Control

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a highly capable Control experience, though it demands settings management at 4K. Across the tested configurations, this combo ranks 1753rd out of 3720 combos, placing it in the upper half of all tested systems for this title. The data indicates a system that can comfortably handle 1080p and 1440p at maximum settings, while 4K requires a compromise to lower presets to maintain smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1753 out of 3720 tested combinations places it in the 53rd percentile of all systems benchmarked in this game. This is a solidly mid-to-upper tier position, indicating that while it is not at the absolute advanced, it significantly outperforms the majority of tested hardware. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where the CPU and GPU complement each other well for an action-adventure title like Control.

The percentile ranking of the i5-14600K against all CPUs is 90, meaning it outperforms 90% of all tested processors. This strong CPU showing is crucial for a game that demands consistent frame pacing. Meanwhile, the RTX 5060’s percentile against all GPUs is 72, indicating it is a strong performer, but the CPU is the more dominant component in this pairing. This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, this system will excel, while in GPU-bound scenarios, it will still perform well but with less headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in component responsibility as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the average FPS across all settings is significantly higher, indicating that the system is not fully GPU-bound. The jump from Low (148.9 FPS) to Ultra (80 FPS) shows a 46% performance drop, demonstrating that the GPU is being tasked harder with higher presets. However, the CPU’s strength is evident in the high frame rates at lower settings, where it can feed the GPU efficiently.

At 2560x1440, the scaling is more moderate. The difference between Low (114.3 FPS) and Ultra (64.9 FPS) is a 43% reduction, similar to 1080p. This suggests that while the GPU is working harder, the CPU continues to provide ample headroom. The system maintains playable frame rates across all presets at this resolution, indicating a balanced load where neither component is a severe bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor. The performance drop from Low (74.5 FPS) to Ultra (42 FPS) is 44%, but the absolute numbers are much lower. At this resolution, the RTX 5060’s 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus are tasked with rendering far more pixels. The data shows that only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, confirming that the GPU’s rendering capacity, rather than the CPU’s processing power, dictates playability at 4K. The CPU’s role diminishes as the GPU struggles to maintain frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably across the board. The Low preset delivers an average of 148.9 FPS, providing an exceptionally smooth experience. Medium settings yield 103.2 FPS, while High settings produce 92.8 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset still achieves an average of 80 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 114.3 FPS, which is still very high. Medium settings deliver 77.8 FPS, and High settings produce 71.9 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 64.9 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold but with less margin than at 1080p. This resolution offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, with all presets remaining playable.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low preset is the only one that clears the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 74.5 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 52.4 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. High settings average 47.5 FPS, and Ultra settings average 42 FPS. The data clearly shows that for 4K gaming, users must sacrifice visual quality to achieve smooth gameplay. The gap between Low and Medium at this resolution is substantial, highlighting the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute limitations at high pixel counts.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 2560x1440 with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The benchmark data shows the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 64.9 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at this resolution are playable.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, averaging 74.5 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 52.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Therefore, Low is the only recommended preset for 4K.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618. Its closest rival, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, scores 48698, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, which is 0.3% lower. These are all very similar in performance.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401, which is 0.3% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421, which is also 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, which is 1.2% lower.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 92.8. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 71.9. This represents a 22.5% decrease in performance when moving from 1080p to 1440p.

Q: Is the system more CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the high frame rates across all presets indicate that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU effectively. The performance drop from Low (148.9 FPS) to Ultra (80 FPS) shows the GPU is still the limiting factor, but the CPU provides enough headroom to avoid being a bottleneck.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 80 FPS. This provides the maximum visual quality while maintaining a comfortable margin above the playable threshold.

For 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is also Ultra, with an average of 64.9 FPS. This is a viable option for users who prioritize visual fidelity, though the margin above 60 FPS is smaller than at 1080p.

For 3840x2160, the only preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, which averages 74.5 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 4K, as all higher presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but the experience varies significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all presets including Ultra averaging 80 FPS or higher, providing a smooth and visually rich experience. At 2560x1440, the system also handles all presets, with Ultra averaging 64.9 FPS, clearing the 60 FPS threshold. This resolution is the sweet spot for this combo, offering high visual quality without sacrificing playability.

At 3840x2160, the system is only playable on the Low preset, which averages 74.5 FPS. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fall below the 60 FPS playable threshold, with averages of 52.4, 47.5, and 42 FPS respectively. Therefore, users with 4K displays must significantly reduce settings to achieve smooth gameplay. The verdict is clear: this is an excellent 1080p and 1440p machine for Control, but it is not a 4K-capable system for this title without major graphical compromises.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-14600K offer nearly identical CPU performance. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H has an average score of 48698, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, which is 0.3% lower. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, which is 0.7% lower. Upgrading or downgrading among these CPUs would result in negligible changes to the overall frame rates in Control.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, the closest GPU rivals are similarly matched. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401, which is 0.3% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421, which is also 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, which is 1.2% lower. These GPUs would produce nearly identical performance in Control, meaning the playable settings and resolution outcomes would be essentially the same as those measured for the RTX 5060. Users with these alternative components can expect a very similar gameplay experience.