Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title, and the data for the Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 shows a system that is decisively capable at 1080p and 1440p, but requires a significant settings compromise to stay playable at 4K. The measured FPS indicates that at 1920x1080, the combo delivers a smooth experience across all presets, with even the most demanding Ultra preset yielding an average of 80.2 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the system maintains playability at every preset, though Ultra drops to an average of 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS bar, averaging 74.8 FPS, while Medium and High fall short at 51.9 FPS and 47.4 FPS respectively, and Ultra bottoms out at 42.2 FPS. The benchmark data positions this configuration at rank 1836 out of 3720 tested combos for this game, placing it in the upper half of all possible pairings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this specific CPU and GPU combination handles Control, with results varying significantly by resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the system is never challenged: the Low preset produces an average of 147.7 FPS, which is nearly 2.5 times the playability threshold. Medium settings deliver 105 FPS average, High settings achieve 91.9 FPS, and even the Ultra preset, which typically imposes the heaviest load, maintains a robust 80.2 FPS average. This resolution shows the largest headroom, with the gap between Low and Ultra being a substantial 67.5 FPS, indicating that the GPU has ample capacity to spare even at maximum quality.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably but remains comfortably playable. The Low preset averages 110.2 FPS, which is a drop of 37.5 FPS from the 1080p result, while Medium settings hit 80.4 FPS and High settings reach 70 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution produces an average of 61 FPS, which is the closest call to the 60 FPS threshold across all playable configurations. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction of roughly 25-30% across presets, with Ultra suffering the smallest absolute drop of 19.2 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is beginning to feel the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. The Low preset is the only one that remains playable, averaging 74.8 FPS. Medium settings drop to 51.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and High settings fall further to 47.4 FPS. The Ultra preset averages just 42.2 FPS, which is a 38 FPS reduction from the 1080p Ultra result. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 32.6 FPS, which is smaller than at lower resolutions, indicating that the GPU is hitting a more uniform bottleneck across all presets when pushing 8.3 million pixels. The data shows no min or max FPS values recorded, so the analysis relies solely on average FPS, but the averages alone are sufficient to establish clear performance tiers.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The benchmark database places the Intel Core i7-14700KF in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70,163. Its nearest rivals in synthetic CPU tests include the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, which scores 69,515, representing a 0.9% performance deficit relative to the i7-14700KF. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69,996, just 0.2% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69,875, also 0.4% lower. On the other side, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores 70,879, which is 1% higher than the i7-14700KF. These deltas are all within a narrow band of roughly 1%, meaning that in CPU-bound scenarios, swapping to any of these processors would yield nearly identical frame rates in Control, with the Core Ultra 7 265K being the only one that might offer a slight edge.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, the GPU sits in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 26,331. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, which scores 26,011, a 1.2% deficit, and the AMD Radeon 860M, which scores 26,401, a 0.3% surplus. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26,421, also 0.3% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26,553, which is 0.8% higher. These rivals are remarkably close in raw GPU compute, so users with any of these GPUs paired with a similarly matched CPU would experience nearly identical performance in Control. The data suggests that the RTX 5060 is not an outlier in its class; rather, it sits in a dense cluster of GPUs with comparable rasterization capabilities, meaning the playable settings and FPS numbers measured here would likely carry over to systems equipped with those alternatives.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings per resolution are defined as the most demanding preset that still maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 80.2 FPS. This is the highest quality option available, and it clears the threshold by a comfortable margin of 20.2 FPS, making it the recommended configuration for full HD gaming. The data does not show any preset at this resolution that fails to reach 60 FPS, so there is no reason to drop below Ultra for a smoother experience.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also qualifies as the best setting, with an average of 61 FPS. This is a razor-thin margin of just 1 FPS above the threshold, so while it is technically playable, any minor scene complexity spike could push it below 60 FPS. The High preset is a safer alternative at 70 FPS, but the data clearly shows that Ultra is the maximum quality that remains playable. For users prioritizing a consistent frame rate over maximum visual fidelity, High would be the more conservative pick, but the benchmark verdict identifies Ultra as the best settings at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the only playable preset is Low, which averages 74.8 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with averages of 51.9, 47.4, and 42.2 FPS respectively. The Low preset provides a 14.8 FPS buffer above the threshold, which is adequate but not generous. There is no way to enable higher quality settings at 4K while maintaining playability, so users must accept the visual compromise of Low to achieve a smooth frame rate.

