Control

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers a solid Control experience across most resolutions, with the data showing playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p on maximum settings, while 4K requires a step down to Medium to stay above the 60 FPS threshold. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile among all tested processors, and the GPU in the 69th percentile, yet the combined result places this configuration in the upper third of all tested combos for this specific title. The measured FPS numbers reveal a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom at lower settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-14700K, based on aggregate benchmark scores, are the AMD EPYC 9115, AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, and AMD Ryzen 7 9700F. The i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 69,355, while these rivals score 69,288, 69,515, 69,875, and 69,996 respectively. The delta percentages range from +0.1% to -0.9%, meaning all four are within one percent of the i7-14700K in overall compute performance. In a game like Control, where the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at typical gaming resolutions, swapping to any of these processors would likely produce nearly identical frame rates, assuming the GPU remains unchanged.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 9070's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z, AMD Radeon RX 6800S, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER. The RX 9070's average benchmark score is 23,877, while these rivals score 23,736, 24,063, 23,628, and 24,170, with deltas of +0.6%, -0.8%, +1.1%, and -1.2% respectively. All four are within roughly one percent of the RX 9070 in synthetic aggregate performance. In Control, this means that a system with any of these GPUs and the same i7-14700K would likely land within a few frames per second of the numbers measured here, though actual game-specific optimizations can shift results slightly.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data for Control shows a clear pattern: the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rate across all resolutions and settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 181.6 FPS, which is far above the 60 FPS playable threshold and indicates that the CPU is not limiting performance in this scenario. At the same resolution with Ultra settings, the average drops to 98.4 FPS, still well above 60, but the reduction of 45.8% from Low to Ultra highlights the GPU's workload scaling. Moving to 1440p, Low produces 134.5 FPS and Ultra 78.3 FPS, a 41.8% drop. At 4K, Low yields 95.6 FPS and Ultra 53.3 FPS, a 44.2% drop. The similarity in percentage drops across resolutions suggests that the GPU is consistently the limiting factor; the CPU is able to feed the GPU effectively even at 1080p Low where the frame rate exceeds 180 FPS.

The resolution scaling reinforces this interpretation. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 116.6 at 1080p to 89.6 at 1440p to 59.9 at 4K. That is a 48.6% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the same progression is 181.6 to 134.5 to 95.6, a 47.4% drop. The consistency of these drops across settings indicates that the CPU's performance is not the deciding factor; even at 4K Low, the frame rate is nearly 96 FPS, so the i7-14700K is never the bottleneck. The data suggests that for Control, the RX 9070's performance at each resolution and preset is what determines playability, while the i7-14700K provides ample headroom for the GPU to operate without being starved of data.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this Intel Core i7-14700K + AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination ranks 1109th out of 3720 tested combos for Control. That places it in the upper third of all configurations, outperforming roughly 70% of the systems tested. The rank reflects the balance between the high-end CPU and the mid-to-high-end GPU; many faster combos exist, typically pairing the same GPU with a more powerful CPU or using a higher-tier graphics card. However, given that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game, the rank is primarily driven by the GPU's performance tier. The RX 9070's 69th percentile standing among all GPUs, combined with the i7-14700K's 94th percentile, results in a combo that is comfortably above average for Control, but not at the top end. The measured FPS data shows that the system can handle 1440p Ultra at 78.3 FPS and 1080p Ultra at 98.4 FPS, which are strong results for a 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitor, while 4K requires lowering settings to Medium to stay above 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the launch MSRP of this CPU and GPU?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K has a launch MSRP of $409, and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 has a launch MSRP of 549 USD.

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 53.3, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is Medium, which averages 67.9 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, all settings are playable (High, Low, Medium, and Ultra all exceed 60 FPS). The best setting is Ultra, which delivers an average of 78.3 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in Control?

A: The data indicates no. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 181.6 FPS, and at 4K Low it still reaches 95.6 FPS. The frame rate scaling across resolutions and settings follows a GPU-bound pattern, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom even at very high frame rates.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the measured average FPS is 116.6.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 1109th out of 3720 combos, which means it performs better than about 70% of all tested configurations in Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table lists all measured average FPS values for the Intel Core i7-14700K + AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination in Control. Minimum and maximum FPS were not recorded in the dataset.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 59.9 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 95.6 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 67.9 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 53.3 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 89.6 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 134.5 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 99.5 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 78.3 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 116.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 181.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 131.0 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 98.4 |

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which averages 67.9 FPS. Low also remains playable at 95.6 FPS, but High (59.9) and Ultra (53.3) fall below the threshold.

At 2560x1440, every preset is playable. The best setting is Ultra, delivering an average of 78.3 FPS, with High at 89.6, Medium at 99.5, and Low at 134.5 all exceeding 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, all presets are also playable. Ultra is the best setting, achieving 98.4 FPS average, while High reaches 116.6, Medium 131.0, and Low 181.6. The data shows that this combo provides a smooth experience at 1080p and 1440p with maximum quality, and at 4K with a modest reduction to Medium settings.