47% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution climbs. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, maintains sufficient throughput even at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work per frame, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens with resolution. At 1080p, the spread is 82.6 FPS (182.9 down to 100.3), while at 1440p it narrows to 62.3 FPS (142.3 down to 80.0), and at 4K it shrinks further to 42.2 FPS (96.5 down to 54.3). This pattern shows that at 4K, the GPU’s pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor, reducing the relative impact of settings changes. Conversely, at 1080p, the GPU has spare capacity, so raising settings from Low to Ultra only costs 45% of the frame rate, whereas at 4K the same settings increase costs 44% of performance. The data suggests that for 1080p and 1440p gaming, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, while the CPU provides sufficient headroom to avoid bottlenecking even at the highest settings.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested hardware combinations for Control, this CPU-GPU pairing achieves a rank of 1054 out of 3720 total combos, placing it in the 71.7th percentile of all systems tested. This ranking reflects strong overall performance, though it is not among the top tier of configurations. The RTX 3080’s 68th percentile GPU ranking and the i5-14600K’s 90th percentile CPU ranking suggest that the GPU is the constraining factor in this pairing, as the processor could support a more powerful graphics card without becoming a bottleneck. The measured frame rates corroborate this interpretation: at 1080p Ultra, the system reaches 100.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold but not extremely high, indicating that the GPU is working near its capacity. The rank of 1054 implies that roughly 28% of tested combos outperform this setup, likely those with higher-tier GPUs such as the RTX 3080 Ti or RTX 3090, which would push frame rates higher at 4K Ultra.

The Verdict

The measured data confirms that this system can run Control effectively at all three tested resolutions, though with caveats at the highest settings. At 3840x2160, the playable settings include High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best playable option at 61.3 FPS average. Ultra at 4K falls below the 60 FPS threshold at 54.3 FPS, making it technically unplayable by the established standard. At 2560x1440, all four settings—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS bar, with Ultra achieving 80 FPS. Similarly, at 1920x1080, every setting exceeds 60 FPS, with Ultra reaching 100.3 FPS. The verdict is clear: this PC runs Control smoothly at 1080p and 1440p with maximum settings, while 4K users must compromise by selecting High or lower settings to maintain smooth gameplay. For those prioritizing visual fidelity at 4K, the 61.3 FPS at High settings is marginally above the threshold, but the 54.3 FPS at Ultra suggests that enabling additional effects could cause noticeable stutter.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 182.9 FPS, Medium yields 132.6 FPS, High achieves 114.3 FPS, and Ultra reaches 100.3 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 45% performance drop, but even the lowest figure remains far above the 60 FPS target. At 2560x1440, the averages decrease proportionally: Low runs at 142.3 FPS, Medium at 101.3 FPS, High at 87.9 FPS, and Ultra at 80 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs approximately 20-22% of performance across all settings, with Ultra dropping from 100.3 to 80 FPS. At 3840x2160, performance becomes more constrained: Low averages 96.5 FPS, Medium 67 FPS, High 61.3 FPS, and Ultra 54.3 FPS. The 4K resolution imposes a significant penalty compared to 1440p, with High settings losing 30% of frame rate (87.9 to 61.3) and Ultra dropping 32% (80 to 54.3). Notably, the data shows no recorded minimum or maximum FPS values, only averages, which limits insight into frame time consistency, but the averages alone indicate a playable experience for most settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS average is the optimal choice. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver 100.3 FPS, making it the best option with maximum visual quality while maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra again proves viable with 80 FPS average, providing a solid experience without sacrificing visual fidelity. The situation changes at 3840x2160, where Ultra falls to 54.3 FPS, below the playable threshold. Here, High settings at 61.3 FPS is the best playable preset, offering a slight reduction in visual quality compared to Ultra but maintaining smooth gameplay. The margin at 4K High is slim—just 1.3 FPS above the threshold—so users with variable refresh rate displays might prefer Medium at 67 FPS for additional headroom, though the data indicates High as the maximum settings that meet the 60 FPS requirement.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 54.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which averages 61.3 FPS.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 80 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, making Ultra the recommended preset for this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618. Its closest rival, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, scores 48698, a difference of -0.2%. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, which is 0.3% lower, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, 0.7% lower.

Q: Is the RTX 3080’s performance similar to any other GPUs in benchmark tests?

A: The RTX 3080 has an average score of 23172. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249 (-0.3%), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250 (-0.3%), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273 (-0.4%), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276 (-0.4%). All are within 0.4% of the RTX 3080’s score.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gaming?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra settings provide the highest visual quality while maintaining an average of 100.3 FPS, which is significantly above the 60 FPS threshold. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the system rank among all tested combinations for Control?

A: This CPU-GPU pairing ranks 1054th out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the upper 28% of all systems evaluated for this game. The ranking reflects strong performance, with the GPU being the primary limiting factor in high-resolution scenarios.