The Verdict

The verdict is clear: this PC can run Control, but the experience depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset averages 80.2 FPS, which provides a smooth and visually rich experience without any need for compromise. The verdict data lists all settings as playable at this resolution, confirming that users can max out the game without concern.

At 2560x1440, the system also achieves playable status across all presets, with the Ultra preset averaging exactly 61 FPS. This is the only resolution where the top preset is borderline, but it still technically passes the threshold. The verdict lists High, Low, Medium, and Ultra as playable, meaning the entire settings range is accessible. Users at this resolution can run the game at maximum quality, though they should be prepared for occasional frame rate dips below 60 FPS given the slim margin.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more restrictive. Only the Low preset is playable, averaging 74.8 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra are all unplayable, with average FPS of 51.9, 47.4, and 42.2 respectively. The verdict data explicitly lists Low as the sole playable setting, making it clear that 4K gaming requires a significant quality sacrifice. Overall, this system is a solid 1080p and 1440p machine for Control, but it is not a 4K-capable configuration unless the user is willing to run the game at its lowest visual settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals how the CPU and GPU each contribute to performance in Control across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the GPU is likely the primary bottleneck, as evidenced by the wide spread between presets—the difference between Low and Ultra is 67.5 FPS. This large variation indicates that the GPU is being fully utilized and that reducing graphical load directly translates to higher frame rates. The CPU, with its high benchmark scores, has enough headroom to feed the GPU at this resolution, so the frame rate scales almost entirely with GPU workload.

At 2560x1440, the GPU becomes even more dominant, as the pixel count increases by 78% compared to 1080p. The spread between Low and Ultra narrows to 49.2 FPS, which is still substantial but shows that the GPU is starting to saturate. The CPU is less of a factor here, as the i7-14700KF’s strong single-thread and multi-thread performance ensures that it can keep up with the rendering demands. The fact that Ultra still hits 61 FPS suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, but the reduced headroom indicates that the system is approaching the GPU’s ceiling.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting component. The spread between Low and Ultra is 32.6 FPS, the smallest of all resolutions, which indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is struggling to render the 8.3 million pixels per frame. The CPU’s role diminishes further, as the i7-14700KF has ample compute power to handle game logic and draw calls at this resolution, but the RTX 5060 simply cannot push enough frames. The scaling between resolutions and presets shows that Control is a GPU-heavy title, with the CPU providing a stable foundation that never becomes a bottleneck, but the GPU’s performance ceiling dictates the playable settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the CPU matters more relative to the GPU, but by 4K, the GPU is the sole determinant of playability.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system averages 42.2 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The only playable preset at 4K is Low, which averages 74.8 FPS.

Q: What is the highest quality preset that stays above 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes it the most demanding playable preset, though High settings at 70 FPS provide a larger safety margin.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 5060 scores 26,331 on average benchmarks, while its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, scores 26,011, a 1.2% deficit. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26,401, a 0.3% surplus, so these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for Control at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as evidenced by the 67.5 FPS difference between Low and Ultra presets. The i7-14700KF has sufficient CPU performance to avoid being a limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1920x1080 with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 105 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience with a 45 FPS buffer.

Q: Which resolution offers the best balance of quality and performance?

A: The 2560x1440 resolution with Ultra settings is the best balance, averaging 61 FPS. This provides high visual fidelity while barely maintaining playability, whereas 1080p Ultra offers more headroom at 80.2 FPS but lower resolution, and 4K Low sacrifices quality for a 74.8 FPS average.