Control

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is a combination that sits in the upper-middle tier of tested hardware for Control, ranking 1745th out of 3720 tested combos. This placement places it in the 53rd percentile of all configurations, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of the tested systems while remaining well behind the top quartile of high-end builds. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance and the GPU's modern architecture combine to deliver generally smooth gameplay, though the data shows clear limitations at the highest resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1745 out of 3720 tested configurations places it just past the midpoint of the database, indicating that while this system is competent, it is not a top-tier performer for Control. The CPU itself, the Intel Core i5-14600KF, holds a 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs, demonstrating that it is a high-performing processor in synthetic benchmarks. However, the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, sits at a 72nd percentile among all GPUs, which is notably lower than the CPU's standing. This imbalance suggests that in this pairing, the graphics card is the more limiting factor for achieving high frame rates. The combination's overall rank reflects this dynamic: the system is stronger than average but does not reach the upper echelons of performance that would be seen with a higher-tier GPU.

CPU and GPU Roles

Analyzing the measured FPS data across resolutions and presets reveals how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system achieves an average of 146.7 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 83 FPS on Ultra. This spread of 63.7 FPS indicates that the GPU is heavily utilized, as even with a strong CPU, the graphics card's performance ceiling is being reached at lower settings. Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS on Low is 113.3, and on Ultra it falls to 62. This narrower spread of 51.3 FPS suggests that the GPU is becoming more of a bottleneck as pixel count increases. At 3840x2160, the highest resolution, the average FPS on Low is 74.2, while Ultra drops to 42.4. The spread here is 31.8 FPS, which is the smallest of all resolutions, indicating that at 4K, the GPU is the dominant constraint, and the CPU's performance headroom is largely irrelevant. The data shows that the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases, while the GPU's importance grows correspondingly.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The detailed FPS measurements provide a comprehensive view of this system's capabilities in Control. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 146.7 FPS on Low, 103.6 FPS on Medium, 94 FPS on High, and 83 FPS on Ultra. These figures show a smooth degradation from Low to Ultra, with a 63.7 FPS difference between the lowest and highest presets. At 2560x1440, the averages are 113.3 FPS on Low, 77.9 FPS on Medium, 69.6 FPS on High, and 62 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 51.3 FPS, which is a smaller absolute difference than at 1080p, but the percentage decrease is steeper. At 3840x2160, the averages are 74.2 FPS on Low, 55.1 FPS on Medium, 50.4 FPS on High, and 42.4 FPS on Ultra. The 31.8 FPS difference between Low and Ultra is the smallest absolute spread, but the low absolute values at this resolution indicate that the GPU is struggling to maintain high frame rates. Notably, the data does not include minimum or maximum FPS values, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates, which can mask occasional stutters or frame time spikes.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution clearly defines what this system can and cannot handle. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable, with the lowest average being 83 FPS on Ultra, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the same is true: every preset, including Ultra with an average of 62 FPS, stays above the 60 FPS line. This makes 1440p a fully playable resolution for this combo, even at maximum settings. At 3840x2160, however, only the Low preset achieves playable performance, with an average of 74.2 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 55.1 FPS, High to 50.4 FPS, and Ultra to 42.4 FPS, all of which are below the 60 FPS threshold. The data indicates that this system can run Control at 4K, but only with significantly reduced graphical settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provides context for what other hardware would perform similarly. The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49394, with its closest competitors being the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 at 49228 (0.3% slower), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G at 49196 (0.4% slower), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 at 48995 (0.8% slower), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 at 49796 (0.8% faster). These deltas are all within 1% of the i5-14600KF's score, meaning that swapping to any of these CPUs would result in nearly identical performance in Control, assuming the GPU remains the same. For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331, with rivals including the AMD Radeon 860M at 26401 (0.3% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 at 26421 (0.3% faster), the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary at 26553 (0.8% faster), and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT at 26011 (1.2% slower). These small percentage differences suggest that any of these GPUs would produce frame rates within a few FPS of the RTX 5060 in this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is as follows. At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which achieves an average of 83 FPS. This is the highest quality preset available and still leaves a 23 FPS margin above the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 62 FPS. This is a much tighter margin, with only 2 FPS of headroom above the 60 FPS line, but it is still technically playable. At 3840x2160, the best settings are Low, which achieves an average of 74.2 FPS. While Low is the least demanding preset, it is the only one that clears the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution. Users seeking higher visual fidelity at 4K would need to accept frame rates below 60 FPS.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which achieves an average of 74.2 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra presets at 3840x2160 produce average frame rates of 55.1, 50.4, and 42.4 FPS respectively, all below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 achieve an average of 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Ultra the most demanding playable preset at this resolution.

Q: How much performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1920x1080?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings average 146.7 FPS, while Ultra settings average 83 FPS. This represents a 63.7 FPS difference between the lowest and highest presets.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for performance at 3840x2160?

A: The data indicates that at 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant constraint. The average FPS drops from 74.2 on Low to 42.4 on Ultra, showing that the graphics card's processing limits are the primary factor, while the CPU's influence is minimal at this high resolution.

Q: Which GPU rival performs most similarly to the RTX 5060?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT has an average benchmark score of 26011, which is 1.2% slower than the RTX 5060's 26331. This makes it the closest rival in the data, with expected frame rate differences of only a few FPS in Control.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49394, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228. This makes the Ryzen 9 7900 0.3% slower, a difference that would have no noticeable impact on frame rates in Control.