Control

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a formidable combination for Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. Measured data shows this system delivers smooth, playable performance across all tested resolutions, with the headroom to push high visual fidelity. The analysis below interprets the exact frame rate measurements, component scaling, and ranking data to determine the optimal settings and overall capability of this build.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold varies by resolution.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the highest playable setting is High, which delivers an average of 61.5 FPS. This is a tight margin, sitting just 1.5 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. Pushing to Ultra at this resolution drops the average to 54.5 FPS, which falls below the playable line, indicating that 4K Ultra is not viable for a consistent experience.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the system has significantly more headroom. The most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS is Ultra, producing an average of 78.1 FPS. This is a comfortable margin, suggesting the GPU has extra capacity to handle demanding scenes without dropping below the target frame rate.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Ultra preset is the best choice, yielding an average of 106.3 FPS. This is well above the playable threshold, providing a high-refresh-rate experience that is not possible at higher resolutions. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 4K High for maximum fidelity, 1440p Ultra for a balance of quality and speed, and 1080p Ultra for maximum fluidity.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling of frame rates across resolutions and presets reveals the distinct roles of the CPU and GPU in this configuration.

The GPU is the primary determinant of performance at higher resolutions. Moving from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS at Ultra settings drops from 106.3 to 78.1, a significant reduction. The further step to 4K Ultra reduces the average to 54.5 FPS. This progressive decline with increasing pixel count is classic GPU-bound behavior, where the rendering workload on the RTX 3080 Ti becomes the limiting factor.

The CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the Ultra preset achieves 106.3 FPS, and dropping the settings to Low yields 192.9 FPS. The large gap between these numbers, and the fact that even Low settings exceed 190 FPS, indicates that the Intel Core i7-14700F is capable of feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them. The CPU is not the bottleneck at 1080p; the GPU is still the limiting component, but the CPU's headroom ensures it won't hold back performance.

At 4K, the CPU’s influence is minimal. The difference between Low (100 FPS) and Medium (70.9 FPS) settings is a 29.1 FPS drop, which is purely a GPU workload increase. The core i7-14700F’s high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958, is sufficient to keep up with the GPU’s demands even at lower resolutions. The data suggests the CPU is never the primary constraint; the RTX 3080 Ti's rendering capacity defines the performance ceiling at every resolution, particularly at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings preset.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 100 FPS
• Medium: 70.9 FPS
• High: 61.5 FPS
• Ultra: 54.5 FPS

At 4K, the performance curve is steep. The jump from Low to Ultra represents a 45.5 FPS difference, and the gap between High and Ultra (7 FPS) is relatively small, yet it pushes the frame rate below the 60 FPS threshold.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 144.4 FPS
• Medium: 106 FPS
• High: 91.8 FPS
• Ultra: 78.1 FPS

At 1440p, the system excels. Even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains a high average of 78.1 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is substantial (a 66.3 FPS drop), but every preset remains comfortably above the 60 FPS playable line.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 192.9 FPS
• Medium: 137.4 FPS
• High: 119.8 FPS
• Ultra: 106.3 FPS

At 1080p, the RTX 3080 Ti is unleashed. Low settings approach 193 FPS, and even Ultra maintains an average of 106.3 FPS. The performance is consistently high across all presets, with the system showing its capability to drive high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Control, this specific configuration of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 931 out of 3720 tested combos. This places it in the 75th percentile of all systems tested for this game.

This rank indicates that while this is a strong performer, it is not at the very top of the leaderboard. The top quarter of tested combos, likely featuring more recent or higher-tier hardware, achieve higher average frame rates. However, a rank of 931 out of 3720 means the i7-14700F and RTX 3080 Ti combination outperforms roughly 75% of other tested systems, confirming its position as a high-end setup that can handle Control with authority.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on aggregate benchmark scores, the components in this system have near-identical performance rivals that would yield similar in-game behavior.

For the Intel Core i7-14700F, the nearest rival is the Intel Xeon 6505P, with a negligible -0.2% difference in average score. Other close alternatives include the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (0.3% faster) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (0.6% faster). These processors would all provide a nearly identical CPU performance profile in Control, meaning they would not alter the frame rate at any resolution, as the GPU remains the bottleneck.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, the closest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, which has a 0.8% higher average score. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB is 1.2% slower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is 2% faster. Swapping the RTX 3080 Ti for any of these would result in a very similar experience, with frame rates differing by only a few percentage points. A user with an RTX 5070, for instance, could expect marginally higher FPS, but the playable settings and overall performance class would remain effectively the same.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Control with excellent performance. The verdict is clear across all tested resolutions.

At 3840x2160, the system is playable on High, Medium, and Low settings. The best settings are High, which achieves an average of 61.5 FPS, just clearing the playable threshold of 60 FPS. Ultra is not playable at this resolution, as it drops to 54.5 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable on all presets, including Ultra, which delivers an average of 78.1 FPS. This is the sweet spot for this hardware, offering the highest visual quality with a comfortable performance margin.

At 1920x1080, the system is playable on all presets, with the best setting being Ultra at 106.3 FPS. This resolution provides the highest frame rates and is ideal for competitive or high-refresh-rate gameplay.

The data unequivocally shows that the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination is a top-tier performer for Control, capable of delivering a smooth 60+ FPS experience at 4K High settings and exceeding 100 FPS at 1080p Ultra.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the system achieves playable frame rates on High (61.5 FPS), Medium (70.9 FPS), and Low (100 FPS) settings. The Ultra preset drops to 54.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The best settings at 2560x1440 are Ultra, which produces an average of 78.1 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that still maintains a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck even at 1920x1080. The CPU's capabilities allow for high frame rates, as seen with Low settings hitting 192.9 FPS, but the GPU's rendering speed defines the final performance.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, High settings yield an average of 61.5 FPS, while Ultra yields 54.5 FPS. This is a 7 FPS drop, which is significant as it moves the frame rate from playable to unplayable.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 Ti a bottleneck for the i7-14700F?

A: The benchmark results suggest the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing. The frame rate scales significantly with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's high benchmark scores (e.g., Cinebench R23 multi-core of 35122) show it has ample headroom.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Control?*

A: This configuration ranks 931 out of 3720 tested combos. This places it in the top 25% of all tested systems, indicating it is a high-performance setup for this game.