Control

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a commanding performance profile in Control, with measured average frame rates that clear the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution and preset combination tested. The data set shows this combination produces average FPS ranging from a low of 78.9 at 4K Ultra to a high of 272 at 1080p Low, positioning it as a top-tier configuration for this title. This analysis breaks down the measured results, component roles, and comparative standing within the benchmark database.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Control provides a clear performance picture across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combination produces an average of 272 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 197.8 FPS on Medium, 175.7 FPS on High, and 147.4 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 45.8% reduction in average frame rate, yet even the most demanding 1080p preset remains well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the measured averages are 209 FPS on Low, 145 FPS on Medium, 130 FPS on High, and 116.9 FPS on Ultra. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at the same preset shows a consistent performance cost: Low drops by 23.2%, Medium by 26.7%, High by 26%, and Ultra by 20.7%. The Ultra preset at 1440p still delivers nearly double the playable threshold, indicating substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 139.7 FPS on Low, 98.7 FPS on Medium, 90.6 FPS on High, and 78.9 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest measured average across the entire data set, but it remains 31.5% above the 60 FPS threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 43.5%, which is slightly narrower than the 1080p and 1440p gaps, suggesting that resolution scaling affects the preset differential. All measured values are averages, with no minimum or maximum FPS data provided, so the analysis relies solely on mean performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling between resolutions and presets reveals how the CPU and GPU each contribute to Control's frame rates. The RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this configuration, given that the GPU's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth provide ample resources for high-resolution textures and effects. The CPU, with 14 cores and 20 threads, offers substantial processing power that becomes more relevant at lower resolutions where the GPU is less likely to be the bottleneck.

The data shows that moving from 1080p to 1440p incurs a 20-27% performance drop depending on the preset, while moving from 1440p to 4K incurs a 32-36% drop. This progression indicates that the GPU's workload scales significantly with pixel count, which is typical for a visually demanding title like Control. At 1080p Low, the 272 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at very high frame rates, but the diminishing returns as resolution increases point to the GPU becoming the primary limiter.

Preset scaling also illustrates component roles. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 45.8%, while at 4K it is 43.5%. The relatively consistent percentage drop across resolutions suggests that the CPU maintains adequate frame pacing even when the GPU is heavily loaded. The RTX 4090's 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 128 RT cores are the key enablers for the high preset performance, while the i5-14600K's 5.30 GHz boost clock and 24 MB of L3 cache support the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would behave similarly in this configuration. For the Intel Core i5-14600K, the closest match by average benchmark score is the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698 versus the i5's 48618, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, a 0.3% delta, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, a 0.7% delta, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, a -0.8% delta. These CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control, with performance differences under 1% in synthetic benchmarks.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, the nearest rival is the Intel Arc Pro A60 with an average score of 60326 versus the RTX 4090's 60347, representing a 0% delta. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60140, a 0.3% delta, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896, a -2.5% delta, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657, a 2.9% delta. These GPUs would deliver similar performance in Control, though the RTX 4090's 24 GB memory capacity and higher bandwidth may provide advantages in specific scenes that stress VRAM.

It is important to note that these rivals are matched by aggregate benchmark scores, not by game-specific performance. The delta percentages indicate that swapping the i5-14600K for a Core Ultra 5 245 would result in a negligible FPS change, and swapping the RTX 4090 for an Arc Pro A60 would also produce near-identical results.

The Verdict

According to the verdictByResolution data, this PC can run Control at all tested resolutions and presets with average FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 3840x2160, the playable settings include High, Low, Medium, and Ultra, with the best settings being Ultra at an average of 78.9 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra achieving 116.9 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra is again the best setting, delivering 147.4 FPS.

The lowest measured average across the entire data set is 78.9 FPS at 4K Ultra, which still provides a 31.5% margin above the playable threshold. This means users can enable maximum quality settings at any resolution without concern for dropping below 60 FPS on average. The combination of the i5-14600K and RTX 4090 is more than sufficient for Control, offering headroom for future driver optimizations or additional background tasks without compromising frame rates.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 78.9, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data shows Ultra is the best playable setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Control?

A: The highest measured average is 272 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The High preset at 1080p delivers 175.7 FPS, and Ultra at 1080p delivers 147.4 FPS.

Q: How does the performance compare between 1440p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the average is 130 FPS, while at 3840x2160 High, the average is 90.6 FPS. This represents a 30.3% performance drop when moving from 1440p to 4K at the same preset.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU becomes more relevant at 1080p, where the 272 FPS Low average indicates the i5-14600K is capable of high frame delivery. However, the RTX 4090 still determines the preset scaling, as shown by the 45.8% difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution.

Q: What is the lowest measured average FPS for this combination?

A: The lowest average is 78.9 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This remains comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Control?

A: The combo ranks 101 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 2.7% of all configurations tested for this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with a measured average of 147.4 FPS. This provides a 145.7% margin above the playable threshold, allowing for maximum visual quality without performance concerns.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best setting, achieving 116.9 FPS on average. This is 94.8% above the 60 FPS threshold, meaning users can enable all quality options at this resolution with substantial headroom.

At 3840x2160, Ultra remains the most demanding playable preset, delivering 78.9 FPS on average. While the margin above 60 FPS is smaller at 31.5%, it still provides a smooth experience. For users prioritizing higher frame rates, High settings at 4K yield 90.6 FPS, and Medium yields 98.7 FPS, but Ultra is confirmed as playable.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 101 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 97.3rd percentile of all configurations in the database. This ranking reflects the strong aggregate performance of both components, with the CPU scoring in the 90th percentile against all CPUs and the GPU in the 88th percentile against all GPUs.

The high ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows no resolution or preset combination falling below 78.9 FPS. The i5-14600K's 24,491 Cinebench R23 multi-core score and the RTX 4090's 38,194 Passmark G3D score indicate that both components are well-matched for this title. The 101st position out of 3,720 suggests that only 100 other combinations deliver higher average frame rates in Control, which is a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a flagship GPU. The data confirms that this pairing is not bottlenecked in a meaningful way, as the performance scaling across resolutions follows a consistent pattern attributable to GPU workload rather than CPU limitations.