Control

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a strong performance profile for Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. Measured data shows this combination handles the game decisively at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring a modest settings adjustment. The benchmark results indicate a system that is well-balanced for this title, with the GPU becoming the primary scaling factor as resolution climbs.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold is High, which produces an average of 69.6 FPS. While both Low and Medium also clear the threshold, High is the optimal choice for visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 55.8 FPS, which falls below the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the system has ample headroom. The Ultra preset is fully playable, delivering an average of 88.9 FPS, making it the best settings choice. All other presets—Low, Medium, and High—also remain comfortably above 60 FPS, with averages ranging from 102 FPS on High to 158.5 FPS on Low.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, achieving an average of 116.8 FPS. The data shows that even the most demanding settings at this resolution leave significant performance on the table, with the Low preset hitting 207.3 FPS. This indicates the CPU-GPU combo is not stressed by the game at this resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals the GPU’s dominant role in Control for this hardware combination. At 1080p, the Ultra preset yields 116.8 FPS, while at 1440p the same preset yields 88.9 FPS, a drop of roughly 24%. Moving to 4K Ultra, the average falls to 55.8 FPS, a further 37% reduction from 1440p. This steep decline with increasing pixel count points to the RTX 5070 being the primary performance limiter at higher resolutions.

The CPU’s influence is evident in the frame rate ceilings at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the gap between Low (207.3 FPS) and Ultra (116.8 FPS) is substantial, showing that the settings are scaling the GPU workload significantly. However, the fact that even the Low preset at 4K (105.3 FPS) is lower than the Low preset at 1080p (207.3 FPS) confirms that resolution scaling, not CPU limits, is the primary factor in frame rate changes. The i7-14700K’s 20 cores and 28 threads appear sufficient to feed the GPU at all tested settings, as there is no evidence of a CPU-induced plateau where different presets at the same resolution produce identical frame rates.

The data implies a balanced pairing for this game. The CPU provides enough headroom to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at 1080p, while the GPU’s capabilities define the performance envelope at 1440p and 4K. The 4K Ultra result underscores this, as it is the only tested configuration where the combination fails to meet the 60 FPS target.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 207.3 FPS, Medium produces 149.2 FPS, High produces 134.3 FPS, and Ultra produces 116.8 FPS. The progression shows a consistent, though non-linear, decrease in performance as visual fidelity increases.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 158.5 FPS for Low, 113 FPS for Medium, 102 FPS for High, and 88.9 FPS for Ultra. Compared to 1080p, these figures represent a significant drop for each corresponding preset, with the Low preset seeing a 24% reduction and the Ultra preset a 24% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 105.3 FPS for Low, 74.8 FPS for Medium, 69.6 FPS for High, and 55.8 FPS for Ultra. The 4K results highlight the GPU’s workload, with the gap between Low and Ultra (a difference of 49.5 FPS) being the largest absolute spread across any resolution. This demonstrates that at 4K, the choice of settings has a profound impact on playability.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC can run Control with strong performance at most settings. At 1920x1080, all four tested presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are fully playable, with the Ultra preset averaging 116.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets also clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 88.9 FPS. At 3840x2160, the High preset is the best playable option, averaging 69.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset falls short at 55.8 FPS. Therefore, the system is capable of a flawless 1080p and 1440p experience, and a high-fidelity 4K experience provided the user selects the High preset instead of Ultra.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i7-14700K’s average benchmark score of 69355 is closely matched by several alternatives. The AMD EPYC 9115 is the closest, with a delta of 0.1% and an average score of 69288. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X trails by -0.2% with a score of 69515, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is -0.7% behind at 69875. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is -0.9% behind with a score of 69996. These processors would yield near-identical CPU-bound performance in Control.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40377. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 580, which is 0.1% ahead with a score of 40318, and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, which is 0.8% faster at 40063. On the slower side, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 is -1.2% behind at 40870, and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile is 2% behind at 39568. These GPUs would produce framerates within a few percentage points of the RTX 5070 at the same settings and resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest preset I can use at 1080p to stay above 60 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 achieves an average of 116.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 4K resolution?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset produces an average of 55.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset is the best playable setting at this resolution.

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

A: The average frame rate drops from 116.8 FPS at 1080p to 55.8 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 61 FPS or roughly 52%.

Q: Which component is the main bottleneck for this game at 4K?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter. The average frame rate for the Low preset drops from 207.3 FPS at 1080p to 105.3 FPS at 4K, showing a strong scaling with resolution that is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-14700K have a similar performance level to the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X?

A: Yes. The average benchmark scores are 69355 for the i7-14700K and 69515 for the Ryzen 9 7950X, a delta of -0.2%. This indicates near-identical performance for this comparison.

Q: What is the playable settings verdict for 1440p?

A: All tested presets are playable at 2560x1440. The Ultra preset is the best option, delivering an average of 88.9 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3720 tested combinations in the database for Control, this specific configuration of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks at 688. This places the combo in the top 18.5% of all tested systems for this game. The rank reflects the strong performance at 1080p and 1440p, with the only significant limitation being the 4K Ultra preset failing to hit the 60 FPS target. The high ranking indicates that this is a capable setup for a smooth experience in Control, with ample headroom for high refresh rate monitors at lower resolutions.