Control

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D produces an exceptional performance profile in Control, with measured frame rates that consistently clear the 60 FPS playability threshold across every tested resolution and settings preset. The data indicates a system with substantial headroom, where even the most demanding configuration at 4K maintains an average of 83 FPS, positioning this combo in the 24th spot out of 3,720 tested combinations in the game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this configuration reveal a clear hierarchy of performance scaling across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates, starting with a 285 FPS average on Low settings and settling at 163 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution shows an average of 211 FPS, with a measured minimum of 180 FPS and a maximum of 243 FPS, while the High preset achieves 188 FPS on average. These numbers demonstrate that at 1080p, the RTX 5090 D is operating well beyond the demands of the game, with even the most punishing settings leaving massive performance reserves.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains remarkably high but shows expected scaling from the 1080p results. Low settings produce a 225 FPS average, Medium drops to 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 184 FPS, High delivers 142 FPS, and Ultra maintains a robust 124 FPS average. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by roughly 21-27% depending on the preset, which is a moderate penalty given the 78% increase in pixel count, suggesting that the GPU has ample bandwidth and processing power to handle the higher resolution without disproportionate losses.

At 3840x2160, the system still provides very strong results, though the gap between presets narrows. Low settings yield a 152 FPS average, Medium drops to 108 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS, High achieves 96 FPS, and Ultra holds at 83 FPS. The 4K results show a more compressed range between presets—from 152 FPS at Low to 83 FPS at Ultra—compared to the wider spread at lower resolutions. This compression indicates that at 4K, the rendering workload becomes more uniformly demanding across settings, with the GPU's resources being the primary constraint rather than CPU or memory bandwidth limitations.

CPU and GPU Roles

Analyzing the scaling patterns across resolutions reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU workload shifts. At 1920x1080, the massive frame rates—particularly the 285 FPS at Low settings—suggest that the Intel Core i5-14600KF with its 14 cores and 20 threads is providing ample instruction throughput to keep the RTX 5090 D fed. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 122 FPS (285 vs 163), indicating that the GPU is the primary variable when settings change, but the CPU's role remains significant at these high frame rates where per-frame CPU time can become a bottleneck.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on a more dominant role. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p across all presets—from 285 to 225 FPS at Low and from 163 to 124 FPS at Ultra—shows that pixel throughput is becoming the limiting factor. The CPU's workload per frame remains relatively constant, but the GPU's rendering time per frame increases, making the graphics card the more influential component at this resolution. The data shows a 21% reduction at Low and a 24% reduction at Ultra when moving from 1080p to 1440p, which aligns with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's dominance becomes even more pronounced. The 4K results show the smallest absolute differences between presets—only 69 FPS separating Low from Ultra—which indicates that the GPU is working near its limits for this game at this resolution. The CPU's influence diminishes further, as the frame rates at 4K (83-152 FPS) are well within the range where the i5-14600KF can maintain adequate frame pacing. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a 32% reduction at Low settings (225 to 152 FPS) and a 33% reduction at Ultra (124 to 83 FPS), demonstrating consistent GPU-bound behavior at the highest resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's position in the database is noteworthy: it ranks 24th out of 3,720 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the top 0.65% of all systems evaluated. This ranking reflects the extraordinary capability of the RTX 5090 D, which itself sits at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs in the benchmark database. The CPU contributes meaningfully to this ranking as well, with the i5-14600KF at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, ensuring that the GPU is not held back by processor limitations.

