Control

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a fascinating case for running Control, a game known for its demanding physics and visual effects. The measured data reveals a system that is highly capable at mainstream resolutions but hits a definitive wall at 4K, where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor. The benchmark results indicate that this combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver smooth frame rates with the right settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data shows that the most demanding preset that stays at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold varies significantly across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is remarkably capable, allowing for the maximum Ultra preset while still maintaining an average of 61.6 FPS. This is the clear sweet spot for visual fidelity without sacrificing performance. For those who prefer higher frame rates, dropping to Low yields an average of 115 FPS, but the Ultra preset satisfies the 60 FPS requirement with headroom.

At 2560x1440, the demands of the game begin to strain the Arc B580. The Medium preset is the highest quality setting that keeps the average above 60 FPS, achieving 62.2 FPS. While the High preset at 55.4 FPS is close, it falls short of the 60 FPS threshold on average, making Medium the optimal choice for a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset offers a much higher 84.8 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors.

The situation changes drastically at 3840x2160. According to the data, no preset achieves the 60 FPS target. The Low preset comes closest with an average of 55.3 FPS, followed by Medium at 43.6 FPS, High at 33.4 FPS, and Ultra at 30.9 FPS. Therefore, at 4K, there is no "best" setting that meets the playability threshold; the system is simply not able to deliver 60 FPS at this resolution, even on the lowest settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data clearly indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor in this configuration for Control, with the CPU providing ample headroom. The scaling between resolutions and presets points to a classic GPU-bound scenario. The i7-14700K, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is far more powerful than what this game needs, as evidenced by its performance in synthetic benchmarks. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5 and single-core score of 2160 place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, suggesting it can feed frames to any GPU without becoming a bottleneck.

The evidence for GPU limitation is most apparent in the resolution scaling. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at the High preset, the average FPS drops from 72.2 to 55.4, a significant decrease of about 23%. This is a clear sign that the rendering workload is increasing faster than the CPU can process instructions, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively constant across resolutions.

Further proof lies in the performance difference between presets. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra presets is 53.4 FPS (from 115 to 61.6). This massive gap is almost entirely due to the GPU working harder to render more complex effects, shadows, and textures. The CPU's job of preparing frames remains largely the same, but the GPU's render time increases exponentially with quality. The same pattern is seen at 2560x1440, where the spread between Low and Ultra is 34.8 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is so overwhelmed that even the Low preset can only muster 55.3 FPS, while Ultra drops to 30.9 FPS, confirming that the Arc B580's compute and memory bandwidth are the final arbiters of performance.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K resolution with a smooth frame rate?*

A: No. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, the highest average FPS achieved is 55.3 on the Low preset. All other presets (Medium, High, Ultra) fall below this, with the Ultra preset averaging only 30.9 FPS. None of these meet the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best visual quality setting at 1440p that still maintains 60 FPS?

A: The Medium preset is the highest quality option that averages at or above 60 FPS, delivering 62.2 FPS. While the High preset is visually superior, its average of 55.4 FPS falls short of the playable threshold.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700K or the Intel Arc B580 more important for this game?

A: The data strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's performance is far above the requirements, as shown by its 94th percentile ranking. The significant frame rate drops when increasing resolution or preset settings are classic indicators of a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU one.

Q: How does the Arc B580's performance compare to a high-end card like the RTX 3080?

A: According to the nearestRivals data for the GPU, the Intel Arc B580's average benchmark score is 23021. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has a score of 23172, which is 0.7% higher. This indicates the two cards have very similar overall performance in synthetic tests.

*Q: What is the maximum average frame rate this system can achieve in Control?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 115, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset. This is the only setting tested that exceeds the 100 FPS mark.

Q: Should I choose the High or Ultra preset at 1080p if I demand 60 FPS?

A: Both are viable. The High preset averages 72.2 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 61.6 FPS. The Ultra preset still meets the 60 FPS threshold, but with less headroom, making High a safer choice for maintaining higher minimum frame rates.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearestRivals for both components, several other combinations would likely produce very similar performance in Control. For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 69355. The closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, with a score of 69515 and a -0.2% deltaPct, meaning it performs almost identically. The AMD EPYC 9115 (score 69288, 0.1% deltaPct) and AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (score 69875, -0.7% deltaPct) are also within a negligible margin of error, ensuring that swapping the CPU for any of these would not change the gaming experience in a CPU-bound scenario. Since Control is GPU-bound here, these alternatives would have no practical impact on the frame rates.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B580's average benchmark score is 23021. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, scores 22895 with a 0.6% deltaPct, making it a very close match. Similarly, the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (score 23061, -0.2% deltaPct) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (score 23172, -0.7% deltaPct) are all within a 1% performance delta. This suggests that a PC with an RTX 2080 or RTX 3080 would yield nearly identical frame rates in Control when paired with a similarly powerful CPU. The performance class is consistently defined by this score range, so users with these GPUs can expect the same resolution and preset limitations.

The Verdict

According to the verdictByResolution data, this PC can run Control successfully at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440. At 1080p, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold on all four tested presets, including the highest, Ultra, which averages 61.6 FPS. At 1440p, the playable settings are Low (84.8 FPS) and Medium (62.2 FPS). The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are not playable, as their averages of 55.4 FPS and 50 FPS respectively fall below the threshold.

The verdict is a definitive "no" for 3840x2160. The data shows that no setting, from Low to Ultra, can reach the 60 FPS playable standard. The best average performance is 55.3 FPS on Low, which is still below the mark. Therefore, while this combination is a strong performer for 1080p and a decent one for 1440p, it is not a 4K solution for this title. The data indicates that users should target 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium for the best balance of visual quality and performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K and Intel Arc B580 combination has a comboRankInGame of 2843 out of 3720 tested combinations. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the overall ranking, which is a somewhat surprising result given its strong performance at 1080p. This rank is likely influenced by the system's inability to handle 4K, a resolution that many higher-ranked combos can manage. The data suggests that while this pairing is well-optimized for lower resolutions, it lacks the raw GPU power to compete with top-tier systems in more demanding scenarios. The ranking reflects a broad spectrum of performance across all resolutions, and this combo's weakness at 4K pulls its overall position down despite its solid 1080p and 1440p results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measured for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 115 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 78.8 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 72.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 61.6 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 84.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 62.2 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 55.4 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 50 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 55.3 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 43.6 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 33.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 30.9 |

The data reveals a consistent and predictable pattern: performance scales inversely with both resolution and preset quality. The frame rate gaps are consistent, showing a steady decline as the workload increases. This breakdown confirms that the system is most comfortable at 1080p, capable at 1440p with adjusted settings, and insufficient for a smooth 4K experience.