Control

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti presents a compelling mid-range combination for Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. The data shows that this system is capable of running the game smoothly at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring significant settings compromises. The CPU holds a strong position in its market segment at the 90th percentile versus all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 59th percentile versus all GPUs, indicating a processor-heavy balance that still delivers playable frame rates across most common gaming resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the Intel Core i5-14600KF, the nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228 versus the i5-14600KF's 49394, a delta of just 0.3%. This places the two processors effectively on par, meaning users upgrading or building new systems could expect nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Control. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G trails by 0.4% with a score of 49196, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is 0.8% behind at 48995. Interestingly, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 actually outperforms the i5-14600KF by 0.8%, scoring 49796, which suggests that for pure CPU workloads, this newer AMD part has a slight edge. However, in gaming scenarios like Control, these small differences are unlikely to produce noticeable FPS variations.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3060 Ti's nearest rivals are a mixed bag. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the closest match, with an average score of 16014 compared to the RTX 3060 Ti's 16129, a delta of 0.7% in favor of the NVIDIA card. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT both score higher at 16351 and 16361 respectively, each being 1.4% ahead of the RTX 3060 Ti. The AMD Radeon R9 370X sits 1.7% behind at 15862. These deltas are all within a narrow band, meaning that in practice, gamers with any of these GPUs should see very similar frame rates in Control at the same settings. The RTX 3060 Ti's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth provides adequate bandwidth for this game, though the RX 5700 XT's slight benchmark advantage suggests it might edge out the RTX 3060 Ti in some scenes.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals an interesting division of labor between the i5-14600KF and the RTX 3060 Ti across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system achieves an average of 116 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 78 FPS on High and 66 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 43.1% performance reduction, indicating that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as settings increase. The CPU's role is more pronounced at lower resolutions and settings, where the 14 cores and 20 threads of the i5-14600KF can push frame rates higher without being bottlenecked by the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS on Low settings is 86.4, dropping to 54.6 on High and 50.5 on Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is 22.8 FPS (86.4 to 63.6), while the gap between Medium and High is only 9 FPS (63.6 to 54.6). This suggests that at 1440p, the GPU is increasingly the bottleneck, as the resolution increase demands more pixel processing power from the RTX 3060 Ti. At 3840x2160, the trend continues dramatically: Low settings yield 61.4 FPS, but Medium drops to 41.6 FPS, a 32.2% reduction, and High falls to 36 FPS, with Ultra at just 33.1 FPS. The CPU's influence here is minimal; the RTX 3060 Ti's 16.20 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply overwhelmed by 4K rendering demands.

The data indicates that for Control, the GPU becomes the dominant factor starting at 1440p with Medium settings and above, while the CPU maintains relevance at 1080p and low settings across all resolutions. The i5-14600KF's strong single-core performance, evidenced by its 462 score in Cinebench R15 single-core and 4594 in Cinebench R23 single-core, ensures that it can feed the GPU efficiently, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only playable setting that maintains at least 60 FPS is Low, which achieves an average of 61.4 FPS. This is a marginal margin above the 60 FPS threshold, and any demanding scenes could potentially dip below it. Medium settings at 4K produce 41.6 FPS, which is far from playable, so users targeting 4K must accept Low settings for a smooth experience.

For 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Medium, which delivers an average of 63.6 FPS. This provides a comfortable buffer above the 60 FPS threshold while still offering improved visual quality over Low settings at 86.4 FPS. High settings at 1440p drop to 54.6 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, so Medium is the optimal choice for 1440p gaming.

At 1920x1080, all settings are playable, with the best being Ultra at 66 FPS. This is the only resolution where the system can run the game at maximum settings while maintaining at least 60 FPS. High settings achieve 78 FPS, Medium reaches 85.3 FPS, and Low hits 116 FPS, but Ultra at 66 FPS is the recommended choice for the best visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but the experience varies significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold at every preset, including Ultra at 66 FPS, making it fully capable of delivering maxed-out visuals. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium settings are playable, with Medium at 63.6 FPS being the best option that balances quality and performance. At 3840x2160, the system barely scrapes by at Low settings with 61.4 FPS, which is technically playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes.

The verdict by resolution confirms this: 1080p is fully playable across all settings, 1440p is playable up to Medium, and 4K is only playable at Low. The RTX 3060 Ti's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but 4K pushes the card to its limits, where even Low settings result in average frame rates just above the threshold. Users with 4K displays should consider lowering resolution or accepting significant visual compromises, while 1080p and 1440p gamers will find this combination well-suited for Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low settings achieve 116 FPS, Medium reaches 85.3 FPS, High produces 78 FPS, and Ultra delivers 66 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decline, with the largest single-step drop occurring from Low to Medium at 30.7 FPS, while the smallest drop is from High to Ultra at 12 FPS. This suggests that the GPU handles medium-to-high settings relatively efficiently, but the jump from low to medium is more demanding.

For 2560x1440, the results are: Low at 86.4 FPS, Medium at 63.6 FPS, High at 54.6 FPS, and Ultra at 50.5 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 22.8 FPS, which is substantial, while the drop from Medium to High is 9 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 4.1 FPS. The diminishing returns at higher settings indicate that the GPU is being saturated, with each additional graphics feature having a smaller relative impact on performance.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are: Low at 61.4 FPS, Medium at 41.6 FPS, High at 36 FPS, and Ultra at 33.1 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 19.8 FPS, which is the largest single-step decline in percentage terms across all resolutions. The difference between High and Ultra is only 2.9 FPS, showing that at 4K, the most demanding settings have minimal additional cost but are already far below playable thresholds. The data lacks min and max FPS values, but the average frame rates alone paint a clear picture of the system's capabilities at each resolution and settings combination.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: Only at 1920x1080, where Ultra achieves an average of 66 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra produces 50.5 FPS, and at 3840x2160, Ultra drops to 33.1 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 deliver an average of 63.6 FPS, which is the highest playable preset at this resolution. High settings drop to 54.6 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: Only at Low settings, which achieve 61.4 FPS at 3840x2160. Medium settings drop to 41.6 FPS, and higher settings fall further below playable levels.

Q: How does the RTX 3060 Ti compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 9060?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has an average benchmark score of 16129, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 9060's 16014. This translates to a negligible performance difference in real-world gaming.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking versus all CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF is at the 90th percentile versus all CPUs, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 1080p with all settings?

A: Yes, all settings at 1920x1080 are above 60 FPS: Low at 116 FPS, Medium at 85.3 FPS, High at 78 FPS, and Ultra at 66 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti combination ranks 2647 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 28.8th percentile of all system configurations. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning, as the RTX 3060 Ti sits at the 59th percentile versus all GPUs, while the CPU is much stronger at the 90th percentile. The combination's rank suggests that while the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's physics and logic, the GPU limits overall performance, particularly at higher resolutions.

Given that the data is measured, not estimated, this ranking provides a reliable reference point. The system outperforms roughly 71% of all tested combos, which is respectable for a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU. However, the ranking also indicates that many configurations with stronger GPUs will achieve higher frame rates in Control, especially at 1440p and 4K. For users prioritizing 1080p gaming, this combo punches above its weight, but for 4K enthusiasts, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The gap between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's mid percentile highlights a potential imbalance, but the measured FPS data confirms that the system still delivers playable performance at 1080p across all settings and at 1440p with up to Medium settings.