Given that the RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712 and sits at the 92nd percentile, and the i5-14600KF achieves an average score of 49,394 at the 90th percentile, their combination produces a system that is exceptionally well-balanced for Control. The 24th rank out of 3,720 combos suggests that only a handful of more powerful CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher frame rates in this title, likely configurations with higher-end CPUs like the Core i9 or Ryzen 9 series paired with the same or similar top-tier GPUs. For a mid-range CPU like the i5-14600KF, achieving this rank indicates that the 14-core processor provides sufficient performance to complement the flagship GPU without creating a significant bottleneck in this particular game.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for each component provides context for what other hardware might deliver similar results. For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 shows an average benchmark score of 49,228, which is just 0.3% lower than the i5-14600KF's 49,394. This means a system pairing the Ryzen 9 7900 with the RTX 5090 D would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in Control, with the performance difference being imperceptible in real-world gameplay. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49,196, a 0.4% delta, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 comes in at 48,995, just 0.8% behind. On the higher end, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 scores 49,796, which is 0.8% ahead of the i5-14600KF. These tight margins—all within 1% of each other—indicate that CPU choice among these options would have negligible impact on Control's frame rates when paired with the RTX 5090 D.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT has an average score of 78,940, which is 1.6% higher than the RTX 5090 D's 77,712, suggesting it could deliver slightly better performance in Control. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79,396 (2.1% higher) and the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79,605 (2.4% higher), though these are professional workstation cards unlikely to be used for gaming. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76,904, which is 1.1% lower than the RTX 5090 D. These deltas mean that a system with the RX 6850M XT might show marginally higher frame rates in Control, while the RX 6650M XT would perform slightly lower, though the differences are small enough that they would be challenging to notice without direct side-by-side comparison.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers a 163 FPS average, which is the most demanding settings configuration and remains far above the 60 FPS playable threshold. There is no reason to reduce settings at this resolution, as even Ultra provides more than double the required frame rate, ensuring smooth gameplay with maximum visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings achieve a 124 FPS average, again clearing the 60 FPS threshold by a substantial margin. The data shows that this resolution with Ultra settings provides an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, with no need to compromise on any graphics options. The 124 FPS average leaves significant headroom for demanding scenes, and the system's capability at this resolution suggests it could handle additional rendering workloads without issue.

At 3840x2160, Ultra settings produce an 83 FPS average, which remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the most demanding configuration tested, and the system still delivers playable performance with maximum settings. The 83 FPS average indicates that the RTX 5090 D has sufficient power for 4K Ultra in Control, though the margin is narrower than at lower resolutions. For players seeking higher frame rates at 4K, dropping to High settings would yield a 96 FPS average, or Medium for 108 FPS, but the Ultra preset alone is sufficient for a smooth experience.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with Ultra settings?*

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

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for maximum frame rates?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves a 285 FPS average, which is the highest measured frame rate across all configurations in the dataset.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 163 FPS at 1920x1080 to 83 FPS at 3840x2160, representing roughly a 49% reduction in performance.

Q: Does this combo rank well compared to other systems?

A: This configuration ranks 24th out of 3,720 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the top 1% of all systems tested.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at high resolutions?

A: At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant factor, as shown by the compressed performance range between presets (83-152 FPS) compared to the wider range at 1080p (163-285 FPS).

Q: What settings should be used for a 60 FPS target at 1440p?

A: All presets including Ultra deliver frame rates above 60 FPS at 2560x1440, with Ultra averaging 124 FPS, so the most demanding settings can be used without concern.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally shows that the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination can run Control with exceptional performance at every resolution and settings preset tested. At 1920x1080, the system delivers between 163 FPS (Ultra) and 285 FPS (Low), all dramatically exceeding the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, frame rates range from 124 FPS at Ultra to 225 FPS at Low, maintaining excellent playability with maximum visual quality. At 3840x2160, the system still achieves 83 FPS on Ultra settings, with the lowest measured average being 83 FPS across all 4K configurations.

The verdict by resolution confirms that all three resolutions support the most demanding preset while staying above 60 FPS. The best settings at each resolution are Ultra, with average frame rates of 163 FPS at 1080p, 124 FPS at 1440p, and 83 FPS at 4K. The system's 24th rank out of 3,720 combos further validates its capability, and the component analysis shows that neither the CPU nor GPU presents a meaningful bottleneck in this title. For players targeting 60 FPS as a baseline, this system offers more than double the required performance at 1080p and 1440p, and nearly 40% more at 4K Ultra, ensuring a consistently smooth and visually rich experience throughout Control.