Control

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 represents a combination of a high-end modern processor with a mid-range graphics card from the previous generation. In the context of Control, the benchmark data indicates that the CPU has significant headroom, while the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions and settings. The Core i7-14700F sits in the 91st percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53620. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing are the Intel Xeon 6505P (avg score 53701, delta -0.2%), the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (53469, delta 0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (53288, delta 0.6%), and the AMD EPYC 7313P (53206, delta 0.8%). These deltas are all within one percent, meaning the practical CPU performance difference between these processors is negligible for gaming workloads.

On the graphics side, the Radeon RX 6600 achieves an average benchmark score of 19036, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (19030, delta 0%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (19049, delta -0.1%), the NVIDIA Tesla K20m (19089, delta -0.3%), and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation (18954, delta 0.4%). The RX 6600 is essentially tied with these parts in aggregate compute performance, though real-world gaming results can vary based on driver optimizations and architecture-specific features.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users considering this exact CPU-GPU pairing for Control, the benchmark data suggests that swapping the Core i7-14700F for any of its nearest rivals would produce nearly identical results. The Ryzen 9 7900X, with a delta of only 0.6% in average CPU score, would not meaningfully change frame rates in this game. Similarly, the Xeon 6505P and Xeon Phi 7290, despite being server-class parts, fall within the same performance envelope. The EPYC 7313P, while a workstation processor, also lands within 0.8% of the i7-14700F in aggregate benchmarks. In practice, for a game like Control that is heavily GPU-bound at most settings, these CPU differences would be invisible in frame rate measurements.

On the GPU side, the RX 6600's nearest rivals present an interesting comparison. The Quadro K6000 is a much older professional card, yet its aggregate score is effectively identical (delta 0%). However, the RX 6600 benefits from modern features like DirectX 12 Ultimate and hardware ray tracing, which the K6000 lacks entirely. The RTX 4050 Mobile is a laptop part that happens to score similarly, but desktop users would not typically cross-shop these. The Tesla K20m is another compute-focused card without dedicated gaming driver support. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation is a workstation GPU that would perform similarly in raw rasterization but lacks the gaming-oriented feature set. For Control specifically, the data shows the RX 6600 delivers playable performance at 1080p and 1440p, which suggests these rivals would behave comparably in aggregate, though architectural differences in geometry processing or memory bandwidth could shift results by a few frames.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Core i7-14700F and RX 6600 in Control becomes clear when examining the measured FPS across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU has ample headroom; the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial, with average FPS dropping from 109.8 to 62. This scaling indicates the GPU is the limiting factor as settings increase. Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with lower absolute numbers: Low produces 84.3 FPS while Ultra drops to 43.9. At 3840x2160, the GPU is fully saturated; even Low settings only reach 55.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 28.9. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU enough data, and the i7-14700F's 20 cores and 28 threads are far more than Control requires. The game's engine benefits from strong single-thread performance, and the i7-14700F delivers a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2429, both indicating excellent per-thread capability.

The resolution scaling tells a clear story: the RX 6600 is the bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, while the CPU remains underutilized. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at High settings shows a drop from 67.9 to 50.2 FPS, a decline of approximately 26%. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings shows a further drop from 50.2 to 36.7 FPS, another 27% reduction. These consistent percentage drops align with the pixel count increases, confirming GPU-bound behavior. At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 109.8 to 84.3 to 55.7 FPS across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. This suggests that even at the lowest graphical preset, the RX 6600 cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K, while the CPU has no trouble keeping up. The data does not indicate any CPU bottleneck, as even the most demanding settings at 1080p (Ultra, 62 FPS) still leave the i7-14700F with significant computational headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the performance ranges from highly playable to extremely fluid. Low settings produce an average of 109.8 FPS, Medium yields 77.1 FPS, High delivers 67.9 FPS, and Ultra maintains 62 FPS. All four settings clear the 60 FPS playability threshold, making 1080p a comfortable resolution for this hardware. The gap between Low and Ultra is 47.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom to handle the game's most demanding preset at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more selective. Low settings deliver 84.3 FPS, which is well above the threshold. Medium drops to 58.4 FPS, just below 60, and High falls to 50.2 FPS. Ultra is the most demanding, averaging 43.9 FPS. Only the Low preset remains playable at 1440p according to the 60 FPS threshold. The performance cliff between Low and Medium (25.9 FPS difference) suggests that the medium preset introduces significant GPU load increases, potentially through higher-resolution textures or more complex shading.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings reach 60 FPS. Low averages 55.7 FPS, which is close but not playable by the strict threshold. Medium produces 38.4 FPS, High yields 36.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 28.9 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium at 4K is 17.3 FPS, showing a similar relative drop to the 1440p transition. The data shows no min or max FPS values, only averages, so frame time consistency cannot be assessed from this dataset. However, the average values indicate that 4K gaming is not viable with this combination for Control, regardless of settings.

