Control

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers an exceptional Control experience, ranking 24th out of 3,720 tested combinations. This places the combo in the top 0.65% of all tested configurations, reflecting a system that is heavily weighted toward maximum performance headroom. Across all resolutions and presets, the average frame rates never dip below 83 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data indicates that this pairing is not merely capable of running the game, but is designed to crush it with substantial margins at every setting level.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 24 out of 3,720 tested combinations places it in an elite tier of hardware pairings. This position is remarkably high, indicating that the combination of the i5-14600K and RTX 5090 D is one of the most powerful configurations tested for this title. In percentile terms, the CPU sits at the 90th percentile against all processors, while the GPU achieves the 92nd percentile against all graphics cards, suggesting that both components are operating near the top of their respective performance curves.

The high rank is particularly notable because Control is not an exceptionally demanding game by modern standards, given its 2019 release. However, the data shows that this combo still leverages its hardware to achieve top-tier results. The gap between this combo and the rest of the field is substantial; the average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 163, which is more than double the playability threshold. This suggests that the system is bottlenecked more by the game engine's frame rate limits than by hardware capability, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU's single-thread performance becomes the limiting factor.

The ranking also indicates that the RTX 5090 D is doing the heavy lifting in terms of raw graphical output. The GPU's average benchmark score of 77,712 is significantly higher than the CPU's average of 48,618, and the GPU's 92nd percentile ranking versus 90th for the CPU reinforces this. In a game like Control, which features heavy real-time ray tracing effects and complex particle systems, the GPU's architecture is the primary driver of high frame rates.

CPU and GPU Roles

Analyzing the scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a clear division of labor. At 1080p, the CPU plays a more significant role, as the GPU is not fully saturated. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows an average FPS drop from 285 to 163, a 42.8% decrease. This relatively small drop indicates that the CPU is able to feed frames quickly enough to keep the GPU busy, but the GPU's performance ceiling is not being fully stressed at lower settings.

Moving to 1440p, the GPU's workload increases, and the scaling becomes more pronounced. The drop from Low to Ultra at this resolution goes from 225 to 124 FPS, a 44.9% reduction. This is a similar percentage change, suggesting that both components are scaling proportionally with the increased pixel count. However, the absolute numbers remain high, indicating that neither component is bottlenecking the other at this resolution.

At 4K (2160p), the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The frame rate drop from Low to Ultra is from 152 to 83 FPS, a 45.4% reduction. This consistent percentage drop across resolutions suggests that the game's rendering pipeline scales predictably with resolution, and the RTX 5090 D's massive 32 GB frame buffer and 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth are being utilized effectively. The CPU's role diminishes at 4K, as the frame rates are lower and the GPU is the primary constraint. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo still maintains 83 FPS, which is 38% above the 60 FPS threshold, proving that the GPU can handle the most demanding settings without CPU interference.

