Control

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 produces a mixed bag of results in Control, with performance heavily dependent on resolution and preset selection. At 1080p, the combination delivers a smooth experience across most settings, but the demands of 1440p and 4K quickly expose the GPU's limitations. The recorded data shows a clear ceiling at higher resolutions, where only the lowest preset approaches playability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for Control show a predictable decline in average frame rates as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. At 1920x1080, the combination performs admirably. With Low settings, the system hits an average of 107 FPS, which is well above the playable threshold. Medium settings drop to 79.6 FPS, still comfortable. High settings yield 70.7 FPS, maintaining smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset, however, falls short at 56.5 FPS, missing the 60 FPS target by a noticeable margin.

Moving to 2560x1440, the strain on the RTX 2060 becomes evident. Low settings produce 79.8 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution to clear the playable threshold. Medium settings slip to 58.5 FPS, just under the 60 FPS mark. High settings drop further to 52 FPS, and Ultra brings the average down to 42.6 FPS. These figures indicate that 1440p is viable only with significant graphical compromises.

At 3840x2160, the combination struggles to maintain acceptable performance. Low settings reach 57.8 FPS, just shy of the 60 FPS target. Medium settings fall to 39.9 FPS, High to 33.6 FPS, and Ultra to 32.6 FPS. None of the 4K presets achieve playable frame rates, and the gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, showing a 25.2 FPS difference between the two extremes. The data suggests that 4K is not a realistic option for this hardware in Control.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this specific CPU and GPU pairing at rank 2890 out of 3720 tested combinations for Control. This ranking puts it in the lower half of all configurations, indicating that while the system can run the game, it does not offer a high-performance experience relative to other tested hardware. The combo's position reflects the RTX 2060's age and its limitations at higher resolutions, despite the strong showing from the Core i7-14700F.

The percentile data reinforces this assessment. The CPU alone ranks in the 91st percentile among all processors, while the GPU sits in the 58th percentile among all graphics cards. This disparity suggests the processor is capable of feeding the graphics card effectively, but the GPU itself becomes the limiting factor in demanding scenarios. The overall combo rank of 2890 out of 3720 means roughly 78% of tested configurations deliver better performance in Control, which is a significant disadvantage for this pairing.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Control. At 1080p, the Core i7-14700F has enough headroom to push the RTX 2060 to its limits, as evidenced by the 107 FPS result at Low settings. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 50.5 FPS, indicating that the GPU's workload scales heavily with preset changes while the CPU remains capable of keeping up.

At 1440p, the balance shifts. The RTX 2060 starts to become the bottleneck, as the frame rate drops from 79.8 FPS at Low to 42.6 FPS at Ultra, a 37.2 FPS swing. This suggests that the GPU's rendering load is the primary constraint, with the CPU still able to supply frames at these settings. The processor's 20 cores and 28 threads provide ample compute power, but the graphics card's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus width limit its ability to handle higher resolutions.

At 4K, the GPU's dominance as the limiting factor becomes absolute. The difference between Low and Ultra is 25.2 FPS, but even the lowest preset fails to hit 60 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 2060 simply lacks the raw throughput for 4K rendering in Control, regardless of CPU performance. The scaling between resolutions shows that moving from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 27 FPS at Low settings, and from 1440p to 4K costs another 22 FPS, highlighting the GPU's diminishing returns at higher pixel counts.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Core i7-14700F has a benchmark average score of 53620. The Intel Xeon 6505P scores 53701, just 0.2% higher, making it essentially equivalent in synthetic tests. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 53469, 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X scores 53288, 0.6% lower, and the AMD EPYC 7313P scores 53206, 0.8% lower. These processors would all deliver very similar frame rates in Control when paired with the same GPU, as the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

For the GPU, the RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 matches it almost exactly at 15283, with a 0% difference. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, just 0.1% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, 0.6% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171, 0.8% lower. These graphics cards would produce nearly identical performance in Control, meaning users with any of these GPUs would see similar FPS results at each resolution and preset combination.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is High, which achieves an average of 70.7 FPS. This provides a solid balance between visual quality and performance, clearing the 60 FPS threshold with a 10.7 FPS margin. The Medium preset also works at 79.6 FPS, but High offers better visuals without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS target, with an average of 79.8 FPS. This is the recommended setting for this resolution, as Medium falls to 58.5 FPS and High drops to 52 FPS. While Low requires significant graphical compromises, it is the only way to achieve playable performance at 1440p with this hardware.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves playable frame rates. The closest is Low at 57.8 FPS, which is 2.2 FPS short of the 60 FPS target. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall well below the threshold, with averages of 39.9, 33.6, and 32.6 FPS respectively. Users attempting 4K would need to accept sub-60 FPS performance or lower the resolution.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows that this system can run Control, but with clear limitations. At 1920x1080, the combination delivers a playable experience on High, Medium, and Low presets, with High being the best option at 70.7 FPS. Ultra falls short at 56.5 FPS, so it is not recommended. At 2560x1440, only Low achieves playable performance at 79.8 FPS, while Medium and High both miss the 60 FPS target. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS, with the best result being Low at 57.8 FPS.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p is fully viable for most settings, 1440p is limited to Low, and 4K is not playable. The RTX 2060's 6 GB of VRAM and 192-bit memory bus constrain its performance at higher resolutions, despite the Core i7-14700F's strong compute capabilities. Users seeking higher fidelity at 1440p or any playable 4K experience would need a more powerful GPU. The data suggests this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming in Control, where it offers a comfortable margin above the playable threshold across multiple presets.