The Verdict

The verdict data is unambiguous: this PC can run Control at 60 FPS or higher at 1920x1080 with any preset, and at 2560x1440 only with the Low preset. At 3840x2160, no settings achieve the 60 FPS threshold. For 1080p users, the experience is fully playable across the board, with the Ultra preset averaging 62 FPS, which clears the threshold by a slim margin. This means players can enjoy maximum graphical fidelity without compromising frame rate. At 1440p, the Low preset achieves 84.3 FPS, providing a smooth experience but requiring significant visual compromises. The Medium preset at 1440p falls just short at 58.4 FPS, which might be acceptable for some players but does not meet the strict 60 FPS criterion. At 4K, the best possible result is 55.7 FPS on Low settings, which is below the threshold and would likely result in noticeable stuttering during intense combat sequences in Control's physics-heavy environments.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for each resolution are as follows. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging exactly 62 FPS. This provides the full visual experience of Control's dynamic lighting and particle effects. At 2560x1440, the only playable option is the Low preset, which averages 84.3 FPS. This gives a comfortable margin above the threshold, but sacrifices many of the game's visual features. At 3840x2160, no preset meets the 60 FPS requirement, so the best recommendation is to lower the resolution to 1440p or 1080p for a playable experience. The data does not include a "playable settings" list for 4K, confirming that this hardware cannot handle the game at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination ranks 2876 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This rank reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning; the CPU is far more capable than the graphics card. The percentile data for the CPU (91st) and GPU (63rd) underscores this imbalance. The rank of 2876 suggests that many other combinations deliver higher frame rates in this game, primarily due to more powerful GPUs. However, the ranking also indicates that this combo outperforms a significant number of older or lower-end systems. For a game released in 2019, the RX 6600 is sufficient for 1080p gaming at maximum settings, which is reflected in the measured FPS data. The rank would likely be higher if the CPU were paired with a stronger GPU, but as configured, the system delivers a playable experience at 1080p across all presets and at 1440p with reduced settings.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 55.7 on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings average only 28.9 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1080p that maintains 60 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset averages 62 FPS at 1920x1080, making it the most demanding setting that clears the threshold. Low, Medium, and High also all exceed 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RX 6600 has an average score of 19036, which is within 0.4% of the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, RTX 4050 Mobile, Tesla K20m, and RTX 2000 Ada Generation. These parts are effectively tied in raw compute performance.

Q: Is the Core i7-14700F a bottleneck for the RX 6600 in this game?

A: No. The CPU has a 91st percentile ranking and its nearest rivals are within 0.8% in aggregate score. The FPS scaling across resolutions and settings indicates the GPU is the limiting factor in Control.

Q: What is the playable settings preset at 1440p?

A: Only the Low preset at 2560x1440 achieves 60 FPS or higher, averaging 84.3 FPS. Medium averages 58.4 FPS, which is just below the threshold.

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU-GPU combination for Control?

A: The combo ranks 2876 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle range of the database. This reflects the GPU's mid-tier performance relative to other tested hardware.