The preset scaling also reveals that the Medium preset at each resolution provides a balanced load. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 108 with a minimum of 92 and maximum of 124, showing a tight frame time distribution. This suggests that the Medium preset is where the system achieves the most stable performance, with the minimum FPS staying above the playability threshold by a comfortable margin.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all presets. The Low preset achieves an average of 285 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the dataset. This indicates that at 1080p Low, the system is likely hitting engine-level frame rate caps or is heavily CPU-bound, as the GPU has significant headroom. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 211 FPS with a minimum of 180 and maximum of 243, showing excellent consistency. The High preset averages 188 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 163 FPS. All of these numbers are far above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p an easy target for this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. The Low preset averages 225 FPS, which is a 21% reduction from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 and maximum of 184, which is 2.7 times the playability threshold. The High preset averages 142 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 124 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium (136) is still over double the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that even the most demanding scenes at this resolution will maintain a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the system shows its true high-resolution capability. The Low preset averages 152 FPS, which is still exceptionally high for 4K gaming. The Medium preset averages 108 FPS with a minimum of 92 and maximum of 124, demonstrating that the system can maintain 4K Medium with only minor frame drops. The High preset averages 96 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 83 FPS. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (92) is still 53% above the 60 FPS threshold, meaning even the most intense combat sequences will remain fluid. The Ultra preset at 83 FPS is the worst-case scenario in the dataset, but it still clears the playability threshold by 38%.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Core i5-14600K is closely matched by several other processors. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H has an average score of 48,698, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-14600K's average of 48,618. This indicates that the Xeon would provide nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Control, though the Xeon's server-oriented architecture may not have the same gaming-specific optimizations. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48,470, which is 0.3% higher, suggesting a marginal advantage in synthetic benchmarks that would translate to nearly identical in-game frame rates.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48,287, which is 0.7% higher than the i5-14600K, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48,995, which is 0.8% lower. These delta percentages are all within 1% of the i5-14600K's performance, meaning that any of these CPUs would deliver statistically indistinguishable frame rates in Control. The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo at any resolution, so swapping to any of these rivals would not meaningfully change the performance profile.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are surprisingly lower-tier cards. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76,904, which is 1.1% lower than the RTX 5090 D's average of 77,712. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, which is 1.6% higher. These delta percentages are small, but the context is important: these rivals are mobile GPUs, not desktop parts. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 16 GB scores are 79,396 and 79,605, respectively, which are 2.1% and 2.4% higher. These are compute-focused cards without display outputs, so they would not be suitable for gaming, but the benchmark data shows they have similar raw compute performance.

The practical takeaway is that the RTX 5090 D has a significant performance margin over its nearest rivals in this specific dataset, but the delta percentages are small enough that any of these alternatives would provide comparable frame rates in Control, assuming they could actually render the game (which the Tesla P100 cannot due to lack of display outputs).

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 163 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available, and the system has so much headroom that even the most demanding preset is 2.7 times above the playability threshold. The data shows that at 1080p, the system can handle any preset without breaking a sweat, making Ultra the clear recommendation for maximum visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also achieves the highest quality while maintaining excellent performance, averaging 124 FPS. This is 2.1 times the playability threshold, meaning the system has enough headroom to handle even the most chaotic scenes with high particle counts and ray tracing effects. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 160 FPS, which offers even more headroom, but Ultra is still well within comfortable territory.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 83 FPS, which is 38% above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Ultra the recommended setting for 4K, as it provides the best visual quality while still maintaining a smooth experience. The data shows that the system can push beyond 60 FPS even at the highest settings, with the Medium preset offering 108 FPS for those who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. However, for most users, the Ultra preset at 83 FPS will be the sweet spot, balancing visual quality with performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured data shows an average of 83 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which is 38% above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 285, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the most extreme case in the dataset.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712, which is 1.6% lower than the RX 6850M XT's score of 78,940. In practical terms, this means the RX 6850M XT would perform nearly identically in Control.

Q: Is there any preset at any resolution where the frame rate drops below 60 FPS?

A: No. The lowest average FPS recorded is 83 at 4K Ultra, and the lowest minimum FPS is 92 at 4K Medium. All other presets and resolutions have averages above 96 FPS.

Q: Which component is more important for 4K performance?

A: The GPU. At 4K, the frame rate scales from 152 FPS at Low to 83 FPS at Ultra, a 45% reduction, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU's role diminishes at higher resolutions.

Q: How stable is the frame rate at 1440p Medium?

A: The average FPS is 160, with a minimum of 136 and a maximum of 184. This indicates a highly stable frame rate with a variance of only 48 FPS between minimum and maximum.

The Verdict

This PC configuration can run Control with absolute authority. The data shows that every resolution and preset combination tested exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold, with the lowest average being 83 FPS at 4K Ultra. The verdict by resolution confirms that all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at every resolution from 1080p to 4K. The best settings per resolution are Ultra at all three resolutions, with average FPS of 163 at 1080p, 124 at 1440p, and 83 at 4K. This means the system has enough headroom to run the game at maximum visual quality while maintaining a smooth experience, even at 4K. The minimum FPS values, where recorded, also stay well above 60 FPS, indicating that even the most demanding in-game scenarios will not cause stuttering or frame drops. This combo is overkill for Control, but for users who want to experience the game with all graphical features enabled and no compromises, it delivers a flawless performance.