Control

Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 form a capable pairing for Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. Measured data shows this combo delivers playable frame rates across most resolutions, with 1080p Ultra clearing the 60 FPS threshold comfortably at 68 FPS average. The system hits a 63 FPS average at 4K Low, making it a versatile option for players who prioritize smoothness over visual fidelity at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS drops to 35, which is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Even at 4K High, the average is 40 FPS, so you would need to lower settings to Low (63 FPS average) for a smooth experience.

Q: What is the best quality setting at 1440p that stays above 60 FPS?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS and maximum of 77 FPS. This is the highest preset that maintains an average above the 60 FPS playable threshold at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49394, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. It sits within 0.8% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228), AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196), and Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (48995), while being 0.8% behind the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 (49796).

Q: Is the RTX 5050 significantly faster than its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5050's average benchmark score is 21035, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. It is within 1.6% of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713) and within 1.6% of the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379), showing very close performance parity with these alternatives.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the system averages 78 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes High settings a solid choice for 1080p gaming, though Ultra only drops to 68 FPS average.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 1440p High?

A: No, just barely misses it. At 2560x1440 High, the average FPS is 59, which is 1 FPS below the playable threshold. Dropping to Medium settings raises the average to 67 FPS, providing a safer margin above the threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, delivering an average of 63 FPS. The data shows that 4K Medium drops to 45 FPS average, High falls to 40 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 35 FPS, so Low is the only viable option for smooth 4K gameplay.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings provide the best balance of quality and performance, with a 67 FPS average. The minimum FPS of 57 dips slightly below the threshold, but the average remains solidly above it. High settings average 59 FPS, narrowly missing the 60 FPS target, while Ultra averages 52 FPS.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings are the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, achieving a 68 FPS average. This is the highest quality setting available in the data, and it clears the threshold comfortably. High settings deliver 78 FPS, Medium reaches 88 FPS, and Low hits 124 FPS, giving players ample headroom at this resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system shows strong scaling across presets: moving from Low (124 FPS) to Ultra (68 FPS) represents a 45% drop in frame rate, indicating that the GPU is handling increasing shading and texture workloads effectively. The CPU's 14 cores and 20 threads provide ample headroom at this resolution, where the RTX 5050's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient.

At 1440p, the GPU becomes more heavily loaded, as evidenced by the narrower spread between presets. Low settings produce 94 FPS, while Ultra drops to 52 FPS, a 45% reduction similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower across the board. Medium (67 FPS) and High (59 FPS) show that the GPU is approaching its limits relative to the CPU's capabilities, with the 2560x1440 resolution requiring more pixel throughput.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the dominant constraint. The difference between Low (63 FPS) and Ultra (35 FPS) is a 44% drop, but the overall performance ceiling is much lower. The 3840x2160 resolution demands significantly more from the RTX 5050's 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 82.30 GPixel/s pixel rate, while the CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2445, is not the limiting factor. The scaling between resolutions at the same preset confirms this: 1080p Ultra (68 FPS) drops to 1440p Ultra (52 FPS) and then to 4K Ultra (35 FPS), showing a consistent GPU-bound trend.

How This Combo Ranks

This Intel Core i5-14600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination ranks 2296 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the ranking, meaning roughly 62% of tested systems perform better in this specific game. The ranking reflects the GPU's 66th percentile standing among all GPUs, which is the more limiting factor compared to the CPU's 90th percentile position. The combination's performance is constrained by the RTX 5050's mid-tier position in the graphics hierarchy, despite the CPU being a strong performer relative to other processors.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in average benchmark score are all within 0.8% of the Intel Core i5-14600KF's 49394 average. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, 0.3% slower) and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196, 0.4% slower) would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Control. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (48995, 0.8% slower) is also a close match, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 (49796, 0.8% faster) offers a marginal improvement. These processors would not meaningfully change the frame rates seen in the measured data.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show similarly tight performance clustering. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, 1.6% slower) is the closest competitor that trails the RTX 5050, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, 0.6% faster), AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, 1% faster), and NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379, 1.6% faster) all sit slightly ahead. Swapping the RTX 5050 for any of these would result in frame rate differences of only 1-2 FPS at most, meaning the playable settings at each resolution would remain identical.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control effectively, but the experience varies significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 68 FPS and High reaching 78 FPS. This is the ideal resolution for this combo, offering maximum visual quality without performance compromises.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are the best choice, with a 67 FPS average that stays above the playable threshold. High settings narrowly miss at 59 FPS, so players should stick to Medium for a consistent experience above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings are playable, delivering a 63 FPS average. This provides a smooth but visually reduced experience, with Medium (45 FPS), High (40 FPS), and Ultra (35 FPS) all falling well below the threshold.

The data confirms this is a 1080p-oriented gaming system for Control, with workable 1440p Medium and 4K Low options. The RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are the primary constraints at higher resolutions, while the i5-14600KF provides more than enough processing power. For players prioritizing high frame rates, 1080p Ultra is the recommended configuration, while 1440p Medium offers a good balance for sharper visuals.