Control

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination is measured against Control, a 2019 action-adventure title. The CPU, a 14-core / 20-thread Raptor Lake-R part with a 3.50 GHz base and 5.30 GHz boost, carries a launch MSRP of $294. The GPU, a RDNA 4.0 Navi 48 chip with 16 GB GDDR6 memory and a 644.6 GB/s bandwidth, carries a launch MSRP of 549 USD. This analysis uses measured FPS data from the database, with all numbers taken directly from the benchmark pack.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured average FPS spans three resolutions and four presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces 183.7 FPS, Medium 128.3, High 113.3, and Ultra 102.3. Every preset clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the same order yields 138.0, 100.8, 86.2, and 74.7 FPS—again, all above 60. At 3840x2160, the picture changes: Low averages 91.6 FPS, Medium 67.4 FPS, High 59.7 FPS, and Ultra 51.8 FPS. Only Low and Medium remain above the 60 FPS line at 4K.

The data shows a consistent drop in FPS as resolution increases for each preset. For example, Low goes from 183.0 at 1080p to 138.0 at 1440p and then to 91.6 at 4K. Ultra goes from 102.3 at 1080p to 74.7 at 1440p and to 51.8 at 4K. The scaling is not linear; the gap between 1440p and 4K is larger than between 1080p and 1440p for most presets, indicating that the GPU is increasingly stressed as pixel count rises.

Preset differences at a fixed resolution also reveal the GPU's load. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 80.7 FPS (183.0 vs 102.3). At 1440p, the same spread is 63.3 FPS (138.0 vs 74.7). At 4K, the spread narrows to 39.8 FPS (91.6 vs 51.8). This narrowing suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck, and the preset settings have less absolute impact because the GPU is already saturated.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, are all within 1% of the i5-14600KF. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, which is 0.3% higher than the i5's 49394. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196 (0.4% higher), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995 (0.8% higher), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 scores 49796 (0.8% lower). In practice, any of these CPUs would deliver essentially the same frame rate headroom in Control, given that the game is not exceptionally CPU-bound at the tested presets.

For the GPU, the RX 9070's average benchmark score of 23877 places it near several older or mobile parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z scores 23736 (0.6% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6800S scores 24063 (0.8% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile scores 23628 (1.1% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER scores 24170 (1.2% lower). These rivals are within 1.2% of the RX 9070's synthetic average, meaning a system built with any of them would produce very similar FPS in Control. However, the RX 9070 has a higher percentile standing (69th vs 90th for the CPU), indicating that the GPU is less elite relative to other GPUs than the CPU is relative to other CPUs.

CPU and GPU Roles

The CPU and GPU contribute differently across the resolution range. The i5-14600KF posts strong single-thread and multi-thread results: Cinebench R23 multi-core 32544 and single-core 4594, Geekbench multi 17085 and single 2445. The RX 9070 delivers a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 6290 and a Passmark G3D score of 25381. These numbers confirm that both components are capable, but the FPS data clarifies which one limits the game.

At 1920x1080, the GPU can render frames quickly, and the CPU's high single-thread performance is sufficient to feed it. The fact that Low at 1080p reaches 183.0 FPS shows that the CPU can drive high frame rates. As resolution increases to 1440p and then 4K, the GPU's workload grows, and the average FPS drops accordingly. For instance, at Low the FPS falls from 183.0 at 1080p to 138.0 at 1440p and 91.6 at 4K—a drop of 45.0 and then 46.4 FPS. In contrast, the CPU's core count and thread count (14/20) are not the limiting factor in these scenarios; even at 1080p Ultra, the 102.3 FPS is well below what the CPU could theoretically produce.

The data indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at all resolutions above 1080p. At 1080p, the GPU is still stressed, as shown by the 80.7 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. The CPU, with a 90th percentile score, is never the bottleneck in this combination; its benchmark scores are in the top 10% of all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 69th percentile. Therefore, the system's overall performance in Control is dictated almost entirely by the GPU's rendering throughput, particularly at 1440p and 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 3840x2160 with a playable frame rate?

A: Yes, but only at Low and Medium presets. The average FPS is 91.6 for Low and 67.4 for Medium. High and Ultra drop to 59.7 and 51.8, respectively, which are below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best preset at 2560x1440 that stays above 60 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset runs at 74.7 FPS, which is the highest preset and remains above 60. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear 60 at 1440p.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900?

A: The i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49394, which is 0.3% higher than the Ryzen 9 7900's 49228. The two are effectively tied in overall performance.

Q: Is the RX 9070 stronger than the RTX 2080 SUPER?

A: The RX 9070's average benchmark score is 23877, which is 1.2% lower than the RTX 2080 SUPER's 24170. The RX 9070 is slightly slower in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the best preset at 1920x1080?

A: The Ultra preset delivers 102.3 FPS average, which is well above 60. All presets exceed 60 at 1080p, so the most demanding preset is also playable.

Q: How many total combinations does this ranking cover?

A: The combo is ranked 1123 out of 3720 total tested CPU-GPU combinations.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the highest preset that maintains an average FPS of at least 60 is:

• 1920x1080: Ultra — 102.3 FPS
• 2560x1440: Ultra — 74.7 FPS
• 3840x2160: Medium — 67.4 FPS

These settings are the most demanding that still deliver a smooth experience. At 4K, the Ultra and High presets fall short of 60 FPS, so Medium is the top playable choice.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the i5-14600KF and RX 9070 is placed at rank 1,123 out of 3,720 tested combos in Control. This places it in the upper-middle of the field. The CPU itself is in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 69th percentile of all GPUs. The gap between these percentiles indicates that the CPU is a stronger component relative to the market than the GPU. The overall rank of 1,123 is a direct result of the GPU's mid-tier position, since the CPU provides ample headroom and is rarely the limiting factor.

The Verdict

The system can run Control at all three tested resolutions with at least one preset above 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, every preset (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) averages above 60, with Ultra at 102.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets also exceed 60, with Ultra at 74.7 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium presets achieve playable frame rates (91.6 and 67.4 FPS); High and Ultra fall below the 60 FPS threshold at 59.7 and 51.8 FPS, respectively. Therefore, the combination is fully playable at 1080p and 1440p with maximum settings, and at 4K with reduced settings (Medium or Low). The data confirms that the GPU is the deciding factor for high-resolution play, while the CPU provides sufficient performance for high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions.