Control

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a decisive performance outcome in Control, with measured frame rates that consistently exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold across every tested resolution and preset combination. The data indicates a system with substantial headroom, positioning it as a top-tier option for this title, ranking 276th out of 3,720 tested combos, placing it in the top 7.4% of all configurations analyzed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this combination show a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and settings, with average frame rates ranging from a minimum of 69.3 FPS to a maximum of 244.9 FPS. At 1920x1080, the system exhibits exceptional performance, starting with 244.9 FPS on Low settings and maintaining 175.1 FPS on Medium. High settings produce 152.3 FPS, while Ultra settings still deliver 135.2 FPS, demonstrating that even the most demanding preset leaves significant performance on the table for high-refresh-rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain highly playable, with Low settings reaching 182.3 FPS and Medium settings at 135.1 FPS. High settings produce 119.7 FPS, while Ultra settings maintain 102 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a performance cost of approximately 25-33% across presets, but the absolute numbers remain far above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting the RTX 4080 SUPER has ample compute headroom at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system still performs admirably, with Low settings achieving 123.7 FPS and Medium settings at 90.5 FPS. High settings produce 81.7 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 69.3 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is particularly noteworthy, as it remains nearly 10 FPS above the playable threshold, indicating that this combination can handle maximum visual fidelity at 4K without compromising smoothness. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is steeper, with roughly a 32-35% reduction in frame rates, but the baseline performance is so high that even the most demanding scenario stays comfortably playable.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 276 out of 3,720 tested configurations places this system in the top 7.4% of all hardware pairings analyzed for Control. This percentile position reflects the strength of both components working in concert, as the CPU and GPU each individually rank high in their respective benchmark pools. The CPU holds a 94th percentile ranking against all processors, while the GPU sits at the 86th percentile against all graphics cards, and their combined performance in this game exceeds what either component would suggest independently.

The rank implies that the vast majority of tested systems — 3,444 of them — deliver lower frame rates in this title. This positions the i7-14700K and RTX 4080 SUPER combination as a high-end pairing that should handle Control with ease, even when future patches or mods increase graphical demands. The data suggests this system is not merely adequate but rather overqualified for the game's requirements, with the measured frame rates at 1080p Ultra being more than double the playable threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i7-14700K’s average benchmark score of 69,355 is closely matched by several AMD processors. The AMD EPYC 9115 scores 69,288, a difference of just 0.1%, placing it as the closest performance equivalent. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69,515, which is 0.2% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX achieves 69,875 at 0.7% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F reaches 69,996 at 0.9% above. These negligible deltas indicate that swapping the i7-14700K for any of these alternatives would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control, assuming the GPU remains constant.

For the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 54,209 is closely matched by the standard RTX 4080, which scores 54,247, a marginal 0.1% difference. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54,828 at 1.1% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB reaches 55,698 at 2.7% higher, and the AMD Radeon 8060S achieves 55,757 at 2.8% above. These small percentage differences mean that any of these GPUs would deliver nearly indistinguishable performance in this game, with the RTX 4080 being the most direct substitute. A system using the i7-14700K with an RTX 4080 would behave almost identically, while pairing the Ryzen 7 9700F with the Radeon 8060S would yield slightly higher average scores but likely imperceptible real-world differences.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally shows that this PC can run Control at playable frame rates across all tested configurations. The verdict by resolution confirms that every preset — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clears the 60 FPS threshold at all three resolutions tested. At 3840x2160, the most demanding scenario, Ultra settings achieve 69.3 FPS, which is above the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra settings reach 102 FPS, providing a comfortable margin for smooth gameplay. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver 135.2 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

The system’s performance at 4K Ultra is particularly impressive, as many high-end configurations struggle to maintain 60 FPS at this resolution with maximum settings. The i7-14700K’s 20 cores and 28 threads, combined with the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, provide sufficient resources for Control’s demanding physics and particle effects. The verdict is clear: this combination not only runs the game but does so with substantial headroom, making it suitable for future content updates or additional graphical mods.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system achieves 69.3 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest frame rate this combination can achieve?

A: The maximum measured average frame rate is 244.9 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does this system compare to other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 276th out of 3,720 tested combos, placing it in the top 7.4% of all configurations for Control.

Q: Is there any resolution where this system fails to maintain 60 FPS?

A: No, all tested resolutions and presets, from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra, maintain average frame rates above 60 FPS.

Q: What is the least demanding setting that still looks good?

A: At 2560x1440, High settings produce 119.7 FPS, offering a balance between visual quality and performance headroom.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, frame rates drop from 135.2 FPS at 1080p to 69.3 FPS at 4K, representing a reduction of approximately 49%.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves 135.2 FPS. This leaves substantial headroom, making Ultra the recommended setting for maximum visual fidelity without performance concerns.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings remain the best choice, delivering 102 FPS. This still provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, allowing for smooth gameplay with all visual features enabled.

At 3840x2160, Ultra settings achieve 69.3 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that stays above 60 FPS while offering maximum quality. While it has less headroom than lower resolutions, the margin is sufficient for consistent performance. High settings at 81.7 FPS provide additional buffer if desired, but Ultra remains playable.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU demands shifts in Control. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 244.9 FPS on Low settings, indicating that the GPU is not heavily taxed at this resolution, allowing the CPU’s 20 cores to drive high frame rates. As resolution increases to 2560x1440, frame rates drop to 182.3 FPS on Low settings, showing the GPU beginning to take on more workload. At 3840x2160, Low settings produce 123.7 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts.

The preset scaling further clarifies this dynamic. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces frame rates by 45%, from 244.9 FPS to 135.2 FPS. At 1440p, the same preset change results in a 44% reduction, from 182.3 FPS to 102 FPS. At 4K, the reduction is 44%, from 123.7 FPS to 69.3 FPS. This consistent percentage drop across resolutions suggests that Control’s settings largely affect GPU workload, while the CPU maintains a stable level of performance regardless of visual complexity.

The resolution scaling tells a more nuanced story. At Ultra settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p costs 33 FPS (a 24% reduction), and moving from 1440p to 4K costs 33 FPS (a 32% reduction). This pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU’s frame generation capability remains constant while pixel throughput demands increase. The i7-14700K’s high single-thread performance, evidenced by its 2,160 Cinebench R23 single-core score, ensures that it does not bottleneck the RTX 4080 SUPER at any tested configuration. The data suggests that for Control, the GPU becomes the dominant performance factor at 1440p and 4K, while the CPU’s role is more prominent at 1080p where frame rates exceed 150 FPS and thread scheduling becomes more critical.