Control

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti delivers a robust Control experience across most settings, with the data showing a clear trend: 1080p and 1440p are fully playable at maximum settings, while 4K requires a compromise. Benchmark results indicate the combo is far more capable than the game’s 60 FPS threshold, with the only notable limitation appearing at 3840x2160 on the High and Ultra presets. The measured FPS data, derived from actual testing, provides a detailed picture of how this hardware configuration handles Remedy’s action-adventure title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, revealing a predictable performance curve. At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally strong. The Low preset produces an average of 166.1 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS target. Moving up to Medium drops the average to 116.8 FPS, while High yields 103.4 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset still maintains an average of 91.1 FPS, leaving ample headroom for demanding scenes. This resolution shows no signs of strain, with the GPU clearly being the limiting factor only at the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive but scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 129 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 1080p Low figure but still well above the playable threshold. Medium produces 93.1 FPS, while High manages 82 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding configuration tested, still clears 60 FPS with an average of 68.4 FPS. This indicates that 1440p Ultra is a viable option for players who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rates.

The 3840x2160 resolution tells a different story. The Low preset averages 85 FPS, which is surprisingly strong for 4K and suggests the game is well-optimized at lower settings. Medium drops to 63.1 FPS, just barely clearing the 60 FPS threshold. However, the High preset falls below the target with an average of 51.9 FPS, and Ultra is even lower at 50.1 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming requires either a reduction in settings or acceptance of sub-60 FPS performance. The lack of min and max FPS data in the measured results means the analysis relies on averages, but the pattern is clear: 4K Ultra is not playable, while 4K Medium is borderline.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i7-14700K sits in a tight performance cluster. The AMD EPYC 9115 is nearly identical with a delta of 0.1%, meaning the two processors are effectively interchangeable in synthetic benchmarks. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X trails by -0.2%, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is -0.7% slower. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F shows a -0.9% delta. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming, so any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control when paired with the same GPU.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is also closely matched to its rivals. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile is just 0.1% ahead, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800 is -0.5% slower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is 0.5% faster, and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 trails by -1.6%. These deltas are small enough that a user swapping between these GPUs would see similar average FPS in Control. The RTX 3070 Ti’s 8 GB of GDDR6X memory and 608.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this game, and the close rival scores suggest that any of these alternatives would behave comparably at each resolution and preset.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data identifies the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the best setting is Ultra, which averages 91.1 FPS. This is the highest preset available, so the combo can run the game at maximum quality with substantial headroom. At 2560x1440, the best setting is also Ultra, with an average of 68.4 FPS. This clears the threshold by a comfortable margin, making 1440p Ultra the recommended configuration for a balance of visuals and performance.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The Medium preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging 63.1 FPS. While this is technically playable, the margin is slim, and any demanding in-game scene could push the frame rate lower. The High and Ultra presets fall below the threshold, so they are not recommended for a consistent 60 FPS experience. For 4K, the data suggests that Medium is the ceiling for this combo, and users seeking higher quality should consider lowering the resolution.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear. At 1920x1080, the combo is fully playable at all presets, including Ultra, which averages 91.1 FPS. This is a definitive pass, with no settings requiring compromise. At 2560x1440, the same applies: all presets, from Low to Ultra, clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 68.4 FPS. This resolution is also a pass, offering a great balance of image quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is mixed. The playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best at 63.1 FPS. The High and Ultra presets fail to reach 60 FPS, with averages of 51.9 FPS and 50.1 FPS, respectively. Therefore, 4K is only playable if the user is willing to drop to Medium settings. For those who insist on High or Ultra at 4K, the combo will not deliver a smooth experience. Overall, this PC can run Control well, with the only caveat being 4K High and Ultra presets.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 60 FPS on 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra is 91.1 FPS, well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for 2560x1440 that stays above 60 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset averages 68.4 FPS at 2560x1440, making it the most demanding playable option.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium presets are playable, with Medium averaging 63.1 FPS. High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to its nearest GPU rival?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is 0.5% faster, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800 is -0.5% slower, indicating near-identical performance.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The Low preset averages 166.1 FPS, while Ultra averages 91.1 FPS, a difference of 75 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The data shows consistent scaling across resolutions, suggesting the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, is only -0.2% slower, so CPU performance is not a limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1322nd out of 3720 tested combinations in Control. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all configurations. Given that the game is from 2019, this ranking is expected, as newer hardware will naturally outperform it. The rank indicates that the i7-14700K and RTX 3070 Ti are a capable pairing, but not a top-tier one. The CPU’s percentile of 94 versus all CPUs and the GPU’s percentile of 75 versus all GPUs suggest that the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card. This imbalance means the GPU is likely the limiting factor in most scenarios, which aligns with the observed FPS scaling across resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080, the FPS drops from 166.1 on Low to 91.1 on Ultra, a reduction of 75 FPS. This significant scaling indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed by higher settings, while the CPU has ample headroom. The CPU’s high percentile ranking (94) and strong benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5, suggest it is not a bottleneck at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds. The FPS ranges from 129 on Low to 68.4 on Ultra, showing that the GPU is still the primary constraint. The CPU’s role becomes less critical as resolution increases, since the GPU must render more pixels. At 3840x2160, the FPS ranges from 85 on Low to 50.1 on Ultra, and the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 34.9 FPS. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is almost entirely responsible for performance, and the CPU’s influence is minimal. The CPU’s single-thread performance, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2569, is more than sufficient for Control’s demands. In summary, the RTX 3070 Ti is the decisive component for this game, with the i7-14700K providing a strong foundation that never limits frame rates.