Control

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers an exceptional Control experience, ranking 169th out of 3720 tested combinations. This places the combo in the top 4.5% of all tested systems, indicating that it is not merely capable but significantly overqualified for this title. The data shows that at every resolution tested, from 1080p to 4K, the combo clears the 60 FPS playable threshold even at the Ultra preset, which is the most demanding setting. Benchmark results indicate that the weakest performance recorded is 75.1 FPS average at 4K Ultra, leaving substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors at lower resolutions. The combination of a 90th percentile CPU and an 87th percentile GPU results in a system that handles Control with exceptional ease across the board.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 169 out of 3720 tested combinations (approximately the top 4.5%) firmly establishes it as a high-end performer for Control. This ranking reflects the synergy between the Intel Core i5-14600K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, both of which are individually strong performers. The CPU sits in the 90th percentile of all processors, while the GPU is in the 87th percentile of all graphics cards, meaning both components are near the top of their respective hierarchies. The data suggests that this pairing is well-balanced, as neither component appears to create a significant bottleneck for this specific game. Given that Control is an action-adventure title with heavy visual effects, the combination's rank indicates it will handle the game's physics and rendering demands without breaking a sweat. The measured FPS figures support this ranking, as even the most demanding preset at the highest resolution produces frame rates well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, achieving an average of 146.5 FPS. This is substantially above the playable threshold, offering a smooth experience even during intense combat sequences. The data shows that dropping to High yields 164.5 FPS, Medium produces 186.2 FPS, and Low reaches 263.1 FPS, all of which are far beyond what a 60 Hz display can utilize.

For 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again remains the best playable option, with an average of 110.4 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a predictable performance cost, but the system maintains high frame rates. High settings at this resolution produce 128 FPS, Medium achieves 138.8 FPS, and Low hits 196.8 FPS, all comfortably above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset still stays above 60 FPS with an average of 75.1 FPS. This is the most demanding configuration tested, and the system delivers playable performance. High settings yield 84.9 FPS, Medium reaches 95.9 FPS, and Low hits 131.4 FPS. The verdict data confirms that all four settings presets are playable at 4K, making Ultra the recommended choice for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises, while the CPU maintains a consistent baseline. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high, ranging from 146.5 FPS at Ultra to 263.1 FPS at Low. The large gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p (116.6 FPS difference) indicates that the GPU's workload scales significantly with graphical fidelity, while the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at these high frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop by roughly 18-25% compared to 1080p across all settings. For example, Ultra goes from 146.5 FPS to 110.4 FPS, a 24.6% decrease. This reduction is primarily due to the increased pixel count, which places more strain on the GPU's rasterization and shading units. The CPU's role remains relatively constant, as the resolution change does not substantially alter the CPU workload.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops further, with Ultra falling to 75.1 FPS from 110.4 FPS at 1440p, a 32% reduction. Low settings at 4K achieve 131.4 FPS, compared to 196.8 FPS at 1440p, a 33.2% decrease. These consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that the GPU is the primary performance limiter at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, provides sufficient processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck, even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 250 FPS. Benchmark results show that the CPU's single-thread performance (297 in Cinebench R15 single-core) is strong enough to handle Control's game logic and physics calculations without limiting the GPU.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698 in average benchmarks, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-14600K's 48618 average. This indicates that the Xeon Gold 5318H would provide nearly identical CPU performance in Control, with no perceptible difference in frame rates. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, 0.3% higher than the i5-14600K, meaning it would perform essentially the same in this game. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX and Intel Core Ultra 5 245 offer scores of 48287 and 48995 respectively, with deltas of 0.7% and -0.8% compared to the i5-14600K. All four rivals fall within 1% of the i5-14600K's performance, so any of these CPUs would yield nearly identical results when paired with the RTX 5080 in Control.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon 8060S has an average score of 55757, which is 0.6% higher than the RTX 5080's 56083 average. This suggests the Radeon 8060S would produce frame rates within a fraction of a percent of the RTX 5080 in Control. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, 0.7% higher than the RTX 5080, again indicating near-identical performance. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X and AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE have deltas of 2.3% and -2.2% respectively, meaning the RX 9070 GRE would be slightly faster while the Pro W5700X would be slightly slower, though all differences remain minimal. Users with these alternative components can expect essentially the same measured FPS figures as those listed for the i5-14600K and RTX 5080 combination.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 3840x2160, all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra) achieve average frame rates above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 75.1 FPS, making it the best playable setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the highest FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 263.1 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At Ultra settings on 1080p, the average drops to 146.5 FPS, which still provides an excellent experience for high-refresh-rate displays.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618, which is within 1% of its nearest rivals. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is 0.8% faster, while the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H is 0.2% slower, and the AMD EPYC 4345P is 0.3% faster. These differences are negligible for gaming performance.

Q: Is the RTX 5080 significantly faster than similar GPUs?

A: The RTX 5080's average benchmark score is 56083. The closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, is 2.2% faster, while the AMD Radeon 8060S is 0.6% faster, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 0.7% faster. These differences would result in frame rate variations of only a few FPS in Control.

Q: What settings should I use for a 1440p monitor with a 144 Hz refresh rate?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 achieves an average of 110.4 FPS, which is below 144 Hz. However, the High preset at 128 FPS gets closer, and the Medium preset at 138.8 FPS nearly reaches the refresh rate. For a locked 144 FPS experience, Low settings at 196.8 FPS would be required.

Q: Does this combo ever drop below 60 FPS?

A: The measured data shows that the lowest average FPS across all resolutions and settings is 75.1 FPS at 4K Ultra. Since all recorded average frame rates are above 60 FPS, the combo maintains playable performance in every tested configuration.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 can absolutely run Control, and they do so with remarkable headroom. The verdict data confirms that at 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra with an average of 146.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra remains the best choice with 110.4 FPS average. Even at 3840x2160, the Ultra preset is playable with 75.1 FPS average. All three resolutions list all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) as playable, meaning the system never drops below the 60 FPS threshold in any tested configuration. This makes the combo suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, while still delivering smooth performance at 4K with maximum visual quality. The data indicates that users can enable the highest settings without worrying about performance degradation, as the system has substantial computational reserves for this 2019 action-adventure title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates span from 263.1 FPS at Low settings to 146.5 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset achieves 186.2 FPS, while High produces 164.5 FPS. These figures demonstrate that the system has ample performance for even the most demanding 1080p scenarios.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset reaches 196.8 FPS, Medium achieves 138.8 FPS, High delivers 128 FPS, and Ultra maintains 110.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 86.4 FPS, showing that graphical settings have a significant impact on performance at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 131.4 FPS, Medium achieves 95.9 FPS, High delivers 84.9 FPS, and Ultra maintains 75.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra narrows to 56.3 FPS at 4K, as the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck. All measured values represent average FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded in the data. The consistent progression across settings and resolutions confirms that the system scales predictably with graphical demands, providing a smooth and stable experience throughout.